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Her Royal Highness, Zawditu (Zewditu I) (Amharic name meaning the Crown, but has been
anglicized as Judith), Queen of the Kings of Absynnia, Empress of Ethiopia from 1916-1930,
Grand-Daughter of Emperor Menelik II
Baptismal Name: Askala Maryam (Askal of Mary : A type of flower)
Zawditu was the first female head of an internationally recognized state in Africa in the 19th
and 20th centuries, and the first Empress regnant of the Ethiopian Empire since the legendary
Makeda, the Queen of Sheba.
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The consort of the Emperor of Ethiopia was referred to as the Itege. Empress Zauditu used the
feminized form Nəgesta Nagast (Negiste Negest) "Queen of Kings" to show that she reigned in
her own right, and did not use the title of Itege. Empress Zewditu's official title was "Queen of
Kings" (Negeste Negest), a modification of the traditional title "King of Kings" (Negus Nagast)
(Nəgusä Nägäst). Initially, Zewditu was not permitted to exercise power herself. Instead, her
cousin Ras Teferi Makonnen(later Emperor Haile Selassie the 1st) was appointed regent.
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The Empress Zawditu died on 24th Magabit 1922 (2nd April 1930), two days after the death of
Ras Gugsa. Empress Zawditu had for a long time prior to this suffered from diabetes which had
been diagnosed by the Swedish Dr. Hanner and the Swiss Dr. Mayberg. As this disease got
progressively worse and more virulent every year, she had latterly been very ill. Therefore, she
had not been informed of Ras Gugsa’s death, lest this news should aggravate her illness. This
was because the physicians who were treating her, Dr. Hanner and Dr. Mayberg, had given
instructions that she was not to hear the sad news. But the Italians, with the intention of
completing the full measure of their deceitfulness, spread the rumour that she died of shock
after hearing the news, while in fact there is no prince, noble, or minister at Addis Ababa who
does not know that Empress Zawditu died without hearing of Ras Gugsa’s death in battle. The
Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I (volume 1)
**Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Zewditu, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of Judah, Queen of
Kings of Ethiopia**
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