Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard modern Serbian, th ...

: Никола Петровић-Његош; born 7 July 1944) is a French-born architect and the Head of the

House of Petrović-Njegoš A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

, which reigned over

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

from 1696 to 1766 and again from 1782 to 1918. He lives in Montenegro and occupies part of the former royal palace and the historic family home in

Njeguši Njeguši ( cnr, Његуши) is a village in the Cetinje Municipality of southern Montenegro, located on the slopes of Mount Lovćen, within the Lovćen national park. It is part of the territory of Njeguši (tribe), Njeguši tribe. Demographics ...

. In 2011 the country recognised an official role for the Royal

: to promote Montenegrin identity, culture, and traditions through cultural, humanitarian and other non-political activities.

Family background

The house of Petrović came originally from

Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...

and settled in

around 1400. Niegosch was born around 1425 and became the

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

of Njegoš. Nicholas descends from Danilo Petrović-Njegoš who obtained the hereditary Dignity of

Vladika Vladika or Wladika ( sr, владика) is a Slavic title and address of bishops in the Eastern Orthodox Church. In Old Church Slavonic, the meaning of the word is ''Mr.'' From the early-16th to the mid-19th century in Montenegro, the title r ...

(Prince-Bishop) of Montenegro in 1711 when it became a

theocracy Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deity, deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs. Etymology The word theocracy origina ...

. Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš was recognized as Sovereign

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

of Montenegro by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

on 21 March 1852, and established succession by male

primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

. His successor, Prince Nikola I assumed the style of '' Royal Highness'' on 19 December 1900, and the title of

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

28 August 1910. Nicholas is also related to the former royal

House of Obrenović A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

through Jevrem, younger full brother of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the Petrović Njegoš family were forced to flee the country in 1915 after the

Army of Montenegro Montenegrin Ground Army ( cnr, Kopnena vojska Crne Gore) is the ground force of the Armed Forces of Montenegro The Armed Forces of Montenegro ( cnr, Војска Црне Горе, Vojska Crne Gore) are the military forces of Montenegro. The Ar ...

was overwhelmed by the troops of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. At the end of the war, territories of Montenegro joined the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...

, while the Podgorica People's Assembly abolished the Kingdom of Montenegro and deposing the

Petrović Njegoš Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Петровић, ;) is a South Slavic language patronymic surname literally meaning ''Peter's son'', equivalent to the English last name of Peterson. In Eastern Slavic naming customs its counterpart is "Petrovich". The surn ...

dynasty. The family gained the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

citizenship as they made their home in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

where

Nikola I 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 ...

died in

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

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 Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

, 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 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.

, until the Conference of Ambassadors at Paris gave international recognition to the union 13 July 1922. Nicholas 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 Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (; 14 September 1908 – 24 March 1986) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of Prince Mirko of Montenegro, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta (1879–1918), and Natalija Konstantinović, a ...

, the titular King Mihajlo I, who was the father of Prince Nikola II and died in exile in 1986.

Early life

Nicholas was born 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 ...

at the house of a maternal great aunt in France as the only son and heir of

and his wife Geneviève, Princess of Montenegro, née Prigent (1919–1990), a member of the French resistance. 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 Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

. Prince Nicholas' parents were married on 27 January 1941 in Paris. Nicholas was initially baptised

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

by his mother, before his father had him re-baptised

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

. Nicholas has stated he feels close to both religions. His parents divorced in Paris, France, on 11 August 1949, exactly 5 weeks after his 5th birthday. Geneviève received custody of the young Nicholas and raised him largely as a single mother. Growing up in France, Nicholas barely saw his father and knew very little about Montenegro or his family's history being raised and educated as a Frenchman. In 1967 while a student he visited Montenegro for the first time, upon showing his university ID card the staff bowed upon recognising the Petrović-Njegoš 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.

Head of the royal house

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. Nicholas accompanied the remains on an Italian battleship and his family received an enthusiastic welcome from Montenegrians. During the

breakup of Yugoslavia The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

, Nicholas made several statements calling on Montenegrians not to get caught up in the violence. Nicholas was an active participant in the campaign for the restoration of Montenegro's independence, preceding the

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on the separation of the former kingdom from the provisional State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Nicholas chose not to attend the celebrations of the centenary of the Kingdom of Montenegro that were held on 28 August 2010. Instead, he celebrated in private. Legislation passed in 2011 provides Nicholas with a monthly stipend equal to that of the President, and grants his family residences in

Cetinje Cetinje (, ) is a town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital (''prijestonica'' / приjестоница) of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the president of Montenegro ...

and Podgorica, the Petrović Njegoš historic family home in

, and use of the first floor of the former royal palace. The Montenegrin state also promised to pay €4.3 million to a charitable foundation administered by the family.

Marriage and children

On 27 November 1976 in

Trébeurden Trébeurden (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Trébeurden are called ''trébeurdinais'' in French. International relations Trébeurden is twinned with: * Vâlcelele ...

, Côtes-du-Nord, he married Francine Navarro (

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

, 27 January 1950 -

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 6 August 2008),

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

, daughter of Antoine Navarro (

Melilla Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was par ...

, 29 January 1922 -

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, 12 August 1989), who fought in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

, and wife Rachel Wazana (

, 19 July 1929), of

Moroccan Jewish Moroccan Jews ( ar, اليهود المغاربة, al-Yahūd al-Maghāriba he, יהודים מרוקאים, Yehudim Maroka'im) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman times. Jews b ...

descent, paternal granddaughter of Francisco Navarro and wife Carmela Padia and maternal granddaughter of Charles Wazana and wife Fanny ... (? -

, 15 October 1938). Together they raised a family at Les Lilas,

: * 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) *

Boris, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro Boris Petrović-Njegoš (born 21 January 1980), known professionally as Boris Petrovitch Njegosh, is a French-born designer, a member of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, and the only son and heir apparent to Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro. Educa ...

, Grand-Duke (Voivode) of Grahovo and

Zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived f ...

, born at Les Lilas on 21 January 1980. He married Véronique Haillot Canas da Silva on 12 May 2007. The couple has two daughters.

Honours, awards and arms

Honours

National dynastic honours

: Grand Master of the

Order of Petrović Njegoš The Order of Petrović Njegoš (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin: Орден Петровић Његош, Orden Petrović Njegoš) was founded by Nicholas I of Montenegro, King Nikola I of Montenegro in 1896 to commemorate the 200 years of rule of ...

: Grand Master of the Order of Prince Danilo I *

: Grand Master of the

Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje The Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje (Serbian Cyrillic: Орден Светог Петра Цетињског) is the a dynastic order of the Royal House of Petrović-Njegoš. As Montenegro is now a republic, the order is distributed as a private h ...

Foreign honours

* : Member of the

Order of the Legion of Honour Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

* Italy ** Italian Republic: Red Cross Great Cross ** Italian Republic: Recipient of the Red Cross Gold Medal **

Italian Royal Family The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alps, Alpine County of Savoy, county north-west of Ita ...

: Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation **

: Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus **

: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of Savoy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy ...

*** Two Sicilian Royal Family: Recipient of the Golden Medal of Honor of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George *** Two Sicilian Royal Family: Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Francis I The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' it, Reale Ordine di Francesco I) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (u ...

*** : Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 2nd Class with Band * Grand Ducal Royal Family of Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown * Portuguese Royal Family: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (also known as The Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Vicosa; pt, Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Vila Viçosa) is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the f ...

Georgian Royal Family The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In modern usage, the name of the dynasty is sometim ...

: Knight Grand Collar of the

Order of the Eagle of Georgia The Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ ( ka, საქართველოს არწივისა და უფლისა ჩვენისა იესო ქრისტეს უკერ� ...

Awards

Honorary citizen Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

Agrigento Agrigento (; scn, Girgenti or ; grc, Ἀκράγας, translit=Akrágas; la, Agrigentum or ; ar, كركنت, Kirkant, or ''Jirjant'') is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one of ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

(23 June 2007)

Coat of arms

He bears the Montenegrin Coat of Arms, which can be seen at the centre of the

Flag of Montenegro The flag of Montenegro ( cnr, Застава Црне Горе, Zastava Crne Gore) has a red field with gold border and the coat of arms of Montenegro in its center. It was officially adopted on 13 July 2004, when the then Republic of Monteneg ...

. The Royal Coat of Arms is borne by the head of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty, and differs from the family Coat of Arms. The Constitution of 2007 maintained "the tradition" of King Nicholas 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 The Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty ( Montenegrin: ''Zakon o Statusu Potomaka Dinastije Petrović Njegoš'') is a 2011 statute that rehabilitates the Royal House of Montenegro. It was passed in the parliament ...

Zakon o statusu potomaka dinastije Petrović Njegoš
/ref> states that Nicholas "may use the heraldic symbols of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty" (Article 6).

Ancestors

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Prince Of Montenegro 1944 births Living people 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