HRH Crown Prince Alexander was very pleased to give an interview to Kurir daily newspapers, in which he spoke about the upcoming transfer of the remains of Prince Aleksa Karadjordjevic, the elder son of Supreme Leader Karadjordje, from Chişinău, Moldova to Serbia.
The text, which was published in the printed edition of Kurir newspapers on 16 June 2024 is also available below. We thank the journalist, Mrs. Jelena S. Spasić for her great professionalism and the realization of this interview, but also on a great personal engagement and initiative regarding the realization of this transfer. The article is also available on the website of Kurir on LINK
FINALY: Prince Aleksa’s remains will soon be in Serbia, the Supreme Leader’s elder son will rest in Karađorđe’s Town
The remains of the Supreme Leader’s son, Prince Aleksa, should arrive in Serbia at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. So another Karađorđević will return to his country after too many years. Not just years, but decades, even centuries – said in an interview for Kurir, Crown Prince Alexander Karađorđević regarding the initiative of Kurir to transfer to Serbia the remains of Karađorđe’s second-born son Aleksa (firstborn named Sima died at birth), who died in Chisinau in 1830, where he currently rests.
What exactly does the transfer time of the remains depend on?
– According to the regulations of Moldova, exhumation can only be done in the period from November to March, when the weather is cold, and we will of course respect that. And as soon as we have an exact date, we will inform the public..
Where will Prince Alexa be buried?
– It is planned that the Prince will be laid to rest in the yard of the old Church of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Karađorđe’s Town in Topola. As it is the endowment of Supreme Leader Karađorđe, the father of the late Aleksa, we believe that it is the most suitable place for the eternal rest of Karađorđe’s older son. This is where the Prince himself lived and grew up, where he was educated, where the Supreme Leader also rested until 1930. According to some sources, he was personally present and, together with his father, attended the consecration of this Church. The symbolism behind the choice of this place is strong.
Why not Oplenac, where all the Karađorđevićs rest, starting with the Supreme Leader himself?
– As Oplenac is the place where, according to the wish of the founder, King Peter the First, his descendants are buried, Karađorđe’s town is a natural choice. In the heart of Topola, together with Oplenec, it forms a whole that is a very important determinant of our history and tradition.
Will there be a state funeral?
– that is a decision in the domain of the competent institutions of Serbia. Prince Alexa was not the head of state, so the family certainly will not insist on a ceremony like it was in May 2013, but during the talks with the appropriate state authorities, the willingness is shown that this solemn ceremony is prepared in the most appropriate way, as the son of the founder of modern Serbia deserves. The most important thing is that we gather in prayer and welcome and bury Aleksa Karađorđević in his homeland. Representatives of state institutions will surely join us in that act, because it was they who provided us with valuable and crucial support and help..
What will happen with the monument on Prince Aleksa’s current grave?
– It is planned that the tombstone is also transported to Serbia, together with the remains of late Prince, so it will continue to preserve the eternal memory of him, as it did in all these previous decades. We all know very well how in our people’s tradition, respecting the deceased is important part of our identity, and monuments as the guardians of the eternal places of rest, deserve also special respect. As this mark was created right after Aleksa’s too early end of life happened, it represents part of his remembrance. Thanks to our Embassy in Bucharest, all necessary steps regards paperwork and permissions have been completed, now we expect experts from our Institute for Protection of the Monuments of Culture to propose the most adequate way of transportation and make a plan for this.
Do you plan to start an initiative to have Prince Alexa’s family buried in Serbia as well – wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren?
– I will repeat the same thing that I said when you first asked me about Prince Aleksa – we must be steady, and not to rush this by all means, so that no mistake or omission is made. Aleksa’s son George was laid to rest in Vienna, I have no information about the state of the grave now, according to some information, his wife Sarka was moved from the tomb where she rested at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris… There are a lot of facts that need to be checked, and to have in mind that a lot of time has passed – for example, some sources claim that their sons, Prince Božidar and Prince Aleksa, were already in Serbia at the coronation of King Peter the First, while according to others, Prince Aleksa came to Serbia only during of the Balkan Wars, also to participate in the First World War, where he also received the Star of Karađorđe… After the war, he left Serbia, died in Switzerland, during the Spanish flu epidemic. My grandfather, at that time Regent Alexander, organized a memorial service for him in the Saborna Church, which was attended by members of the government, diplomats, and 6 weeks of mourning was declared. The question is, for example, why Aleksa, that is, Aleksey as his name is given in the sources of the time, was not transferred to Serbia, but was buried in Switzerland, was it his will or just a set of circumstances… That is why I approach it very cautiously, and I want to consult on everything with those who have studied our history more deeply on these issues, because we must not harm the wishes of the deceased as well..
GRATITUDE
There are many participants in this endeavor?
– We are very grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to which I, as the head of the Royal Family, sent a request and gave consent to initiate the necessary procedures through our Embassy in Bucharest, which is also responsible for Moldova, for the exhumation of the remains and their transfer. Also, both the previous Minister, Ivica Dačić, with whom we started the procedure, made first crucial steps, and current, Marko Djuric, who wholeheartedly continued supporting the initiative, as well as the Ministry of Culture, which has given support in the areas of its department, the Embassy of Serbia in Bucharest, which made all necessary steps, finished all needed procedures, as well as to all others who helped. This initiative is a very good indicator how several different actors can all work together to achieve common goal. And this goal is contribution to our national history, to our culture of remembrance. Of course, thanks also goes to you personally Jelena, because you “stirred” us up a bit with your texts and initiative and motivated us to take concrete steps.
TO FINALLY END THE QUARRELS THAT STARTED A LONG TIME AGO
What does the return of Karađorđe’s older son to Serbia mean to you??
– Our history was very stormy, and in addition to numerous glorious examples of heroism and patriot traditions, which we are rightly proud of even today, we unfortunately also have some cases of injustice. Without the need to rewrite history, it is up to us descendants to correct those injustices today, and thus leave a foundation for future generations, so that similar events never happen again. For me personally, this is the final chapter of a tragic episode of our history, the healing of old wounds from the past… We are witnessing that it still happens that descendants fight and divide because of unresolved issues from the past, which concern their ancestors. That is why I believe that it is necessary to finally put an end to the quarrels that started a long time ago and to leave all the actors of our past to rest peacefully on the pages of history and in the memory of our people, where they belong..
Jelena S. Spasić
