The 105th anniversary of the death of one of the most beloved rulers of Serbia, HM King Peter I, was marked today in the Mausoleum of the Royal Family, Saint George’s Church in Oplenac. TRH Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Mihailo, Princess Ljubica, Princess Natalija, and Princess Isidora attended the church service and the State ceremony and paid their respect to the late King.
“We know that historical figures were truly great when their legacy outlives them, when even more than a century since their death, memory of them is still fresh, and their work and bequest stand unblemished, as a steadfast example of excellence, righteousness, and correctness. Without any doubt, one of those great men is my great-grandfather, King Peter I.
Оn 4 July 1903, in his proclamation during the swearing-in ceremony, he said: “The ruler should be the bearer of the freedom and progress of his people. I want to be the true constitutional King of Serbia. The Constitution and all the constitutional guarantees for the freedom and rights of the people, which are the basis of the proper and happy development and progress of national and state life, are sacred to me, and I shall always respect and preserve them with the utmost care. And I ask everyone to do the same”. He ended his oath with the following words: ”Without the love of the people, frail are the thrones of this world!”
And he truly lived and ruled by those words. A true democratic monarch, who was not only the main symbol of liberal rule, unity, and progressive spirit, but also the one who was, strictly according to the constitutional and other legal boundaries, the main leading force for the changes of our entire society and the state during the restless times at the beginning of the 20th century. As one of the greatest and most important rulers in Serbian history, he stood out as a true people’s and constitutional King, for whom national well-being and rule according to the Constitution and the law were more important than anything else. I am proud to be a descendant of such a great and noble man”, stated HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
The Holy Liturgy and memorial service were officiated by His Eminence Archbishop of Kragujevac and Metropolitan of Šumadija Jovan together with the priests from Topola and Kragujevac. An official ceremony followed the church service, which included the performance of the national anthem and wreath laying, while soldiers of the Army of Serbia kept a guard of honour at the late King’s grave. Together with the Royal Family, HE Milca Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of Serbia, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Army of Serbia, Mr Dragan Reljic, Director of the Foundation of King Peter I in Oplenac, representatives of the Municipality of Topola, members of various asociaitons, paid their respects to “Uncle Pete”, as people out of love called King Peter I.
