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 Emperor Tewodros II took his own life after his defeat by
British troops at the Battle of Magdala in northern Ethiopia in
1868. His son, Prince Alemayehu, was subsequently taken to
Britain, where he died in 1879 aged 18.
The locks, cut as a souvenir by an army artist, have been part
of The National Army Museum's collection in London since 1959,
donated by the family of an artist who painted the emperor on
his deathbed, the museum said.
It had agreed to repatriate the items from its collection,
considered to be human remains, after a request from Ethiopia's
minister of culture and tourism in April last year, the museum
said in a statement.
"The objects are considered significant to the Museum's
collection for their historical connection to a major and unique
campaign fought by the British Army in 1868 and were collected
in good faith," it said.
"The National Army Museum remains in discussions with the
Embassy of Ethiopia in London on arrangements for formally
returning the items."
The Ethiopian Embassy in Britain "welcomes and commends the
unanimous decision by the Trustees of the National Army Museum
to return locks of hair belonging to Ethiopia's Emperor Tewodros
II," it said a statement.
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"For Ethiopians everywhere, as the locks of hair represent the
remains of one of the country's most revered and beloved leaders, a
display of jubilant euphoria is to be expected when it is returned
to its rightful home in Ethiopia," it said.
Emperor Tewodros II claimed a bloodline dating back to the biblical
King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. His demise came after a British
force stormed his mountaintop fortress to free European diplomats,
missionaries and adventurers he had jailed.
The return of his hair follows a string of requests by Ethiopia for
the repatriation of human remains and hundreds of illuminated
manuscripts, gold crowns and other artifacts it says were stolen in
1868.
The Horn of Africa country has also been campaigning for the return
of Prince Alemayehu's bones. The young royal was buried in the crypt
of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Britain - also embroiled in a dispute with Greece over the return of
the Parthenon Marbles - has so far resisted the campaigns, citing
legislation that bans its museums from permanently disposing of
their collections.
(Editing by Janet Lawrence)
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