House of Karađorđević

House of Karađorđević
Country Serbia, Yugoslavia
Titles Prince of Serbia, King of Serbia, King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, King of Yugoslavia
Founder Karađorđe Petrović
Final sovereign Peter II of Yugoslavia
Current head Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia
Founding 1804

The House of Karađorđević (Serbian pronunciation: [karaʥɔ̌ːrʥe̞viʨ]; Serbian: Карађорђевићи, Karađorđevići; anglicized: Karageorgevich, also Karadjordjevic) is a Serbian dynasty, descended from Karađorđe. The family had a long blood feud with the Obrenović dynasty. The dynasty lost the throne in November 1945 when the communists seized power in Yugoslavia. Peter II of Yugoslavia never abdicated.

Contents

History

The House of Karadjordjević comes from Đorđe Petrović, a pig farmer,[1] known to his followers as Karađorđe. In 1804, the Serbs revolted against the Ottoman Empire that controlled the Balkans at that time. The First Serbian Uprising was successful and Karađorđe established a government in Belgrade. In 1811, he was recognised as ruler with the right of succession vested in his family. However, in 1813, the Ottomans returned, and Karađorđe and his family fled. His son Prince Alexander, however, returned to rule Serbia in 1842 and reigned until 1858.

When Karađorđe was killed by Miloš Obrenović, a feud between the two houses of Karađorđević and the Obrenović developed which lasted until the Obrenović King Alexander I was killed in 1903 with his family and the Karadjordjević returned to the throne.

In 1903, the Serbian Parliament requested that Prince Peter — grandson of Đorđe Petrović (Karađorđe) — come to the throne of the Kingdom of Serbia, following the murder of King Aleksander Obrenović and his wife, Draga Mašin, by the Black Hand. Peter was duly crowned as King Peter I. Shortly before the end of World War I, representatives of the three peoples proclaimed a Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under King Peter I.

The senior branch of the family became extinct in 1920 with the death of Prince Alexis Karageorgevich

Rulers

The ruling members of the family were:

Current claims to the throne

The Karađorđevics are active in Serbian society in various ways. Politically, they support the view that constitutional parliamentary monarchy would be the ultimate solution for stability, unity and continuity. In addition, they support Serbia as a democratic country with a future in the European Union.

The last crown prince of Yugoslavia, Alexander, has been living in Belgrade in the Dedinje Royal Palace since 2001. As the only son of the last king, Peter II, who never abdicated, and the last official heir of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia he claims to be the rightful heir to the Serbian throne in the event of restoration. Prior to the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, he personally united the parliamentary opposition in several major congresses. In the palace, he regularly receives religious leaders and strives, as opportunity permits, to demonstrate his commitment to human rights and to democracy.

The Karađorđevics are much engaged in humanitarian work. Crown Princess Katherine has a humanitarian foundation while Crown Prince Alexander heads the Foundation for Culture and Education, whose activities include student scholarships, summer camps for children, etc. The Karađorđevics are also prominent in national sports activities.

Serbia and Yugoslavia

The Karadjordjević family initially was a Serbian Royal House, then the Royal House of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and then the Royal House of Yugoslavia. When they last reigned they were called the Royal House of Yugoslavia.

Crown Prince Alexander II was born in London but on property temporarily recognised by the United Kingdom's government as subject to the sovereignty of the Yugoslav crown, on which occasion it was publicly declared that the Crown Prince had been born on the native soil of the land he was expected to eventually rule.

In 2006 Yugoslavia disintegrated geo-politically in such a way that Serbia re-emerged as the national state, on which devolved rights and obligations of the former state of Yugoslavia. Crown Prince Alexander, previously "of Yugoslavia", now also claims the throne of Serbia as the senior patrilineal great-grandson of the last King of Serbia prior to its inclusion in Yugoslavia. However, his use of the title of the Crown Prince of Serbia has been questioned because he was born Crown Prince of Yugoslavia and held that title until the monarchy was abolished, while the current nation of Serbia is a republic. Nonetheless, as is customary among former dynasties, Alexander is accorded the title he claims by his kinsmen, the reigning monarchs of Europe, and their courts.

Family tree

George Petrovich
1768–1817
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alexis
1801-1830
 
 
 
 
 
 Alexander
1806–1885
reigned 1842–1858
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
George
1827-1884
 
 
 Peter I
1844–1921
reigned 1903–1921
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Arsen
1859–1938
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alexis
1859-1920
Bojidar
1862-1908
 
 
 George
1887–1972
 
 
 
 Alexander I
1888–1934
reigned 1921–1934
 
 
 
 
 Paul
1893–1976
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Peter II
1923–1970
reigned 1934–1945
 
 Tomislav
1928–2000
 
 Andrew
1929–1990
 
 Alexander
b. 1924
 
 Nicholas
1928–1954
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alexander (II)
b. 1945
 
 Nikola
b. 1958
George
b. 1984
Michael
b. 1985
 
 Karl Vladimir
b. 1964
Dimitri Mihailo
b. 1965
 
 Dimitri
1958
Michael
1958
Sergius
b. 1963
Dushan
b. 1977
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Peter
b. 1980
Philip
b. 1982
Alexander
b. 1982
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

References

  1. ^ Bill's History of Serbia

External links