King of Albania
Encyclopedia
While the medieval Angevin
Kingdom of Albania
was a monarchy, it did not encompass the entirety of the modern state of Albania
. The latter has been a kingdom on two occasions. The first time was after it was declared independent in 1912. Under the independence settlement imposed by the Great Powers, the country was styled a principality
, and its ruler, William of Wied (Wilhelm zu Wied in German
), was given the title of sovereign prince. However, these styles were only used outside the country. In Albanian
, William was referred to by the title mbret, or king. This was because many local nobles already had the title of prince (princ, prinq, or prenk in various Albanian dialects), and because domestically the Albanian sovereign could not be seen as holding a title inferior to that of the King of Montenegro. Prince William's full style was:
By the grace of the powers and the will of the people the Prince of Albania.
William was forced into exile by internal disorder just after the outbreak of World War I
, and Albania was to be occupied by various foreign powers for most the war. In the confusing aftermath of the war, some of the several different regimes competing for power officially styled themselves as regencies for William. Albania's first monarchy ended definitively when the restored central government declared the country a republic
in 1924.
Four years later, on September 1, 1928, President Ahmed Bey Zogu
proclaimed himself King of the Albanians (Mbret i Shqiptarëve in Albanian) as Zog I. Zog sought to establish a constitutional monarchy
. Under the royal constitution, the Albanian King, like the King of the Belgians, had to swear an oath before parliament
before entering into his royal powers. The text of the oath was as follows:
Zog's Kingdom came to be tied more and more closely to King Vittorio Emanuele III
's Italy
, until the latter occupied it on April 7, 1939. Zog fled the country, and five days later, the Albanian Parliament proclaimed Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy
as the new King. He took the title King of Albania, which title he formally retained until he abdicated as Albanian monarch in 1943. Zog I was then reinstated as King (though he never returned to Albania), serving until the socialist People's Republic of Albania was established in 1946.
During and after World War II
, some Albanians worked for the return of King Zog; however, they were not successful. Neither Zog nor Vittorio Emanuele III had their Albanian royal titles widely acknowledged by the international community. Zog's son, Leka
, is the main pretender
to the Albanian Crown. As he himself stated, his title is not King of Albania but King of the Albanians, which includes the irredentistic
claim to Kosovo
and part of Macedonia
.
King of Albania (Pronounced King of AL-BAN-YA) can also be referred to a game mode in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in private match where the object of the game is to keep on the water buffalo suit the longest and get the most kills.
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
Kingdom of Albania
Kingdom of Albania
The Kingdom of Albania, or Regnum Albaniae, was established by Charles of Anjou in the Albanian territory he conquered from the Despotate of Epirus in 1271. He took the title of "King of Albania" in February 1272. The kingdom extended from the region of Durrës south along the coast to Butrint...
was a monarchy, it did not encompass the entirety of the modern state of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. The latter has been a kingdom on two occasions. The first time was after it was declared independent in 1912. Under the independence settlement imposed by the Great Powers, the country was styled a principality
Principality of Albania
The Principality of Albania refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by William, Prince of Albania and to the state after the First World War, until the abolition of the monarchy in 1925, when Albania was declared a republic.-Principality:The Principality was established on February...
, and its ruler, William of Wied (Wilhelm zu Wied in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), was given the title of sovereign prince. However, these styles were only used outside the country. In Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, William was referred to by the title mbret, or king. This was because many local nobles already had the title of prince (princ, prinq, or prenk in various Albanian dialects), and because domestically the Albanian sovereign could not be seen as holding a title inferior to that of the King of Montenegro. Prince William's full style was:
By the grace of the powers and the will of the people the Prince of Albania.
William was forced into exile by internal disorder just after the outbreak of 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...
, and Albania was to be occupied by various foreign powers for most the war. In the confusing aftermath of the war, some of the several different regimes competing for power officially styled themselves as regencies for William. Albania's first monarchy ended definitively when the restored central government declared the country a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
in 1924.
Four years later, on September 1, 1928, President Ahmed Bey Zogu
Zog of Albania
Zog I, Skanderbeg III of the Albanians , born Ahmet Muhtar Bey Zogolli, was King of the Albanians from 1928 to 1939. He was previously Prime Minister of Albania and President of Albania .-Background and early political career:...
proclaimed himself King of the Albanians (Mbret i Shqiptarëve in Albanian) as Zog I. Zog sought to establish a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. Under the royal constitution, the Albanian King, like the King of the Belgians, had to swear an oath before parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
before entering into his royal powers. The text of the oath was as follows:
- I, name, King of the Albanians, on ascending the Throne of the Albanian Kingdom and assuming the Royal powers, swear in the presence of God Almighty that I will maintain national unity, the independence of the state, and its territorial integrity, and I will maintain and conform to the statute and laws in force, having the good of the people always in mind. So help me God!
Zog's Kingdom came to be tied more and more closely to King Vittorio Emanuele III
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
's Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, until the latter occupied it on April 7, 1939. Zog fled the country, and five days later, the Albanian Parliament proclaimed Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
as the new King. He took the title King of Albania, which title he formally retained until he abdicated as Albanian monarch in 1943. Zog I was then reinstated as King (though he never returned to Albania), serving until the socialist People's Republic of Albania was established in 1946.
During and after 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...
, some Albanians worked for the return of King Zog; however, they were not successful. Neither Zog nor Vittorio Emanuele III had their Albanian royal titles widely acknowledged by the international community. Zog's son, Leka
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania was the only son of King Zog of Albania and his queen, Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony. He was called Crown Prince Skander at birth...
, is the main pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the Albanian Crown. As he himself stated, his title is not King of Albania but King of the Albanians, which includes the irredentistic
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
claim to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and part of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
King of Albania (Pronounced King of AL-BAN-YA) can also be referred to a game mode in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in private match where the object of the game is to keep on the water buffalo suit the longest and get the most kills.
See also
- History of AlbaniaHistory of AlbaniaThe history of Albania emerges from the prehistoric stage from the 4th century BC, with early records of Illyria in Greco-Roman historiography. The modern territory of Albania has no counterpart in antiquity, comprising parts of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia , Macedonia , and Moesia Superior...
- List of Albanian monarchs
- List of Albanian consorts
- Otto WitteOtto WitteOtto Witte was a circus acrobat and fantasist who said that he managed to be crowned King of Albania.In 1913, when Albania broke away from the Ottoman Empire, some Albanian Muslims invited Halim Eddine, a nephew of the Sultan, to come and be crowned king...
, a German who claimed to have been crowned king for a few days