by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Crown Princess Elia is the wife of Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians, the current pretender to the former Albanian throne. She was born 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 during that time 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 Albanian National Theatre, as well as 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. Since that time, Elia has taken 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. The wedding was attended by numerous members of foreign noble and royal families. Guests included:

• Queen Sofia of Spain
• Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran
• Prince Michael and Princess Michael of Kent
• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia
• Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg
• Princess Lea of Belgium
• Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
• Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein
• Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu of Romania
• Princess Irene of Greece
• Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece

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

On January 16, 2024, it was announced that Crown Prince Leka, the current claimant to the defunct throne of Albania, and Crown Princess Elia were ending their marriage.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of Albania Index
• Albanian Royal Burial Sites
• Albanian Royal Dates
• Profiles: The Albanian Royal Family

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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.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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. It was there that she first met Crown Prince Leka I, who later invited her to come 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 held in Biarritz, France. A religious ceremony was held the following October in Toledo, Spain where the couple received the blessing of the Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican religious leaders. They had one son, Crown Prince Leka II, born in 1982.

As Crown Princess, Susan was a strong supporter of her husband and his efforts to restore the Albanian monarchy, and to make life better 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 her work for 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. She was buried alongside her mother-in-law in the Sharra cemetery, and in 2012, her remains were moved to the newly rebuilt Royal Mausoleum in Tirana, along with her husband and his parents.

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of Albania Index
• Albanian Royal Burial Sites
• Albanian Royal Dates
• Profiles: The Albanian Royal Family

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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.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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 the restoration of 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 later 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, along with 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

• Kingdom of Albania Index
• Albanian Royal Burial Sites
• Albanian Royal Dates
• Profiles: The Albanian Royal Family

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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.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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 himself 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:

• Princess Adile (1893) – married Emin Bey Agolli-Doshishti, had issue
• Princess Nafije (1896) – married Ceno Bey Kryeziu, had issue
• Princess Senije (1903) – married Prince Mehmet Abid of Turkey (divorced), no issue
• Princess Myzejen (1905) – never married
• Princess Ruhije (1906) – never married
• Princess Maxhide (1907) – never married

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.

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 in-fighting, Wilhelm would last only six months in Albania before being forced into exile. Zogolli went on to serve with the Austrian-Hungarian forces during World War 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, King Zog married Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Appony in a civil ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Tirana.  Despite their different religions – he was Muslim and she was Catholic – the wedding was blessed by religious leaders, including the Pope.  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 Emaneule III.

With the entire government forced into exile, the King decided to establish his base in France, where he hoped to best coordinate support with the Allies. He arrived in Paris on August 8, 1939, and settled at the Chateau de la Maye in Versailles (which had previously been 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 – who would later go on to become a successful writer, creating the character of James Bond.

The family initially stayed at the Ritz Hotel in London before eventually settling at Parmoor House in Buckinghamshire. Due to the bombings, however, they continued to move around quite often. While in England, the King 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 actually 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 who was working as a double agent. The following year, Zog and his family returned to France, settling in Cannes. By then, with his health beginning to deteriorate, the King abandoned his hope of moving to the United States and sold the Knollwood Estate.

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.

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

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Albanian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of Albania Index
• Albanian Royal Burial Sites
• Albanian Royal Dates
• Profiles: The Albanian Royal Family

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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.