From Palace to Policy: Hana Mariam’s Extraordinary Journey from Imperial Memory to National Advocacy
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By Ethiopian Tribune Staff
When the Ethiopian Tribune transmitted the funeral service of Her Imperial Highness Princess Sophia Desta in December 2021, we understood we were chronicling far more than a solemn farewell. The ceremony reverential, dignified, and steeped in the profound traditions of Ethiopian Orthodox liturgy, served equally as a living repository of a family that has borne the extraordinary weight of Ethiopia’s modern history upon its shoulders.
Amongst the mourners stood her sole daughter, Emebet-Hoy Hannah Mariam Meherete Selassie Dereje, granddaughter of Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie, great-granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie I, and daughter of a patriot officer who perished whilst defending the imperial throne. During a remarkably candid interview on ETV/EBC Entertainment last week, Hana transported that rich historical tapestry into the present day, speaking not merely of her illustrious lineage but of her seven-year crusade advocating for Ethiopia’s sovereign right to complete the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and championing the nation’s strategic entry into BRICS.
Hana’s extraordinary narrative commences within the hallowed walls of the Jubilee Palace, where she spent her formative years under the benevolent yet watchful gaze of her great-grandfather, the Emperor himself. Her mother, Princess Sophia Desta, was the youngest daughter of Princess Tenagnework and Ras Desta Damtew, that valiant southern front commander who was executed by Italian forces in 1937 following months of heroic resistance in Sidamo. Her father, Captain Dereje Haile Mariam, a Sandhurst-trained officer serving in the elite Imperial Bodyguard, met his tragic end in December 1960 whilst courageously defending the palace during the abortive coup attempt against Haile Selassie. Hana entered this world the following year, born into a family already indelibly marked by supreme sacrifice.
“I grew up surrounded by whispers of history,” Hana reflects with characteristic eloquence. “Every corridor of the palace held memories, every conversation carried the weight of our ancestors’ choices. One doesn’t simply inherit such a legacy one must decide what to do with it.”
Through her paternal lineage, Hana inherits the distinguished legacy of Lej Haile Mariam Mammo a celebrated (arbegnoch) patriot fighter hailing from Selale, Shewa. Initially educated within the traditional confines of church schooling and subsequently at the prestigious Tafari Mekonnen School in Addis Ababa, he courageously took up arms against the Fascist Italian occupation in 1935. Operating with remarkable effectiveness throughout the central highlands, Haile Mariam Mammo became renowned for his extraordinary courage, tactical brilliance, and steadfast refusal to capitulate to enemy forces. His distinguished wartime service earned him considerable national respect following liberation in 1941, establishing his family amongst Ethiopia’s military-social elite. It was precisely this elevated standing that facilitated his son Dereje’s prestigious Sandhurst training and, ultimately, led to his fateful role in defending the Emperor during that tumultuous December of 1960.
“My grandfather’s resistance wasn’t merely about fighting invaders,” Hana explains with evident pride. “It was about preserving the very essence of what Ethiopia represents our independence, our dignity, our refusal to bow to foreign domination. That same spirit drives my advocacy today.”
During her compelling ETV interview, Hana spoke with the same precision and remarkable poise that characterises her written work. She masterfully framed GERD not as a mere bargaining chip in international negotiations, but as an inviolable national birthright “the radiant light that shall illuminate our schools, energise our clinics, and power our burgeoning industries.” Similarly, she articulated Ethiopia’s potential BRICS membership as a pragmatic diversification of the nation’s partnerships across finance, technology, and international trade.
Her advocacy transcends mere abstract theorising. Throughout the past seven years, she has passionately addressed numerous diaspora forums, penned incisive analyses, and participated in expert panels, systematically countering misinformation whilst urging Ethiopians both at home and abroad to perceive these monumental projects as integral components of a unified sovereignty narrative.
“When I speak about GERD, I’m not merely discussing hydroelectric power generation,” Hana emphasises with conviction. “I’m speaking about our children’s future, about breaking the chains of energy dependency that have constrained our development for far too long. This dam represents our ancestors’ dreams made manifest in concrete and steel.”
Hana’s recent scholarly contribution to the distinguished Africa Hall publication underscores her unwavering commitment to preserving institutional memory. Her meticulously researched chapter traces the Haile Selassie Prize Trust’s pivotal role in linking sophisticated diplomacy to cultural capital, positioning Africa Hall simultaneously as both a magnificent monument to pan-African unity and a dynamic, living classroom for future generations.
“Africa Hall isn’t merely a building,” she observes thoughtfully. “It’s a testament to my great-grandfather’s vision of African dignity and self-determination. Every speech delivered there, every resolution passed, echoes the same principles I champion today in advocating for Ethiopia’s sovereign development.”
During the course of her ETV conversation, Hana also made illuminating reference to Rasselas Lakew, an accomplished documentary filmmaker whose remarkable work chronicling Ethiopia’s Olympic legend Abebe Bikila has garnered considerable international acclaim. Bikila’s legendary barefoot marathon victory in Rome during 1960, followed by his triumphant repeat performance in Tokyo in 1964, became enduring symbols of African excellence upon the global stage. Rasselas cinematically ambitious film, masterfully blending dramatic recreation with precious archival footage, follows Bikila’s meteoric rise, his devastating 1969 motor accident, and his remarkable resilience until his untimely death in 1973. By invoking this powerful work, Hana was drawing a compelling parallel: just as Bikila’s inspirational story exemplifies discipline, dignity, and national pride, so too does Ethiopia’s contemporary struggle for development projects and enhanced global positioning.
“Abebe ran barefoot and conquered Rome,” Hana reflects with evident emotion. “Today, we must run our own race, building GERD, joining BRICS, asserting our rightful place in the world. The determination is the same, the prize equally precious.”
Hana’s considerable authority emanates from far more than her distinguished titles and noble lineage. It is firmly rooted in a family history that has repeatedly positioned itself at the critical fault lines of Ethiopian history, from Ras Desta’s heroic battlefield sacrifice to Captain Dereje’s valiant last stand, from Haile Mariam Mammo’s courageous guerrilla campaigns to Princess Sophia’s endured prison years, and now extending to Hana’s own decades spent in exile and her triumphant return to Addis Ababa.
“Every generation of my family has faced a defining moment,” Hana reflects with characteristic gravity. “My great-grandfather faced colonialism, my grandfather faced fascism, my father faced internal upheaval, my mother faced revolution. Today, I face the challenge of ensuring Ethiopia’s voice is heard in a multipolar world. The stakes remain as high as ever.”
When the Ethiopian Tribune transmitted Princess Sophia’s funeral service, we bore witness to that extraordinary historical continuum. By listening attentively to Hana now, we hear precisely how that remarkable legacy is being translated into contemporary policy advocacy, a sophisticated bridge spanning from palace corridors to the negotiating tables of the twenty-first century. Her voice carries not merely the authority of royal blood, but the hard-earned wisdom of a family that has never retreated from Ethiopia’s most challenging moments. In her advocacy for GERD and BRICS, Hana Mariam continues that noble tradition, ensuring that Ethiopia’s imperial past informs and strengthens its sovereign future.
