Princess Xenia of Montenegro
Encyclopedia
Xenia Petrovic-Njegoš, Princess of Montenegro, also known as Princess Ksenija or Kseniya, (22 April 1881 - 10 March 1960) was a member of the House of Petrović-Njegoš
as a daughter of Nicholas I of Montenegro
.
As a young woman, Princess Xenia's appearance in contemporary newspapers was almost entirely the result of seemingly never-ending rumors of suitors, engagements, and marriages. Speculated candidates included but were not limited to Alexander I of Serbia; Greek brothers Prince Nicholas
, Prince George
, and Prince Andrew
; and Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
, among others.
on 22 April 1881 as the eighth daughter of Nicholas I of Montenegro
and his consort Milena Vukotić
. Unlike her eldest sisters, Princess Xenia was not sent to study in Russia at the Smolny Institute. Along with her younger sister, Vera, Xenia was educated at home by tutors in Cetinje. Xenias's sisters were particularly noted for achieving marriages with powerful royal figures, causing their father, like the contemporary Christian IX of Denmark
, to earn the sobriquet
"father-in-law of Europe
"; one source declared that these advantageous marriages "had done more for Montenegro
than all the brave deeds of this nation of warriors". As young girls, Xenia's father had high hopes that she and her sister Vera would marry members of the Russian Imperial family: specifically one of the sons of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
or one of the sons of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
. Two of her elder sisters had already done so, as Princess Milica was married to Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and Princess Anastasia had married firstly to George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg and secondly to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich.
In 1898, Princesses Xenia and Vera, and Crown Prince Danilo
traveled with their mother to Italy in order to visit the recently married Elena of Montenegro
(who had married Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel of Italy
). They were warmly welcomed by local residents in Naples
as "our Princess' relations". Later that year, arrangements had been made for Xenia to wed Alexander I of Serbia. However, when Alexander went to the court at Cetinje
to claim his soon-to-be wife, Xenia professed such "disgust and horror" at his appearance and manners that despite her father's entreaties, she refused to marry him, humiliating and angering him so much that diplomatic relations between Serbia and Montenegro were severed. Alexander's adoption of her brother Prince Mirko of Montenegro
as heir apparent
in 1901 was meant, among other things, to smooth over these old affronts.
to Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
, Princess Xenia met Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
, who was there representing his father George I of Greece
. In 1899, the betrothal of Princess Xenia to Nicholas was announced. For reasons unknown, their engagement fell apart and the couple never married. Nicholas later wed Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
. Other news stories had Xenia being engaged to Nicholas' brothers Prince George
and Prince Andrew
at different times.
In 1902, rumors spread of Xenia's engagement to Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
, who had recently divorced Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. These were stressed to be untrue, and only arose because Xenia had visited her sister Princess Anna of Montenegro
in Darmstadt
, where Ernest Louis was residing. Another rumor coincidentally spread that Xenia would marry Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia, barring that his entreaties of marriage to Princess Victoria Melita were denied because of her divorced status. This particular rumor was greeted with some popularity, as Xenia had been raised in Russia, and was, like Cyril, a follower of the Eastern Orthodox religion.
Yet another rumor spread in 1904 that Xenia was engaged to Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
, the heir apparent
to the Russian throne. By this point, the appearance in newspapers of her countless engagements, marriages, and attachments led to a certain degree of incredulity about this particular rumor. Through the years, others would claim she was engaged to Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin, Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
, and even her widowed brother-in-law Peter I of Serbia. Doubtless the promised dowry of one million rubles, her family's reputation for "robust health," as well as contemporary reports extolling her "beauteous" appearance helped contribute to these royal admirers and the newspapers circulating ever more rumors about the princess. Princess Xenia was said to be "extremely wholesome" and in possession of a "sunny disposition", and was known throughout Montenegro "as much for her charity as for her activity in athletic sports".
, Xenia took a conspicuous and leading part in some anti-Austrian protests in Cetinje. The Austrian government took her actions as an insult and called for the strongest kind of diplomatic protest; as Nicholas was indebted to Austria for many past favors, especially concerning financial assistance, he was unsure what punishment should be given out to his daughter, and eventually decided on temporarily exiling her to France. Xenia readily agreed to her father's demands, and enjoyed herself in Paris, where she spent her time shopping, going to the theater and the opera, and being entertained by leaders in Parisian society.
Nicholas was crowned King of Montenegro on 28 August 1910. During the Balkan campaigns
of World War I
, the king and his family fled to Italy after his country and Austria could not come to agreement over peace negotiations. The terms Austria offered were deemed to be too unacceptable in Montenegro, and the royal family, along with the diplomatic corps, consequently fled. In cooperation with activist Alexander Devine
, Princess Xenia and her sister Vera helped organize the relief of interned Montenegrin prisoners in Austria.
and continued to live in Paris. She died in Paris, France on 10 March 1960.
After her death, her devoted work to Montenegrin photography
would become the focus of a 2010 exhibit at the Slovenia
n Galerija Fotografija. The exhibit read:
House of Petrovic-Njegoš
The House of Petrović-Njegoš was the Royal House of Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. Montenegro had enjoyed de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire from 1711 but only received formal international recognition as an independent principality in 1878.Montenegro was ruled from inception by...
as a daughter of 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...
.
As a young woman, Princess Xenia's appearance in contemporary newspapers was almost entirely the result of seemingly never-ending rumors of suitors, engagements, and marriages. Speculated candidates included but were not limited to Alexander I of Serbia; Greek brothers Prince Nicholas
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark , of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the fourth child and third son of George I, King of the Hellenes, and of Queen Olga. He was known as "Greek Nicky" in the family to distinguish him from his cousin Czar Nicholas II of Russia...
, Prince George
Prince George of Greece and Denmark
align=right| Prince George of Greece and Denmark was the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga, and is remembered chiefly for having saved the life of a future Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II...
, and Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia. He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark.He began military training at an early age, and was...
; and Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
, among others.
Early life
Princess Xenia of Montenegro 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...
on 22 April 1881 as the eighth daughter of 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...
and his consort Milena Vukotić
Milena Vukotic
Milena Vukotic is a former ballerina and a stage, television, and film actress.Vukotic was born in Rome, to a Serbian Montenegrian comediographer father and an Italian pianist/composer mother....
. Unlike her eldest sisters, Princess Xenia was not sent to study in Russia at the Smolny Institute. Along with her younger sister, Vera, Xenia was educated at home by tutors in Cetinje. Xenias's sisters were particularly noted for achieving marriages with powerful royal figures, causing their father, like the contemporary Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
, to earn the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
"father-in-law of Europe
Father-in-law of Europe
The Father-in-law of Europe is a sobriquet which has been used to refer to European monarchs of the late 19th and early 20th century: Christian IX of Denmark and Nicholas I of Montenegro, both on account of their children's marriages to foreign princes and princesses.The fact that each was a...
"; one source declared that these advantageous marriages "had done more for Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
than all the brave deeds of this nation of warriors". As young girls, Xenia's father had high hopes that she and her sister Vera would marry members of the Russian Imperial family: specifically one of the sons of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, and a poet and playwright of some renown...
or one of the sons of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
. Two of her elder sisters had already done so, as Princess Milica was married to Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and Princess Anastasia had married firstly to George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg and secondly to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich.
In 1898, Princesses Xenia and Vera, and Crown Prince Danilo
Danilo, 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,...
traveled with their mother to Italy in order to visit the recently married 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...
(who had married Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel 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...
). They were warmly welcomed by local residents 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...
as "our Princess' relations". Later that year, arrangements had been made for Xenia to wed Alexander I of Serbia. However, when Alexander went to the court at Cetinje
Cetinje
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...
to claim his soon-to-be wife, Xenia professed such "disgust and horror" at his appearance and manners that despite her father's entreaties, she refused to marry him, humiliating and angering him so much that diplomatic relations between Serbia and Montenegro were severed. Alexander's adoption of her brother Prince Mirko of Montenegro
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...
as heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
in 1901 was meant, among other things, to smooth over these old affronts.
Rumors and engagements
At the wedding of her brother 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,...
to Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and the consort of Crown Prince Danilo of Montenegro....
, Princess Xenia met Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark , of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the fourth child and third son of George I, King of the Hellenes, and of Queen Olga. He was known as "Greek Nicky" in the family to distinguish him from his cousin Czar Nicholas II of Russia...
, who was there representing his father George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
. In 1899, the betrothal of Princess Xenia to Nicholas was announced. For reasons unknown, their engagement fell apart and the couple never married. Nicholas later wed Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia 17 January 1882 – 13 March 1957, sometimes known as Helen, Helena, Helene, Ellen, Yelena, Hélène, or Eleni, was a Russian grand duchess as the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
. Other news stories had Xenia being engaged to Nicholas' brothers Prince George
Prince George of Greece and Denmark
align=right| Prince George of Greece and Denmark was the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga, and is remembered chiefly for having saved the life of a future Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II...
and Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia. He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark.He began military training at an early age, and was...
at different times.
In 1902, rumors spread of Xenia's engagement to Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
, who had recently divorced Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. These were stressed to be untrue, and only arose because Xenia had visited her sister Princess Anna of Montenegro
Princess Anna of Montenegro
Anna Petrović-Njegoš, Princess of Montenegro was the seventh child and sixth daughter of Nicholas I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotić.-Family and early life:...
in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, where Ernest Louis was residing. Another rumor coincidentally spread that Xenia would marry Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia, barring that his entreaties of marriage to Princess Victoria Melita were denied because of her divorced status. This particular rumor was greeted with some popularity, as Xenia had been raised in Russia, and was, like Cyril, a follower of the Eastern Orthodox religion.
Yet another rumor spread in 1904 that Xenia was engaged to Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
, the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Russian throne. By this point, the appearance in newspapers of her countless engagements, marriages, and attachments led to a certain degree of incredulity about this particular rumor. Through the years, others would claim she was engaged to Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin, Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
, and even her widowed brother-in-law Peter I of Serbia. Doubtless the promised dowry of one million rubles, her family's reputation for "robust health," as well as contemporary reports extolling her "beauteous" appearance helped contribute to these royal admirers and the newspapers circulating ever more rumors about the princess. Princess Xenia was said to be "extremely wholesome" and in possession of a "sunny disposition", and was known throughout Montenegro "as much for her charity as for her activity in athletic sports".
A single princess
Despite the countless rumors circulating about her various impending engagements and marriages, Princess Xenia chose to remain unmarried. As her father Prince Nicholas grew older, Xenia served as a "subtle but prejudiced councilor of his later years". In 1909, during some disagreements between Montenegro and AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Xenia took a conspicuous and leading part in some anti-Austrian protests in Cetinje. The Austrian government took her actions as an insult and called for the strongest kind of diplomatic protest; as Nicholas was indebted to Austria for many past favors, especially concerning financial assistance, he was unsure what punishment should be given out to his daughter, and eventually decided on temporarily exiling her to France. Xenia readily agreed to her father's demands, and enjoyed herself in Paris, where she spent her time shopping, going to the theater and the opera, and being entertained by leaders in Parisian society.
Nicholas was crowned King of Montenegro on 28 August 1910. During the Balkan campaigns
Balkans Campaign (World War I)
The Balkans Campaign of World War I was fought between Central Powers Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Germany on one side and the Allies Serbia, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Montenegro on the other side.-Overview:The prime cause of World War I being the hostility between Serbia and...
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...
, the king and his family fled to Italy after his country and Austria could not come to agreement over peace negotiations. The terms Austria offered were deemed to be too unacceptable in Montenegro, and the royal family, along with the diplomatic corps, consequently fled. In cooperation with activist Alexander Devine
Alexander Devine
Alexander Devine was a British educator and activist for Montenegrin independence.He became involved in social work at an early point, founding the Lads' Club Movement in 1887...
, Princess Xenia and her sister Vera helped organize the relief of interned Montenegrin prisoners in Austria.
Last years
After the fall of the Montenegrin monarchy in 1918, Princess Xenia retired to live in France, where she survived World War IIWorld 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...
and continued to live in Paris. She died in Paris, France on 10 March 1960.
After her death, her devoted work to Montenegrin photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
would become the focus of a 2010 exhibit at the Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n Galerija Fotografija. The exhibit read:
"The materially modest legacy of Princess Ksenija [Xenia] provides us with almost intimate insight into the private life of Montenegrin Princess Ksenija who has been famous for her intellect and talent but before everything she has been known as an adamant patriot. Her deep love for Montenegrin nation and homeland is expressed through images of Montenegrin everyday life which were made during the peaceful time of her life, before she found herself in an unacceptable situation of a refugee. Photographs of Princess Ksenija are images which were deeply impressed upon her memory, and that she cherished with love throughout the decades of exile, reaching out for them in the moments of despair and nostalgia. That was the Montenegro in the magic eye of Montenegrin Princess. That is the Montenegro of her youth, of her hopes, beliefs, her hidden thoughts, and unrealised ambitions".