THE CHANCELLERY of
HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER
OF YUGOSLAVIA’s

S T A T E M E N T

in connection with a recent letter of
HRH Prince Alexander, son of HRH Prince Paul

His Royal Highness Prince Alexander, son of HRH Prince
Paul, Yugoslavia’s Prince Regent (1941 – 1941), who lives
in Paris, released a letter to the Serbs on 1 July this
year dealing with the creation of Yugoslavia in 1918 and
some other topical themes. In his letter Prince Alexander
says inter alia that “Yugoslavia is the most
important cause of our suffering” and “a huge
Serbian cemetery”, and then goes on to ask the Serbs
to forgive King Alexander I for having created the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later Yugoslavia.
He also pleaded for forgiveness for the other
Karadjordjevic’s.

Prince Alexander’s letter has been published in various
versions and under various headings in a number of
Serbian newspapers and electronic media. One newspaper
claimed it was written “on behalf of the Royal House”,
another attributes it to HRH Crown Prince Alexander. The
letter has been published under sensationalist headings
such as “Brothers, forgive the king for the sin
called Yugoslavia” or “Serbs, forgive the king,
the unifier”.

This Chancellery is authorised to state in this
connection that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander
had nothing to do either with the contents of the letter
or its publication. Without going into an assessment of
the contents of Prince Alexander’s letter, this
Chancellery would like to point out that his assertions
represent his own personal views and do not express the
attitude and views of the Royal Karadjordjevic House. It
notes also that Prince Alexander has not been authorised
by other members of the Karadjordjevic Royal Family to
apologise to anybody or to seek anybody’s forgiveness on
their behalf.

King Alexander I was a great king, statesman and army
leader and the Serbian people remember him in the best
possible light. Had he not been killed by a criminal hand
in Marseilles in 1934, Yugoslavia’s fate would most
certainly been different. The verdict on his life’s work
should be left to history. This Chancellery is sure that
it will be positive.

London, 29 July 1999

 

1997 HRHCP Aleksandar II
All Rights Reserved