From “Birmingham Gazette”, October 15 1954:
“WHY, HE HASN’T CHANGED AT ALL
When the Emperor Haile Selassie stepped from his carriage on to the red carpet at Victoria Station today there was a gasp of surprise from the people who remembered him in London during his exile.
Except for his splendiferous uniform and cocked hat with its lion’s mane, he looked just as he used to do some 15 and more years ago. Not a grey hair streaked his beard which is a little more neatly trimmed nowadays.
His melancholy face with its dark eyes and fine features is only a little older, his figure is as slight, and now, as then, it was the superb dignity of this tiny man which made the chief impression.
In the old days he had the dignity of suffering and of protest. Today he had a grave and royal manner as he went through the ceremonial of a state arrival, kissed the Queen’s hand, greeted Sir Winston and inspected the guard of honour.
IN AMHARIC
On of the heroes of the Emperor’s arrival was the officer commanding the guard of honour from the 3rd Grenadiers. This tall young major approached the Emperor and addressed him in his native language of Amharic, inviting him to inspect the guard. A flicker of pleasure passed across Haile Selassie’s face at this courtesy from the non-linguist British. The man who learnt to report in Amharic that the guard was ‘dressed and correct and ready for inspection’ was 28-year-old Major Nicholas Hale-Pakenham-Mahon“.