Vizita Familiei Regale sarbe
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In aceasta seara vor incepe o vizita de trei zile in Romania Altetele Lor Regale Principele mostenitor Alexandru II si Principesa mostenitoare Ecaterina ai Serbiei si Iugoslaviei.
Este pentru prima oara in aproape 80 de ani cand Familia Regala sarba vine in Romania, dupa vizitele Regelui Alexandru I si ale Reginei Marioara, Principesa a Romaniei, din anii ’20 si anii ’30, inainte de asasinarea, la Marsilia, a suveranului iugoslav.
Majestatile Lor vor fi gazdele Altetelor Lor Regale, la Palatul Elisabeta. Raspundem, astfel, exceptionalei ospitalitati pe care Principele Alexandru ne-a aratat-o in luna iunie, cand am vizitat Belgrad, Kosovo, Varset si Oplenac. Principele Alexandru si Principesa Ecaterina vor avea intalniri cu personalitati politice, culturale, religoase si cu membri ai Corpului Diplomatic. Ei vor vizita institutii de invatamant, proiecte ale Fundatiei Principesa Margareta a Romaniei, muzee, biserici si biblioteci. De asemenea, Familia Regala sarba va vizita Domeniul Regal Sinaia. Bunicii Principelui Alexandru II au fost Regele Alexandru I si Regina Marioara.
Regele Alexandru I al Iugoslaviei a fost unul dintre cei sapte maresali ai Armatei Romaniei si singurul provenit din afara granitelor tarii. Regele a primit bastonul de maresal din mana Regelui Carol al II-lea in anii ’30 ai deceniului trecut. Principele mostenitor Alexandru al II-lea este seful Familiei Regale sarbe si fiul Regelui Petru al II-lea si al Reginei Alexandra, care au murit in exil. Principele Alexandru al II-lea si Principesa Ecaterina s-au intors in Serbia in anul 2001, la cateva luni dupa instalarea noastra la Palatul Elisabeta. Ei locuiesc in Domeniul Regal din Belgrad, care se compune din Palatul Regal, Palatul Alb…
…si un parc de peste 100 de hectare. Altetele Lor Regale intreprind un numar impresionant de actiuni publice pe an, Palatul Regal fiind un loc de confluenta pentru evenimente caritabile, culturale, educationale, medicale, mediatice si diplomatice.
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In April 1941 after Germany attacked and occupied Yugoslavia the country’s young King Peter II left in advance of the invading German forces for Athens with the Yugoslav government. The King and his compatriots were determined not to surrender to the invaders in the best tradition of the founder of the Dynasty, Karadjordje (“Black George”) Petrovic who led the heroic first uprising of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire in 1804. From Athens HM King Peter and his government went to Jerusalem and then Cairo. Finally King Peter II established the government in exile in London.
King Peter II married Princess Alexandra of Greece the daughter of HM King Alexander of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos in London in 1944. On 17 July 1945 while living in Claridge’s Hotel Queen Alexandra gave birth to a son – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Yugoslavia.
Crown Prince Alexander, the heir to the throne, was born on Yugoslav territory as the British Government under orders of the Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill declared suite 212 in Claridge’s Hotel to be Yugoslav territory. His Holiness Patriarch Gavrilo of Serbia baptized the newborn Crown Prince in Westminster Abbey with Godparents King George VI and HRH Princess Elizabeth (now HM The Queen Elizabeth II).
After the war King Peter II was illegally prevented from returning to his country by the communist regime which had seized power in Belgrade. HM King Peter never abdicated. The King and Queen lived in exile in many lands (United States, France, Italy and England).
HRH Crown Prince Alexander II was educated at Le Rosey (Switzerland), Culver Military Academy (Indiana, USA), Gordonstoun School (Scotland) and Millfield (England). He subsequently went to the British Royal Military Academy and in 1966 was commissioned an officer in the British Army. Crown Prince Alexander served in the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers rising to the rank of Captain. His tours of duty included the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Italy and West Germany. After leaving the army in 1972, Crown Prince Alexander II, who speaks several languages, pursued a career in international business.
Although King Peter II died in 1970, the Crown Prince, as the heir to the throne decided at the time not to use the title of King – which he felt would have had little meaning in exile. He made it very clear at that time that he was not renouncing his title, or the dynastic right to the throne.
In 1991 HRH Crown Prince Alexander accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander travelled to Belgrade where they were very enthusiastically received by hundreds of thousands of people who see the Crown Prince as the embodiment of all that is best for democracy and Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy.
Before the 5 October 2000 revolution in Serbia, the Crown Prince visited Serbia in 1992, 1995 and 2000. The Crown Prince travelled to Montenegro and Kosovo in 1999 and Bosnia and Montenegro in 2000. The Crown Prince and his family have been living in The Royal Palace Belgrade since July 2001.
HRH Crown Prince Alexander has always been a very ardent defender of democracy and human rights. In 1989, he took a very active role in helping his people shake off the legacy of decades of communist dictatorship and the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. During the next decade the Crown Prince Alexander conducted numerous meetings and maintained constant contact with the democratic opposition and democrats throughout the former Yugoslavia. In November 1999, Crown Prince Alexander convened a large conference in Budapest for the representatives of the Democratic Opposition in Serbia. Another symposium followed in Bosnia in January 2000 and in April 2000, the Crown Prince convened a large conference of key opposition leaders in Athens. These meetings led to the successful election victory of Serbia’s democratic opposition in September of that year. Crown Prince Alexander has been a tireless contributor in the process of co-operation and unity amongst the democratic political parties to make his homeland a great democracy for all citizens regardless of political belief, religion or ethnic origin.
The Crown Prince has travelled extensively, met with numerous world leaders, politicians, parliamentarians, and world bodies, and given many interviews to the media.
In 1972, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander married Her Imperial and Royal Highness Princess Maria da Gloria de Orleans and Braganza of the Imperial Family of Brazil in Villamanrique de la Condesa Spain. They had three children. The eldest son and heir HRH Prince Peter was born in 1980 in Chicago, Illinois; and fraternal twin sons HRH Prince Philip and HRH Prince Alexander were born in 1982 in Fairfax, Virginia. The marriage ended in 1983.
In 1985, Crown Prince Alexander married Katherine Batis of Athens. HM King Constantine of the Hellenes was the best man and the witness HRH Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia the uncle of Crown Prince Alexander. The wedding took place in the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in London.
HRH Crown Prince Alexander II enjoys skiing, sailing, water skiing, scuba diving and under-water photography. He was British Army Ski Champion in 1972. His other interests include music, theatre, information technology, and current affairs.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Katherine was born in Athens, Greece 13 November 1943. She is the daughter of Robert and Anna Batis.
Princess Katherine was educated in Athens and Lausanne Switzerland. Crown Princess Katherine studied business at the University of Denver, Colorado, and the University of Dallas, Texas. Princess Katherine was in business in the United States.
Her Royal Highness was previously married and has two children David and Alison who live in Greece. Alison has four children: Amanda, Stephanie, Nicolas and Michael. Princess Katherine has travelled extensively and has lived in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Africa.
Princess Katherine met HRH Crown Prince Alexander in Washington DC in 1984 and they were married in London 21 September 1985. Their best man was HM King Constantine of the Hellenes, and the witness was HRH Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia, Crown Prince Alexander’s uncle.
Princess Katherine’s charitable activities have been numerous and especially since the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Her Royal Highness has brought much needed humanitarian relief especially to children, the elderly and all those in need regardless of religion or ethnic origin. Princess Katherine is the Patron of various humanitarian organizations including Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, at the beginning of August 2001 The Foundation of Her Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Katherine was established in Belgrade whose task it is to continue humanitarian activities.
In 1991 Crown Prince Alexander accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander travelled to Belgrade and where they were very enthusiastically greeted by hundreds of thousands who see the Karadjordjevic Dynasty as the embodiment of all that is best for democracy and Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy.
Before the 5 October 2000 revolution in Serbia the Crown Princess travelled to Serbia in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2000. She also travelled to Montenegro and Kosovo in 1999, and numerous trips to Bosnia. On 17 July 2001 Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander took up residence in The Royal Palace in Belgrade.
Her Royal Highness speaks Greek, English, French and some Spanish, and she is also studying Serbian. Princess Katherine enjoys music, reading, and all the activities that regard children, cooking, the theatre and cross-country skiing.
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