View source for Crown Council of Ethiopia

{{Short description|Constitutional body of the Ethiopian Empire}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Crown Council of Ethiopia
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| logo                = Imperial Coat of Arms of Ethiopia (Haile Selassie).svg
| logo_size           = 200px
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| logo_caption        = Royal Coat of Arms
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| abbreviation        = Crown Council
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| founding_location   = {{flag|Ethiopian Empire}}
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| type                = [[Community organization]] <br> [[Cultural center]]
| tax_id              = <!-- or | vat_id = (for European organizations) -->
| registration_id     = <!-- for non-profit org -->
| status              = [[Constitutional Law|Constitutional Body]] <br> Former [[Government-in-exile]] of [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]]
| purpose             = 
| headquarters        = 
| location_country    = {{flag|United States}}
| location            = [[Alexandria, Virginia]]
| coords              = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} -->
| region              = {{flag|Ethiopia}} – [[Ethiopians|Ethiopian Community and Diaspora]] <br> {{flag|Eritrea}} – [[Eritreans|Eritrean Community and Diaspora]] <br>
[[File:Habesha Community.jpg|30px]] [[Habesha peoples|Habesha Community]]
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| leader_title        = [[Emperor of Ethiopia|Emperor]]
| leader_name         = [[Zera Yacob Amha Selassie]]
| leader_title2       = President
| leader_name2        = Prince [[Ermias Sahle Selassie]]
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| website             = {{url|https://ethiopiancrown.org/ |Official website}}
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}}
The '''Crown Council of Ethiopia''' is a [[community organization]] and [[cultural center]] with the mission of preserving the culture(s) of the former [[Ethiopian Empire]], as well as promoting development and humanitarian efforts. Today, the Crown Council has abandoned its former mission of being a [[Government in exile|Government-in-exile]], redefining its role as a [[Humanitarianism|humanitarian]] and [[Conservation and restoration of cultural property|cultural preservation]] organization representing [[Ethiopians]], [[Eritreans]], and their [[diaspora]]. It is headquartered in the [[Washington metropolitan area|Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area]] in the [[United States]], where a large concentration of [[Ethiopian Americans]] and [[Eritrean Americans]] are located. 

It originated as a [[Constitutional Law|constitutional body]] within the [[Ethiopian Empire]], which were appointed by and advised the reigning [[Emperor of Ethiopia]] ([[Ge'ez language|Ge'ez]]: ንጉሠ ነገሥት, ''Nəgusä Nägäst''); on occasion, its members acted on behalf of the Crown. After the deposition of the monarchy, the Crown Council of Ethiopia acted as the [[Government in exile|Government-in-exile]] of the [[Ethiopian Empire]] once claiming to be the legitimate government of [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]]. On 28 July 2004, the Crown Council abandoned its Government-in-exile status, relinquishing its claim of legitimate governance to the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea. 

The Communist [[Derg]] deposed the last Emperor, [[Haile Selassie|Haile Selassie I]] on 12 September 1974, and dissolved the council. Most members of the council were imprisoned and executed, including its president, Prince [[Asrate Medhin Kassa]]. The Derg announced that the monarchy had been abolished early in the following year. However, in 1993, a new Crown Council — which included several descendants of the late Haile Selassie I — asserted that the title of Emperor of Ethiopia was still in existence, and the Crown Council would act in its interests. Its justification was that the abolition of the monarchy by the Derg was extra-constitutional and carried out illegally.

The Federal [[1995 Constitution of Ethiopia|Constitution of 1995]] confirmed the status of the country as a republic, but Ethiopian royalists continue to operate the Crown Council. The Ethiopian government has however continued to accord members of the Imperial family their princely titles as a matter of courtesy. On 16 March 2005, Prince [[Ermias Sahle Selassie]] was reaffirmed by his second cousin [[Zera Yacob Amha Selassie, Crown Prince of Ethiopia|Prince Zera Yacob]] as the President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia. Prince Zera Yacob is considered to be the [[Crown Prince]] of Ethiopia.<ref name = "Council">{{Cite web |url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/CrownCouncil.pdf |title=The Crown Council |access-date=2006-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060921213048/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/CrownCouncil.pdf |archive-date=2006-09-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  On July 28, 2004, the Crown Council redefined its role by redirecting its mission from the political realm to a mission of cultural preservation, development and humanitarian efforts in Ethiopia.

==List of presidents==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2 | No.
! rowspan=2 | Portrait
! rowspan=2 | Name<br />{{small|(Birth{{ndash}}Death)}}
! colspan=3 | Tenure
! rowspan=2 | Emperor
|-
! Took office 
! Left office
! Duration
|-
| 1
| [[File:Ras Kassa.png|75px]]
| Prince [[Kassa Haile Darge]]<br />{{small|(1881–1956)}}
| {{small|13 July}}<br>1941
| {{small|16 November}}<br>1956
| {{ayd|1941|7|13|1956|11|16}}
| rowspan=3|[[Haile Selassie|Haile Selassie I]]
|-
! colspan=6|Vacant 1956–1971<ref>Emperor Haile Selassie I acted as President of the Council</ref>
|-
| 2
| [[File:Aserate Kassa 1966 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| Prince [[Aserate Kassa]]<br />{{small|(1922–1974)}}
| {{small|July}}<br>1971
| [[1974 Ethiopian coup d'état|{{small|12 September}}<br>1974]]
| {{age in years and months|1971|7|1|1974|9|12}}
|-
| 3
| [[File:Carruco1 (cropped).JPG|75px]]
| Prince [[Ermias Sahle Selassie]]<br />{{small|(born 1960)}}
| {{small|15 July}}<br>1993
| Incumbent
| {{ayd|1993|7|15}}
| [[Amha Selassie]]<hr>Prince [[Zera Yacob Amha Selassie]]
|}

== See also ==
* [[Politics of Ethiopia]]
* [[Solomonic dynasty]]
* [[List of Emperors of Ethiopia]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.ethiopiancrown.org Official Website]

[[Category:Government of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Governments in exile|Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Political history of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Ethiopian anti-communists]]
[[Category:Monarchist organizations]]
[[Category:Anti-communist organizations]]
[[Category:Anti-communist organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:African traditional governments]]
[[Category:Monarchism in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Political history of Eritrea]]


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