Fairfield House

Austerity at Fairfield

Haile Selassie I was officially in Britain "incognito", that is, as an "ordinary" member of the public rather than a foreign dignitary. After a few years of residence, the Inspector of taxes was called to evaluate the tax liability of the Emperor-in-exile. The follow documents reveal important clues about the economic conditions suffered by Haile Selassie I and the Ethiopian household. Remember that the Emperor had to support not only his large family and retinue at Fairfield but a number of Ethiopian refugees in Jerusalem and elsewhere.

The following photographs depict the interior of Fairfield House in the 1950s, which was largely left undisturbed after the Royal family left.