Prince Michael of Montenegro
Encyclopedia
Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (September 14, 1908, Podgorica
- March 24, 1986, Paris
) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš
, Grand Voivode of Grahovo
and Zeta
(1879–1918), and Natalija Konstantinovic
, a cousin of Aleksandar Obrenović
of Serbia
. He was pretender
to the throne of Montenegro, holding the title Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta, in succession to his father. King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro
was Michael's grandfather. Michael had recognized and acknowledged the Unification of Montenegro with Serbia
, renouncing the throne. In World War II
he was held prisoner by the Nazis after refusing to take up the throne of the Axis forces' re-established Montenegrin puppet-state. During the period of Communism, he was an active member of the Serb diaspora revolutionary organization and a diplomatic worker against the Communist dictatorship of Marshall Tito.
He was a member of the Crown Council of Peter II Karadjordjevic
.
during the First World War collapsed and he, alongside the rest of the royal family, fled to Italy
. Here, he briefly attended a boarding school in Naples
before joining his mother who had taken up residence in Eastbourne
in the United Kingdom
where he completed his primary education.
. However, Danilo unexpectedly abdicated a few days later and his nephew the young Michael (who succeeded him as pretender) "reigned" as King Mihaijlo I under the guidance of a regent. On September 14, 1929 the Regency of General Anto Gvozdenovic
ended and Mihaijlo renounced his dynasty's claim to the throne of Montenegro and declared allegiance to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
. In gratitude, the King of Yugoslavia, Alexander I
rewarded Prince Mihaijlo with a pension from the Civil List
.
and were held at a castle on the shores of Lake Constance
. It was here that they were visited by Count Galeazzo Ciano and Joachim von Ribbentrop
and were offered the throne of a new, independent Kingdom of Montenegro, but under Italian and German protection and guidance. He rejected this offer and remained imprisoned in Germany until his aunt, the Queen of Italy (Elena of Montenegro
), secured their release in 1943. They returned to France only to be arrested by the German authorities and transferred to an internment camp at Jezeří Castle in occupied Czechoslovakia
. It was here that the couple's son Prince Nicholas of Montenegro was born in 1944.
and was invited to visit the country. In 1947 the young family took up residence in Belgrade
and Prince Mihaijlo accepted the position as Head of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prince Mihajlo was able to visit Montenegro which he had not seen since 1916, and realized that the memory of his family was still alive amongst the people. Eventually disappointed with Tito, the family returned to France in June 1948.
was terminated. Soon after, he and his wife divorced and he remained in exile until his death in 1986. Their son, Nicholas, was brought up by his mother. Prince Mihaijlo is buried in the Serbian Orthodox Church
cemetery in Paris
.
, 4 December 1919 - Lannion
, 26 January 1990), daughter of François Prigent (1883–1947), a streetcar driver who later became a private detective, and wife Blanche Bitte (1883–1958), in Paris, France, on 27 January 1941; they divorced on 11 August 1949 in Paris. They had one child:
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
- March 24, 1986, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš
Prince Mirko of Montenegro
Prince Mirko Dimitri Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zetà was born at Cetinje, the second son of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotic...
, Grand Voivode of Grahovo
Grahovo
Grahovo is a tribe in western Montenegro. It contains the village of Grahovac, which was the sight of the Battle of Grahovac.-History:In the early 17th century, during the Sanjak of Scutari, Grahovo was commanded by Mile Perin....
and Zeta
Principality of Zeta
Zeta was a medieval state, which territory encompassed parts of present-day Montenegro and Northernwestern Albania. From 1360. to 1421. Zeta was independent state administered by local noble family Balšić. From 1185. to 1360. and from 1421. - 1451, Zeta was province of medieval Serbia...
(1879–1918), and Natalija Konstantinovic
Natalija Konstantinović
Natalija Konstantinović was a Princess of Montenegro as the wife of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš. The couple had five sons; however, two died in early childhood. They divorced in 1917, a year after the royal family was forced to flee the kingdom...
, a cousin of Aleksandar Obrenović
Aleksandar Obrenovic
Not to be confused with Alexander I of Yugoslavia.Alexander I or Aleksandar Obrenović was king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903 when he and his wife, Queen Draga, were assassinated by a group of Army officers, led by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević-Accession:In 1889 Alexander's father, King Milan,...
of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. He was 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 throne of Montenegro, holding the title Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta, in succession to his father. King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš 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...
was Michael's grandfather. Michael had recognized and acknowledged the Unification of Montenegro with Serbia
Podgorica Assembly
The Podgorica Assembly , in full the Great National Assembly of the Serb People in Montenegro , was an assembly held in Podgorica that served as the representative body of the Montenegrin people during the...
, renouncing the throne. In 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...
he was held prisoner by the Nazis after refusing to take up the throne of the Axis forces' re-established Montenegrin puppet-state. During the period of Communism, he was an active member of the Serb diaspora revolutionary organization and a diplomatic worker against the Communist dictatorship of Marshall Tito.
He was a member of the Crown Council of Peter II Karadjordjevic
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
.
Early life
Michael was born the son of Prince Mirko of Montenegro in Cetinje in 1908. In 1916 the defence of Montenegro against the invasion by Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
during the First World War collapsed and he, alongside the rest of the royal family, fled to 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...
. Here, he briefly attended a boarding school in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
before joining his mother who had taken up residence in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where he completed his primary education.
Accession
After his grandfather Nikola died in 1921, the defunct throne was inherited by Danilo, Crown Prince of MontenegroDanilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
Danilo Aleksandar Petrović-Njegoš was the Crown Prince of Montenegro. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and Queen Milena Vukotić. During the Balkan Wars and World War I he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić,...
. However, Danilo unexpectedly abdicated a few days later and his nephew the young Michael (who succeeded him as pretender) "reigned" as King Mihaijlo I under the guidance of a regent. On September 14, 1929 the Regency of General Anto Gvozdenovic
Anto Gvozdenovic
Anto Gvozdenović was a Montenegrin, Russian, and French general, a member of the Imperial Russian Privy Council, and a diplomat and statesman...
ended and Mihaijlo renounced his dynasty's claim to the throne of Montenegro and declared allegiance to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. In gratitude, the King of Yugoslavia, Alexander I
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:...
rewarded Prince Mihaijlo with a pension from the Civil List
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
.
The Axis Proposition
In 1941, following the Fall of France, Prince Mihaijlo and his wife were arrested by the German occupation authorities. They were transferred to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and were held at a castle on the shores of Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
. It was here that they were visited by Count Galeazzo Ciano and Joachim von Ribbentrop
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
and were offered the throne of a new, independent Kingdom of Montenegro, but under Italian and German protection and guidance. He rejected this offer and remained imprisoned in Germany until his aunt, the Queen of Italy (Elena of Montenegro
Elena of Montenegro
Elena of Montenegro was the daughter of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and his wife, Milena Vukotić...
), secured their release in 1943. They returned to France only to be arrested by the German authorities and transferred to an internment camp at Jezeří Castle in occupied Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. It was here that the couple's son Prince Nicholas of Montenegro was born in 1944.
The Communist Proposition
At the end of the war Michael, his wife and infant son were released; they returned to France, taking up residence in Paris. Shortly after this he began talking to Marshall Tito of the newly socialist YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and was invited to visit the country. In 1947 the young family took up residence in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Prince Mihaijlo accepted the position as Head of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prince Mihajlo was able to visit Montenegro which he had not seen since 1916, and realized that the memory of his family was still alive amongst the people. Eventually disappointed with Tito, the family returned to France in June 1948.
Serb Opposition to Communist Dictatorship
From its founding in 1964, Michael Petrovich spent his years as an active political dissident of the Communist regime and worked to bring about its downfall. He was a member of the revolutionary Serb Liberation Movement Fatherland, aimed at gathering the Serb diaspora and internal dissidents in an effort to destroy the Yugoslav Communists.Later Life and Death
Following his break with the government of Yugoslavia, the money he received from the civil listCivil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
was terminated. Soon after, he and his wife divorced and he remained in exile until his death in 1986. Their son, Nicholas, was brought up by his mother. Prince Mihaijlo is buried in the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
cemetery in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Marriage and children
Michael married Geneviève Prigent (Saint-BrieucSaint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-History:Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who evangelized the region in the 6th century and established an oratory there...
, 4 December 1919 - Lannion
Lannion
Lannion is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a subpréfecture of Côtes-d'Armor, the capital of Trégor and the center of an urban area of almost 60,000 inhabitants.-Population:...
, 26 January 1990), daughter of François Prigent (1883–1947), a streetcar driver who later became a private detective, and wife Blanche Bitte (1883–1958), in Paris, France, on 27 January 1941; they divorced on 11 August 1949 in Paris. They had one child:
- Prince Nikola of Montenegro (July 7, 1944 - )
Works
- Njegoš's Chapel on Lovćen - Serb Sacred Place
- "From my Memmoires" , The Serb National Defense, 1961, WinsorWinsorWinsor can refer to:People* Winsor McCay, American cartoonist* Justin Winsor, American writer and historian* Kathleen Winsor, romance novelist* Tom Winsor, British lawyer and economic regulator* Charles P...
External links
- The Njegoskij Fund Public Project : Biography of Prince Michel of Montenegro (1908–1986).
- The Njegoskij Fund Public Project : Biography of Genevieve Prigent, Militant Princess and French Resistant (1919–1990).