The 90th anniversary of the assassination of HM King Alexander I was marked today in the Mausoleum of the Royal Family, Saint George’s Church in Oplenac. TRH Crown Prince Alexander, Hereditary Prince Philip, Princess Danica, Prince Mihailo, and Princess Ljubica, as well as Princesses Natalija and Isidora, attended the official state ceremony, honouring their ancestor, a great ruler of our people.
The Holy Liturgy and memorial service were officiated by His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Jovan of Sumadija with the priests from Sumadija Diocese. After the prayer for the late King, an official state ceremony of paying respect began. A unite of the Guard of the Serbian Army formed an honorary line in front of the church, while the band of the guards performed the National Anthem of Serbia. His Excellency, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic was the highest representative of the State at the commemoration, and HRH Crown Prince Alexander led the members of the Royal family in the wreath-laying ceremony.
As the Crown Prince said in his address: “Nine decades have passed since the day that fatefully influenced the further course of history, not only of our country, but also of Europe and the world. Yugoslavia lost a great King, a visionary, the one who looked after and protected the young country, which was in a whirlwind, under the attacks and pressures from too many forces that worked wholeheartedly to tear it apart.
My father, King Petar II, and his brothers, Princes Tomislav and Andrej, lost their father when they needed him the most. My grandmother, Queen Marija, lost the greatest support and uphold in life in her life. The assassination in Marseille, like any other such insidious crime, was a great tragedy for the country, but also a tragedy for our family.”
HE Mr. Nemanja Starovic, Minister for Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs of Serbia, HE Nikola Selakovic, Minister of Culture, HE Dejan Ristic, Minister of Information and Telecommunication, representatives of the Army of Serbia, members of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown Mr. Dragomir Acovic, Mr. Darko Spasic, Mr. Vladan Zivulovic, and Mr. Vladimir Gajic, Mr. Dragan Reljic, Director of the Endowment of King Peter I in Oplenac, representatives of the Sumadija District, Municipality of Topola, Kingdom of Serbia Association, which is under Crown Prince’s patronage, as well as numerous associations and gathered people also paid their respects to the Knightly King.
“Many say that the shots in Marseille were the first shots of a new World War. My grandfather was the first to see the danger that threatened the entire world from the extreme ideologies that were on the rise. Just as he wanted to ensure peace and stability for his people, to protect them from the evil that was coming, he wanted the same for Europe and the world.
As a great statesman, he started to work towards achieving that goal, made alliances, and advocated for a unified Balkans and the freedom of small nations. The assassination stopped the realization of that vision, and King Alexander died as the first victim of Nazism and fascism. The great ruler has fallen, but his memory lives on.”, concluded HRH Crown Prince Alexanders.
After the address of His Royal Highness and His Excellency the Prime Minister, they jointly unveiled a bust dedicated to HM King Alexander, and Metropolitan Jovan blessed it. The monument was built thanks to the efforts of the Endowment of King Peter I in Oplenac. An appropriate exhibition was opened by Prime Minister Vucevic in the House of King Peter I as well.
HM King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was assassinated during a state visit to France on 9 October 1934 in Marseille, along with the French Foreign Minister Monsieur Louis Barthou.
He was the second son of HM King Peter I and Princess Zorka, who was born in Cetinje Montenegro on 16 December 1888. His Godfather was the Russian Tsar Alexander II. Young Prince Alexander spent his childhood in Montenegro and was educated in Geneva Switzerland. He continued his schooling at the Military School in St. Petersburg Russia and then in Belgrade.
As Regent and Supreme Commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia, he led his people through the most tragic and most glorious days of our history. When King Peter I died on 16 August 1921, the Regent HRH Crown Prince Alexander became the King of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In 1929 he became king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
In 1922, he married HRH Princess Maria of Romania. They had three sons – Crown Prince Peter (later King II of Yugoslavia), Prince Tomislav, and Prince Andrej. In 1929, when the country changed its name, he became King of Yugoslavia. He loved his people very much and left numerous endowments.
