The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Lecture - HYBRID - The Prince and the Plunder
Andrew Heavens
Sunday 19th February 2023
14:30 GMT, Ethiopian Community in Britain, 2a Lithos Road, London NW3 6EF - Public event (all welcome)
With the event also being broadcast online, starting at about 15:00 GMT
Note - Register for the online event on Eventbrite and you'll be emailed a Zoom link shortly before the event.
In 1868, British troops charged into the mountain empire of Ethiopia, stormed the citadel of its monarch Tewodros II and grabbed piles of his treasures and sacred manuscripts. They also took his son – six-year-old Prince Alamayu – and brought the boy back with them to the cold shores of England.
For the first time, Andrew Heavens tells the whole story of Alamayu, from his early days in his father’s fortress on the roof of Africa to his new home across the seas, where he charmed Queen Victoria, chatted with Lord Tennyson and travelled with his towering red-headed guardian Captain Speedy. The orphan prince was celebrated but stereotyped and never allowed to go home.
The book also follows the loot – Ethiopia’s ‘Elgin Marbles’ – and tracks it down to its current hiding places in bank vaults, museum store cupboards and a boarded-up cavity in Westminster Abbey.
A story of adventure, trauma and tragedy, The Prince and the Plunder is also a tale for our times, as we re-examine Britain’s past, pull down statues of imperial grandees and look for other figures to commemorate and celebrate in their place.
Andrew Heavens has worked for newspapers and press agencies for almost thirty years, including six years as a reporter and photographer in Ethiopia and Sudan. He grew up in Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, and lives in London.
All are welcome to join. Please reserve your place soon to avoid disappointment.
Unable to attend the event in person? Register for an online ticket to be sent a link to a Zoom broadcast of the live event.
 |
The Prince and the Plunder by Andrew Heavens Publisher : History Press, 2023 ISBN : 9780750997362 (hardcover) UK RRP £22.99 ISBN: 9781803990903 (ebook) UK RRP £8.99 |