Family Rules 1909
HM King Peter I
The Family Book of Rules for Members of
The Royal House of the Karageorgevitch Dynasty
Art. 1. – The members of The Royal House of Karadjordjevic Dynasty are: King Peter I; His sons: Crown Prince Alexander and (Kraljevic) Prince George; His daughter Jelena, until she gets married; His brother (Knez) Prince Arsen with his son (Knez) Prince Paul A. Karadjordjevic; descendants of Crown Prince Alexander, Prince George and Prince Paul.
Art. 2. – According to the article 57 of the country’s Constitution the King is succeeded by His male descendants from the legitimate marriage in the order of primogeniture.
Art. 3. – As Crown Prince George resigned from his right to the throne and all other rights by the abdication 12 March 1909, which is accepted and published in the state act 14 March 1909 and proclamation 15 March 1909, the right to the throne with all other rights, were transferred, according to article 57 of the Constitution, to the younger son of King Peter I, presently Crown Prince Alexander.
Art. 4. -The Members of The Royal House of the Ruling King have the title of Royal Highnesses. Other members of The Royal House bear the title Highnesses.
Art. 5. – The Ruling King is the supreme leader and protector of all members of The Royal House.
Without the special approval and consent of the King no member of The Royal House is allowed to commit any act or deed of the public importance, or to make any permanent commitments to anyone.
The King takes care, by all means, that with no exception The Royal House is always governed by the rules and considerations of honor, order and exemplary behavior, worthy of The Royal House.
Art. 6. – All members of The Royal House are obliged to consider as, and to respect the Head of their House in the person of the King, and to help Him in performing His duties as the Head of the House, by perfect and impeccable loyalty and obedience.
Art. 7. – No member of The Royal House can be joined in marriage without previous consent and approval of the King.
The marriage concluded against the above rule implies exclusion from the Royal House.
Art. 8. – The consent of the Head of the House for the marriage of any member of The Royal House is given in the form of a special letter, co-signed by the Metropolitan and the Prime Minister.
Art. 9. – When a member of The Royal House establishes a separate house and gets a separate estate, he can not, for that matter, be excepted from the authority of the King, decreed in this Book of Rules, and he is obliged to
conduct his house orderly manner, making no causes for complaints.
If that be not the case, the King has the right to take all the necessary measures for the proper conduct of the house in question.
Art. 10. – Without the approval or consent from the King, no member of The Royal House can make debts over the possibility of payment, which is set by the four month regular income of the member in question.
Art. 11. – No member of The Royal House can accept neither inheritance nor any donation without the consent and approval of the King.
Art. 12. – Court officials, assigned to any member of The Royal House, or to the separate houses of The Royal House, will commence their service only when the King approves their assignments.
Art. 13. – The King will, by His decree, determine the place of residence of the members of The Royal House.
The change of residence will also be approved or determined by the order of the King.
Art. 14. – No member of The Royal House is allowed to take permanent residence or employment abroad without the approval of the King.
Shorter journeys abroad of the members of The Royal House also can not be taken without the previous approval of the King.
Art. 15. – According to the article 138 of the country’s Constitution, in which no member of the Royal House can be a minister, members of The Royal House are to be prepared for the service in the military, education, art or the Church, according to their special preferences.
Art. 16. – Under the supreme rule the King, as the Head of The Royal House, directs education of all the members of The Royal House, even when the general care of the education of children belongs to their parents.
Art. 17. – The King will take care of all the needs of the children from The Royal House in case they are left without parents.
Art. 18. – The King has the unlimited right to maintain order in The Royal House worthy of The Royal House, by all the means available to Him.
Art. 19. – For the estimation and validation of the disciplinary infringements, the Court Council is established. The Court Council includes the King, the Crown Prince (if he is of age), the members of The Royal House who are over 21 years old, the Metropolitan, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, the President of the State Council, the President of the Court of Cassation. It is in the power of the King to expound the disciplinary steps, according to the regulations of this Book of Rules, or when He finds it needed, to be estimated and discussed by this Court Council.
Art. 20. – The disciplinary measures, which will be at the discretion of the King, in conducting The Royal House, are:
a) Warning, undisclosed or public, for all the members of The Royal House, which is recorded
b) Censure, undisclosed or public, for all the members of The Royal House, which is recorded
c) Exclusion from all the honors for a shorter or longer period, undisclosed or public for all the members of The Royal House, which is recorded
d) Exclusion from The Royal House, for a shorter or longer period of time, under the decree, undisclosed, known only to the members of The Royal House, or intentionally printed in the official paper
e) Exclusion from The Royal House. In the case of such punishment, the hearing of the Court Council is necessary.
The expression public for all the members of The Royal House indicates the announcement of the respective disciplinary measure to all the members of The Royal House.
Art. 21. – Each punishment that is sentenced to the members of The Royal House by the King can be revoked, on His discretion, when such measure is has the grounds in amending or eradicating the causes for such punishment. The hearing of the Court Council is necessary in this case, too, if it is mentioned in the article 20 under “d.
Art. 22. – As the head of The Royal House, the King disposes of all it’s means, and issues all orders that are necessary economic and financial affairs
Art. 23. – This Book of Rules is presented to all the members of The Royal House, to be signed by them, for their knowledge and guidance.
Whoever does not acknowledge and accept this Book of Rules by the signature, will be deprived of the rights belonging to the Royal House, as the member of it, according to the stipulation d of the article 20 of this Book of Rules.
Art. 24. – The King holds on the right to make changes and amendments in this Book of Rules according to circumstances, when He finds it beneficial, as well as to issues decrees in agreement with the Court Council, on every important, but unanticipated case.
Art. 22. – The disputes between the members of The Royal House can not be taken to court. The Court Council has a duty to do everything in its power to settle such a dispute. If the dispute can not be settled in such way, the special Elected court, consisting of three judges, the President of whom is determined by the King, and one by each side in the dispute from among the members of The Royal House or the members of the Court Council, passes final judgment on the dispute. The side that does not comply with the judgment is to be punished by the measures under “e” and “f” of the article 20, at the discretion of the King.
Art. 23. – When the King is underage, His rights and duties as the head of The Royal House will be undertaken until His becoming of age by the Queen Mother. If the King is without living parents, the authority of the head of The Royal House will be undertaken by the member of
The Royal House, determined by the King. The punishment under f) of the Art. 20 can be sentenced only by the King.
Art. 26. – This Book acknowledges it. of Rules, as well as any changes and amendments of it becomes valid and comes into force when the parliament
In Belgrade, 30 August 1909