by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia; 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 supported 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, 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, then 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 then traveled to Biarritz, 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 an 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. After Draga saved King Alexander from drowning, Draga and Alexander began to see each other. 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 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 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, he needed 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 their positions, and Alexander had difficulty 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 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, the May Coup, 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,  Serbia still used the Julian Calendar (Old Style) 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.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King of Serbia and Queen Draga

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

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates

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].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

King Alexander I of Serbia; 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 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 intervened, 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 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 permanently. 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 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, he needed 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. Milan and Đorđević immediately resigned from their positions, and Alexander had difficulty 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 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, the May Coup, 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.  Serbia still used the Julian Calendar (Old Style) that was behind the Gregorian Calendar (New Style) that most other countries used. 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.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King of Serbia and Queen Draga

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

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates

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].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia; Credit – Wikipedia

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, the wife of Milan I, the first King of Serbia, 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 Milan and Natalija became the first King and Queen of Serbia. Natalija and Milan had two sons but only the eldest survived:

• Alexander I, King of Serbia (1876 – 1903), married Draga Mašin, no children, both Alexander and Draga were assassinated
• Prince Sergei of Serbia (born and died 1878)

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 still considered herself Milan’s wife. 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.

In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without 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 returned to Serbia in 1895. 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 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.

• Assassination of Alexander I, King of Serbia and Queen Draga

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

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates

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].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

King Milan I of Serbia; 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 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:

• Alexander I, King of Serbia (1876 – 1903), married Draga Mašin, no children, both Alexander and Draga were assassinated
• Prince Sergei of Serbia (born and died 1878)

The marriage was unsuccessful and the couple separated in 1886 and divorced in 1888. Natalija publically rejected the divorce and declared that she still considered herself the king’s wife. 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, 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 and increased military service, making Milan unpopular.

In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without 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

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates

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].

by Scott Mehl   © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança

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 divorced 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.

Maria da Glória  and Alexander on their wedding day; 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:

• Peter, Hereditary Prince of Serbia (born 1980)
• Prince Philip of Serbia (born 1982), married Danica Marinkovićm, had issue
• Prince Alexander of Serbia (born 1982)

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.

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 2016

King Peter II of Yugoslavia – source: Wikipedia

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.

Peter had two younger siblings:

• Prince Tomislav (1928 – 2000), married (1) Princess Margarita of Baden, had one son and one daughter, divorced  (2) Linda Mary Bonney, had two sons
• Prince Andrej (1929 – 1990), married  (1) Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse, had one daughter and one son, divorced  (2) Princess Kira of Leiningen, had two sons and one daughter, divorced  (3) Eva Maria Andjelkovich, no children

Peter as a child; source: Royal Family of Serbia

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, 17-years-old, King Peter II was proclaimed of age and the Regency was ended.

Within weeks, Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi forces forcing the government 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, 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:

• Crown Prince Alexander (born 1945), married (1) Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans Bragança, had three sons. divorced  (2) Katherine Clairy Batis (Crown Princess Katherine), no children

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 and lived 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

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

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia – source: Wikipedia

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:

• Princess Jelena of Serbia (1884 – 1962) – married Prince Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia, had issue; Ioann was executed by the Bolsheviks on July 18, 1918, along with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs. See Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Five Other Romanovs
• Princess Milena of Serbia (1886 – 1887) – died in infancy
• Prince George, Crown Prince of Serbia (1887 – 1972) – renounced his rights to succession in 1909; married at the age of 60 to Radmila Radonjić, no issue
• Prince Andrew of Serbia (1890) – died at birth along with his mother

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

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:

• King Peter II of Yugoslavia (1923 – 1970), married Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, had one son
• Prince Tomislav (1928 – 2000), married (1) Princess Margarita of Baden, had one son and one daughter, divorced  (2) Linda Mary Bonney, had two sons
• Prince Andrej (1929 – 1990), married  (1) Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse, had one daughter and one son, divorced  (2) Princess Kira of Leiningen, had two sons and one daughter, divorced  (3) Eva Maria Andjelkovich, no children

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.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King 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.

Serbia/Yugoslavia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdoms of Serbia/Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes/Yugoslavia Index
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Burial Sites
• Profiles: Serbian/Yugoslavian Kings and Consorts
• Rulers of Serbia and Yugoslavia
• Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Dates