Taytu Betul brought a formidable political mind to Ethiopia’s imperial court. As Menelik II’s consort, she challenged Italy’s claim to control Ethiopian foreign relations and took an active role in the campaign that culminated in victory at Adwa in 1896. Her responsibilities included supplying troops and organizing care. She also financed a hotel in Addis Ababa. Her influence reached from diplomatic arguments to the practical arrangements that make an ambitious undertaking possible.