Ariana Austin Makonnen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Princess Ariana |
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Princess Ariana at the Seeds of Africa Benefit in New York City in 2019
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| Born | Ariana Joy Lalita Austin Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Spouse |
Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen
(m. 2017) |
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| House | Solomon (by marriage) | ||||
| Father | Bobby William Austin | ||||
| Mother | Joy Ford | ||||
| Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox | ||||
| Occupation | business woman | ||||
| Education | |||||
Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen is an American businesswoman. She is part of the former Ethiopian royal family. Princess Ariana started an evening arts festival called Art All Night. She also founded a creative company named French Thomas. In 2018, she and her husband, Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, began Old World/New World Productions. This media company creates stories about people of African descent living around the world.
Princess Ariana is the granddaughter of John Meredith Ford, who was a Lord Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana. She also works as a Goodwill Ambassador for Friends of Guyana. In 2019, she gave a speech at a big conference for women leaders.
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About Princess Ariana
Her Family Background
Princess Ariana was born in Washington, D.C.. Her father is Bobby William Austin. He was the first African-American full-time teacher at Georgetown University. Her mother is Joy Ford. Joy Ford used to lead an organization called Humanities DC.
Princess Ariana has both African-American and Indo-Guyanese heritage. Her grandfather, John Meredith Ford, was the Lord Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana. Her great-grandfather, Thomas Janki, was an important leader in the Guyana Presbyterian Church.
Education and Career Path
Princess Ariana studied English literature at Fisk University. She graduated with high honors. While at Fisk, she was invited into a special academic group called Phi Beta Kappa. She also studied abroad in England at Magdalen College, Oxford. She also traveled and studied through a program called Semester at Sea.
She earned a master's degree from Harvard University. This degree was in arts education and creative writing. After college, she moved to Paris and worked as a teacher and writer.
Starting Art All Night
Princess Ariana was inspired by a French art festival called Nuit Blanche. She then created and led Art All Night in Washington, D.C. This festival showed off visual art, live painting, music, light shows, and poetry.
Founding French Thomas
Five years after starting Art All Night, Princess Ariana founded French Thomas. This company created cultural and educational events. These events took place in New York City, Camden, and Washington, D.C.
Old World/New World Productions
In November 2018, Princess Ariana and her husband started Old World/New World Productions. This company makes movies and TV shows. Their focus is on stories about Africa and people of African descent around the world.
In May 2019, Princess Ariana helped host a special dinner for women leaders. A German diplomat named Emily Haber organized the event.
In September 2019, Princess Ariana spoke at a conference in Guyana. The conference was about women's leadership and business. She talked about how to be an entrepreneur in the arts and culture.
Her Personal Life
Princess Ariana met Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen in December 2005. He is a great-grandson of the last Emperor of Ethiopia. They met at a nightclub in Washington, D.C.. They got engaged in 2014.
Their Royal Wedding
Princess Ariana and Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen were married on September 9, 2017. Their wedding was an Ethiopian Orthodox ceremony. It took place at a church in Temple Hills, Maryland. Before the wedding, Princess Ariana changed her faith to Orthodox Christianity.
Thirteen priests led the wedding ceremony. The wedding was featured in The New York Times and became very popular online. Both Princess Ariana and Prince Joel were crowned during the ceremony. This is a tradition in Orthodox weddings.
The wedding reception was held in Manassas, Virginia. More than 300 guests attended the wedding. The wedding celebrations lasted for five days, from September 5 to September 10.
