Author Archives: Scott

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

photo: By Schlegel, Dresden – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36003998

Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian was born on May 13, 1900, in Potsdam, where his father – then 3rd in line to the ducal throne of Saxe-Altenburg – was serving with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of the Prussian army. His father was the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his mother was Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg Moritz had three siblings:

  • Princess Charlotte (1899) – married Prince Sigismund of Prussia, had issue
  • Princess Elisabeth Karola (1903) – unmarried
  • Prince Friedrich Ernst (1905) – unmarried

Georg Moritz became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg in February 1908 when his father became the reigning Duke. The family left Potsdam and returned to Altenburg, taking up residence at Altenburg Castle. The young prince was educated privately at home for several years before being sent to the King Georg High School in Dresden in 1913. He also received military training with the 8th Thuringian Infantry Regiment.

In November 1918, his father was forced to abdicate when the German monarchy was dissolved. From an early age, Georg Moritz was interested in anthroposophy – “a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) which maintains that, by virtue of a prescribed method of self-discipline, cognitional experience of the spiritual world can be achieved.” (source: dictionary.com).  From the early 1930s, he devoted much of his life to his interest, teaching and promoting anthroposophy at Hamborn Castle. He later rented a nearby farm where he lived for many years.

Although anthroposophy was banned by the Nazi regime, thanks to the intervention of Georg Moritz, research with disabled children was allowed to continue at Hamborn until 1941. At that time, the Gestapo put an end to the research, and Georg Moritz was placed in custody for nine months. He returned to Hamborn in 1946 after the war, living in a small apartment in the castle and promoting his research and studies. In addition, he served on the board of the local social charity for many years.

Upon his father’s death in 1955, Georg Moritz became Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg and pretender to the former ducal throne.

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg died from pneumonia on February 13, 1991, in Rendsburg, Germany. As he had never married, and his younger brother had died several years earlier with no heirs, this brought an end to the House of Saxe-Altenburg. It was merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, led by a distant cousin, Michael, the pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia is the current pretender to the Prussian throne, and head of the Prussian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. He is the direct male-line descendent of Prussia’s last King of Prussia and German Emperor Wilhelm II.

photo: By StagiaireMGIMO – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33300040

Georg Friedrich Ferdinand was born in Bremen, Germany on June 10, 1976, the only son of Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Prussia and Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen. He has one younger sister, Cornelie-Cécile, born in 1978. His father died in 1977 after suffering injuries in a military training exercise. As his father’s two elder brothers had lost their rights to succession, this made Georg Friedrich heir to his grandfather, also named Ludwig Ferdinand, as the future Head of the House of Hohenzollern.

He began his schooling in Fischerhude, before attending grammar schools in Bremen and Oldenburg. He then attended Glenalmond College in Scotland where he completed his A-levels. It was during that time, in 1994, when his grandfather died and Georg Friedrich – at just 18 years old – became Head of the House of Hohenzollern and pretender to the Prussian throne. This led to a dispute by two of his uncles – both of whom had been excluded from succession due to marriages that were deemed unequal – who challenged Georg Friedrich as being the sole heir of his grandfather. After over 10 years of legal battles and court cases, it was determined that while Georg Friedrich was indeed the heir to his grandfather and the rightful Head of the House, his uncles were also entitled to a portion of their father’s estate.

Georg Friedrich completed two years of military service with the Bundeswehr before earning a degree in Business Economics at the University of Freiburg. During that time, he took on internships at various software companies, both in Germany and abroad. Today, in addition to representing the House of Hohenzollern, he works as Managing Director of Kgl. Prussian Beer Manufacturer, based in Berlin. He is a member of the board of the Princess Kira of Prussian Foundation (founded by his grandmother) and served as Chairman for several years before handing the chairmanship over to his wife. As head of the house, he owns a ⅔ share of Hohenzollern Castle, with the other ⅓ owned by Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern). He also owns Princes’ Island in Plön and several other properties.

Georg Friedrich and Sophie – photo: By Rainer Halama – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79088921

In January 2011, Georg Friedrich’s engagement to Princess Sophie of Isenburg was announced. Born in March 1978, Sophie is the daughter of Franz-Alexander, Prince of Isenburg and Countess Christine von Saurma zu der Jeltsch. The couple married in a civil ceremony held in the Potsdam Town Hall on August 25, 2011. Two days later, a religious ceremony was held at the Church of Peace, followed by a reception at the Orangery Palace, both in Sanssouci Park. The couple live in the Babelsberg district of Potsdam with their four children:

  • Carl Friedrich Franz Alexander (born 2013)
  • Louis Ferdinand Christian Albrecht (born 2013)
  • Emma Marie Charlotte Sofia (born 2015)
  • Heinrich Albert Johann Georg (born 2016)

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Prussian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, a grandson of Wilhelm II, King of Prussia and German Emperor, was the pretender to the Prussian throne from 1951 until his death in 1994.

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia – source: Wikipedia

Prince Louis Ferdinand Victor Eduard Adalbert Michael Hubertus of Prussia was born November 9, 1907, at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Germany, the second son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the time, his grandfather, Wilhelm II, was the King of Prussia and German Emperor. Louis Ferdinand had five siblings:

 

Raised at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin and Cecilenhof in Potsdam, Louis Ferdinand also spent some time near Danzig where his father served with the Prussian military. In keeping with family tradition, Louis Ferdinand was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 1st Guards Regiment on his 10th birthday in 1917. The following year, the monarchy was abolished following World War I. His father went to the Netherlands with the former Emperor, while he and his siblings stayed in Germany, having been ensured of their safety.

After studying economics in Berlin, Louis Ferdinand traveled to the United States where he settled for some time in Detroit, Michigan. Upon his elder brother’s marriage and subsequent renunciation of his succession rights, Louis Ferdinand returned home to Germany, became involved in the aviation industry, and served in the German military.

 

In May 1938, Louis Ferdinand married Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. They were second cousins, once removed, through their mutual descent from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Two ceremonies were held, a Russian Orthodox ceremony was held at Cecilienhof in Potsdam, followed by a Lutheran ceremony held at Huis Doorn, the Dutch home of the former Emperor Wilhelm II. Louis Ferdinand and Kira had seven children:

  • Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1939 – 2015) – married (1) Waltraud Freydag, had issue; (2) Ehrengard von Reden, had issue; (3) Sibylle Kretschmer, no issue
  • Prince Michael (1940 – 2014) – married (1) Jutta Jörn, had issue; (2) Birgitte Dallwitz-Wegner, no issue
  • Princess Marie Cécile (1942) – married Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg, had issue
  • Princess Kira (1943 – 2004) – married Thomas Liepsner, had issue
  • Prince Louis Ferdinand (1944) – married Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen, had issue
  • Prince Christian-Sigismund (1946) – married Countess Nina Reventlow, had issue
  • Princess Xenia (1949 – 1992) married Per-Edvard Lithander, had issue

Louis Ferdinand served in the German military until 1940 when his elder brother was killed in action. The outpouring of sympathy and support for the former royal family at the Prince’s funeral concerned Adolf Hitler, who saw this as a threat to his leadership. Thus, Hitler issued a decree in 1940 – the Princes Decree – which prohibited members of all of Germany’s former ruling houses from participating in any military operations. From that point, Louis Ferdinand took over the management of his grandfather’s former summer residence – Cadinen Palace – in East Prussia until the end of the war.

Quite popular in Germany, Louis Ferdinand was voted as the ‘most honorable person’ to become President of the Federal Republic of Germany, despite not having had any role in politics. A later poll gained him even higher results. The Prince quickly stated that while he might accept the position, he would not give up his claim to the German Imperial Crown.

Following German reunification in 1990, Louis Ferdinand led the efforts to have his ancestor, King Friedrich II (Frederick the Great) reburied on the grounds of Sanssouci. He also began efforts to reclaim many of the private properties of his family which had been seized by the Nazis and Communists without compensation. Although unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the private properties, his efforts led to changes in German law after his death. His grandson Georg Friedrich continues to pursue the return of Hohenzollern properties and assets.

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Louis Ferdinand became the pretender to the Prussian throne upon his father’s death in 1951. His elder brother had lost his succession rights upon his marriage, making Louis Ferdinand first in line. His own two elder sons’ marriages were also deemed unequal, thus excluding them from succession. It fell upon his third son, also named Louis Ferdinand. The younger Louis Ferdinand died in 1977, leaving his young son Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia as the sole heir and first in line to succeed his grandfather. This led to a legal battle among Louis Ferdinand’s older sons – both of whom had been excluded – but claimed a right to some of their father’s estate. While the young Georg Friedrich remained his grandfather’s heir as Head of the House of Hohenzollern, he was no longer the sole beneficiary of the estate, and Louis Ferdinand’s elder sons both received a portion of their father’s estate upon his death.

Just weeks before his 87th birthday, Prince Louis Ferdinand died in Bremen on September 26, 1994. He was buried in the castle cemetery at Hohenzollern Castle.

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Prussian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – a grandson of the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – was the pretender to the former ducal throne, and head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1998 until he died on April 3, 2025.

photo: Frankie Fouganthinderivative work: Surtsicna – This file was derived from: Benedikte of Denmark and Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.jpg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26616171

Prince Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus was born on March 21, 1943 at Schloss Casel in Lower Lusatia. He was the only child of Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth.

Andreas had three half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Denyse Henriette de Muralt, and one half-sibling from his mother’s second marriage to Richard Whitten:

  • Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1949) – married Gion Schäfter, had issue
  • Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1951) – married Friedrich-Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen, had issue
  • Adrian of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1955) – married (1) Lea Rinderknecht, had issue; (2) Gertrud Krieg, no issue
  • Victoria Whitten (1948)

Following his parents’ divorce in 1946, Andreas moved with his mother to her family home in Austria. There, she met and married her second husband, Richard Whitten, an American military officer stationed in Salzburg. Three years later, the family returned to the United States, settling in New Orleans, where Andreas attended school. Having become heir to the former ducal throne upon his grandfather’s death in 1954, a few years later he began making regular visits to Germany in preparation for his future role as head of the Ducal House. He studied Business Administration at Louisiana State University in the early 1960s, before returning permanently to Germany in 1965. There, he completed two years of military service with the Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion 6 based in Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein. Andreas then began training in the forestry industry, including an apprenticeship with Mueller & Son in Hamburg from 1969-1971. He then worked at a Japanese financial firm, learning how to run a successful business.

On July 31, 1971, in Hamburg, Prince Andreas married Carin Dabelstein, the daughter of Adolf Dabelstein and Irma Callsen. Having received formal approval from his father as Head of the House, the marriage was deemed fully legitimate and dynastic.

Andreas and Carin had three children:

After the birth of their elder son, Andreas and his wife decided to leave Hamburg and move to Coburg. There, he worked to establish a presence within the city and the European community. He began to reach out to extended family, hoping to heal many of the wounds caused in the past – primarily after his grandfather had sided with Hitler during World War II. He became involved with numerous civic organizations and focused on his work as Administrator of the Coburg Family Foundation.

Callenberg Castle. photo: By Überfranke – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83970018

Following the fall of communism and the reunification of Germany, Prince Andreas worked to re-acquire former family property that had been seized after the war. In 1996 he was able to purchase back over 4,900 acres of forest in Thuringia, and in 2000, the Family Foundation negotiated with the German government and the Free State of Thuringia to acquire an additional 15,000+ and 1,900+ acres, respectively. The family – through the foundation – also own Callenberg Castle in Coburg and Greinburg Castle (link in German) in Grein, Austria.

Having firmly set his roots in Coburg, Andreas served on the Coburg City Council from 1996-2002. He became the Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when his father died in January 1998. He continued to serve as Administrator of the Family Foundation until retiring and handing the reins to his son, Hubertus, in January 2012.

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After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2011, the Prince continued to be as active as possible. He spent much of his time with family and friends, traveling, and visiting his properties in Germany and Austria. He was a first cousin and close friend of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and was the godfather of the King’s younger daughter, Princess Madeleine. Because of this relationship, the Prince was often seen in attendance at Swedish royal family events.

Prince Andreas died in Coburg at the age of 82 on 3 April 2025.

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Elia Zaharia, former wife of Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

photo: Albanian Royal Court

Elia Zaharia is the former wife of Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians, the current pretender to the former Albanian throne. On January 16, 2024, it was announced that Crown Prince Leka and Crown Princess Elia were ending their marriage. The couple divorced on April  5, 2024.

Elia Zaharia on February 8, 1983 in Tirana, Albania, the daughter of Gjergj Zaharia, a school teacher and principal, and Yllka Mujo, a well-known Albanian actress. Elia has one younger brother, Amos, who is also an actor and film director.

Elia attended the Arts Lyceum in Tirana and launched her music career, joining Spirit Voice, the country’s first “girl band” which became very successful. After graduating in 2002, she moved to France where she studied drama at the National Conservatory in Bordeaux from 2003-2005. She then studied at a prestigious private drama school – Cours Florent – in Paris from 2005- 2007, before attending the University of Vincennes in Saint-Denis where she graduated in 2010 with a degree in theater. A successful actress, Elia has performed numerous times with the Albanian National Theatre and in various film and commercial productions.

During her time in Paris, Elia first met Crown Prince Leka, and a relationship quickly developed. Their engagement was announced in May 2010. During her time as Crown Princess, Elia took a very active role in the work of the royal court, accompanying the Crown Prince on visits around the world to other royalty and world leaders. In May 2012, she founded The Queen Geraldine Foundation, named in honor of Queen Geraldine of the Albanians, who worked tirelessly to improve conditions for the Albanian people. The foundation works to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, and toward a peaceful and equal society in Albania.

 

Elia and Crown Prince Leka II were married in a civil ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Tirana on October 8, 2016. A religious blessing from all the country’s religious leaders followed. Numerous members of foreign noble and royal families attended the wedding. Guests included:

On October 22, 2020, the Crown Princess gave birth to the couple’s only child, a daughter, named Geraldine, in honor of the late Queen Geraldine. The baby was born on the 18th anniversary of Queen Geraldine’s death in 2002.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Crown Prince Leka II of Albania

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Crown Prince Leka II – photo: Albanian Royal Court

Crown Prince Leka II was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on March 26, 1982, the only son of Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians and Susan Cullen-Ward. He is the current claimant to the defunct throne of Albania.

He was given the following names:

Raised in South Africa, Leka attended St. Stithians College junior preparatory school, St. Peter’s Preparatory School and St. Peter’s College before enrolling at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the British Army in 2005.

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In 2002, the Royal Family returned to Albania at the invitation of the Albanian government. There, Leka studied at the University of Illyria, earning his BA in International Relations and Diplomacy. He also studied at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy, and the Albanian Defense College.

The Crown Prince began working in the public sector, working as a political advisor to the Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006-2009; to the Minister of the Interior from 2009-2012; and to the Albanian President from 2012-2013. During that time, upon his father’s death in 2011, Leka became the Pretender to the former Albanian throne. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to promote Albania within the international community, as well as continuing his efforts to support Kosovo. In addition, he and his wife oversee the Queen Geraldine Foundation, established by the Crown Princess in 2012.

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In May 2010, it was announced that Leka was engaged to Elia Zaharia, an Albanian actress and singer who he had met several years earlier. The couple was married at the Royal Palace in Tirana on October 8, 2016. A civil ceremony was held, officiated by the Mayor of Tirana, followed by a blessing from the religious leaders of Albania representing the Sunni Islam, Bektashi, Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant faiths. This showed the long-standing tradition of religious diversity and tolerance in the country, and within the Albanian Royal Family. The wedding was attended by numerous representatives from current and former royal families, including Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (who was distantly related to Leka’s grandmother, Queen Geraldine).

The couple welcomed a daughter on October 22, 2020. She was named Geraldine in honor of her great-grandmother Queen Geraldine, as she was born on the anniversary of the Queen’s death 18 years earlier.

On January 16, 2024, it was announced that Crown Prince Leka, the current claimant to the defunct throne of Albania, and his wife Crown Princess Elia were ending their marriage. The couple divorced on April 25, 2024.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Crown Princess Susan of the Albanians

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Crown Princess Susan of the Albanians; photo: Albanian Royal Court

Crown Princess Susan was the wife of Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians, the only son of King Zog I and Queen Geraldine. She was born Susan Barbara Cullen-Ward on January 28, 1941 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, one of five children of Alan Cullen-Ward and Phyllis Murray-Prior.

Raised on her family’s sheep farm in New South Wales, Australia, Susan attended the Ladies Presbyterian College in Orange, before attending the University of the Academy of Arts in Sydney, studying art, history, and architecture. She returned to teach art at Ladies Presbyterian College and then ran her own interior design company in Sydney. An avid Egyptologist, she received a scholarship to attend Sorbonne University in France. At the Sorbonne, Susan first met Crown Prince Leka I, who later invited her to Spain where she studied tourism. The couple was engaged in 1974.

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On April 8, 1975, Susan married Crown Prince Leka I in a civil ceremony in Biarritz, France. A religious ceremony was held in October 1975 in Toledo, Spain where the couple received the blessing of the Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican religious leaders.

They had one son:

As Crown Princess, Susan supported her husband and his efforts to restore the Albanian monarchy and improve life for the Albanian people. She established the Queen Susan Cultural Foundation in the United States, which worked to assist Albanians through medical aid and education. In that role, the Crown Princess traveled extensively throughout Europe and North America to promote and gain support.

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The Royal Family was invited to return to Albania in June 2002. Arriving with her husband, son, and Queen Geraldine, Susan continued improving conditions for the Albanian people and remained steadfast in her unyielding support for her husband’s efforts. Sadly, just two years later, having been diagnosed with lung cancer, Crown Princess Susan died in a village near Tirana on July 17, 2004, and was buried alongside her mother-in-law in the Sharra cemetery. In 2012, her remains were moved to the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, along with the remains of her husband and his parents.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Crown Prince Leka I of the Albanians. Photo: Albanian Royal Court

Crown Prince Leka I was born at the Royal Palace in Tirana on April 5, 1939, the only child of King Zog I of the Albanians and Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony.

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Just two days after his birth, Fascist forces invaded Albania, and the family quickly fled into exile. They settled briefly in France before moving to England, where they lived through the end of World War II and eventually moved to Egypt in 1946. During that time, Leka attended the British Boys School and Victoria College in Egypt before graduating from Aiglon College in Switzerland in 1956.

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Upon his 18th birthday in 1957, Leka formally became Crown Prince of the Albanians, although the monarchy had been formally abolished several years earlier by the communist regime. When King Zog died in 1961, monarchists declared Leka to be King Leka I, although this title was merely in pretense. Having settled in France, he later moved to Spain in the early 1960s and continued his efforts to bring the monarchy back to Albania. During that time, with the assistance of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Leka began working as a commodities broker and established several businesses in the Middle East and Asia. Continuing his quest for the restoration of the monarchy and the abolishment of the communist regime in Albania, Leka traveled extensively, seeking out support in building up forces to overtake the country. With the support of the Thai army, he began training Albanian volunteers for a potential rebellion.

On April 8, 1975, Leka married Susan Cullen-Ward in a civil ceremony held in Biarritz, France. The couple had met while studying at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. On October 10, 1975, in Toledo, Spain, the marriage was blessed by Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican clergy during a religious ceremony.

They had one son:

Leka first returned to Albania in 1993 but was quickly forced to leave within 24 hours. He returned in 1997 when a referendum regarding the restoration of the monarchy was held. The referendum failed with only ⅓ of the votes in favor of restoration. Leka publicly questioned and challenged the independence of the election, leading to unrest – “police intervened, gunfire broke out, one person was killed, and Leka fled.” Later, the Albanian president at that time said that the referendum had been “held in the context of flames of the communist rebellion and therefore cannot be considered a closed matter. The Stalinist principle of: ‘you vote, but I count the votes’ was applied in that referendum. But the fact is the Albanians voted massively for their King, but the referendum failed to meet quotas as it was manipulated.” Leka ended up leaving Albania and was then tried and found guilty of sedition for causing the unrest following the failed referendum. He was later pardoned in March 2002, when the Albanian Parliament strove to make amends and officially allowed and invited the former Royal Family to return to the country.

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On June 28, 2002, Leka, his wife, his son, and his mother Queen Geraldine arrived in Albania and were greeted by thousands of supporters. Leka quickly established a public role, becoming an outspoken advocate for national unity and the restoration of the monarchy. He maintained an outspoken voice for rebuilding his country for several years before health issues led him to withdraw from public life in 2006.

On November 30, 2011, Crown Prince Leka I died at the Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana, Albania. The government declared a National Day of Mourning, and he was given a state funeral, with full military honors. He was initially buried in the Sharra cemetery in Tirana next to his wife and mother. In November 2012, their remains were exhumed and reinterred in the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Queen Geraldine of the Albanians

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Queen Geraldine of the Albanians photo: Albanian Royal Court

Queen Geraldine of the Albanians, the wife of King Zog I, was born Countess Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria Apponyi de Nagy-Appony on August 6, 1915 in Budapest. Her father, Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony was from a prominent family of Hungary’s high upper nobility. Her mother, Gladys Steuart, was the daughter of an American diplomat who had served as Consul in Belgium. Geraldine had two siblings, a sister, Virginia, and a brother, Gyula.

When the Austrian Empire fell, the family moved to Switzerland for several years before returning to Hungary in 1921. Three years later, Geradline’s father died and the family moved to France. She began her education at an English school in Menton, France, before attending a Catholic boarding school near Vienna, graduating in Social Sciences and Finance. She excelled at languages, becoming fluent in French, German, Spanish, English, Hungarian, and Albanian. With little of the family’s fortune remaining, Geraldine took several jobs, including working as a typist and a salesperson in a museum gift shop.

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Geraldine first met her future husband, King Zog I of the Albanians, in December 1937. The King, having seen a photo of her, asked one of his sisters to invite Geraldine to a New Year’s Ball where they were introduced. Quickly smitten, the King proposed within days and Geraldine accepted. The couple married on April 27, 1938 in a civil ceremony at the Royal Palace in Tirana. Despite their religious differences – the King was a Muslim while Geraldine was Catholic – the marriage was blessed by all of the religious leaders, including the Pope who had initially refused.

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The new Queen quickly worked to promote causes in Albania, particularly those focused on helping those in need. She facilitated the building of numerous hospitals and orphanages, including the first maternity hospital in Albania. She also was an outspoken proponent of women’s rights within the country. On April 5, 1939, Geraldine gave birth to the couple’s only child, Crown Prince Leka I. Two days later, Italian forces invaded and took control of Albania, and the royal family went into exile. They settled in France for several years before moving to England for the duration of World War II. Geraldine worked alongside her husband in his efforts to bring peace to Albania and to restore the monarchy. Following the war, they spent several years living in Egypt before returning to France in 1952.  Sometime after King Zog’s death in 1961, Geraldine moved with her son to Spain and then Rhodesia, before settling in South Africa by the early 1980s. During this time, she continued to support the Albanian people in every way she could.

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After over 62 years in exile, the Albanian government changed the law in 2002, allowing the Royal Family to return to the country. In June 2002, Queen Geraldine, her son and his family, returned home to a massive welcome.

Sadly, just five months later, Queen Geraldine of the Albanians died at a military hospital in Tirana on October 22, 2002. Following a ceremonial funeral, she was buried in the Sharra cemetery there. In November 2012, her remains were exhumed and moved to the newly built Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, along with those of her husband, son, and daughter-in-law.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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King Zog I of the Albanians

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

King Zog I of the Albanians; photo: Albanian Royal Court

King Zog I was born Ahmed Muhtar Zogolli on October 8, 1895, at Burgajet Castle in Burrel, the Ottoman Empire, now in Albania. He was the second child and only son of Xhemal Pasha Zogolli and his second wife, Sadije Toptani. His father was the Hereditary Governor of Mati (one of Albania’s former districts), a position Zog would inherit upon his father’s death in 1908. His mother was from the Toptani family, one of the leading noble families in Ottoman Albania, and one of the largest landowners in the country. Zog had six sisters:

He also had one older half-brother from his father’s first marriage:

  • Xhelal Bey Zogolli (1881) – married 4 times, had issue, including a son, Skënder Zogu, born 1933, who would be second in line to the Albanian throne today, following Crown Prince Leka II

The future King was educated at the Galatasaray Lyceum in Istanbul, and succeeded his father as Governor of Mati in 1908. He returned to Albania in 1912, and led a revolt against the Young Turks, and gained fame as a military leader for his victory over invading Montenegrin forces. Later that year, he participated in Albania’s Declaration of Independence and continued to gain attention for his military successes.

Prince Wilhelm of Wied; Prince of Albania. source: Wikipedia

Upon Albania’s independence, the Great Powers created Albania as a Principality, and Prince Wilhelm of Wied was selected as its Prince. However, due to intense infighting, Wilhelm’s reign would last only six months before being forced into exile. Zogolli went on to serve with the Austrian-Hungarian forces during World War I before returning to Albania and becoming involved in politics. Rising quickly through the ranks, he held numerous positions within the government, including Minister of the Interior, and Chief of the Albanian Military. In 1922, he formally changed his surname from Zogolli to Zogu, which sounded more Albanian and would help to gain further support from the Albanian people.

Zogu became Prime Minister of Albania in December 1922 and served until February 25, 1924 – just two days after being shot and wounded in an assassination attempt in Parliament. Several months later, a coup d’etat forced Zog into exile for several months. Returning and restoring the legitimate government in December 1924, formally ending the Principality and declaring Albania a Republic. A month later, he was elected President.

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Just three years later, several Albanian politicians suggested that Albania should become a monarchy once again. A commission was quickly established, and on August 30, 1928, the Constitutional Assembly overwhelmingly approved the vote. The Kingdom of Albania was established, and President Zogu was offered the throne. The following day, September 1, 1928, Ahmet Zogu took the oath, becoming King Zog I of the Albanians – the country’s first and only reigning King. One of his first official acts – fully supported by the National Assembly – was to give titles to his mother and sisters. His mother became Her Majesty The Queen Mother of the Albanians, and his sisters were all created Princesses, with the style of Royal Highness.

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On April 27, 1938, the Muslim King Zog married the Catholic Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony in a civil ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Tirana.  Despite their different religions, religious leaders, including the Pope, blessed their marriage.  The couple had one son, Crown Prince Leka I, born in April 1939.

On April 7, 1939, just two days after Queen Geraldine gave birth to the couple’s only child, Italian forces invaded Albania. Despite attempts to hold them off, the Albanian military was unsuccessful. The National Assembly quickly voted to allow the King and his family to leave the country, thus allowing him to retain sovereignty in exile. Two days later, on April 9th, King Zog and the entire royal family crossed into Greece. The Italians, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, took control of Albania, declaring it a Protectorate of Italy under King Vittorio Emanuele III.

With the entire government forced into exile, King  Zog established his base in France, hoping to coordinate support with the Allies. He arrived in Paris on August 8, 1939, and settled at the Chateau de la Maye in Versailles, previously used as a temporary residence by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor just two years earlier.

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However, with German forces approaching, the family fled once again in June 1940 and made their way to England. One of the British officers who helped organize their escape was Commander Ian Fleming, later a successful writer, creating the character of James Bond.

The family initially stayed at the Ritz Hotel in London before settling at Parmoor House in Buckinghamshire. Due to the bombings, however, they continued to move around quite often. While in England, King Zog developed friendships with numerous other royals in exile and continued to work toward Albania’s liberation.

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Another move in 1946 took the family to Egypt, where they lived at the invitation of King Farouk. On a trip to the United States in 1951, King Zog purchased the Knollwood Estate in Muttontown, New York. He intended to settle there in the coming years, but never occupied the house.

An attempt to stage a coup d’etat and regain control of Albania was organized in 1954 with the support of British and American intelligence. However, the plans failed when they were revealed to the Soviets by Kim Philby, a British spy working as a double agent. The next year, Zog and his family returned to France, settling in Cannes. By then, his health was deteriorating, and King Zog abandoned his hope of moving to the United States and sold the Knollwood Estate.

The former grave of King Zog I at the Thiais Cemetery near Paris. photo: By Martin Ottmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4602279

Following several years of ill health, King Zog I of the Albanians passed away on April 9, 1961, at the Foch Hospital in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, on the outskirts of Paris. He was buried in the Thiais Cemetery in Paris.

Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, Albania; Photo: Albanian Royal Court

In November 2012, King Zog’s remains were exhumed and returned to Albania, where they were reinterred in the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, Albania. At the same time, the remains of Queen Geraldine, Crown Prince Leka I, and Crown Princess Susan were also moved to the new mausoleum.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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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.