Haile Selassie: The African Emperor in Exile and Why He Came to Bath
- Kunle Olulode
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
It’s a Saturday afternoon in mid-July 2026 and I’m standing in the grounds of Fairfield House, in the great city of Bath. Ninety years ago, this became the home of His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie. Venerated today by those of the Rastafarian faith, and followers of Root Rock Reggae music. An icon of a worldwide movement and at one time head of the world’s oldest functioning royal family. The house is part museum/archive and part community centre. I’m here at the invitation of Samenua Sesher, CEO of the Museum Of Colour, one of Britain’s first ‘virtual museums’.
In 1936 Ethiopia, or Abyssinia, as people referred to it back then, was attacked by the Italian government as revenge for the defeat of the army’s failed attempt to colonise Ethiopia in 1895. Beaten back by herdsmen with rifle spears, the outcome of the battle of Adowa (Adwa) became legend in Africa, and an embarrassment for Italy’s imperialist ambitions. In Italian military history it was held up as a mark of shame and a national humiliation.
After coming to power in Italy in 1922, Mussolini’s Fascist government vowed to avenge the earlier defeat and colonise Ethiopia. It was, in effect, a “make Italy great again” campaign. On 3 October 1935, Benito Mussolini ordered the invasion of Ethiopia to expand his fascist empire and erase the humiliation of Italy’s defeat at Adowa.
Using modern weapons and poison gas, Italian forces captured Addis Ababa by May 1936, forcing Emperor Haile Selassie into exile and eventually bringing him to Bath and Fairfield House, 2 Kelston Road, on Newbridge Hill (1936-1940).
On his way to Bath, he went to Geneva, where In May, he made what is considered one of the most prophetic and impassioned antiwar speeches at the League of Nations (forerunner to the UN) in which he concluded his presentation by admonishing the western leaders, stating that "God and history will remember your judgment
“Apart from the Kingdom of the Lord there is not on this earth any nation that is superior to any other. Should it happen that a strong Government finds it may with impunity destroy a weak people, then the hour strikes for that weak people to appeal to the League of Nations to give its judgment in all freedom. God and history will remember your judgment.”
— Haile Selassie, Appeal to the League of Nations, 12 May 1936
Perhaps the most well-known presentation of it can be heard on legendary Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley’s song ‘WAR’. Marley refashions the speech into a stunning monologue of prophecy that still has resonance today (LP, Rastaman Vibration, 1976).
As a leader, he was tested like he had never been before. The ruler had never wanted to leave his country after the Italian dictator had invaded. However, he realised the Ethiopians could not combat Italian forces without external help. He went to the West, basically to rally for liberation and support.
In exile away from his country, the emperor and his family faced tough times; In an alien environment, trying to administer a war-ravaged country from abroad, in a large country house, they could barely even afford to heat. However, he integrated well into the activities of the local community; he was often seen walking his dog Lulu, inviting locals into his home for dinner and taking advantage of the healing qualities of the world-renowned Bath Spa waters. He also adhered to a strict routine of daily prayer, writing his memoirs and monitoring news from abroad.
His presence in the UK was front-page news. Daily reports went out about the latest activities of Bath’s local royal family, which were well documented by the BBC and local press.
It should be noted, though, Selassie’s presence in England was not without controversy and hostility.
In the 1930s, British diplomacy was shaped by appeasement, particularly toward Mussolini. Britain sought to keep him onside and prevent him from moving closer to Hitler’s Germany. At the same time, Hitler was trying to establish himself as the dominant figure in the fascist hierarchy. Selassie was caught up in these wider political dynamics. For example, at one point, Hitler even supplied weapons to the Ethiopians to resist Italian aggression. Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister at the time, was reportedly so embarrassed by his government’s betrayal of the emperor that he once hid under his desk to avoid meeting him during a visit to Parliament.
On the other hand, one of his great friends and supporters while in England was Sylvia Pankhurst, the renowned women’s rights activist and daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, the famous suffragette leader who helped women win the right to vote in Britain. The younger Pankhurst kept up a regular correspondence with him and published a stream of articles in the British press highlighting the consequences of British appeasement of Mussolini and Hitler. She also founded the Abyssinian Association and the New Times & Ethiopian News (NTEN) an anti-fascist bulletin that had a following of over 40,000 readers in the Caribbean and West Africa alone. After the war, in 1956, she took up permanent residence in Ethiopia. She died there aged 87 in 1960 and is buried outside Trinity Cathedral in an area reserved for patriots of the Italian invasion.
By 1940, Mussolini declared war on Britain, clearing the way for the British government to arm Ethiopian rebel fighters to form an alliance with British forces who beat back the Italians. Italian forces crumbled under the military pressure and ongoing local guerrilla warfare, leading to the liberation of the capital, Addis Ababa. In early 1941, Haile Selase returned to Ethiopia in triumph. He did not forget the warmth he and his family experienced from the people of Bath, and in a wonderful gesture, he donated Fairfield House to the city, under a Trust for the building to be used for the care of the elderly.
Bemsca
Today, the heartbeat of Fairfield House is the Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association (Bemsca). Bemsca is a long-established charity separate from but working closely with Fairfield House Bath CIC.
Bemsca offers a day-centre service for the local elderly of Bath. Bemsca promotes active ageing, volunteering, creative activities such as needlework and dance. Despite many challenges over the years for control of the property, their work fulfils His Imperial Majesty's original wish in gifting Fairfield House as a home for the aged.
In August 2026, the City of Bath will mark the anniversary of the Ethiopian Royal Family’s arrival with a commemorative programme of events.
A citywide commemorative programme will mark the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Royal Family becoming resident in Bath, celebrating a significant chapter in the city’s history and its enduring international connections.
Running through to November 2026, the anniversary series will honour the arrival of the Ethiopian Royal Family in Bath, followed by their move to Fairfield House in October 1936, which became their home and remains a place of deep historical and cultural significance. The programme will bring together partners from across Bath, including cultural organisations, educational institutions, community groups, and heritage partners, to present a series of events reflecting on the historic relationship between Ethiopia and the City of Bath.
The commemorative programme aims not only to recognise a notable moment in the city’s past, but also to explore themes of exile and displacement, WWII, racial justice, faith, heritage, international friendship, cultural exchange and shared history that continue to resonate today.
As I left the house on that beautiful summer evening, I wondered what His Majesty had thought about during his exile. Had I stood in one of the very rooms where he planned his return? I will never know. But above my head fluttering in the breeze was a flag that said, ‘Refugees welcome here’.
Special thanks host Ras Benji operations manager at Fairfield House and his team
Big shoutout to Samenua Sesher and the Museum of Colour for the invite and insight.
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