George, Crown Prince of Serbia
Encyclopedia
George, Crown Prince of Serbia (Serbian
: kraljević Đorđe Karađorđević; 27 August 1887 – 17 October 1972) was the older brother of Alexander I of Yugoslavia
and younger brother of Helen of Serbia, son of Peter I, King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Princess Ljubica (Zorka) of Montenegro
and grandson of King Nicholas I of Montenegro
.
, Principality of Montenegro
and was raised in the court of his grandfather King Nicholas before the sudden death of his mother led his father to move his family first to Geneva
and thence to Russia
.
In Russia, George studied at the Cadet Corps school of Tsar
Alexander II
before returning to Serbia in 1903 following a palace coup when a conspiration of army officers overthrew the ruling Obrenović dynasty to proclaim his father as King of Serbia and, as a result, George became Crown Prince. George did not get to savour his rule as heir to the throne for long as in 1909 he kicked his servant to death in a fit of rage and was subsequently forced to renounce his succession rights in favour of his brother Alexander
.
as well as World War I
where he was severely wounded in the Battle of Mačkov Kamen near Krupanj
in 1914. After Peter's death and Alexandar's subsequent coronation
, hostilities between the brothers arose, which led to Prince George's arrest in 1925. He was then proclaimed to be insane and locked in an asylum near the city of Niš
. Following Alexander's assassination in 1934, George hoped he would be freed by the new regent Prince Paul
, but that didn't happen and he remained in gaol until World War II
when he was freed by the German occupiers.
's communist regime; however, George was allowed to retire in Belgrade as the only member of Royal family in the country. In his old age he married in 1947 Radmila Radonjić (1907–1993), but the couple did not have any children. He wrote his memoirs Istina o mom životu (Truth About my Life).
He died on 17 October 1972 in Belgrade and was buried in the Church of St. George (Oplenac) in Topola
, Serbia.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: kraljević Đorđe Karađorđević; 27 August 1887 – 17 October 1972) was the older brother of Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
and younger brother of Helen of Serbia, son of Peter I, King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Princess Ljubica (Zorka) of Montenegro
Zorka of Montenegro
Princess Ljubica Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro , and later became Princess Zorka Karađorđević in Serbia. She was better known as Princess Zorka....
and grandson of King Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
.
Early life
George was born in CetinjeCetinje
Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro...
, Principality of Montenegro
Principality of Montenegro
The Principality of Montenegro was a former realm in Southeastern Europe. It existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a kingdom by Knjaz Nikola, who then became king....
and was raised in the court of his grandfather King Nicholas before the sudden death of his mother led his father to move his family first to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and thence to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
In Russia, George studied at the Cadet Corps school of Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
before returning to Serbia in 1903 following a palace coup when a conspiration of army officers overthrew the ruling Obrenović dynasty to proclaim his father as King of Serbia and, as a result, George became Crown Prince. George did not get to savour his rule as heir to the throne for long as in 1909 he kicked his servant to death in a fit of rage and was subsequently forced to renounce his succession rights in favour of his brother Alexander
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
.
War service and arrest
Prince George participated in Balkan warsBalkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
as well as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he was severely wounded in the Battle of Mačkov Kamen near Krupanj
Krupanj
Krupanj is a town and municipality located in the Mačva District of Serbia. The municipality has a total population of 17,398, while the town has a population of 4,455 .-Geography:...
in 1914. After Peter's death and Alexandar's subsequent coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
, hostilities between the brothers arose, which led to Prince George's arrest in 1925. He was then proclaimed to be insane and locked in an asylum near the city of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
. Following Alexander's assassination in 1934, George hoped he would be freed by the new regent Prince Paul
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, also known as Paul Karađorđević , was Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the minority of King Peter II. Peter was the eldest son of his first cousin Alexander I...
, but that didn't happen and he remained in gaol until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when he was freed by the German occupiers.
Later life and marriage
After the war his family were declared state enemies by Josip Broz TitoJosip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's communist regime; however, George was allowed to retire in Belgrade as the only member of Royal family in the country. In his old age he married in 1947 Radmila Radonjić (1907–1993), but the couple did not have any children. He wrote his memoirs Istina o mom životu (Truth About my Life).
He died on 17 October 1972 in Belgrade and was buried in the Church of St. George (Oplenac) in Topola
Topola
Topola is a town and municipality situated in the Šumadija region of Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804. The local St...
, Serbia.