Princess Ijigayehu Amha Selassie

Imperial Family of Ethiopia

HIH The Crown Prince of Ethiopia

  • HIH Princess Lideta Zera Yacob

HIH Princess Ijigayehu

  • HIH Prince Samson Fikre Selassie
  • HIH Prince Bekere Fikre Selassie
    HIH Princess Donna Fikre Selassie
  • HIH Prince Yisehaq Fikre Selassie
  • HIH Princess Rahel Fikre Selassie
  • HIH Princess Aster Fikre Selassie
  • HIH Princess Meheret Fikre Selassie

HIH Princess Maryam Senna
HIH Princess Sehin Azebe
HIH Princess Sifrash Bizu


Princess Ijigayehu Amha Selassie (known during her life as Her Imperial Highness Princess Ijigayehu Asfaw Wossen; died 1977) was the eldest child of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen of Ethiopia by his first wife, Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum and was the granddaughter to Emperor Haile Selassie. Through her mother's family she was a great-great granddaughter of Emperor Yohannes IV. Princess Ijigayehu was married to Dejazmach Fikre Selassie Hapte Mariam, the heir to the old Welega Kingdom of Leqa Naqamte, and brother to Woezero Atsede Habte- Mariam (wife of General Mulugeta Bulli) and Princess Mahisente Habte Mariam (wife of Prince Sahle Selasse). Dejazmach Fikre Selassie and Princess Ijigayehu were the parents of six children, Prince Samson Fikre Selassie, Prince Bekere Fikre Selassie, Prince Yisehaq Fikre Selassie, Princess Rahel Fikre Selassie, Princess Aster Fikre Selassie and Princess Meheret Fikre Selassie (all created Princes and Princesses by their grandfather Emperor Amha Selassie while in exile).

Princess Ijigayehu notably accompanied her grandfather Emperor Haile Selassie on his state visit to Italy and also on his state visit to Malaysia. Princess Ijigayehu was imprisoned with the rest of the Imperial family on September 11, 1974, the day before Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the Derg. She died in early 1977 after medical neglect while still in prison. She was buried at the Ketchene Medhan Alem Church in Addis Ababa by her children and her mother who were under surveillance but not imprisoned. Early the following year, all her children, along with other children of the Imperial family, escaped from Ethiopia. Her husband remained imprisoned for 8 years and died in August 1996.