Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro

Infobox_pretender
English name=Nicholas Petrović Njegoš
birth_date=birth date and age|1944|7|7


regnal=Nikola II
title=Crown Prince
throne=Montenegro
pretend from=March 24, 1986 - present
year=1918
king=Nikola I
relationship=Great Grandson
house=Petrović Njegoš
father=Michael
mother=Geneviève Prigent
spouse=Francine Navarro
children=Altinaï, Boris
predecessor = Prince Michael

Prince Nicholas Petrović Njegoš of Montenegro (Serbian: Никола Петровић-Његош/ Nikola Petrović-Njegoš) (born 7 July, 1944) is the Head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš and pretender to the throne of Montenegro. He is known to Montenegrin monarchists and traditionalists as King Nikola II of Montenegro. Prince Nicholas is the Hereditary Grand Master of the Dynastic Orders of St. Peter of Cetinje and Prince Danilo I of Montenegro.

Family background

The house of Petrović came originally from Herzegovina and settled in Njegoš around 1400. Niegosch was born around 1425 and became the Duke of Njegoš.

Prince Nicholas is a descendant of a line founded by Danilo Petrović Njegoš who obtained the hereditary Dignity of Vladika (Prince-Bishop) of Montenegro in 1711 when it became a (Theocracy). Danilo I Petrovic Njegos was recognized as Sovereign Prince and heir of Montenegro by Russia on 21 March, 1852, and established succession by male primogeniture. His successor, Prince Nikola assumed the qualification of Royal Highness on 19 December 1900, and the title of King 28 August 1910.

Prince Nicholas is also related to the Serb Royal House of Obrenović through Yephrem, younger full brother of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia (elected Hereditary Prince of Serbia by the National Assembly 1827 and recognized by Sultan Mahmud II, 15 August, 1830). He is the Obrenović pretender to the throne of Serbia, as he is the heir to his grandfather Prince Mirko of Montenegro, the designated successor of Alexander I of Serbia.

During World War I the Petrović Njegoš family were forced to flee the country in 1915 after the Army of Montenegro was overwhelmed by the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the end of the war, the Kingdom of Serbia annexed and abolished the Kingdom of Montenegro and deposed the Petrović Njegoš dynasty. The family made their home in France where the old King Nikola I of Montenegro died in 1921. The same year, the old King's grandson, Alexandar Karađorđević (Prince Nicholas' cousin) became king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, of which Montenegro had become a part. Though the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed on 13November 1918, it was never recognized by King Nicholas I (Nikola I) and a Government-in-Exile was maintained by him and his successors under the Premiership of King Nicholas's former ADC and Ambassador to Washington (1918), General Anto Gvozdenović until the Conference of Ambassadors at Paris gave international recognition to the union 13 July 1922.

King Nikola I was succeeded on his death by his son, Danilo II, who abdicated after one week, and then by his grandson, King Michael I (father of the present heir) who remained in exile until his death in 1986. King Michael I became prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II after refusing to return to the throne as a puppet King.

Were the Montenegrin monarchy not defunct Nicholas would be styled “His Majesty King Nikola II of Montenegro." He has chosen to use the style and title of “His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nikola of Montenegro”, or more simply ”The Crown Prince” or “Crown Prince Nikola”.

Biography

Prince Nikola II, titular King of Montenegro is the only son and heir of the late King Michael I of Montenegro, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta, who reigned as a minor, in exile, under a Regency (born on 1 September O.S., 1908 and regarded by Montenegro's monarchists as king from 7 March 1921 until his death in 1986 and Geneviève Prigent who was born on 4 December 1919 and died on 27 January 1991. (Nikola's parents married on 27 January 1941 and divorced in Paris, France on 11 August 1949). Prince Nikola was an active participant in the Campaign for the restoration of Montenegro's independence, preceding the referendum on the separation of the former Kingdom from the Republic of Serbia. Prince Nikola II has made public pronouncements of his willingness to return to the Montenegrin Throne if that is the wish of his people.

Education

HRH Prince Nicholas was educated in France.

In 1964 he was admitted to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and between 1965 and 1967 he attended training courses in several architects practices.

Between 1967 and 1971 The Prince assisted on several architectural projects, including a winter sports resort in Avoriaz, France, and with Shamaï Haber on several university science faculties.

In 1971, the Prince was awarded a diploma in Architecture and admitted to the Société Française des Architectes.

Marriage and children

In 1976 he married Francine Navarro in Trebeurden, Côtes-du-Nord on 27 November. The Princess died in Paris on 6th August 2008. Together they raised a family at Les Lilas, France;

* Prince Boris of Montenegro (Petrovic-Njegoš), "Grand Voivode" of Grahovo and Zeta, born at Les Lilas on 21 January, 1980 and
* Princess Altinaï of Montenegro, born at Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis on 27 October 1977.

Decorations and honours

infobox hrhstyles


royal name=HRH Prince Nikola of Montenegro
dipstyle=His Royal Highness
offstyle=Your Royal Highness
altstyle=Sir|

Montenegrin Decorations:
* Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Order of Order of Petrović Njegoš (OPN)
* Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje (OStP)
* Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross with Diamond Star and Collar of the Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro (GCDO)

Foreign Decorations:
* Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta [ [http://www.njegoskij.org/article411.html Njegoskij|org :: "H.R.H. Prince Nicolas decorates H.M.E.H. Fra’ Andrew Bertie with the Order of Danilo I and the Order of Saint Petar of Cetinje"] ]
* Grand Cross of Merit of the Italian Red Cross [ [http://www.njegoskij.org/article349.html Njegoskij|org :: "H.R.H. Prince Nicolas honours the Italian Red Cross with the Order of Danilo I"] ]
* Supreme Order of the Holy Annunciation
* Grand Cross Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Savoy
* Grand Cross Order of Our Lady of the Conception of Vila Viçosa, Portugal
* Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I, Two Sicilies [ [http://www.njegoskij.org/article259.html Njegoskij|org :: Exchange of protocols between the Royal Houses of Montenegro and Bourbon-Two Sicilies] ]
* Golden Medal of Honour of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, Two Sicilies.

Foreign Honours:
* Honorary citizen of Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (June 23, 2007) [ [http://www.njegoskij.org/breve3.html Njegoskij|org :: H.R.H. Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegoh on three-day official visit to Sicily, Italy] ]

Coat of Arms

The Prince bears the Royal Montenegrin Coat of Arms. It can be seen on the Crown Prince's shield on King Nikola's Palace in Cetinje.

The Royal Coat of Arms is born by the heirs to the throne, and differs to the Coat of Arms of the Petrović Njegoš family.

The history of the Royal Coat of Arms begins with the Crnojevics dynasty in the 15th century. Their family arms - golden crowned two-headed eagle on a red background - laid the foundation of the Montenegrin state heraldry: the two-headed eagle became the standard symbol of the state. After gaining power, the Petrović Njegoš dynasty took the golden two-headed eagle as the state symbol. Prince-bishop (Vladika) Danilo charged on its breast the Great Arms of the Petrović Njegoš family (shield, crown, mantling), while his successor Prince-bishop Sava made major changes to the coat of arms: removed the family Great Arms from the eagle's breast, and added the scepter and saru ("the imperial egg") in its claws. He also added another symbol retained until the present day - the golden lion passant - below the golden eagle. With Prince-bishop Petar I, further rearrangement of the coat of arms took place: from the eagle he removed the royal insignia and charged on the eagle's breast the Middle Arms of the Petrović Njegoš (the shield with the crown) while leaving the lion passant.

Prince Danilo also reorganized the Royal Coat of Arms: he charged on the golden eagle's breast the shield where on the blue background the golden lion passant was on green ground. In one claw the eagle held the saru, and in the other a sword and the scepter.

King Nikola I removed the sword, and later, in conformity with the Constitution of 1905, the color of the eagle was changed from golden to silver as well as the background of the shield with the lion - to red instead of blue.

The Constitution of 2007 maintained "the tradition" of King Nikola I: the adopted Coat of Arms was a crowned silver eagle with the sara in one and the scepter in the other claw, and charged on its breast was a red shield with the lion passant.

Royal Standard

In the Prince’s standard there is a red background bordered by white, with the double-headed eagle and the initials in Cyrillic N. I. I. (Nikola II) on its breast, with the lion passant underneath. This standard is flown over the Prince’s palace at Cetinje. It is also used as a distinguishing mark on vehicles, ships, aircraft and in the Military. The other version is a Serb tricolor with initials NII and a crown on top.

Income

The Prince and the Royal Family currently receives no sum as part of the government of Montenegro’s annual budget. The Prince’s staff and his personal expenditure are financed by private wealth and gift.

The Montenegrin Royal Family pays tax in their respective domiciles. The Royal Family is required by law to comply with the standard regulations concerning payment of death duties and inheritance tax.

Radio-interviews and documentary films

* [http://www.njegoskij.org/article225.html The Njegoskij Fund Network: "A Prince in Paris"] , radio-interview by Sonia Zoran for the Radio Suisse Romande (RSR) - La Première (Switzerland, May 27, 2007).
* [http://www.njegoskij.org/article35.html The Njegoskij Fund Network: "The man who did not want to be king"] , documentary film by Anne Georget for France 3 TV channel (France, September 16, 1995).
* [http://www.njegoskij.org/article66.html The Njegoskij Fund Network: "The 1991’s appeal of Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh"] on Radio France Internationale (RFI) (France, 1991).

References

External links

* [http://www.orderofdanilo.org/en/index.htm The Order of Prince Danilo I] Official website of the Royal House of Montenegro and dynastic Orders.
* [http://www.njegoskij.org/rubrique13.html Njegoskij|org :: The Royal House of Montenegro | News and media.]
* [http://www.fotw.net/ Flags of the World] Flags of the World.