Order of the Holy Trinity (Ethiopia)


The Order of the Holy Trinity is an Ethiopian house order, established by Haile Selassie I on November 2, 1930, to celebrate his coronation. It currently ranks as the fourth highest award in the Ethiopian order of precedence.

History

Haile Selassie established the Order of the Holy Trinity on November 2, 1930, as a way to celebrate his coronation as Emperor of Ethiopia following the death of Empress Zewditu on April 2. Initially established in five grades, it was only awarded to a select group of Ethiopian aristocracy, high-ranking clergy, and senior members of the Imperial Court. Eventually, the order was slimmed down to one grade, Grand Cross, and made available to foreigners, both civilian and military. Following the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1975, the Order of the Holy Trinity remained present in the Ethiopian honors system, under the custody of the Crown Council. The current Grand Master of the order is Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of Haile Selassie, and current president of the Crown Council.

Insignia

The badge and breast star of the Order of the Holy Trinity are both circular bronze-gilt medallions, bearing the points of a cross fleury. On the face of each medallion is an enamel trilobe emblem, divided by a forked cross, with each lobe depicting an image of God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. Circumscribing the inner emblem is an Amharic phrase, written using Ge'ez script. For the badge of the order, the entire medallion is suspended from the sash by a bronze-gilt Ethiopian Imperial crown.

Notable Recipients