by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

The traditional burial site of the Serbian/Yugoslavian Royal Family from the House of Karađorđević is St. George’s Church at Oplenac in Topola, Serbia which serves as the Royal Mausoleum for the Serbian Royal Family. While King Peter I’s tomb is in the northern apse of the church itself, most other members of the family are buried in the royal crypt beneath the church. In recent years, Crown Prince Alexander has arranged for the remains of several of his ancestors and relatives to be repatriated to Serbia and reinterred at Oplenac.

The Serbian/Yugoslav Kings

• King Milan I of Serbia – reigned March 6, 1882 – March 6, 1889, abdicated
• King Alexander I of Serbia – reigned March 6, 1889 –  June 11, 1903, assassinated
• King Peter I of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes – reigned June 15, 1903 – August 16, 1921
• King Alexander I of Yugoslavia – reigned August 16, 1921 – October 9, 1934, assassinated
• King Peter II of Yugoslavia – reigned October 9, 1934 – November 29, 1945, deposed

The Royal Family of Serbia
Unofficial Royalty: Serbian/Yugoslavian Index

King Milan I of Serbia
reigned March 6, 1882 – March 6, 1889

• Unofficial Royalty: King Milan I of Serbia

Sovereign Prince of Serbia from 1868 – 1882, Milan became King of Serbia when the country was declared a kingdom in 1882. Milan was born on August 22, 1854, to Miloš Obrenović and Elena Maria Catargiu.  In 1868, fourteen-year-old Milan became Sovereign Prince of Serbia when his childless uncle Prince Mihailo Obrenović III was assassinated. Milan married his second cousin Natalija Keschko, daughter of Petre Ivanovich Keschko, an Imperial Russian Army colonel, in 1875. The couple had one son, the future King Alexander I of Serbia.  In 1889, Milan suddenly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason and his twelve-year-old son became king. Milan lived in Paris, France until 1897 when he returned to Serbia. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Army, which he completely reformed and modernized.  However, in 1900, any positive relations between Milan and his son King Alexander ended.  Milan strongly opposed his son’s marriage to Draga Mašin. He resigned his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and subsequently, his son banished him from Serbia. Milan eventually settled in Vienna, Austria where he died on February 11, 1901, at the age of 46 from pneumonia.  He was buried at the Krušedol Monastery in Vojvodina, Serbia.

Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia, wife of Milan I, King of Serbia

• Unofficial Royalty: Natalija Keschko, Queen of Serbia

Natalija Keschko was born on May 15, 1859, in Florence, then in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy. She was the eldest child of Petre Ivanovich Keschko, an Imperial Russian Army colonel and Princess Pulcheria Sturdza, from a Moldavian noble family. After both of her parents died Natalija and her three younger siblings were raised by their maternal aunt Princess Ekaterina Moruzi.  In 1875, Natalija married her second cousin King Milan I of Serbia. The couple had one son, the future King Alexander I of Serbia. The marriage was unsuccessful and the couple divorced in 1888. Natalija publically rejected the divorce and declared that she considered herself still the wife of the King. The couple reconciled in 1893 and the divorce was overturned. Like her husband, Natalija also objected to her son’s marriage and was exiled from Serbia. After the assassination of her son and his wife in 1903, Natalija was the only member of the Obrenović dynasty.  She donated the inheritance to the University of Belgrade and churches and monasteries in Serbia. Natalija converted to Roman Catholicism and became a nun.  She died on May 8, 1941, at the age of 81 at the Monastery of Saint-Denis near Paris, France and was buried at the Cemetery of Lardy in Seine et Oise, France.

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Alexander I, King of Serbia
reigned  March 6, 1889 – June 11, 1903

• Unofficial Royalty: Alexander I, King of Serbia
• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King of Serbia and Queen Draga

King Alexander I of Serbia was born on August 14, 1876, the only child of King Milan of Serbia and Natalija Keschko. When Alexander was only twelve-years-old, his father unexpectedly abdicated the throne without any apparent reason, leaving his young son as King of Serbia. He was to have a regent until he came of age when he was eighteen but when he was sixteen years old, Alexander declared himself to be of age and dismissed his regent.  In 1900, Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting to his mother, who was twelve years older than Alexander. There was much opposition to the marriage, including from both of his parents who were ultimately banished from Serbia. The marriage weakened Alexander’s position with the army and with the people of Serbia. After the scandal of Queen Draga’s false pregnancy, rumors that Alexander was to name the unpopular brother of Queen Draga as the heir-presumptive to the throne, and a power-play whereby Alexander suspended the constitution for thirty minutes which was enough time enough to publish decrees dismissing and replacing the members of the senate and councilors of state, the army had enough. A group of army officers led a coup d’état in which King Alexander, aged 26, and Queen Draga, age 38, were assassinated at the Stari Dvor (Old Palace), the royal residence of the House of Obrenović which now houses the City Assembly of Belgrade, Serbia. The assassination resulted in the extinction of the House of Obrenović. Alexander and Draga were both buried at St. Mark’s Church now in Belgrade, Serbia.

Embed from Getty Images 
The graves of King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga at St. Mark’s Church in Belgrade, Serbia

Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia, wife Alexander I, King of Serbia

• Unofficial Royalty: Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia

Draga Mašin was born on September 11, 1864, in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia. She was the daughter of the daughter of Panta Lunjevica, a prefect of the Aranđelovac area, and wife Anđelija  Koljević.  Before marrying King Alexander I of Serbia, Draga was the widow of civil engineer Svetozar Mashin and a lady-in-waiting to Alexander I’s mother Queen Natalija. As stated above, Draga was assassinated in a coup d’état along with her husband. Draga’s two brothers, Nikodije and Nikola, were executed by a firing squad on the same day. Draga and her husband were secretly buried at St. Mark’s Church now in Belgrade, Serbia.

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King Peter I of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes
reigned June 15, 1903 – August 16, 1921

• Unofficial Royalty: King Peter I of Serbia

King Peter I reigned from 1903 until 1921. Initially, King of Serbia, his title changed to King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918. He was born June 29, 1844, to Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia, and Persida Nenadović. In 1883, he married Princess Zorka of Montenegro, and the couple had five children – Jelena (1884), Milena (1886), Dorde (1887), Alexander (1888) and Andrija (1890). He became King of Serbia in 1803, following the assassination of the reigning King Alexander and his wife. In 1914, in ill health, he transferred much of his royal role to his son Alexander but remained on the throne. Following the invasion of Serbia by German, Austrian and Bulgarian forces during World War I, the King led a mass exodus of troops and civilians through the mountains of Albania to the Adriatic Sea, where they were transported to Greece by Allied forces. He remained in Greece for the remainder of the war, returning to Belgrade in July 1919. Just two years later, King Peter died in Belgrade on August 16, 1921. He is entombed in the northern apse of St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

Zorka of Montenegro, wife of Peter I

• Unofficial Royalty: Zorka of Montenegro

Princess Zorka of Montenegro was the wife of the future King Peter I, however, she died thirteen years before he ascended the throne. Known as Zorka, she was born Princess Ljubica of Montenegro on December 23, 1864, the eldest daughter of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić. Living in Cetinje, Montenegro, she had five children. Princess Zorka died in childbirth on March 16, 1890, giving birth to her youngest child who also died. She was initially buried at the Cetinje Monastery and later reinterred in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

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Children of Peter I

Princess Jelena of Serbia, Princess Elena Petrovna of Russia
(November 4, 1884 – October 16, 1962)
Wikipedia: Princess Jelena of Serbia
Princess Jelena was the eldest child of the future King Peter I and Princess Zorka of Montenegro. She married Prince Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia on September 2, 1911, and had two children: Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich (1914-1983), Princess Yekaterina Ivanovna (1915-2007). Jelena died in Nice on October 16, 1962, and is buried in the Russian Orthodox Cemetery in Nice.

Princess Milena of Serbia
(April 28, 1886 – December 21, 1887)
The second child of the future Peter I and Zorka of Montenegro, Princess Milena died at 19 months old. Initially buried in the Cetinje Monastery in Montenegro, her remains were later moved to the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

Dorde, Crown Prince of Serbia
(September 8, 1887 – October 17, 1972)
Wikipedia: Prince George of Yugoslavia
Dorde (George) was the second child of Peter I and Zorka of Montenegro. He became Crown Prince of Serbia upon his father’s accession to the throne in 1903. However, after an incident in which he kicked a servant in the stomach – leading the servant’s death – Dorde renounced his rights to the throne in 1909. The only member of the royal family allowed remaining in the country following World War II, in 1947 he married Radmila Radonjić. They had no children. Dorde died in Belgrade on October 17, 1972, and is buried in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac along with his wife.

Prince Andrija of Serbia
(born and died March 16, 1890)
Prince Andrej died just after birth, along with his mother who died from complications of childbirth. His remains were buried with his mother, initially at the Cetinje Monastery in Montenegro. They were later moved to the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

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King Alexander I of Yugoslavia
reigned August 16, 1921 – October 9, 1934

• Unofficial Royalty: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia
• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia

Alexander was born on December 1, 1888, the fourth child of the future King Peter I and Princess Zorka of Montenegro. He was raised in Montenegro and Switzerland and studied briefly in Russia until his father took the Serbian throne in 1903. Six years later, he became Crown Prince when his elder brother renounced his succession rights. Alexander served in the Serbian military during the Balkan Wars and World War I. He became King upon his father’s death in August 1921. In June 1922, he married Princess Maria of Romania, and they had three sons: King Peter II (1923-1970), Prince Tomislav (1928-2000), and Prince Andrej (1929-1990). King Alexander I was assassinated on October 9, 1934. He is buried in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

Princess Maria of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia

• Unofficial Royalty: Maria of Romania, Queen of Yugoslavia

Princess Maria of Romania (known as Mignon), was born on January 6, 1900, the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and the former Princess Marie of Edinburgh. She became Queen Consort upon her marriage to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia on June 8, 1922. After the royal family was forced into exile in 1941, Queen Maria settled in England where she lived for the rest of her life. She died in London on June 22, 1961, and was interred at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore. To date, she is the only person to have been buried there who was not a member of the British Royal Family. In 2013, her remains – along with several other members of the royal family – were returned to Serbia and reinterred in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

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Children of Alexander I

Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia
(1928 – 2000)
Wikipedia: Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia
Prince Tomislav was the second son of King Alexander I and Queen Maria. He was born on January 19, 1928. Following his father’s assassination in 1934, Tomislav was heir presumptive to the throne until the end of the monarchy in 1945. Tomislav married twice – first to Princess Margarita of Baden (a niece of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh) in 1957 – they had two children – Prince Nikola (1958) and Princess Katarina (1959). After divorcing in 1981, he remarried the following year to Linda Mary Bonney and had two more children – Prince George (1984) and Prince Michael (1985). Prince Tomislav died on July 12, 2000, after being terminally ill for several years. He is buried in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia
(1929 – 1990)
Wikipedia: Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia
Prince Andrej was the youngest son of King Alexander I and Queen Maria. Following the overthrow of the monarchy, Andrej lived in England where he finished his education and became an insurance broker. He was married three times. His first wife was Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse (another niece of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh). They married in 1956 (divorced in 1962) and had two children: Princess Maria Tatiana (1957) and Prince Christopher (1960). In 1963, he married Prince Kira of Leiningen (divorced in 1972) and had three more children: Princess Lavinia Marie (1961), Prince Karl Vladimir (1964), and Prince Dimitri Ivan (1965). His third marriage, in 1974, was to Eva Maria Andjelkovich. They had no children. On May 7, 1990, Prince Andrej was found dead in his car, from an apparent suicide. He was interred at the New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois. In 2013, his remains were returned to Serbia and interred in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

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King Peter II of Yugoslavia
reigned October 9, 1934 – November 29, 1945

• Unofficial Royalty: King Peter II of Yugoslavia

King Peter II was the last King of Yugoslavia. He was born September 6, 1923, the eldest son of King Alexander I and Princess Maria of Romania. Following his father’s assassination in 1934, Peter took the throne at just 11 years old, under a regency council led by his father’s cousin, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. The regency ended in March 1941 when he was proclaimed of age, and took full control of the throne. Within weeks, Nazi forces had occupied the country, and the young King was forced into exile along with his government. He ended up in the United Kingdom, where he finished his education and joined the Royal Air Force. In 1944, he married Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, and their son was born the following year, just three months before the Yugoslavian monarchy was formally abolished. Peter and his family eventually settled in the United States, but the marriage began to crumble. Peter remained in the United States while his wife and son returned to Europe. Peter was ill for some time and died in Denver, Colorado on November 3, 1970. He was buried at the St. Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois. To date, he is the only European monarch to be buried in the United States. In 2013, his remains were returned to Serbia and reinterred in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

Princess Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia

• Unofficial Royalty: Alexandra of Greece, Queen of Yugoslavia

Alexandra was born March 25, 1921, the daughter of King Alexander of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos. Because of her parents’ illegitimate marriage (it was later legitimized), she was not in the line of succession to the Greek throne. In 1944, she married King Peter II of Yugoslavia at the Yugoslav Embassy in London (Peter had been living in exile in London for several years). The following year, their only child – Crown Prince Alexander – was born. The couple later separated, with King Peter remaining in the United States, while Alexandra and her son returned to Europe, settling with her mother in Venice. She returned to the United Kingdom in 1979, and remained there until her death in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, on January 30, 1993. Following a funeral in London, her remains were interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece, along with her parents. In 2013, her remains were returned to Serbia and reinterred in the royal crypt at St. George’s Church, Oplenac.

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