King Charles faces pressure to return sacred Ethiopian artifacts

King Charles may receive demands from the Ethiopian government to return sacred artifacts held in the Royal Collection.

For the unversed, these sacred items were taken by British forces in 1868 during the Battle of Magdala, following the death of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia.

However, now the director general of the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, Abebaw Ayalew Gella called the continued possession of these items as “immoral.”

According to a report by The Telegraph, Abebaw said, “It is immoral. You don’t just put them somewhere. They are sacred.”

Referring to the "illuminated" works, he went on to add, "A manuscript with illumination is always considered sacred. You don’t even touch them."

It is worth mentioning that while the Royal Collection Trust can return items at the discretion of its trustees, the British Museum Act of 1963 restricts the return of artifacts held by national museums in the UK.

Therefore, the Ethiopian government reportedly hopes to secure support from the UK government in its efforts.