Nicholas, Crown Prince of Montenegro
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. (March 2021) |
| Nicholas Petrović-Njegoš | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Prince of Montenegro | |||||
 Prince Nicholas in 1990 | |||||
| Head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš | |||||
| Period | 24 March 1986 – present | ||||
| Predecessor | Michael, Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Heir apparent | Boris, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Born | 7 July 1944 Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, France[a] | ||||
| Spouse | Francine Navarro
(m. 1976; died 2008) | ||||
| Issue | Princess Altinaï Boris, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| |||||
| House | Petrović-Njegoš | ||||
| Father | Michael, Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Mother | Geneviève Prigent | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Crown Prince Nicholas of Montenegro (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Петровић-Његош; born 7 July 1944) is the Head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, which reigned over Montenegro from 1696 to 1766 and again from 1782 to 1918.
In 2011, Montenegro recognised an official role for the Royal House of Petrović-Njegoš in Montenegro[citation needed]: to promote Montenegrin identity, culture and traditions through cultural, humanitarian and other non-political activities.[1] Beside protocol functions, he also shares some political powers like the President of Montenegro, such as giving amnesty to prisoners.[citation needed]
Family background[]
 | This biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (March 2021) |
The house of Petrović came originally from Herzegovina and settled in Njeguši around 1400. Niegosch was born around 1425 and became the Voivode of Njegoš.
Crown Prince Nicholas descends from Danilo Petrović-Njegoš who obtained the hereditary Dignity of Vladika (Prince-Bishop) of Montenegro in 1711 when it became a theocracy. Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš was recognized as Sovereign Prince of Montenegro by Russia on 21 March 1852, and established succession by male primogeniture. His successor, Prince Nikola I assumed the style of Royal Highness on 19 December 1900, and the title of King 28 August 1910.
Nikola is also related to the former royal House of Obrenović through Jevrem, younger full brother of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince 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, territories of Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Serbia, while the Podgorica People's Assembly abolished the Kingdom of Montenegro and deposing the Petrović Njegoš dynasty.
The family gained the French citizenship as they made their home in France where Nikola I of Montenegro died in exile in 1921. The same year, King Nikola's maternal grandson, Alexandar Karađorđević (Prince Nikola I's 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 13 November 1918, it was never recognized by Nikola I, who maintained a government-in-exile, which was headed by the ex-king's former aide-de-camp and ambassador to Washington, General Anto Gvozdenović, until the Conference of Ambassadors at Paris gave international recognition to the union 13 July 1922.
Nikola I's heir at death was his eldest son, Crown Prince Danilo (titular King Danilo II), who "abdicated" after one week, recognising his cousin's reign over Serbia (including the territories of Montenegro) and Yugoslavia. Family's dynastic claim was taken up by his grandson, Michael, Prince of Montenegro, the titular King Mihajlo I, who was the father of Prince Nikola II and died in exile in 1986.
Early life[]
Prince Nicholas was born in Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem at the house of a maternal great aunt in France as the only son and heir of Michael, Prince of Montenegro and his wife Geneviève, Princess of Montenegro, née Prigent (1919–1990), a member of the French resistance.[2] Prince Michael was internationally recognised as Montenegro’s king-in-exile under a regency headed by his grandmother Queen Milena from 7 March 1921 until 13 July 1922 when international recognition was given for the 1918 annexation of Montenegro by the new Serbian headed kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Prince Nicholas' parents were married on 27 January 1941 in Paris.
Prince Nicholas was initially baptised Catholic by his mother, before his father had him re-baptised Orthodox. Prince Nicholas has stated he feels close to both religions.[3] His parents divorced in Paris, France, on 11 August 1949, exactly 5 weeks after his 5th birthday. Genevieve received custody of the young Nicholas and raised him largely as a single mother. Growing up in France, Prince Nicholas barely saw his father and knew very little about Montenegro or his family's history being raised and educated as a Frenchman.[4]
In 1967 while a student he visited Montenegro for the first time, upon showing his university ID card the staff bowed upon recognising the Petrovic-Njegos name. News of his visit had spread and by the time he left the museum a crowd of 300 Montenegrins had gathered to greet him.[5]
Head of the royal house[]
Prince Nicholas succeeded as head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš on the death of his father in 1986 and grew closer to his Montenegrin heritage. In 1989 he received an official invitation to come to Montenegro for the reburial and state funeral of his great grandparents King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Queen Milena and their two daughters, Princess Vera and Princess Xenia.[6] Prince Nicholas accompanied the remains on an Italian battleship and his family received an enthusiastic welcome from Montenegrians.[7]
During the breakup of Yugoslavia Prince Nicholas made several statements calling on Montenegrians to not get caught up in the violence.[8]
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 provisional State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.[citation needed]
Prince Nikola made public pronouncements of his willingness to return to the Montenegrin throne if that were the wish of the people. In July 2010, the government of Montenegro made a formal offer to provide Nikola with a €3,000 monthly stipend (equal to that of the President), granting his family with an annual €300,000 civil list, a formal residence in Cetinje and the return of the Petrović Njegoš historic family home in Njeguši. This offer was rejected because Nikola believed that the proposal did not deal adequately with the issue of property compensation, as more than thirty properties were alleged to have been confiscated from the dynasty after the monarchy was overthrown.[citation needed] Furthermore, he believed that the bill would prevent the dynasty from participating in political life and restrict the ability of members of the dynasty to speak freely about certain subjects. He also said that the civil list amount that was announced in the press was not actually contained in the proposed version of the bill that he was shown.
Owing to his stance on this bill, Nikola chose not to attend the celebrations of the centenary of the Kingdom of Montenegro that were held on 28 August 2010.[9] Instead, he celebrated in private.
Legislation passed later in 2011 revised the conditions offered to the prince, and was accepted by Prince Nikola on behalf of his family, who said he was now "entirely satisfied". In addition to aspects of the previous offer, Nikola was given use of the first floor of the former royal palace and named as a special representative for the government of Montenegro.[citation needed]
The Montenegrin state promised to pay €4.3 million in compensation for lost assets to a family fund, and pay Crown Prince Nikola a monthly salary equal to that of the president.[10]
Education[]
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (June 2011) |
Nikola 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 architectural practices. Between 1967 and 1971 he worked on several architectural projects, including a winter sports resort in Avoriaz, France, and with Shamaï Haber on several university science faculties.
In 1971, he was awarded a diploma in Architecture and admitted to the Société Française des Architectes. Nikola has stated that he wishes to construct the first eco-built residence in Montenegro when designing his family's new home in Cetinje.
Marriage and children[]
On 27 November 1976 in Trébeurden, Côtes-du-Nord, he married Francine Navarro (Casablanca, 27 January 1950 - Paris, 6 August 2008), fashion designer, daughter of Antoine Navarro (Melilla, 29 January 1922 - Marseille, 12 August 1989), who fought in the French Foreign Legion, and wife Rachel Wazana (Casablanca, 19 July 1929), of Moroccan Jewish descent, paternal granddaughter of Francisco Navarro and wife Carmela Padia and maternal granddaughter of Charles Wazana and wife Fanny ... (? - Casablanca, 15 October 1938).[11] Together they raised a family at Les Lilas, France:
- Princess Altinaï of Montenegro, born at Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis on 27 October 1977. She married Anton Martynov on 12 May 2009. The couple has one son:
- Nikolai Martynov (born 30 September 2009)
- Prince Boris of Montenegro, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro, Grand-Duke (Voivode) of Grahovo and Zeta, born at Les Lilas on 21 January 1980. He married Véronique Haillot Canas da Silva on 12 May 2007. The couple has two daughters.[citation needed]
Honours, awards and arms[]
Honours[]
National dynastic honours[]
House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of the Order of Prince Danilo I[12]- House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of the Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje[12]
- House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of the Order of Petrović Njegoš[12]
Foreign honours[]
France: Member of the Order of the Legion of Honour[13][14]- Italy
Italian Republic: Red Cross Great Cross[12]- Italian Republic: Recipient of the Red Cross Gold Medal
Italian Royal Family: Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation[12]- Italian Royal Family: Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[12]
Two Sicilian Royal Family: Recipient of the Golden Medal of Honor of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[12]- Two Sicilian Royal Family: Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I[12][15]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 2nd Class with Band[12]
Grand Ducal Royal Family of Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown[16]
Portuguese Royal Family: Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa[12]
Awards[]
- Honorary citizen of Agrigento, Sicily, Italy (23 June 2007)[17]
Coat of arms[]
He bears the Montenegrin Coat of Arms, which can be seen at the centre of the Flag of Montenegro. The Royal Coat of Arms is borne by the head of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty, and differs from the family Coat of Arms.[18]
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.
The 2011 Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty[19] states that Prince Nikola II "may use the heraldic symbols of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty" (Article 6).
Royal Standard[]
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In Petrović Njegoš's standard there is a red background bordered by white, with the double-headed eagle and the initials in Cyrillic N.II (Nikola II) on its breast, with the lion passant underneath.[citation needed] This standard is flown over the Prince’s palace at Cetinje. It is also used as a distinguishing insignia on vehicles, ships, aircraft and in the Military. The other version is a tricolor with initials NII and a crown on top.
Ancestors[]
| showAncestors of Nicholas, Crown Prince of Montenegro |
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Notes[]
- ^ Some sources state that he was born in Occupied Czechoslovakia.
References[]
- ^ "Zakon o statusu potomaka Dinastije Petrović Njegoš". Službeni list Crne Gore. 2011 (36). 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
- ^ Un prince sera en visite à Lannion, jeudi
- ^ Nicolas Petrovic Roi-citoyen du Monténégro
- ^ Le Petit Gotha (2002). Pages 861-862. ISBN 2950797431
- ^ Podgorica, 12 juillet 2011: Nicolas, le prince qui s’ignore
- ^ The Collection, Montenegro vol. 21
- ^ Remains of Former Montenegro King Arrive in Yugoslavia
- ^ Le Petit Gotha
- ^ Les Courrier des Balkan, Montenegro celebrates 100 years of the kingdom without an heir of the dynasty Petrovic Njegos. August 30 2010
- ^ Montenegro Welcomes Back It's Crown Prince and Royal Family. Iranian.com August 09 2011
- ^ Burke's Royal Families of the World; Europe and Latin-America
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "Page with some of Nicholas' Orders included". Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ Legifrance
- ^ "Prince Nikola Petrović Njegoš awarded Legion of Honour, DPM Pažin: 'This is also recognition for Montenegro'" (21 April 2017) Official website of the Government of Montenegro.
- ^ "Exchange of Honours between the Constantinian Order and the Royal Order of Danilo I of Montenegro - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George".
- ^ http://meckleg-strelitz.org/news/2018-mirow-memorial-service.html#.W2K3wKTTWEc
- ^ Crown Prince was created an Honorary Citizen of the City of Agrigento Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Héraldique Européenne
- ^ Zakon o statusu potomaka dinastije Petrović Njegoš
External links[]
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- 1944 births
- Living people
- Heirs apparent who never acceded
- Petrović-Njegoš dynasty
- Montenegrin nobility
- Pretenders to the Montenegrin throne
- Princes of Montenegro
- Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
- Bailiffs Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa