Coronation of the Serbian monarch
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The accession of the Serbian monarch was legitimised by a
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...
ceremony, which was carried out by church officials.


Ceremony


Middle Ages

The ritual of crowning a new ruler (royal
enthronement An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite. ...
) is attested in the 12th century. The coronation of Serbian monarchs took place in the most prominent of churches in the country. The coronation of the Grand Princes of Serbia was likely held at the church in Ras. The successors of Stefan Nemanja adopted Byzantine ideas on
self-rule __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
and acts on the ruler's
anointment Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...
and coronation. The church official (archbishop, patriarch) anointed and crowned the ruler in the same ceremony. Through the
archiereus ''Archiereus'' ( grc, ἀρχιερεύς, Russian, ''arkhierei'') is a Greek term for diocesan bishop, when considered as the culmination of the priesthood. It is used in the liturgical books of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Cathol ...
, with the act of crowning, God's grace transits to the ruler.


History


Middle Ages

The ritual of crowning a new ruler is attested in the 12th century. The coronation of Serbian monarchs took place in the most prominent of churches in the country. Stefan (r. 1196–1228), the son of Grand Prince
Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanji ...
, was crowned with a crown sent by Pope
Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of import ...
in 1217. According to Fine Jr., he was crowned by a papal legate. It is unknown where the coronation took place. J. Kalić believes that it was Peter's Church, Ras. It has been assumed that Stefan was crowned a second time by Archbishop
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
, his brother. In the second charter to the
Žiča The Žiča Monastery ( sr, Манастир Жича, Manastir Žiča, or ) is an early 13th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of ...
monastery dated to ca. 1224, King Stefan ordered for all future kings to be crowned at that monastery. His contemporaries and successors called him "the First-Crowned King".


Modern

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
's last and only modern coronation was in 1904, when King
Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...
was crowned in an
Eastern Orthodox Christian Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
ceremony at the Cathedral of the Host of Holy Archangels in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.The Coronation of King Peter I of Serbia
Retrieved 2009-10-28. Serbia became a part of the state of
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
after World War I, but Peter did not hold a second coronation and neither of his two successors, the Yugoslav monarchs
Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and Peter II, were crowned. This was due to the religious diversity of the new state.


Regalia


Middle Ages

Stefan's crown was called "the holy wreath" (''sveti venac'') by Domentijan. Later, it was called "the god-gifted wreath of the Serbian kingdom" (''bogodarovani venac kraljevstva srpskog'').


Modern

Modern Serbian regalia were created in Paris by the famous Falise brothers jewellers in 1904 for coronation of king Peter I Karađorđević, and consisted of a royal crown, orb,
sceptre A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The ''Was'' and other ...
, mantle, and mantle
buckle The buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Often taken for granted, the invention of the buckle was indispensable in securing tw ...
. The crown, known as the " Karađorđević Crown", was partially made out of a cannon that
Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ;  – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
had used during the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
, and was adorned with details such as the Serbian eagle and
Serbian cross The Serbian Cross ( sr, Cрпски крст / Srpski krst) is a national symbol of Serbia, part of the coat of arms and flag of Serbia, and of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is based on the tetragrammic cross emblem/flag of the Byzantine Palaio ...
. The crown, scepter, and orb were decorated with gemstones extracted in Serbia and enameled in the Serbian national colours (red, blue, and white). The mantle was made out of
purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...
velvet Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
, embroidered with gold and lined with ermine fur.


Symbolism

The sacredness of the Serbian throne is frequently stressed in medieval sources. Apart from the throne, the crown was one of the most important royal insignia in the Middle Ages.


Coronations


Middle Ages

* Stefan (r. 1217–28), uncertain. *
Stefan Radoslav Stefan Radoslav ( sr-cyr, Стефан Радослав; 1192 – after 1235), also known as Stephanos Doukas ( gr, Στέφανος Δούκας), was the King of Serbia, from 1228 to 1233. Family Stefan was the eldest son of Stefan Nemanji ...
(r. 1228–33), crowned at
Žiča The Žiča Monastery ( sr, Манастир Жича, Manastir Žiča, or ) is an early 13th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of ...
by Archbishop
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
, his uncle. *
Stefan Vladislav Stefan Vladislav ( sr-cyr, Стефан Владислав, ;  – after 1264) was the King of Serbia from 1234 to 1243. He was the middle son of Stefan the First-Crowned of the Nemanjić dynasty, who ruled Serbia from 1196 to 1228. Radoslav ...
(r. 1234–43), crowned at Žiča by Archbishop
Arsenije Arsenije ( sr-cyr, Арсеније; ) is a Serbian language, Serbian given name, a variant of the Greek name ''Arsenios''. Diminutives of the name include ''Arsen'', ''Arsa'' and ''Arso (disambiguation), Arso''. It may refer to: *Arsenije Sremac ( ...
. *
Stefan Uroš I Stefan Uroš I ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош I; 1223 – May 1, 1277), known as Uroš the Great (Урош Велики) was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav. He was one of the most important rulers ...
(r. 1243–76), crowned at Žiča by Archbishop Arsenije. *
Stefan Dragutin Stefan Dragutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Драгутин, hu, Dragutin István; 1244 – 12 March 1316) was King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282. From 1282, he ruled a separate kingdom which included northern Serbia, and (from 1284) the neig ...
(r. 1276–82), crowned at Žiča. *
Stefan Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Stefan Milutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Милутин, Stefan Milutin), was the King of Serbia between 1282&nd ...
(r. 1282–1321), crowned at Žiča by Archbishop
Jevstatije I Jevstatije I ( sr, Јевстатије I) was the sixth Serbian Archbishop, holding the office from 1279 to 1286. He was born in the Budimlje parish, near Berane in Zeta. He took his monastics vows in Zeta, then left for the Hilandar monastery t ...
after the Deževa Assembly in early 1282. *
Stefan Konstantin Stefan Konstantin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Константин; c. 1283–1322) was the King of Serbia from 29 October 1321 to the spring of 1322. The younger son of King Stefan Milutin (1282-1321), he initially held the appanage of Zeta (with Z ...
(r. 1321–22). *
Stefan Dečanski Stefan Uroš III ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош III, ), known as Stefan Dečanski ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Дечански, ; 1276 – 11 November 1331), was the King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of ...
(r. 1322–31), crowned by Archbishop
Nikodim I Nikodim I of Peć and Nikodim of Hilandar ( sr, Никодим I Пећки) was a monk-scribe at Hilandar before becoming the 10th Serbian Archbishop from 1316 to 1324, he died in the year 1325. He is a Serbian saint and the Eastern Orthodox Churc ...
on 6 January 1322. *
Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...
(r. 1331–55), crowned emperor at
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
by Patriarch
Joanikije II Joanikije ( sr-cyr, Јоаникије) is the Serbian variant of Greek name '' Ioannikios''. It may refer to: *Joanikije I, Serbian Archbishop (1272–76) * Joanikije II, Serbian Archbishop (1338–46) and first Serbian Patriarch (1346–54) * Joa ...
on 16 April 1346. *
Stefan Uroš V Saint Stefan Uroš V ( sr-cyrl, Свети Стефан Урош V, ; 13362/4 December 1371), known in historiography and folk tradition as Uroš the Weak ( sr-cyr, Урош Нејаки, Uroš Nejaki), was the second Emperor (Tsar) of the Serb ...
(r. 1355–71).


Modern

*
Peter I Karađorđević Peter I ( sr-Cyr, Петар I Карађорђевић, Petar I Кarađorđević;  – 16 August 1921) was the last king of Serbia, reigning from 15 June 1903 to 1 December 1918. On 1 December 1918, he became the first king of the Serbs, C ...
(1903–1921), crowned at St. Michael's Cathedral in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
on 21 September 1904


See also

*
List of Serbian monarchs This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia. The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Kny ...
* Serbian royal titles


References


Sources

* * * * *


Further reading

* * {{Coronation
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
Ceremonies in Serbia