The British Royal Navy revolutionized naval warfare in 1906 when it commissioned the battleship HMS Dreadnought into service. With a main armament of 12-inch-guns, and a speed of 21 knots, it was the most technologically advanced ship to date, better armed, faster, and stronger than any other vessel afloat. It immediately made all other battleships obsolete. Its introduction kicked off a naval arms race, as the world’s top navies rushed to build similarly-designed warships. Dreadnought became the RN’s pride and joy. As seen below, that pride was pricked in 1910 by pranksters, whose numbers included a then-little-known Virginia Woolf.
The Pride of the Royal Navy
The pranksters were led by Horace de Vere Cole. A former British Army officer, he devoted his life to hoaxes after he was gravely injured in the Second Boer War and was invalided out of service. Virginia Woolf and her friends went to great length to pull off their prank. They were disguised by a professional theatrical costumier, darkened their skins, donned turbans, and pretended to be Ethiopian royals.
They sent a telegram to the head of the Home Fleet, which stated “Prince Makalen of Abbysinia(sic)and suite arrive 4.20 today Weymouth. He wishes to see Dreadnought. Kindly arrange meet them on arrival”. It was signed in the name of a Foreign Office official. At Weymouth, orders were swiftly issued, and an honor guard was prepared. In the meantime, one of the pranksters, accompanied by the Ethiopian “royals” and claiming to be their Foreign Office interpreter and chaperone, went to London’s Paddington station.
The fake Foreign Office chaperone demanded a special train to Weymouth, and the station master obliged with a VIP carriage. Virginia Woolf and her prankster pals made it to Weymouth in their VIP carriage, and at the appointed hour, the Royal Navy welcomed the “princes” with an honor guard. There was a protocol hiccup, however: no Ethiopian flag could be found, and nobody knew what the Ethiopian anthem sounded like. So a Zanzibar flag was flown, while a band played Zanzibar’s national anthem.
The Fake Ethiopian Royals
The “Ethiopian royals” were conducted around the battleship, and given a tour of the fleet. Throughout, they communicated amongst themselves with gibberish. To show their appreciation or amazement at impressive items, they frequently exclaimed “Bunga Bunga!” Since none of their escorts knew Ethiopian, nobody caught on. To show their appreciation, the princes tried to bestow honors upon the helpful naval officers.
The intended honorees included Commander and future admiral Willie Fisher. Two of the pranksters were his cousins, but he failed to recognize them in their guise. When the hoax came to light, the British Royal Navy was mocked and ridiculed by all and sundry. Embarrassed, the powers that be at the British Admiralty sought to have de Vere Cole prosecuted. That attempt went nowhere, as no laws had been broken.
Eventually, officials decided to put on the best face possible, and act as if they thought it was funny. They negotiated a punishment in which the pranksters, except for Virginia Woolf, were symbolically flogged by junior officers. Of course, the blackface bit aged badly. Later that year, an actual Ethiopian royal, Emperor Menelik II, visited Britain. He did not think the prank had been funny. Children taunted him on the streets with cries of “Bunga Bunga!”, and the RN denied his request to inspect the fleet, out of fear of further embarrassment.
_________________
Some Sources & Further Reading
Atlas Obscura – When Virginia Woolf Dressed Up as an ‘African Prince’ to Fool the Royal Navy
History Halls – Deaths You’ll Go to Hell for Laughing At: Franz Reichelt
JSTOR Daily – When Virginia Woolf Wore Blackface
