Maria of Yugoslavia Марија од Југославије |
|
---|---|
|
|
Tenure | 1922–1934 |
Spouse | Alexander I of Yugoslavia |
Issue | |
Peter II of Yugoslavia Prince Tomislav Prince Andrej |
|
House | House of Karađorđević House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
Father | Ferdinand of Romania |
Mother | Marie of Romania |
Born | 6 January 1900 Gotha |
Died | 22 June 1961 London, England |
(aged 61)
Burial | Royal Burial Ground Frogmore, Windsor |
Religion | Eastern Orthodox |
Styles of Queen Marija (as consort) |
|
---|---|
Reference style | Her Majesty |
Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Alternative style | Ma'am |
Maria of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Marija Karađorđević, Марија Карађорђевић; 6 January 1900 – 22 June 1961) was the Queen consort of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. She was originally a princess of Romania.
Contents |
She was born in Gotha, Thuringia, in Germany, during the reigns of her maternal grandfather Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and her grand-uncle King Carol I of Romania. She was known as Mignon in the family to distinguish her from her mother. Her mother was Queen Marie of Romania, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Her maternal great-grandfather was Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Maria's father was King Ferdinand of Romania. Through her paternal side she was also a great-granddaughter of Maria II of Portugal.She had 3 brothers and 2 sisters:Carol,future King of Romania(Carol IInd);Nicholas,prince of Romania;Elisabeta,princess of Romania and then future Queen of Greece;Ileana,princess of Romania and then Arhiduchess of Austria and Habsburg-Toscana;and other brother Mircea who died at 3 years old.
During the World War I, she worked as a nurse with her mother.
She married Alexander I of Yugoslavia, King of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in Belgrade on 8 June 1922, and had three sons:
Following the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in Marseille in 1934, her oldest son became Peter II of Yugoslavia, the last Yugoslav king. She was given the title Queen Mother of Yugoslavia in 1941. She moved to a farm in England and lived a relatively normal life, without royal extravagance. Maria was well educated. She spoke several languages fluently and enjoyed painting and sculpting. She also drove a car by herself, which was very unusual for royalty at the time.
She died in exile in London on 22 June 1961 and is interred at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, which adjoins Windsor Castle.
Queen Maria was popular and respected, by the people of Serbian public, and is still well thought of in the region. She was regarded as an ideal wife and mother according to the contemporary Serbian ideal and described as a humble person. She was engaged in several social projects. In the eyes of the Serbian people, she remain one of the greatest humanitarian patrons of the Serbian region.
Streets are named in her memory, such as “Ulica kraljice Marije” or “Queen Maria Street”, and numerous schools and other organizations still carry her name.
Maria of Yugoslavia
Cadet branch of the House of Hohenzollern
Born: 6 January 1900 Died: 22 June 1961 |
||
Yugoslavian royalty | ||
---|---|---|
Vacant
Title last held by
Draga Obrenovićas Queen Consort of Serbia |
Queen consort of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Queen consort of Yugoslavia 8 June 1922–9 October 1934 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Alexandra of Greece and Denmark |
|