Prince Makonnen, the Duke of Harrar, was the second son, and second youngest child, of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Empress Menen Asfaw. He was made Duke of Harrar upon the coronation of his parents. He was married to Sara Gizaw, who became a Princess and Duchess of Harrar, and with her fathered four sons, Prince Wossen Seged, Prince Taffari, Prince Makonnen, Prince Mikael, and Prince Beide Mariam. Prince Makonnen also had a daughter previous to his marriage whom he acknowledged and was legitimated and given in marriage by Emperor Haile Selassie. Her name is Woizero Meheret Makonnen. It was widely believed that Emperor Haile Selassie favored the Duke of Harrar over all his other children, and it was even rumored that the Emperor even considered naming Makonnen as his heir, instead of his liberal elder son, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen. However, Prince Makonnen Duke of Harrar died in an automobile crash in 1958 on his way to the resort town of Nazareth, east of Addis Ababa. He was buried in the crypt of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. In 1974, with the overthrow of the Ethiopian monarchy, the widowed Duchess of Harrar and her sons were all placed under detention, with the exception of Prince Makonnen Makonnen (David) who was abroad at school in the United States. After a long and harsh imprisonment, Princess Sara Duchess of Harrar was released by the communist Dergue regime along with the other female members of the Imperial family in 1989. A year later, the sons of the Duke and Duchess of Harrar were also released from their imprisonment. Unfortunately, just days before their release, their exiled brother, Prince Makonnen, was found dead at his home in Switzerland. Upon the fall of the Dergue regime, Princess Sara and her sons were allowed to travel abroad, and after a number of years living in London, the Duchess has now returned to live in Addis Ababa. The Duchess of Harrar was prominent at the Imperial funerals held for her brother-in-law, the late Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen (also known as Emperor-in-Exile Amha Selassie) in 1997, the funeral for Emperor Haile Selassie in 2000, and the funeral for her sister-in-law, Princess Tenagnework. The present Ethiopian government has returned the late Duke of Harrar's business interest in Addis Ababa's Wabi Shebele Hotel to the sons of the late Duke.