Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia

Embed from Getty Images

Happy Birthday to Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia, who turns 72 today. The only son of King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece, he was born in Claridge’s Hotel in London when his parents where in exile during WWII. The British government declared the suite he was born Yugoslav territory for the day. His godparents are King George VI and then Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II). The Yugoslavian Royal Family never went back to Yugoslavia, as the monarchy was overthrown by the Communist government. Crown Prince Alexander was raised by his maternal grandmother, while his parents struggled with various issues. He was educated in Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In 1970, after the death of King Peter, Crown Prince Alexander became head of the House of Karađorđević, and did not use to title of ‘King’, though he has never renounced it. In 1972, he married Princess Maria da Gloria of Orleans and Bragança. The couple had three sons but divorced in 1983. In 1985, he married Katherine Batis, now known as Crown Princess Katherine. In 1991, the family was allowed back into Yugoslavia, and in 2001, they moved into the Royal Palace in Belgrade. Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine do not have an official role, but do represent Serbia at foreign royal events. Closely related to the Greek, British, and Spanish royal families, Crown Prince Alexander also maintains close ties with them, and regularly hosts them in Belgrade.

Screen Shot 2017-07-15 at 1.06.40 PM.png

Leave a Reply