Correspondence and photographs of Margaret Temple

Scope and Content

Papers, 1940-1942 and undated, of Margaret Temple relating to the Ethiopian royal family, comprising three signed typescript letters to her, 1940-1942, from Fairfield, Bath, and from the Imperial Palace, Addis Ababa, including one from Haile Selassie, the subjects including care of the children, the situation in Italy, and air raids on Bath; four undated photographs of the royal family and an undated photograph of a building, possibly Fairfield.

Administrative / Biographical History

Margaret Temple worked as a governess for the Ethiopian royal family at Fairfield, Bath, from 1939 to 1943. Haile Selassie (1892-1975) became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930 and fought against the Italian invasion in 1935, but fled to British protection in 1936. In 1940, following Italy's entry into World War Two, he returned to Africa with British aid, re-entering Ethiopia and regaining his throne in 1941.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Donated in 1986.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance