Crown Prince Alexander’s 70th Birthday

The heir to the former Serbian/Yugoslav throne, Alexander, today celebrated his seventieth birthday.

He was born to King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark in 1945, at Claridge’s Hotel in London during the couple’s exile as part of World War Two. To ensure the infant would have Yugoslav nationality and could succeed the throne, the suite in which Queen Alexandra gave birth was ceded as Yugoslavian territory by the British Government for the day.

Brought up mostly by his maternal grandmother, Alexander was educated in the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland. He then attended the British Military Academy, and eventually was commissioned into the British Armed Forces, serving in the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers.

After leaving the Army he took up a career in international business, and first visited Serbia in 1991. The family took up residence in Belgrade in 2001, following the overthrow of Serbian President Slobodan Milošević. Prince Alexander is highly active in charity and social work in his country.

In July 1972, Alexander married Princess Maria de Gloria of Orléans-Braganza; they divorced in 1983 after having three children: sons Peter, Philip and Alexander. The Prince remarried in 1985, to Katherine Batis.

The Prince is the current Head of the House of Karađorđević.

To celebrate the millstone birthday, Prince Alexander hosted a dinner at the White Palace in Belgrade for members of his family, friends and several foreign royal guests. Photographs from the dinner can be found here.

Filed under Serbia/Yugoslavia
Tagged Birthday, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia.

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