Category Archives: Serbian/Yugoslav Royals

St. George’s Church at Oplenac in Topola, Serbia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

St. George’s Church; Credit – By Jelko – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21400020

St. George’s Church is a Serbian Orthodox church located at the top of the Oplenac Hill in the town of Topola, Serbia. It is the burial site of the Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Family from the House of Karađorđević. The church is part of Oplenac, a complex that also includes The King’s Winery and Vineyard, the Vineyard’s Keeper’s House, King Peter’s House, and Karađorđe’s Residence.

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History of St. George’s Church

King Peter I of Serbia, founder of St. George’s Church which is in the background); Credit- https://oplenac.rs/

St. George’s Church was built to replace an earlier church in Topola that had been built by Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George) (1768 – 1817), the founder of the House of Karađorđević, to be the burial site of his new dynasty. Unfortunately, in 1813, Topola was attacked by the Ottoman Turks and the church was severely damaged. Even more unfortunate, on July 26, 1817, Karađorđe was killed by supporters of Miloš Obrenović, from the rival House of Obrenović. This act started decades of feuding between the House of Karađorđević and the House of Obrenović.

Karađorđe’s son Alexander Karađorđević, (sovereign) Prince of Serbia did some restoration in the town of Topola and had planned to build a new church but in 1858, Alexander was forced to abdicate by the rival House of Obrenović which held power until 1903. In 1903, a coup d’etat led by army officers who supported the House of Karađorđević assassinated King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga, resulting in the extinction of the rival House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević, the son of Alexander Karađorđević, was then proclaimed King Peter I of Serbia (King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1918 to 1921).

St. George’s Church in the distance, atop Oplenac Hill with the town of Topola in the foreground; Credit – By XJeanLuc at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5982584

Peter I immediately set out to plan a new church. In 1903, he chose the site for the church atop the 1105-foot/337-meter-high Oplenac Hill. The initial architect and his plans were scrapped due to Peter I’s intense dislike of the plans. Another set of preliminary architectural plans was submitted by prospective architects to a committee and the commission was awarded to the young Serbian architect Kosta Jovanović. Peter I and the committee were impressed with Jovanović’s expertise in Serbian medieval architecture and his inventive design for the church. On May 1, 1910, construction on the new church began. The church was mostly complete by the fall of 1912. On September 23, 1912, Dimitrije Pavlović, Metropolitan of Belgrade dedicated the church in honor of Saint George (also known as George of Lydda), the same Saint George who is the patron saint of England.

The incomplete St. George’s Church in 1915; Credit – By K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle – Wien – https://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Preview/15454244.jpgCatalog: https://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=15454244, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54265966

The 1912 – 1913 Balkan Wars and World War I caused pauses in the completion of the church. When Serbia was occupied by Austrian-Hungarian troops in 1915, the church was looted and damaged. After World War I, restoration on the damaged parts of the church occurred along with work on the incomplete parts but Peter I did not live long enough to see the church completed. He died on August 16, 1921, and his son and successor Alexander I, King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (1921 – 1929), King of Yugoslavia (1929 – 1934) took over its completion.

The church was consecrated again on September 9, 1930, by Varnava Rosić, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church. During World War II, Yugoslavia (the country became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929) was occupied by Germany, and Peter II, King of Yugoslavia went into exile. In 1944, Communist Party leader Josip Broz, later known as Tito, established a Communist government. In November 1945, the monarchy was formally abolished and King Peter II was officially deposed. Yugoslavia would remain a Communist country for over forty years. Services continued in the church until 1947. Under the Communist government, St. George’s Church was declared a cultural monument and was converted into a museum of the Karađorđević dynasty. In 1991, after the fall of the Communist regime, members of the Serbian/Yugoslav royal family were able to return to their family homeland. On October 8, 1991, St. George’s Church was consecrated again and formally restored as a Serbian Orthodox church.

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The Exterior of St. George’s Church

St. George’s Church; By Malecko86 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35755492

Serbian architect Kosta Jovanović designed St. George’s Church in a unique Serbian-Byzantine style with a Neo-Byzantine cross-shaped base and a huge central dome surrounded by four smaller domes at the points of the cross. The church was constructed using white marble from the Venčac Mountain near Arandjelovac, Serbia.

The mosaic of St. George above the entrance; Credit – By Julian Nyča – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15371896

Above the main entrance is a semi-circle mosaic of the church’s patron St. George with the face of Karađorđe, the founder of the House of Karađorđević, slaying the dragon, symbolizing the victory of the Serbs over their enemies. The mosaic was designed by Serbian artist Paja Jovanović and was made in Venice, Italy.

The sculpted old coat of arms of the House of Karađorđević; Credit – https://oplenac.rs/st-georges-church/#gallery243-1

Above the mosaic in a circle, is a sculpted old coat of arms of the House of Karađorđević

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The Interior of St. George’s Church

Orthodox churches are set up differently than other Christian churches. They are divided into three main parts: the narthex, the nave, and the sanctuary. The narthex is the passage hall between the outer door and the interior parts of the church. It is the symbolic connection between the church and the outside world. It used to be the practice that non-Orthodox people had to remain in the narthex but this practice has mostly fallen into disuse. The congregation stands in the nave, the main part of the church during services. Traditionally there is no sitting during Orthodox services and so Orthodox churches usually do not have pews or chairs.

The Iconostasis; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78926944

In Orthodox Christianity, an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings that divides the sanctuary from the nave. The sanctuary is where the Divine Liturgy is performed behind the iconostasis, accessible only to the clergy. The iconostasis usually has three doors, one in the middle and one on either side. The middle door is traditionally called the Beautiful Gate and is only used by the clergy.

Examples of mosaics in St. George’s Church; Credit – By Alekino – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16377213

The interior is covered with 725 mosaic images made in Italy (513 in the church, 212 in the crypt). The mosaics are reproductions of medieval frescoes in Serbia. Copies of frescoes from sixty Serbian medieval churches and monasteries were brought to St. George’s Church for reference.

Mosaic of King Peter I, St. George, Mary the Mother of God, and Jesus; Credit – https://oplenac.rs/st-georges-church/#gallery243-19

On the entire southern wall of the narthex is a mosaic of the founder King Peter I, wearing his regalia and holding a model of St. George’s Church in his left hand. St. George is holding his right hand and guiding him to Mary, Mother of God and Jesus.

The main dome at St. George’s Church; Credit – Credit – By Julian Nyča – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15371774

The interior of the main dome is a mosaic of Christ Pantokrator (Pantokrator = Almighty or All-Powerful). Christ Pantokrator is mostly an Eastern Orthodox concept that depicts Christ as a mild but stern, all-powerful judge of humanity. The mosaic on the main dome of St. George’s Church is a copy of the fresco (below) on the dome of the 1321 Gračanica Monastery in Gračanica, now in Kosovo.

The original fresco on the dome of the 1321 Gračanica Monastery; Credit – https://www.world-archaeology.com/travel/ulpiana-the-romans-in-kosovo/

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May 26, 2013 – State Funeral and Reburial of King Peter II, Queen Alexandra, Queen Maria, and Prince Andrej

 

King Peter II, his wife Queen Alexandra (born Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark), his mother Queen Maria (born Princess Maria of Romania), and his brother Prince Andrej finally came home to Serbia and were laid to rest in a state funeral at St. George’s Church on May 26, 2013. The funeral service and burial was attended by members of the Serbian royal family, Serbian government officials,  ambassadors, and members of other royal families.

King Peter II died on November 3, 1970, in Denver, Colorado, following a failed liver transplant. Per his wishes, he was interred at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois. Queen Alexandra died on January 30, 1993, in Burgess Hill, England. She was initially buried in the Royal Burial Grounds at Tatoi Palace in Greece near her parents King Alexander of Greece and Aspasia Manos. Queen Maria died in London, England on June 22, 1961. A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England. Prince Andrej died in Irvine, California on May 7, 1990, and was first buried at New Gračanica Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Third Lake, Illinois.

Burials at St. George’s Church

The tombs of Đorđe Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević, and his grandson Peter I, King of Serbia, the founder of St. George’s Church, across from each other; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78923275

There are two burials in the transepts of St. George’s Church. A transept is an area crosswise to the nave in a cross-shaped church so that the nave and the transepts form a cross. Deserving of their special burial places in the transepts are Đorđe Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević, and his grandson Peter I, King of Serbia, the founder of St. George’s Church.

The crypt under St. George’s Church; Credit – By Ванилица – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78926927

There are 40 tombs in the crypt beneath the church, and as of the publication of this article, 28 members of the House of Karadjordjevic have been buried in the crypt, representing six generations of the family. The tombs were used without special order and without respecting criteria, such as generations, kinship, and order of death.

The remains of a number of members of the House of Karađorđević were transferred to St. George’s Church from their original burial sites. If known, information about the transfers is listed below.

In the crypt under the church:

  • Marica Živković (died 1811), mother of Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George)
  • Prince Alexius of Serbia (1836 – 1840), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Jelena Jovanović (circa 1765 – 1842), wife of Đorđe (George) Petrovic, called Karađorđe (Black George), founder of the House of Karađorđević
  • Prince Svetozar of Serbia (1841 – 1847), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Jelisaveta of Serbia (1851 – 1852), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Kleopatra of Yugoslavia (1835 – 1855), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Prince Andrej of Serbia (1848 – 1864), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Princess Jelena of Yugoslavia (1846 – 1867), daughter of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Persida Nenadović, Princess of Serbia (1813 – 1873), wife of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia, first buried in Vienna, Austria, remains were transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Alexander Karađorđević, reigning Prince of Serbia (1806 – 1885), first buried in Vienna, Austria, remains transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Princess Milena of Serbia (1886 – 1887), daughter of Peter I
  • Prince Djordje of Serbia (1856 – 1889), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Zorka of Montenegro, Princess Karađorđević (1864 – 1890), wife of Peter I, first buried at the Cetinje Monastery in Cetinje, Montenegro, remains were transferred in 1912 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Andrej of Serbia (born and died 1890), son of Peter I, died at birth along with his mother Zorka
  • Alexander I, King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1921 to 1929, King of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1934 (1888 – 1934), son of Peter I, assassinated
  • Prince Arsenije of Serbia (1859 – 1938), son of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Persida Ida Nikolajević (1869 – 1945), daughter of Princess Poleksija of Serbia, granddaughter of Prince Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia
  • Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia (1928 – 1954), son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Marie of Romania, Queen of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1921 to 1929, Queen of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1934 (1900 – 1961), wife of Alexander I, first buried in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England, remains were transferred in 2012 to St.George’s Church
  • Peter II, King of Yugoslavia (1923 – 1970), son of Alexander I, first buried, per his wishes, at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Crown Prince George of Serbia (1887 – 1972), son of Peter I, in 1909, Crown Prince George killed his servant and was forced to give up his claim to the throne
  • Prince Paul of Yugoslavia (1893 – 1976), son of Prince Arsenije of Yugoslavia, grandson of Alexander Karađorđević, (reigning) Prince of Serbia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia (1929 – 1990), son of Alexander I, first buried at the New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Queen of Yugoslavia (1921 – 1993), initially buried in the Royal Burial Grounds at Tatoi Palace in Greece, remains were transferred in 2013 to St. George’s Church
  • Radmila Radonjić Karađorđević (1907 – 1993), wife of Crown Prince George of Serbia
  • Olga of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Yugoslavia (1903 – 1997), wife of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia (1928 – 2000), son of Alexander I, first buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, in Lausanne, Switzerland, remains were transferred in 2012 to St. George’s Church
  • Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (1924 – 2016), son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Oplenac – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oplenac> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2017. Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/serbianyugoslavian-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Oplenac. 2022. Oplenac: The Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal Family. [online] Available at: <https://oplenac.rs/> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Црква Светог Ђорђа на Опленцу — Википедија. [online] Available at: <https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A6%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%92%D0%B0_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9E%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D1%83> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
  • United Press International. 1991. Exiled prince vows to return to Belgrade. [online] Available at: <https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/10/07/Exiled-prince-vows-to-return-to-Belgrade/8142686808000/> [Accessed 16 May 2022]

Assassination of Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia (1934)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On October 9, 1934, 45-year-old Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia was assassinated in Marseilles, France, by Bulgarian assassin Vlado Chernozemski during a state visit to France.

Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia

The fourth of the five children of the future King Peter I of Serbia and Princess Zorka of Montenegro, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was born on December 1, 1888, in Cetinje, Montenegro. Alexander’s elder brother Crown Prince George had anger issues. In 1909, Crown Prince George killed his valet by kicking him to death. Despite a cover-up, the truth came out and George had to renounce his succession rights and Alexander became Crown Prince of Serbia. In 1914, Alexander became Regent when his father turned over his royal prerogatives.

The Kingdom of Serbia went through some name changes in the early 20th century. After the First and Second Balkan Wars (1912-1913), Serbia annexed Sandžak-Raška, Kosovo Vilayet, and Vardar Macedonia. In November 1918, at the end of World War I, Serbia united with Vojvodina and the Kingdom of Montenegro. The next month, Serbia merged with the newly created State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs to form the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.

Alexander’s father died on August 16, 1921, and succeeded as King Alexander I of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The following year, on June 8, 1922, he married Princess Maria of Romania, the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The couple had three sons including Alexander’s successor King Peter II of Yugoslavia.

What caused the assassination of Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia?

After the Croatian People’s Peasant Party leader and opposition leader Stjepan Radić was shot dead by Montenegrin Serb nationalist Member of Parliament Puniša Račić in the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade in 1928, the opposition Croatian Members of Parliament refused to continue to attend parliamentary sessions and questioned the continued existence of the current state system. Because of this, King Alexander carried out a coup d’état on January 6, 1929. He suspended the constitution of 1921, dissolved the parliament, and proclaimed a royal dictatorship.

Alexander renamed the nation from the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia came from the Slavic words “jug” (south) and “slaveni” (Slavs). The use of the national designations Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes for political purposes was banned. All citizens were ordered to consider themselves only as “Yugoslavs”. This move alienated the non-Serbs from the idea of unity. When it became clear that Alexander wanted to maintain a central state order and rule predominantly with the help of army officers of Serbian descent, he was met with growing opposition, especially from Croats.

Ante Pavelić, previously chairman of an ultra-nationalist Croatian political party, founded the  Ustaša Croatian Revolutionary Movement and called for violent overthrow in Yugoslavia. To overthrow the current regime in Yugoslavia, the Ustaša movement in collaboration with the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, and probably with the support of the Italian foreign intelligence service, planned the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.

The Assassination

Two of the conspirators Vlado Chernozemski (in the middle), and Zvonimir Pospišil (on the right) at a training camp; Credit – Wikipedia

The assassin, 36-year-old Vlado Chernozemski, a Bulgarian of Macedonian descent, was a member of the Bulgarian nationalist Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization and had carried out previous assassinations. Chernozemski became the instructor of three members of the Ustasha movement who were planning to assassinate King Alexander: Mijo Kralj, Zvonimir Pospišil, and Milan Rajic. The four men arrived in Paris, France on September 29, 1934, and on October 6, 1934, they split into two groups. Chernozemski and Kralj went to Marseille, France where King Alexander was expected to arrive on October 9 while Pospišil and Rajic went to Versailles where a second attack was planned in case the first attack failed. Ultimately, Chernozemski decided to carry out the assassination after concluding that the other members of the group were unprepared psychologically.

In the pre-World War II era, French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou was attempting to build alliances. King Alexander was making a state visit to France to sign a Franco-Yugoslav agreement. Barthou met King Alexander when he arrived in Marseilles, France on the Royal Yugoslav Navy destroyer Dubrovnik. The pair slowly traveled in a motorcade through the streets of Marseilles, lined with people eager to see the king. Chernozemski emerged from the crowd and jumped onto the running board of Alexander and Barthou’s car. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers, in which his pistol was concealed, and shouted “Vive le roi!” (“Long live the king!”) Chernozemski shot Alexander, hitting him once in the abdomen and once in the heart, killing the king within minutes.

The chauffeur, who had tried to push Chernozemski off the car, and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou were also shot. The chauffeur was killed instantly and because he had his foot on the brake, the car had stopped and there were photographs and even a film of the assassination. A bullet hit Barthou in the arm, severing an artery. He died of excessive blood loss less than an hour later. A ballistic report on the bullets was made in 1935 but the results were not made available to the public until 1974. The report revealed that Barthou had been hit by a bullet from a revolver carried by French police. Therefore, he was killed during the police response rather than by the assassin.

One of the most notable newsreel films in existence is the film showing the assassination of King Alexander. While the exact moment of shooting was not captured on film, the events leading to the assassination and the immediate aftermath were captured.

What happened to the conspirators?

French Colonel Piole slashes assassin Vlado Chernozemski with his saber; Credit – Wikipedia

Vlado Chernozemski tried to flee the scene of the assassination but he was slashed by an army officer’s saber (see above photo). He was then non-fatally shot by a police officer and was allowed to be severely beaten by the angry crowd while the police watched. In critical condition, Chernozemski was brought to a police station and interrogated but his condition did not permit him to respond to questions and he died later that evening. The French police were unable to identify him but they made note of his tattoo, a skull with crossbones, and a sign reading “V.M.R.O.” A Yugoslav journalist identified the tattoo as the symbol and the initials of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. Chernozemski was buried in a Marseilles cemetery in an unmarked grave with only two detectives and the gravediggers present.

On October 10, 1934, French police arrested Zvonimir Pospišil and Milan Raijc. Five days later, Mijo Kralj was arrested and he admitted everything. Chernozemski’s body was exhumed and his fingerprints were sent to Sofia, Bulgaria and Belgrade, Serbia. Bulgarian police announced on October 17, 1934, that the assassin was Vlado Chernozemski. The other conspirators, Mijo Kralj, Zvonimir Pospišil, and Milan Rajic, were tried and sentenced to life in prison. In 1940, after the Fall of France to Germany during World War II, all three conspirators were released from prison by the Nazis.

King Alexander’s Funeral

Embed from Getty Images 
The royal family of Yugoslavia attending the funeral of King Alexander- from left to right: The king’s son 11-year-old King Peter II of Yugoslavia; the king’s veiled wife Queen Maria of Yugoslavia (born a Romanian princess); Princess Olga, also veiled (born a Greek princess) and her husband, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, the king’s first cousin; behind them: King Carol II of Romania in the peaked cap, brother of Queen Marie; and behind him Prince Nicholas of Greece, Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Prince Kirill of Bulgaria (Note: the caption on photo on Getty Images incorrectly identifies the people)

The day after his death, King Alexander I’s body was transported back to Yugoslavia by the ship that had brought him to France, the Royal Yugoslav Navy destroyer Dubrovnik escorted by French, Italian, and British ships.

On October 18, 1934, 500,000 people lined the streets of Belgrade to see the funeral procession of King Alexander. The funeral was attended by royalty and leading statesmen from Europe. Alexander was buried next to his mother in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, also known as Oplenac, in Topola, Yugoslavia, now in Serbia.

Alexander was succeeded by his 11-year-old son who ascended the throne as King Peter II of Yugoslavia. Because of his age, a Regency Council was established, led by his father’s first cousin Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. In November 1945, the Yugoslav monarchy was formally abolished and King Peter II was deposed but he never abdicated.

Grave of Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia; Credit – www.findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alexander I of Yugoslavia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_I_of_Yugoslavia [Accessed 30 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Vlado Chernozemski. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlado_Chernozemski [Accessed 30 Nov. 2019].
  • Mehl, Scott. (2016). King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-alexander-i-of-yugoslavia/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Александар I Карађорђевић. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80_I_%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%92%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%92%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B [Accessed 30 Nov. 2019]. (Alexander I Karadjordjevic from Serbian Wikipedia)
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Марсељски атентат. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%99%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2019]. (Assassination of Alexander I from Serbian Wikipedia)

Assassination of Alexander I, King of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga (1903)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On June 11, 1903, 26-year-old Alexander I, King of Serbia and his 38-year-old wife Queen Draga were brutally shot, mutilated, and thrown out a window at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace) in Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia.

Alexander I, King of Serbia

Credit – Wikipedia

The only surviving child of King Milan I of Serbia and his wife Natalija Keschko, Alexander I, King of Serbia was born on August 14, 1876, in Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia. On March 6, 1889, King Milan unexpectedly abdicated in favor of his twelve-year-old son. A regency was supposed to be in place until his 18th birthday but in 1893, 17-year-old King Alexander proclaimed himself of age and dismissed the regency council in order to take royal authority for himself. The following year, King Alexander abolished the 1889 liberal constitution and restored the former conservative 1869 constitution.

King Alexander and Queen Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 8, 1900, 24-year-old King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to 36-year-old Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting to his mother. The proposed marriage was met with great opposition. Draga was of unequal birth but more importantly, since Alexander was an only child, it was necessary for him to have a child to secure the succession and there were doubts that Draga could provide an heir. Alexander’s parents were banished from Serbia because of their opposition to the marriage.

King Alexander attempted to reconcile the political forces in Serbia by granting a new liberal constitution which introduced into Serbia for the first time a two-chamber national legislature system. On May 8, 1901, King Alexander announced that Queen Draga was pregnant and that Serbia would soon have an heir to the throne. However, it soon became apparent that Queen Draga was not pregnant. Whether Draga deliberately told a lie about being pregnant or whether she was the victim of a delusion by a doctor is not known. The incident completely undermined the reputation of King Alexander and Queen Draga.

On March 25, 1903, irritated by the independence of the senate and the council of state, King Alexander suspended the constitution for thirty minutes which was enough time enough to publish decrees dismissing and replacing the members of the senate and councilors of state. This act greatly increased dissatisfaction in the country. In addition, the Serbian Government had decided to proclaim Prince Mirko of Montenegro as heir-presumptive to the Serbian throne, but King Alexander had his own ideas. Rumors began to circulate that Nikodije Lunjevica, one of the two unpopular brothers of Queen Draga, was to be proclaimed heir-presumptive to the throne.

To learn more about Alexander and Draga see:

The Assassination

Dragutin Dimitrijevic Apis, leader of the conspirators; Credit – Wikipedia

The army had had enough. A conspiracy was organized by the military, called the May Coup, to replace King Alexander I of the House of Obrenović with Prince Peter Karađorđević of the rival House of Karađorđević which had held the power in Serbia in earlier times. The coup was carried out by a large group of officers and civilian conspirators led by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic Apis, later promoted to Colonel. Among the conspirators was Alexander Mašin, an army officer and the brother of Queen Draga’s first husband Svetozar Mašin. Svetozar Mašin had died at age 35 in somewhat mysterious circumstances. A questionable doctor’s report said the cause of death was a heart attack. Draga inherited Svetozar’s pension and his name. Alexander Mašin was so opposed to this that he later accused Draga of killing his brother and became one of the conspirators in the May Coup.

On the night of June 10-11, 1903, the conspirators, divided into five groups, met in cafes in Belgrade. At 12:45 AM, Dragutin Dimitrijevic commanded the five groups to proceed to the Stari Dvor (Old Palace). Retired Lieutenant General Alexander Mašin, brother of Queen Draga’s first husband, had already entered the barracks of the Twelfth Regiment to take command and Lieutenant Colonel Petar Mišić was preparing to go to the palace with his Eleventh Regiment. Other conspirators had already surrounded the homes of government ministers to block any action from the ministers.

At 2 AM, Commander of the Palace Guard, Petar Živković, later Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, opened the palace doors to the conspirators. The conspirators stormed the palace and clashed with some members of the Palace Guard. Two conspirators, members of the Palace Guard, were supposed to have unlocked the doors to the royal chambers, but they were discovered dead. No keys were discovered in the pockets of the two deceased conspirators and so the royal chamber doors were opened by dynamite.

The royal chambers were extensive and the conspirators had searched for a long period but had not found King Alexander and Queen Draga. As the conspirators searched the royal bedroom once again, they noticed a slit in an upholstered wall where a door to a secret room was hidden. King Alexander and Queen Draga had hidden in the secret room. King Alexander apparently thought the conspirators were members of the Palace Guard and the secret door opened and out came King Alexander and Queen Draga.

The Stari Dvor (Old Palace) where Alexander and Draga were assassinated. They were thrown out the open window after being shot and mutilated; Credit – Wikipedia

The conspirators opened fire with their revolvers and rifles. Queen Draga tried to protect her husband with her body. Other conspirators from other parts of the palace, hearing what was happening, ran into the royal bedroom and emptied their revolvers and rifles into the king and queen. Their bodies were then stabbed and slashed with sabers and bayonets and finally thrown from the window into the courtyard.

Along with the king and queen, the conspirators also killed Prime Minister Dimitrije Cincar-Marković, Minister of the Army Milovan Pavlović and General-Adjutant Lazar Petrović.

The autopsy of King Alexander and Queen Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

An autopsy was carried out in the early morning hours on the pool table in the palace. Queen Draga’s two brothers, Nikodije and Nikola Lunjevica, were executed by a firing squad on the same day. Alexander I, King of Serbia and Queen Draga were secretly buried at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia. The assassination resulted in the extinction of the House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević was then proclaimed as the new King of Serbia and the House of Karađorđević reigned until the monarchy was abolished in 1945.

Tomb of King Alexander and Queen Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

What happened to the conspirators?

For the most part, the conspirators were not punished. Under pressure from some foreign governments, the new King Peter removed any palace aides-de-camp that had taken part in the coup but promoted them to higher positions. Some conspirators were brought to trial but were only forced into early retirement. Junior conspirators were never punished for their participation in the coup.

Many of the prominent conspirators, led by Dragutin Dimitrijević Apis, founded a secret military organization called the Unification of Death, popularly known as the Black Hand. The Black Hand was best known for being involved in the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo, Serbia, a catalyst for the start of World War I.

Two years later, Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić decided to get rid of the most prominent members of the Black Hand movement despite that it had been officially disbanded. Dimitrijević and several others were arrested in December 1916 on false charges for the attempted assassination of Prince Regent Alexander, the future King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, in September 1916. Dimitrijević and the others were found guilty of treason and executed by firing squad. In 1953, Dimitrijević and his co-defendants were all posthumously retried by the Supreme Court of Serbia and found not guilty because there was no proof for their alleged participation in the assassination plot.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alexander I of Serbia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_I_of_Serbia [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Black Hand (Serbia). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hand_(Serbia) [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Draga Mašin. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draga_Ma%C5%A1in [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Dragutin Dimitrijević. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragutin_Dimitrijevi%C4%87 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). May Coup (Serbia). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Coup_(Serbia) [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/draga-masin-queen-of-serbia/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Alexander I of Serbia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-alexander-i-of-serbia/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Мајски преврат. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%98%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019]. (May Coup from Serbian Wikipedia)

Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Draga Mašin was the wife of King Alexander I of Serbia, the last ruler of Serbia from the House of Obrenović. Alexander’s reign ended with his and Draga’s brutal assassinations. Born Draga Lunjevica on September 23, 1864, in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, she was the fourth of the five daughters and the sixth of the seven children of Panta Lunjevica and Anđelija Koljević. Panta Lunjevica was a supporter of the House of Obrenović and served as a high government administrative official. Draga had two brothers: Nikola and Nikodije and four sisters: Hristina, Đina, Ana, and Vojka.

At the age of nine, Draga was sent to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to attend school. There she completed her elementary and secondary education and then attended the Women’s Institute. She learned several foreign languages including Russian, French, and German. While in Belgrade, Draga began writing novels and short stories. Even though her father was wealthy enough to support her, Draga started to earn her own money. She translated books for money and had stories published in foreign magazines.

A younger Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

After Draga completed her education, her parents began to prepare for her marriage. Their choice of a husband for Draga was Svetozar Mašin, a close friend of Draga’s father and a well-known mining engineer who was thirteen years older than his intended bride. Svetozar’s father was a respected physician and had served in the court of two Obrenović rulers Prince Mihailo Obrenović III and King Milan I of Serbia, the current ruler. Draga and Svetozar Mašin were married on August 28, 1883, at the Parliamentary Church in Belgrade.

Because Draga’s husband was a friend of King Milan I of Serbia, Draga was often at court and became acquainted with many people including Queen Natalija, King Milan’s wife. Draga and Svetozar’s marriage lasted only three years. On May 21, 1886, 35-year-old Svetozar Mašin died from a heart attack, according to a doctor’s report. Draga inherited Svetozar’s pension and his name. Svetozar’s brother Alexander Mašin, an army officer, was so opposed to this that he later accused Draga of killing his brother and became one of the conspirators in the plot that assassinated Draga and her second husband King Alexander I of Serbia.

After her husband’s death, Draga continued to write novels and short stories and do translations. She was an editor of the magazine “Housewife” and a member of the Serbian Journalist Society. Draga lived in her husband’s state-owned apartment until she was forced to move out. Both her parents died, making Draga’s financial situation difficult. She tried to arrange a marriage for herself but to no avail.

Queen Natalija; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1888, King Milan I of Serbia and his wife Queen Natalija divorced. Queen Natalija bought the Villa Sasino in Biarritz, France. Since Queen Natalija was acquainted with Draga, she invited Draga to join her and become her lady-in-waiting. They traveled together by train to Russia, visited Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and his family, and finally arrived at the spa resort on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast of France. In Biarritz, Draga accompanied Queen Natalija to various social events and took care of her wardrobe, jewelry, and cosmetics.

King Alexander I of Serbia, 1894; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1889, King Milan I suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king. Several years later, in March 1895, Queen Natalija’s 18-year-old King Alexander I of Serbia arrived in Biarritz for a visit. Apparently, Draga saved King Alexander from drowning, and then Draga and Alexander began to see each other and to go out together. Queen Natalija did not object to Alexander having an affair with Draga, who was twelve years older than Alexander, because she wanted her son ready for a marriage to a high-ranking princess. However, the love that developed between Alexander and Draga was much stronger than Alexander’s parents thought. Alexander asked his mother to return to Belgrade and leave him alone with Draga. Queen Natalija did so, thinking it was just a passing adventure. Alexander tried to persuade Draga to leave his mother’s service, saying that he would take care of her and her family. However, Draga remained in the service of Queen Natalija until 1897 when she returned to Belgrade.

In Belgrade, everyone knew about the affair of Alexander and Draga. Draga appeared at every important court function and was praised for her tact, elegance, beauty, wit, and restraint. However, everyone also thought that it was just an affair. On July 8, 1900, 24-year-old King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to 36-year-old Draga. The proposed marriage was met with shock and great opposition. Draga was of unequal birth but more importantly, since Alexander was an only child, it was necessary for him to have a child to secure the succession and there were doubts that Draga could provide an heir.

Alexander and Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander’s father Milan was out of the country and making arrangements for the marriage of Alexander to Princess Alexandra of Schaumburg-Lippe. Prime Minister Vladan Đorđević was visiting the Paris Universal Exhibition at the time of the announcement. Both Milan and Đorđević immediately resigned from their positions and Alexander had difficulty in forming a new cabinet. Alexander’s mother also opposed the marriage and subsequently was banished from the kingdom along with Alexander’s father who died the following year from pneumonia in Vienna.

On August 5, 1900, King Alexander married Draga at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia. On the morning of the wedding, thousands of people appeared at Draga’s house, calling out to her. King Alexander wore a military uniform with epaulets and decorations and Draga wore a white lace wedding dress with a brilliant diadem on her head. Two metropolitans, several bishops, and twenty-six archimandrites performed the Serbian Orthodox wedding ceremony. After the wedding, upon leaving the church, the people shouted, “Long live the King! Long live the Queen!”

On May 8, 1901, King Alexander announced that Queen Draga was pregnant and that Serbia would soon have an heir to the throne. However, it soon became apparent that Queen Draga was not pregnant. Whether Draga deliberately told a lie about being pregnant or whether she was the victim of a delusion by a doctor is not known. The incident completely undermined the reputation of King Alexander and Queen Draga.

Queen Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 25, 1903, irritated by the independence of the senate and the council of state, King Alexander suspended the constitution for thirty minutes which was enough time enough to publish decrees dismissing and replacing the members of the senate and councilors of state. This act greatly increased dissatisfaction in the country. In addition, the Serbian Government had decided to proclaim Prince Mirko of Montenegro, who was married to Natalija Konstantinovic, the granddaughter of Princess Anka Obrenović, an aunt of King Milan, as heir-presumptive to the Serbian throne, but King Alexander had his own ideas. Rumors began to circulate that Nikodije Lunjevica, one of the two unpopular brothers of Queen Draga, was to be proclaimed heir-presumptive to the throne.

The army had had enough. A conspiracy was organized by the military to replace King Alexander I of the House of Obrenović with Prince Peter Karađorđević of the rival House of Karađorđević, called the May Coup. Serbia still used the Julian Calendar (Old Style) at that time which was behind the Gregorian Calendar (New Style) that most other countries were using. The coup occurred on the night of May 28-29 Old Style (hence the May Coup) but on the night of June 10-11 New Style.

Illustration of the assassination from an Italian newspaper; Credit – Wikipedia

King Alexander, aged 26, and Queen Draga, aged 38, were brutally shot, mutilated, and thrown out a window at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace), the royal residence of the House of Obrenović which now houses the City Assembly of Belgrade, Serbia. Queen Draga’s two brothers, Nikodije and Nikola Lunjevica, were executed by a firing squad on the same day. Draga and her husband were secretly buried at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia. The assassination resulted in the extinction of the House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević was then proclaimed as the new King of Serbia and the House of Karađorđević reigned until the monarchy was abolished in 1945.

Embed from Getty Images 
The graves of King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Draga Mašin. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draga_Ma%C5%A1in [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Alexander I of Serbia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-alexander-i-of-serbia/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2019). Драга Обренович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Драга Обреновић. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].

King Alexander I of Serbia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

King Alexander I of Serbia was the last ruler of Serbia from the House of Obrenović. His reign ended with his and his wife’s brutal assassinations. The only surviving child of King Milan I of Serbia and his wife Natalija Keschko, Alexander was born on August 14, 1876, in a special maternity ward personally financed by his father. A brother, Sergei, was born in 1878 but he died soon after his birth.

Alexander with his parents in 1880; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander’s parents had an unsuccessful marriage. His father had affairs and the couple had political differences. King Milan favored alliances with Austria-Hungary which the Russophile Queen Natalija could not tolerate. Young Alexander became a weapon that his parents used in their personal vendetta against each other.

Alexander with his father King Milan in 1888; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1887, King Milan I and Queen Natalija, after years of personal and political conflicts, decided to separate. Queen Natalija took Alexander with her to a voluntary exile in the Crimea. Two months later, they returned to Serbia only to leave again for the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in August 1887. King Milan wanted to reconcile with his wife so that his son and heir would return to Serbia. He traveled to Budapest for a meeting with Queen Natalija and thought he had made the proper arrangements. However, instead of returning with her son to Serbia, Queen Natalija traveled to Wiesbaden in the Duchy of Nassau, now Hesse, Germany. At the request of King Milan, local police had to intervene and took Alexander away from his mother and returned him to Serbia, under the control of his father. In 1888, Alexander’s parents divorced but the couple reconciled in 1893, and the divorce was overturned.

The Boy King, King Alexander I, 1889; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 6, 1889, the seventh anniversary of the elevation of the Principality of Serbia to the Kingdom of Serbia, King Milan unexpectedly abdicated in favor of his twelve-year-old son who became King Alexander I of Serbia. Because Alexander was a minor, a regency council would be in place until his eighteenth birthday. On June 15, 1889, the young King Alexander I of Serbia was anointed by Metropolitan Mihailo Jovanović, a political enemy of Alexander’s father who had exiled him, at the 13th-century Žiča Monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia, the traditional coronation site of Serbian rulers. Both Milan and Natalija were forced into exile. Natalija lived mostly in Biarritz, France and Milan lived in Paris, France.

In 1893, 17-year-old King Alexander proclaimed himself of age and dismissed the regency council in order to take royal authority for himself. The following year, King Alexander abolished the 1889 liberal constitution and restored the former conservative 1869 constitution. Alexander’s mother returned to Serbia in 1895 and then in 1897 on a permanent basis. In 1897, Milan returned to Serbia and Alexander appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized.

King Alexander and Draga Mašin; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 8, 1900, 24-year-old King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to 36-year-old Draga Mašin, a widow and a former a lady-in-waiting to his mother. The proposed marriage was met with great opposition. Draga was of unequal birth but more importantly, since Alexander was an only child, it was necessary for him to have a child to secure the succession and there were doubts that Draga could provide an heir. Milan was out of the country and making arrangements for the marriage of Alexander to Princess Alexandra of Schaumburg-Lippe. Prime Minister Vladan Đorđević was visiting the Paris Universal Exhibition at the time of the announcement. Both Milan and Đorđević immediately resigned from their positions and Alexander had difficulty in forming a new cabinet. Alexander’s mother also opposed the marriage and subsequently was banished from the kingdom along with Alexander’s father who died the following year from pneumonia in Vienna. On August 5, 1900, King Alexander married Draga Mašin at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia.

King Alexander attempted to reconcile the political forces in Serbia by granting a new liberal constitution that introduced into Serbia for the first time a two-chamber national legislature system. On May 8, 1901, King Alexander announced that Queen Draga was pregnant and that Serbia would soon have an heir to the throne. However, it soon became apparent that Queen Draga was not pregnant. Whether Draga deliberately told a lie about being pregnant or whether she was the victim of a delusion by a doctor is not known. The incident completely undermined the reputation of King Alexander and Queen Draga.

Queen Draga in the Serbian national costume; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 25, 1903, annoyed by the independence of the senate and the council of state, King Alexander suspended the constitution for thirty minutes which was enough time enough to publish decrees dismissing and replacing the members of the senate and councilors of state. This act greatly increased dissatisfaction in the country. In addition, the Serbian Government had decided to proclaim Prince Mirko of Montenegro, who was married to Natalija Konstantinovic, the granddaughter of Princess Anka Obrenović, an aunt of King Milan, as heir-presumptive to the Serbian throne, but King Alexander had his own ideas. Rumors began to circulate that Nikodije Lunjevica, one of the two unpopular brothers of Queen Draga, was to be proclaimed heir-presumptive to the throne.

The army had had enough.  A conspiracy was organized by the military called the May Coup to replace King Alexander I of the House of Obrenović with Prince Peter Karađorđević of the rival House of Karađorđević.  Serbia still used the Julian Calendar (Old Style) at that time which was behind the Gregorian Calendar (New Style) that most other countries were using. The coup occurred on the night of May 28-29 Old Style (hence the May Coup) but on the night of June 10-11 New Style.

The Stari Dvor (Old Palace) where Alexander and Draga were assassinated. They were thrown out the open window after being shot and mutilated; Credit – Wikipedia

King Alexander, aged 26, and Queen Draga, age 38, were brutally shot, mutilated, and thrown out a window at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace), the royal residence of the House of Obrenović which now houses the City Assembly of Belgrade, Serbia. Queen Draga’s two brothers, Nikodije and Nikola Lunjevica, were executed by a firing squad on the same day. Draga and her husband were secretly buried at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia. The assassination resulted in the extinction of the House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević was then proclaimed as the new King of Serbia and the House of Karađorđević reigned until the monarchy was abolished in 1945.

Embed from Getty Images 
The graves of King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alexander I of Serbia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_I_of_Serbia [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alexandre I da Sérvia. [online] Available at: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_I_da_S%C3%A9rvia [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2019). Александр Обренович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Александар Обреновић. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019].

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, the wife of the first King of Serbia, Milan I was born on May 14, 1859, in Florence, then in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy. She was the eldest of the four children of Petre Ivanovich Keschko, a Russian Imperial Army colonel, originally from Bessarabia, and Princess Pulcheria Sturdza from a Moldavian noble family.

Natalija had two sisters and one brother:

  • Maria Keschko (1861 – 1935), married Prince Grigore Ghica-Brigadier
  • Ekaterina Keschko married Prince Eugen Ghica-Comănești
  • Ioniță Keschko

Because Natalija’s mother suffered from tuberculosis, the family spent much time abroad, especially in Florence, where the climate was milder. After her father died in 1865 and her mother died in 1874, Natalijia and her three younger siblings were raised by their maternal aunt Princess Ekaterina Moruzi and her husband Prince Constantin Moruzi. Natalija graduated from a boarding school for the daughters of aristocratic families in Paris, France.

Milan Obrenović; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 17, 1875, at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia, 16-year-old Natalija married her second cousin, 21-year-old Milan Obrenović IV, Prince of Serbia. In 1882, the Principality of Serbia was elevated to the Kingdom of Serbia and so Milan and Natalija became the first King and Queen of Serbia. Natalija and Milan had two sons but only the eldest survived:

Milan, Natalija and their son Alexander, circa 1880; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage was unsuccessful. Milan had affairs and the couple had political differences. Milan favored alliances with Austria-Hungary which the Russophile Natalija could not tolerate. The couple separated in 1886 and divorced in 1888. Natalija publically rejected the divorce and declared that she considered herself still the wife of the king. Natalija left Serbia taking son Alexander with her. Eventually, Milan succeeded in obtaining the custody of his son and Alexander returned to Serbia. The couple reconciled in 1893 and the divorce was overturned.

In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king under a regency council. Natalija was forced into exile and lived mostly in Biarritz, France. She did return to Serbia in 1895 and then in 1897 on a permanent basis. Milan lived in Paris, France until 1897 when he returned to Serbia. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized.

King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1900, 24-year-old King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to 36-year-old Draga Mašin, a widow and a former a lady-in-waiting to his mother. There was much opposition to the marriage, including from both of his parents who were ultimately banished from Serbia by their son. Natalija returned to France and Milan eventually settled in Vienna, Austria where he died the next year on February 11, 1901, at the age of 46 from pneumonia.

On the night of June 10-11, 1903, a group of army officers who supported the rival House of Karađorđević led a coup d’état in which King Alexander and Queen Draga were brutally assassinated at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace), the royal residence of the House of Obrenović which now houses the City Assembly of Belgrade, Serbia. The assassination resulted in the extinction of the House of Obrenović. Prince Peter Karađorđević was then proclaimed as the new King of Serbia. The House of Karađorđević reigned until the monarchy was abolished in 1945.

After the horrible events of 1903, Natalija found some comfort in the Roman Catholic faith, to which she had converted in 1902.  After the assassination of her son and his wife, Natalija was the only member of the Obrenović dynasty. She donated the Obrenović inheritance to the University of Belgrade and churches and monasteries in Serbia. Natalija became a nun and died on May 8, 1941, at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France, and was buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France.

Grave of Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia; Credit- By krischnig – Own workOriginal text: selbst fotografiert, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48472059

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Natalie of Serbia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_of_Serbia [Accessed 8 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Milan I of Serbia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-milan-i-of-serbia/ [Accessed 8 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019) Наталија Обреновић. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B [Accessed 8 Nov. 2019].

King Milan I of Serbia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

The first King of Serbia, Milan Obrenović was born on August 22, 1854, in Mărășești, then in Moldavia, Ottoman Empire, now in Romania. He was the only surviving child of Miloš Obrenović and Marija Obrenović, born Elena Maria Catargiu. Milan’s father was a member of the House of Obrenović which vied for control of Serbia, often violently, with the House of Karađorđević. His mother was from a noble family with Moldavian and Romanian roots. Milan’s family had lived in exile in Moldavia since 1842 when his uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, reigning Prince of Serbia was deposed by the rival House of Karađorđević.

Milan’s parents divorced a year after his birth. His mother became the mistress of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Prince of Moldavia, Prince of Wallachia, and later the first Sovereign Prince of Romania, and the couple had two sons, Milan’s half-brothers. They were adopted by their biological father and his wife Elena Rosetti because they could not have children. In 1861, when Milan was seven years old, his father died fighting the Turks as a foreign mercenary in the Romanian Army.

Milan’s half-brothers:

  • Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1862 or 1864 – 1889), married Maria Moruzi, no children
  • Dimitrie Cuza (1865–1888), unmarried, died by suicide

Milan’s uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, Sovereign Prince of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of Obrenović was restored to the Serbian throne in 1858. When he was six-years-old, Milan’s care and education had been taken over by his paternal uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, once again the Sovereign Prince of Serbia. After receiving his early education from a governess, Milan was sent to the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris, France.

In 1868, Milan’s childless uncle Mihailo Obrenović III, Sovereign Prince of Serbia was assassinated. The plot behind the assassination has never been proven conclusively but the sympathizers of the House of Karađorđević were suspected of being behind the assassination. Fourteen-year-old Milan became the Sovereign Prince of Serbia but because he was a minor there was a regency until his eighteenth birthday in 1872.

Natalija in 1875; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 17, 1875, at the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia, 21-year-old Milan married his 16-year-old second cousin Natalija Keschko, the eldest of the four children of Petre Ivanovich Keschko, an Imperial Russian Army colonel, originally from Bessarabia, and Princess Pulcheria Sturdza from a Moldavian noble family.

Milan and Natalija had two sons but only the eldest survived:

The marriage was unsuccessful and the couple separated in 1886 and divorced in 1888. Natalija publically rejected the divorce and declared that she considered herself still the wife of the king. Natalija left Serbia taking her son Alexander with her. Eventually, Milan succeeded in obtaining the custody of his son and Alexander returned to Serbia. The couple reconciled in 1893 and the divorce was overturned.

Milan, Natalija, and their son Alexander circa 1880; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1882, the Principality of Serbia was elevated to the Kingdom of Serbia and so Milan became the first King of Serbia. Milan devoted his energy to improvements in Serbia particularly in communications and the development of natural resources. However, this led to heavy taxation, which coupled with increased military service, made Milan unpopular.

In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son Alexander became king. Milan lived in Paris, France until 1897 when he returned to Serbia. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized.

Milan in his later years; Credit – Wikipedia

However, in 1900, any positive relations between Milan and his son King Alexander ended. Milan and his wife strongly opposed his son’s marriage to Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting to his mother, who was twelve years older than Alexander. Milan resigned his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and subsequently, King Alexander banished both his parents from Serbia. Milan eventually settled in Vienna, Austria where he died the next year on February 11, 1901, at the age of 46 from pneumonia. He was buried at the Krušedol Monastery in Vojvodina, Serbia. His son King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga were brutally assassinated in 1903 resulting in the extinction of the House of Obrenović.

Milan’s wife Natalija survived him by forty years. She converted to Roman Catholicism and became a nun. Natalija died on May 8, 1941, at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France, and was buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France.

Tomb of King Milan I of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Milan I of Serbia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_I_of_Serbia [Accessed 8 Nov. 2019].
  • Sr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Милан Обреновић. [online] Available at: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B [Accessed 8 Nov. 2019].

Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança, first wife of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia

by Scott Mehl   © Unofficial Royalty 2016
MarGlor1

Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança was the first wife of Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia. She was born Maria da Glória Henriqueta Dolores Lúcia Miguela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga of Orléans-Bragança on December 13, 1946, in Petrópolis, Brazil. She is the eldest daughter of Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Bragança and Princess Maria de la Esperanza Amalia Raniera Maria Rosario Luisa Gonzaga of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Maria da Glória has five siblings:

  • Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (born 1945), married  (1) Rony Kuhn de Souza, had one son (2) Patricia Branscombe, had one son
  • Prince Alfonso of Orléans-Braganza (born 1948), married  (1) Maria Parejo Gurruchaga, had children, divorced  (2) Silvia-Amália Hungria de Silva Machado, no children
  • Prince Manuel of Orléans-Braganza (1949), married and divorced Margarita Haffner, had two children
  • Princess Cristina of Orléans-Braganza (born 1950), married and divorces Prince Jan Pavel Sapieha-Rozanski, had two children
  • Prince Francisco of Orléans-Braganza (born 1956), married  (1) Christina Schmidt-Pecanha, had one child, divorced  (2) Rita de Cássia Pires, had three children

Maria da Glória earned a degree in architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

source: Pinterest

source: Pinterest

On July 1, 1972, in both Catholic and Orthodox services, Maria da Glória married Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (as he was known at the time) in Villamanrique de la Condesa, Seville, Spain. He is the only child of the former King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece. They settled in the United States, living in Chicago, Illinois, and Fairfax, Virginia, and had three sons:

Maria da Glória with her daughters

Maria da Glória with her daughters

On October 24, 1985, Alexander and Maria da Glória divorced. Maria da Glória then married Ignacio de Medina y Fernández de Córdoba, 19th Duke of Segorbe on October 24, 1985. The couple had two daughters:

  • Sol María de la Blanca de Medina y Orléans-Braganza, 54th Countess de Ampurias (born 1986)
  • Ana Luna de Medina y Orléans-Braganza, 17th Countess de Ricla (born 1988)

Through her father, Maria da Glória is a direct descendant of King Pedro II of Brazil and King Francisco I of the Two Sicilies. Through her mother, she is directly descended from King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, King Ferdinand VII of Spain, and Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Through both parents, she is descended from King Louis Philippe I of the French. She is also a first cousin, through her mother, of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

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King Peter II of Yugoslavia

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

King Peter II of Yugoslavia

King Peter II of Yugoslavia was the last King of Yugoslavia. He was born on September 6, 1923, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now in Serbia, the eldest son of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria of Romania. His godparents were King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. Peter had two younger siblings:

Peter was initially educated at the Royal Palace in Belgrade before attending the Sandroyd School in Wiltshire, England. Sadly, his father was assassinated on October 9, 1934, and the 11-year-old Peter ascended the throne as King Peter II. Because of his age, a Regency Council was established, led by his father’s cousin Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

At the onset of World War II, Yugoslavia was surrounded by countries that had become allies of the Nazis. Prince Paul, against the advice of Peter and his advisers, decided in 1941 to enter into a non-aggression pact with Germany. This resulted in riots and protests in Yugoslavia and led to a coup, supported by the British. As a result, on March 27, 1941, at just 17-years-old, King Peter II was proclaimed of age and the Regency was ended.

Within weeks, Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi forces and the government was forced to surrender on April 17, 1941. King Peter went into exile with the government, first to Greece, then to Jerusalem and to Cairo. In June 1941, King Peter went to the United Kingdom, where he finished his education at Cambridge University and joined the Royal Air Force.

King Peter and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day. source: Royal Family of Serbia

King Peter and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day, with King George VI of the United Kingdom (l) and King George II of the Hellenes (r). source: Royal Family of Serbia

While in London, he met Princess Alexandra of Greece, the daughter of King Alexander I of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos. The couple married on March 20, 1944, at the Yugoslav Embassy in London. Guests at their wedding included King George VI of the United Kingdom, King George II of the Hellenes, King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Peter and Alexandra had one son:

Peter and Alexandra with Prince Alexander, 1945. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Peter and Alexandra with Prince Alexander, 1945. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Back in Yugoslavia, two rival resistance groups had been born during the Nazi invasion. The first loyalist group was led by Colonel Dragoljub Mihailovic who served as Minister of Defense for the Yugoslav government in exile. The other group, the Partisans, was led by the communist party leader Josip Broz – later known as Tito. Following the German occupation, civil war broke out between the two groups. Despite initially supporting Mihailovic, the Allies soon began to support Tito. In 1944, the Partisans entered Belgrade and established a Communist government. The following year, in November 1945, the new government abolished the monarchy and formally deposed King Peter II. This was, however, done without any referendum and the King never abdicated. Yugoslavia would remain a communist state for over 40 years.

After the war, Peter and Alexandra left London, living in France and Switzerland before settling in the United States in 1949. The marriage suffered from the strain of Peter’s numerous affairs and the constant struggle to find sources of income. Eventually, they went their separate ways. King Peter settled permanently in the United States while Alexandra took her son and moved to Venice with her mother.

King Peter II, 1966 source: Royal Family of Serbia

King Peter II, 1966; source: Royal Family of Serbia

Suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, King Peter II died on November 3, 1970, in Denver, Colorado, following a failed liver transplant. Per his wishes, he was interred at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois. To date, he is the only European monarch to be buried in the United States. In January 2013, his remains were returned to Serbia and buried in the Royal Family Mausoleum beneath St. George’s Church at Oplenac.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was born on December 16, 1888, in Cetinje, Montenegro. He was the fourth child of the future King Peter I of Serbia and Princess Zorka of Montenegro.

Alexander had four siblings:

When Alexander was only two-years-old, his mother died giving birth to her fifth child who also died. After Zorka’s death, the family moved to Geneva, Switzerland.  Alexander and his elder brother George attended the Imperial Page Corps in St. Petersburg, Russia. During this time, in 1903, a coup took place in Serbia, and Alexander’s father was proclaimed King. Alexander and his brother returned to Serbia to continue their education.

Crown Prince Alexander. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Crown Prince Alexander. source: Royal Family of Serbia

In 1909, his elder brother George renounced his rights to the throne, and Alexander became the Crown Prince. Alexander served in the Serbian military, commanding the First Army during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. In 1914, he became Regent when his father turned over his royal prerogatives, and just days later, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria led to the onset of World War I. Alexander continued to lead his troops, attaining several important victories over the Austrian forces before being forced to retreat in 1915. He and his father led the forces through Montenegro and Albania, eventually reaching the Greek island of Corfu.

Alexander and Maria on their wedding day. photo from the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress; source: Wikipedia

Alexander’s father died on August 16, 1921, and he took the throne as King Alexander I of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The following year, on June 8, 1922, he married Princess Maria of Romania, the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. The couple had three sons:

On January 6, 1929, King Alexander abolished the Constitution and changed the name of the country to The Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He later ordered a new constitution that gave more power to the King and allowed him to personally appoint the upper house of the government.

Alexander and Maria, c.1933. source: Wikipedia/Bulgarian Archives State Agency

On October 9, 1934, while driving through the streets of Marseilles, France with the French Foreign Minister, King Alexander was killed when a gunman approached the car and shot him twice. The assassin was a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. The following day, his body was returned to Belgrade, where a state funeral was held. He is buried in the Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal Family beneath St. George’s Church, Oplenac in Topola, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, now in Serbia.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty