Michael Petrović-Njegoš, Prince of Montenegro
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Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (; 14 September 1908 – 24 March 1986) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of
Prince Mirko of Montenegro Prince Mirko Dimitri Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro ( sr-Cyrl, Мирко Петровић-Његош; 17 April 1879 – 2 March 1918) was born in Cetinje, the second son of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić. Prince Mirko p ...
, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta (1879–1918), and
Natalija Konstantinović Natalija Konstantinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Наталија Константиновић; 10 October 1882 – 21 August 1950) was a Princess of Montenegro as the wife of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš. The couple had five sons; however, two died ...
, a cousin of
Aleksandar Obrenović Alexander I ( sr-cyr, Александар Обреновић, Aleksandar Obrenović; 14 August 187611 June 1903) reigned as the king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903 when he and his wife, Draga Mašin, were assassinated by a group of Royal Serbian ...
of Serbia. He was pretender to the throne of Montenegro, holding the title Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta, in succession to his father. King Nicholas I of Montenegro was Michael's grandfather. Michael had recognized and acknowledged the Unification of Montenegro with Serbia, renouncing the throne. In World War II he was held prisoner by the Nazis after refusing to take up the throne of the Axis forces' re-established Montenegrin puppet-state. During the period of Yugoslav socialism, he was an active member of the Serb diaspora revolutionary organization and a diplomatic worker against the socialist government led by
Marshal Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
. He was a member of the Crown Council of King
Peter II of Yugoslavia Peter II ( sr-Cyrl, Петар II Карађорђевић, Petar II Karađorđević; 6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970) was the last king of Yugoslavia, reigning from October 1934 until his deposition in November 1945. He was the last r ...
.


Early life

Michael was born in Podgorica in 1908, the son of Prince Mirko of Montenegro. In 1916, the defence of Montenegro against the invasion by Austria-Hungary during the First World War collapsed and he, along with the rest of the royal family, fled to Italy. There, he briefly attended a boarding school in Naples before joining his mother, who had taken up residence in Eastbourne in the United Kingdom where he completed his primary education.


Accession

After his grandfather Nikola died in 1921, the defunct throne was inherited by Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro. However, Danilo unexpectedly abdicated a few days later and his nephew the young Michael (who succeeded him as ''pretender'') "reigned" as ''King Mihailo I'' under the guidance of a regent. On 14 September 1929 the Regency of General
Anto Gvozdenović Anto Gvozdenović (Serbian Cyrillic: Анто Гвозденовић; 26 January 1853 – 2 September 1935) was a Montenegrin, Russian, and French general, a member of the Imperial Russian Privy Council, and a diplomat and statesman.
ended and Mihailo renounced his dynasty's claim to the throne of Montenegro and declared allegiance to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In gratitude, the King of Yugoslavia, Alexander I rewarded ''Prince Mihailo'' with a pension from the
Civil List A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...
.


The Axis Proposition

In 1941, following the
Fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...
, Prince Mihailo and his wife were arrested by the German occupation authorities. They were transferred to Germany and were held at a castle on the shores of
Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
. It was here that they were visited by Count Galeazzo Ciano and
Joachim von Ribbentrop Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (; 30 April 1893 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945. Ribbentrop first came to Adolf Hitler's not ...
and were offered the throne of a new, independent Kingdom of Montenegro, but under Italian and German protection and guidance. He rejected this offer and remained imprisoned in Germany until his aunt, the Queen of Italy ( Elena of Montenegro), secured their release in 1943. They returned to France only to be arrested by the German authorities and transferred to an internment camp at Jezeří Castle in occupied Czechoslovakia. The couple's son
Prince Nicholas of Montenegro Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Петровић-Његош; born 7 July 1944) is a French-born architect and the Head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, which reigned over Montenegro from 1696 to 1766 and again from ...
was born in 1944 in France, in
Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem are called ''pélemois'' in French. History Prehistory The cairn of Croaz Dom H ...
, Brittany.


The Communist Proposition

At the end of the war Michael, his wife and infant son were released; they returned to France, taking up residence in Paris. Shortly after this he began talking to
Marshal Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
of the newly socialist Yugoslavia and was invited to visit the country. In 1947 the young family took up residence 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 ...
and Prince Mihailo accepted the position as ''Head of Protocol'' at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prince Mihailo was able to visit Montenegro which he had not seen since 1916, and realized that the memory of his family was still alive amongst the people. Eventually disappointed with Tito, he returned to France with his family in June 1948.


Opposition to Communist Dictatorship

From its founding in 1946, Michael Petrovich spent his years as an active political dissident of the Communist regime and worked to bring about its downfall. He was a member of the revolutionary
Serb Liberation Movement Fatherland The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
, aimed at gathering the Serb diaspora and internal dissidents in an effort to destroy the Yugoslav Communists.


Later life and death

Following his break with the government of Yugoslavia, the money he received from the
civil list A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...
was terminated. Soon after, he and his wife divorced and he remained in exile until his death in 1986. Their son, Nicholas, was brought up by his mother. Prince Mihailo is buried in the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
cemetery in Paris.


Marriage and children

Michael married in Paris on 27 January 1941 Geneviève Denise Charlotte Prigent (4 December 1919, in
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
– 26 January 1990, in Lannion), second daughter of Dr. François Marie Prigent ( Fontenay-sous-Bois, 8 March 1883 -
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
, 20 August 1947), a surgeon in
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
,Biography of Prince Michael Petrovic-Njegos, The Njegoskij Fund Public Project
/ref> and wife (
Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...
, 17 October 1905) Blanche Victorine Eugénie Bitte ( Paris, 14 October 1883 -
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
, 3 December 1958), paternal granddaughter of Georges François Clair Prigent (
Rospez Rospez (; br, Rospezh) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Rospez are called ''rospéziens'' in French. Breton language In 2008, 14.02% of primary school children attend ...
, 2 April 1848 - Lannion, 29 August 1912) and wife Marie Françoise Kergus (
Ploumilliau Ploumilliau (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Ploumilliau are called ''milliautais'' in French. Breton language The municipality launched a linguistic plan through ...
, 30 September 1857 - Lannion, 18 November 1897) and maternal granddaughter of Joseph Emile Bitte (
Guermange Guermange (; german: Germingen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department * Parc naturel régional ...
, 22 February 1839 - Paris, 1 November 1896) and wife (
Guermange Guermange (; german: Germingen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department * Parc naturel régional ...
, 17 June 1865) Marie Anne Victorine Renner (
Guermange Guermange (; german: Germingen) is a Communes of France, commune in the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department * Parc naturel régional ...
, 22 February 1843 - Paris, 26 July 1913). They divorced on 11 April/August 1949 in Paris. Shortly after, Geneviève started a career of orthoptist in Trébeurden.Dangla, Jacques, ''Geneviève Prigent, orthoptiste pionnière et passionnée'', Revue francophone d'orthoptie, ISSN 1876-2204, 2009, vol. 2, n°1, pp. 41-42
Éd. Elsevier Masson, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France (2008) (Revue)
They had one child: *
Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to 19 ...
(b.
Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem are called ''pélemois'' in French. History Prehistory The cairn of Croaz Dom H ...
, France, 7 July 1944)


Ancestors


Works

* Njegoš's Chapel on Lovćen - Sacred Place ( sr, Његошева капела на Ловћену) * "From My Memoirs" ( sr, Из мојих мемоара), The Serb National Defense, 1961, Windsor


References


External links


The Njegoskij Fund Public Project
: Biography of Prince Michel of Montenegro (1908–1986).
The Njegoskij Fund Public Project
: Biography of Genevieve Prigent, Militant Princess and French Resistant (1919–1990).
Genealogy, Chronology, Notes
: Biography of Michael I of Montenegro (footnotes in English). {{DEFAULTSORT:Michael, Prince Of Montenegro 1908 births 1986 deaths Petrović-Njegoš dynasty Princes of Montenegro Pretenders to the Montenegrin throne Yugoslav anti-communists Yugoslav dissidents Serbs of Montenegro Montenegrin people of Serbian descent Child pretenders