HRH Crown Prince Alexander was very pleased to give a very detailed interview to Kurir daily newspapers for the regular column “My Life Story”, on the occasion of his 79th birthday, in which he spoke about numerous interesting anecdotes and experiences from his life.
The text, which was published in the printed edition of Kurir newspapers on 14 July 2024 is also available below. We thank the journalist, Mrs. Jelena S. Spasić for her great professionalism and the realization of this interview. The article is also available on the website of Kurir on LINK
THE CROWN PRINCE: I WAS A YEAR AND A HALF WHEN I WAS DECLARED AN ENEMY OF THE STATE
The life story of Alexander Karadjordjević
Author: Jelena S. Spasić
Introduction: A тангле of political and all other circumstances made his life not беинг princely and royal, as it can be in fairy tales. He grew up and lived far from the throne and far from his homeland. For a long time, he waited and expected for the political and all other circumstances to change in his favor. Now the documentary series “The Crown, the State, and the People” is expected, in which, we believe, there will be many more interesting stories.
I was born on 17 July 1945 in London, in Claridge’s Hotel Suite 212, which was temporarily declared as Yugoslav territory by Sir Winston Churchill and the UK Government, by my father, King Peter II’s request, so the Heir of the Throne can be born on the soil of the Homeland. According to some stories, some actual soil brought from Yugoslavia was placed under the bed in which my mother Queen Alexandra, daughter of the Greek King Alexander was lying. Although people expect births to be intimate acts, mine was not that much, as there was a commission established by the Yugoslav Government to make a report that everything was alright, as it was a custom when a child in the Royal family was born, starts his life story for Kurir Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjević.
I was technically born as Peter, as it was the name our Court Priest, Bishop Firmilijan Ocokoljic gave me, as a temporary name, honouring our people’s customs, until I was baptized.
In October of the same year, I was christened in Westminster Abbey, the baptism was officiated by late Patriarch Gavrilo and Holy Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic, while my godparents were King George VI of the United Kingdom and his daughter, late Queen Elizabeth II. As Her Majesty told me later on, “I was a very heavy baby” and she almost dropped me as I was very slippery, due to a bit more consecrated oil used. Even today I hear people saying “he was not christened according to Orthodox customs”. I think that these two archbishops of our church had a bit more knowledge in theology and what is according to Orthodox rules, and what is not.
It was a time when the Second World War in Europe had just finished, but some other wars, more silent and hidden, were just starting. At only the age of one and a half, in March 1947, I was declared an enemy of the state, I was such a dangerous baby you cannot imagine…My early childhood was marked with travels and movements. Although my family was deprived of their right to come back to the country, my father continued his duty as a King to help his people.
My first move was to Switzerland in 1946 to St Moritz, but later to New York, where I started my first school “Trinity”. I remember my nanny, a very kind Irish woman, she was a very caring woman, I was not yet 7 years old, she was telling me about the death of my godfather, the British King George VI, he was still a relatively young man, not even 60. It was different time, nothing unusual to talk to children about difficult topics. I was in New York until 1952, when I joined my parents in Paris, and continued my education in Switzerland.
Life was not easy for us in those years, as the family was deprived of all our private assets, they were confiscated by the communists, My parents were determined to provide me with the best possible education “comprehensive, practical and constructive education”, as my father wrote in his memoires… However, he also said for me: “…who is about as lazy as I was at lessons, but extremely bright, capable and full of vitality. Like me, he loves everything mechanical, and is a very keen sportsman.”
But our moving around was becoming very difficult, since the last Ambassador of my father died at the beginning of the 1950ies, in Spain. As already said, we did not have citizenship, and as more and more countries were recognizing new communist state, we could not renew our passports. So we would travel with just piece of paper, and instead of a visa from whatever country we were going to, on this piece of paper they would say “we had no objection”.
Because my dad thought I needed more discipline, I went from Swiss Le Rosey School to Culver Military Academy in Indiana, USA. I liked this school very much, I keep very good contact with them, and each summer we send a student from Serbia there for their summer school program. To go back, I remember going for Christmas to Paris. My parents were living in the capital of France again, and my father met me at the airport I came down the gangway and I had what they call a crew cut haircut, chewing gum and a T-shirt. My parents did not like that at all, so, then I was sent to Gordonstoun School in Scotland in the middle of nowhere. Boarding school as you see in old British films, with jackets in school colours, ties all with the same knot… It was some change, but it is where I spent a lot of time with Prince Charles. It was at that time that we improved our relationship from being cousins to becoming true friends. Since then, he’s been a wonderful gentleman, and now a great King.
So afterwards, I went to the British Military Academy, in 1966 I was commissioned an officer in the British Army, served in the Queen’s Royal Lancers, rising to the rank of captain. And to immediately answer those who “care too much”, I served in the United Kingdom army because at that time I was an enemy of the state and forced to live outside my country. So, service in the army of our country was not possible for me, not by my will. And even if it was, one Karađorđević with a pentacle communistic star on his cap, it cannot be. I went around to too many places, not only the inevitable Germany, but also Italy, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, including Libya. I was in Libya when Gadhafi took over, doing desert warfare training. Gadhafi did his coup d’etat and my regiment ended up being there for six months instead of a month and a half. Northern Ireland was a big eye opener, huge eye-opener – such a tragedy as a result of negative nationalism. This is very similar to what happened in our case during the 1990s
I saw my father for the last time in May 1970 in a hospital in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he was already in a coma, the doctors told me to prepare for the worst. Queen Elizabeth allowed me to bury my father next to my grandmother, Queen Marija, in the Royal Cemetery near Windsor, but she also said that she was not sure that I would easily make my wish come true. She already knew what was going on, our nation was torn apart by a painful division within our church.
It was through a radio broadcast, BBC Radio, that I found out about my father passing away. My friend came to me and said, “Alexander please come, there is some terrible news you must hear.” And I heard the anchorman saying that King Peter II of Yugoslavia had passed away, and that “it waited three days to inform the public in order the King’s family could be informed”. And there I was, his only son, listening it on the radio.
It was impossible to transfer my father’s body to England, so we tried a compromise – that the funeral would be in Libertyville, but Bishop Firmilijan would also serve together with the bishops from divided part of the church. But as there were words about injunction, we gave up, we didn’t want any incidents or a circus. My mother and I, as well as the whole family, were very sorry that we were not at the funeral.
When my father died in 1970, I became the Head of the Royal family and a lot of people referred to me as the King, as it is the natural course of events. But it was my choice to continue using the title of the Crown Prince, as I felt that the title of the King would have had little meaning in exile. But I made it very clear at that time that I was not renouncing the title, or the dynastic right to the throne, but only bearing the title of the King. The constitutional parliamentary monarchy is a superb system, which brings continuity, stability, and unity. And I am ready to take the proper title, the one I inherited from my father, as soon as the people of Serbia tell me it is their wish for me to do so.
The only thing that was ever returned to me from everything that was stolen from my family was a book. When I was stationed in West Germany as a British Army officer I was in a small town near the border with East Germany. I spent my free time at the local ski resort, it was a barium ski slope, going down the night it left an amazing trail. A German Border Officer once approached me, and asked me if I was the son of the Yugoslav King and said that his father would like to see me. I agreed and we arranged to meet at a local restaurant. In the evening, an elderly gentleman came and handed me a bag saying: “This is yours.” I looked at him in amazement because I saw him for the first time in my life. Seeing that he surprised me, the man continued: “During the Second World War, I was a soldier of the Wehrmacht and I served in Belgrade, in the command that occupied your father’s Royal Palace. I took this book from his library then. Now I want to give you back what belongs to you”. I opened the book and saw in it a seal from the library of our family home. It went with me around the world wherever I travelled, and finally came home in 2001 when we returned to Serbia.
In 1972, I won the title of the British army skiing champion, and it was when I also left military service, and devoted myself to a business career. In the same year, I got married to Princess Maria da Gloria of Orleans and Bragança of the Imperial Family of Brazil. We lived in Brazil until 1976, I worked for two companies there, first an advertising company, and then for London Assurance, part of a British insurance group. I was offered a job opportunity in Chicago, and we moved there in 1976, I continued working in insurance, in a company that was part of a big consulting group. Eventually, I got another offer from a competitor in Washington. As this company also had a branch in London, it was decided that I would move and do my job there. I moved as better, more exciting jobs appeared…
The oldest son Peter was born in 1980, and the twins Philip and Alexander in 1982. We were living like any other family. And I needed to provide, to put the bread on the table, to make sure my kids have everything they need…. Remember all the fairy tales about the “gold which Karadjordjevics took” … When you hear how we lived, does this story seem logical?
Our marriage ended in 1983, but it was a civilized breakup, and we remained in normal relations. Crown Princess Katherine, who was born in Athens, and I got married in 1985 in the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in London, with HM King Constantine of the Hellenes being the best man and my uncle Tomislav was the witness. First we bought an apartment and eventually bought a house in London. We sold this house later, so we could repair the Royal Palace once we finally came to live in Serbia. My sons joined Crown Princess Katherine and me in the same year we got married. We were all together as they were growing up, through schools and universities. At the age of six they started attending one of London’s top preparatory day schools, and at thirteen, they started attending one of the best boarding schools – The King’s School in Canterbury England. Peter graduated from this school in 1998, and Philip and Alexander in 2000. After their graduation, all of them went to different universities.
It was in 1990 when I visited Hilandar Monastery for the first time, and then I also planted an olive tree, as only the fourth person who was honoured by the monastery to plant a tree, after Emperor Dusan, King Alexander Obrenovic, and King Peter I. It is one of the greatest honours for me. It was the time before the mobile phones, the brotherhood of the monastery did not know when we would exactly arrive, and the road was very difficult. So, a young neophyte in the Monastery was ringing the bell that entire day to announce our arrival, from dawn until we finally appeared in front of the gates… Amazing, and during my third visit, in 2023, he is still there in the monastery, as one of the oldest monks…
My wife, Crown Princess Katherine, and sons, Prince’s Peter, Philip and Alexander, for the first time we set foot in our country in October 1991. We did not have any Serbian documents at the time. So, when we landed in Surcin, we went to the Border Police, and I showed no passport, I said to the policeman “My face is my passport” and I just walked by him. He was stunned.
Our first visit to the Homeland was unbelievable, hundreds of thousands turned up, it was very, very emotional, arriving in Belgrade that day and driving from the airport to Belgrade, which took hours as the streets were crowded. The next day going to visit my grandfather’s grave, for the first time ever… And I felt at home. And then addressing the people in front of the Saint Sava Temple, my son Peter speaking as well… My wife and I also managed to collect and donate funds for the doors of this sanctuary, which I am very proud of.One of the big donors at the dinner we organized in New York for that cause was late Ivana Trump, Donald Trump’s ex-wife. We knew them way back, much before he went into politics.
But then, of course, the regime in 1991 stopped people coming into Belgrade, they created roadblocks and things like that. We came by the invitation of the democratic opposition. Because of the rising tensions, as I was afraid for the safety of the people who were supporting us, we had to go back to London, although thousands were shouting “Stay, stay”. But I came again, in June 1992, around Vidovdan, I got very well received and joined the demonstrations against the regime, big ones. My position as a member and the head of the Royal family obliges me to be above and not interfere in politics, but I always was strong advocate of democracy and human rights, so my interference in these demonstrations in 1992 was not to support any political party, but it was to support the struggle against dictatorship.
By the way, at the end of the 1980ies, Crown Princess Katherine and I went to Canada, to a meeting of our diaspora, which was very, very far from any big city, far in the north. So, a well-dressed, polite man approached me and asks if he can sit with us, he has an important matter to discuss. We sit down, he starts talking about himself, speaks about a very successful company, and then, suddenly, he tells me he is my long-lost stepbrother! As my wife and I are in shock, he continues and says “My mother (he said a name) was a school friend of your father, and you know, they had the looks for each other… etc.” So I said goodbye to him, knowing it was a fairy tale, but “the worm of doubt” did not let me rest, so I even checked with the old teacher of my father, who assured me that neither that girl nor any other from my father’s company got pregnant. Years passed, and I came to Yugoslavia. We were in front of the National Assembly, and among the people who held up a trellis, in a very strange uniform, the one as the communist propaganda falsely portrayed Draza Mihailovic’s chetniks, there was he, the man from Canada! He caught me ‘shooting him” with my eyes, so he quickly looked away and disappeared into the crowd. You see – that is UDBA for you, there was a new assignment for him!
When the terrible war started in former Yugoslavia, Crown Princess Katherine and I were determined to do whatever we could to help our people. It is the duty of Karadjordejevic’s, we must do it, no matter what. Also, a huge number of our friends in the diaspora were determined to join and provide aid, so she started Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, to provide support, but also to unite people around a joint cause, as we are much stronger when working together. I always supported my wife in this charity path and humanitarian work, and I am very proud of all the good she has done, and all the lives that were saved and changed for the better.
When speaking of this time, and the mindless conflict that brought only pain and suffering to all sides, I remember all the tries to avoid or end the war, so I would like to share an interesting encounter I had. It was with Cyrus Vance, the former secretary of state of the United States under Jimmy Carter, who became a friend of mine. We had lunch together and he was the representative of the United Nations, and he said: “I’m going to Belgrade and I’m going to meet Milosevic and I’d like to come back and have a meeting, so I can tell you what happened”. So, he came back, and this is exactly what happened. He gave me a description of what we call the Golden Salon of the White Palace, where all these meetings would take place and where he met Milosevic. Vence said:” Mr. Milosevic, it’s very important that you work on democracy. Democracy is the future. There cannot be any totalitarian governments”. So, the response from Milosevic was: “What do you mean, Mr Vance, we have 100 political parties”. So, Cyrus Vance said, “How do I respond to that?” and I replied: “You should have said to him – you created most of these parties by yourself”.
Unfortunately, our people have suffered so much from the dictatorship, the blindness… I regret even today for not being able to do more in 1999, but some decisions have already been made. It was in Jordan, at the funeral of a very dear friend, the late King Hussein, who died in February 1999. The Negotiations in Rambouillet were not going well, so I saw Bill Clinton at the funeral, approached him and said: “Mr. President, I hear that you wish to bomb my country, do not do it! It will only bring catastrophe to the innocent people, destroy the country, and you will not damage Milosevic”. He turned around to his National Security Advisor, Samuel Richard Berger and told him “Sandy, explain to the Prince what will it be”. So, I talked to Mr. Berger who said “Oh we will have a short campaign, only for a few days” and I replied “Not even a millisecond!” I left the Americans, went upstairs of the Jordanian Palace, and saw there Tony Blair, who I knew earlier from London, and Jacques Chirac, sitting on a sofa. So, I just sat between them and started talking about these plans. Blair was adamant, his mind was all set, the same as Clinton’s, you could not talk any sense to him, but Chirac said “Come to me in Paris, let’s talk, let’s try to find a solution”. Unfortunately, his willingness to negotiate was outnumbered.
After the bombing ended, my wife and I managed to go to Kosovo, to visit our people who remained there… I still have very vivid images of Patriarch Pavle welcoming us in front of the Patriarchy of Pec, with a burned icon in his hands… Going to the places which seemed completely deserted, the people were hiding until they would hear church bells, and only then they would come out and we could speak with them…
When we also came to the funeral of my uncle, Prince Tomislav in July 2000, we again did not have passports, so I repeated – my passport is my face! But the funny story is that we came back after the 5th of October, and we arrived at Surcin airport, there were the same people that asked for the passport back in July, and this time there was only: “Welcome, welcome, so good to see you, how are you!” running around to shake my hand etc. Late Zoran Djindjic was a republican, but he was also a great friend with great respect and made tremendous efforts to make it possible for us to return home. Immediately after 5 October, we came and he said – “Let’s get into the car, you are entering your home in Dedinje.” I said, “Zoran, please no, we have waited so long, I wish everything to be by the book, and it has to be verified”. And it happened very soon, he was the man of action, on 27 February 2001, the Law was adopted in the National Assembly of Yugoslavia, which annulled the 1947 Decree, so our citizenship was restored. Not long after, we were presented with certificates of citizenship and our Serbian passports in London, at Claridge’s Hotel, in Suite 212, the very same place where I was born. It is interesting that at that same place, in 1995, for my 50th birthday, Crown Princess Katherine organized a beautiful celebration, and HM the late Queen Elizabeth II, my godmother, came as well. Her Majesty asked me what my birthday wish was, and I said: “To be home, with my people, in my country.” As you can see, this wish came true, again exactly on my birthday, as on 17 July 2001, we came into the home that my grandfather built for his family, the Royal Palace. You cannot imagine the emotions… All the rooms that were described to me by my grandmother, Queen Maria, by my father, the images which I only had in my head and from a few old photos, now it all became real. I was trying to connect which room was my father’s, where did he sleep…
Well, after about a month or so here of learning more about the place, I discovered that our neighbor was the widow of Tito, Jovanka Broz. I thought it would be nice to get to know one’s neighbour. Why not? We’re friendly people. So, it was organized that we go and pay a visit. It was organized to be only one hour, but we stayed almost three. By the way, there is a bullet hole through the forehead of Our Lord in Palace chapel. My wife asked, “Excuse me, Jovanka, was it your husband that fired the bullet to the forehead of Christ” and she replied, “No, Katherine, he was not that bad”. and we all laughed.
I also remember that the next winter was a very bad one, it was freezing. I got a call from Jovanka, saying “Excuse me, I need your help. The heating doesn’t work”. So, I called Prime Minister Djindjic: “Excuse me, Zoran, I have a situation with my neighbour”. “Who is your neighbour?” And I said “Well, it is Jovanka.” “Ooo, I forgot about her. What’s the problem?” I said: “Well, the central heating is not carrying through, so it might be good, please, if you could help her because it’d be tragic to have a frozen widow of a dictator”. “I’ll fix it”. So he fixed that.
The Crown Princess and I were guests of Vladimir Putin in Moscow. At a lunch he organized for us in the Kremlin, he said to me “Did you know that I slept in your home just before you came to Serbia? Well, you do not have to worry, there are no more listening devices left there, we have removed them all”. And I said ”Mr. President, thank you very much, but what about yours, have you left them?” He just laughed.
In 2013 the time came to set straight another historical injustice. It finally became possible for me to fulfil the oath that my father left to me, that even if he is dead, I return him to Serbia. So, on 26 May 2023, remains of my father, King Peter II, mother, Queen Alexandra, grandmother, Queen Maria, and uncle, Prince Andrej, were brought and buried in Oplenac. Mixture of sad and happy feelings.
While living abroad, I was hoping that Karadjordejevic’s would again be married, born and raised in Serbia… I was hoping, but could not fully believe it would happen, and once it finally did… I cannot describe the happiness I felt and still feel. My son, Hereditary Prince Philip married my daughter-in-law Princess Danica on 7 October 2017 in Belgrade, then my grandson, Prince Stefan was born on 25 February the next year, he was baptized in the Royal Chapel in December that year, on 5 November last year my granddaughter Princess Marija was born, and she was also baptized in the Palace Church in May this year. Also the daughters of my cousin Prince Mihailo, Princesses Isidora and Natalia were born here.
How do I see myself in the future – The role of each Karadjordjevic Royal family member has always been the same – in the past, in the present days, and it remains the same in the future – to always be in the service of the people of Serbia and our homeland. We owe to our ancestors to continue their legacy, but also to the future generations to have a good and stable country, which they will continue building. As our motto says – From the people – for the people!