The House of Karađorđević or Karađorđević dynasty ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Династија Карађорђевић, Dinastija Karađorđević, ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Карађорђевићи, Karađorđevići, label=none) was the former ruling Serbian and deposed Yugoslav royal family. The family was founded by Karađorđe Petrović (1768–1817), the ''Veliki Vožd'' ( sr-Cyrl, Велики Вожд, lit=Grand Leader, link=no) of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

during the

First Serbian uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...

of 1804–1813. In the course of the 19th century the relatively short-lived dynasty was supported by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

and was opposed to the Austrian-supported House of Obrenović. The two houses subsequently vied for the throne for several generations. Following the

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

of the Obrenović King Alexander I of Serbia in 1903, the Serbian Parliament chose Karađorđe's grandson, Peter I Karađorđević, then living in exile, to occupy the throne of the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...

. He was duly crowned as King Peter I, and shortly before the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1918, representatives of the three peoples proclaimed a Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes with Peter I as sovereign. In 1929, the kingdom was renamed

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, under Alexander I, the son of Peter I. In November 1945 the family lost their throne when the

League of Communists of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats ...

seized power during the reign of Peter II.

Name

In English, the family name can be anglicized as ''Karageorgevitch'' (e.g., as with

Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch ( / ''Knez Božidar Karađorđević''; 11 January 1862 – 2 April 1908) was a Serbian artist, art writer, world traveller, and member of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty. He gave singing and drawing lessons and ...

and Prince Philip Karageorgevitch) or romanised as ''Karadjordjevic''. Its origin is as a

patronym A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, ...

of the

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may beco ...

''Karađorđe'', bestowed upon the family's founder, Đorđe Petrović, at the end of the 18th century. In 1796, Osman Pazvantoğlu, the renegade governor of the Ottoman Sanjak of Vidin, who had rejected the authority of the

Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildi ...

, launched an invasion of the Pashalik of Belgrade, governed by Hadji Mustafa Pasha since 1793. Overwhelmed, Mustafa Pasha formed a Serbian national militia to help stop the incursion. Đorđe Petrović joined the militia and became a '' boluk-bashi'' (), leading a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

of 100 men. After the Serb militias joined the war on Mustafa Pasha's side, Pazvantoğlu suffered a string of defeats. He retreated to Vidin, which was subsequently besieged. The war against Pazvantoğlu marked the first time that Petrović had distinguished himself in the eyes of the Ottomans, who bestowed upon him the sobriquet "Black George" (; ), partly because of his dark hair and partly because of his sinister reputation.

Ancestry

According to some researchers, Karađorđe's paternal ancestors most likely migrated from the Highlands (in what is today Montenegro) to

Šumadija Šumadija ( sr-Cyrl, Шумадија, ) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of t ...

during the Second Great Serb Migration in 1737–39 under the leadership of

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and ...

Šakabenta, as a result of the Austro-Turkish War (in which Serbs took part). Serbian historiography accepted the theory that Karađorđe's ancestors came from

Vasojevići The Vasojevići (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl, Васојевићи, ) is a historical Tribes of Montenegro#Brda, highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda (Montenegro), Brda. It is the largest ...

. Some conjecture has arisen about where the family ended up after arriving in Šumadija. According to Radoš Ljušić, Karađorđe's ancestors most likely hailed from Vasojevići, but he has said there is no certain historical information on Karađorđe's ancestors or where they came from, folklore being the only real source. Most likely, Karađorđe's ancestors hailed from

.R-J. V. Vesović, 1935, "Pleme Vasojevići", Državna Štampa u Sarajevu, SarajevoFelix Phillip Kanitz 1987, p. 334: "Као што је доказао Ђукић10, велики српски борац за слободу угледао је свој први дан живота 1752. у Вишевцу, окруженом густом храстовом шумом, где се његов отац доселио из Васојевића у Црној Гори." Grigorije Božović (1880–1945) claimed that the family were ''Srbljaci'' (natives) in Vasojevići territory. Contributing to ''Srbljak'' theory is the fact that the family celebrated St Clement as their Slava until 1890, while the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of Vasojevići, i.e. Vaso's descendants, is

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

. King Peter I was allowed to change his Slava to St Andrew the First-called by Belgrade Metropolitan Mihailo in 1890, following the death of his wife, Princess Zorka, thus honoring the date on the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

when Serbian rebels liberated Belgrade during the First Serbian Uprising. Furthermore, King Peter chose

Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

of Vasojevići Miljan Vukov Vešović to be his bridesman during his wedding to princess Zorka in 1883. Upon being asked by his future father-in-law prince Nicholas why he chose Miljan amongst various

s of Montenegro, he replied that he chose him because of ''heroism and relation'' describing him as ''Vojvode of my own blood and kin''. His son,

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. 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 ar ...

, who was born in

Cetinje Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...

was nicknamed ''Montenegrin''. The

tribe claim descent from Stefan Konstantin of the Nemanjić dynasty. The Vasojevići were proud of Karađorđe, and saw him as their kinsman. Montenegrin politician and Vasojević

Gavro Vuković Gavro Vuković ( sr-cyrl, Гавро Вуковић; 1852, Lijeva Rijeka, Principality of Montenegro – 29 July 1928, Berane, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Kingdom of SCS) also known as Voivode, Vojvoda Gavro ( sr-cyrl, Војвода Гавро) was a ...

, supported this theory. Accordingly, Alexander Karađorđević (1806–1885) was given the title "Voivode of Vasojevići" by Petar II in 1840. Other theories include: Montenegrin historian Miomir Dašić claimed that Karađorđe's family originated from the Gurešići from Podgorica in Montenegro. Folklorist Dragutin Vuković believed that Tripko Knežević–Guriš was Karađorđe's great-grandfather; Vukićević, writing in 1907, said that in the surroundings of Podgorica, there is a local claim that Karađorđe's ancestors initially came from Vranj. The family claimed descent from the

tribe (in Montenegro) and had emigrated in the late 1730s or early 1740s. The family lived in Mačitevo (in Suva Reka), from where grandfather Jovan moved to Viševac, while Jovan's brother Radak moved to Mramorac.

List of monarchs

Heads of the House since 1945

The Karađorđevići are active in Serbian society in various ways. There is a view that constitutional parliamentary monarchy would be the ultimate solution for stability, unity, and continuity in Serbia. In addition, the family supports

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

as a democratic country with a future in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. The last crown prince of Yugoslavia, Alexander, has lived in Belgrade at the Dedinje Royal Palace since 2001. As the only son of the last king, Peter II, who never abdicated, and the last official heir of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia he claims to be the rightful heir to the Serbian throne in the event of restoration. At the palace, Alexander regularly receives religious leaders and strives, as opportunity permits, to demonstrate his commitment to human rights and to democracy. The family are also much engaged in humanitarian work. Crown Princess Katherine has a humanitarian foundation while Crown Prince Alexander heads the Foundation for Culture and Education, whose activities include student scholarships, and summer camps for children. On 27 April 2022, Prince Peter Karageorgevitch renounced his title of Hereditary prince – for himself and his descendants – and his younger brother Prince Philip became their father's heir apparent. The ceremony took place at Casa de Pilatos in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, Spain. Present were Peter's and Philip's mother Princess Maria Da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza, Duchess of Segorbe and their stepfather Ignacio, 19th Duke of Segorbe; Philip's wife Princess Danica; their half-sister Sol, Countess of Ampurias; Ljubodrag Grujić, a member of the Crown Council and Chancellor of the Orders and Herald of the House of Karađorđević; and Nikola Stanković, Chief of Staff of the Crown Prince. ;List of heirs * Crown Prince Alexander (29 November 1945 – 3 November 1970), Son of King Peter II * Prince Tomislav (3 November 1970 – 5 February 1980), 2nd son of King Alexander I * Prince Peter (5 February 1980 – 27 April 2022), 1st son of Crown Prince Alexander * Prince Philip (27 April 2022 – present), 2nd son of Crown Prince Alexander

Serbia and Yugoslavia

The Karađorđević family initially was a Serbian Royal House, then the Royal House of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and then the Royal House of Yugoslavia. When they last reigned they were called the Royal House of Yugoslavia. Crown Prince Alexander was born in London but on property temporarily recognized by the United Kingdom's government as subject to the sovereignty of the Yugoslav crown, on which occasion it was publicly declared that the Crown Prince had been born on the native soil of the land he was expected to eventually rule.

Heraldry

File:Coat of arms of Serbia.svg, Coat of arms of Serbia File:Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg, Coat of arms of Yugoslavia

Male descendants of Karađorđe

The list below includes male members of the Karađorđević dynasty. Bold denotes the current head of the House. Number in parentheses indicates the order of line of Succession to the throne, as of April 2022. The order of line of Succession is not official. * '' Grand Leader Karađorđe'' (1768–1817) **''Alexis'' (1801–1830) ***''George'' (1827–1884) ****'' Prince Alexis'' (1859–1920) ****'' Prince Bojidar'' (1862–1908) ** '' Prince Alexander'' (1806–1885) ***''Alexis'' (1836–1841) ***''Hereditary Prince Svetozar'' (1841–1847) *** '' King Peter I'' (1844–1921) ****'' Prince George'' (1887–1972) **** '' King Alexander I'' (1888–1934) ***** '' King Peter II'' (1923–1970) ****** Crown Prince Alexander (b. 1945) ******* Prince Peter (b. 1980) *******(1) Hereditary Prince Philip (b. 1982) ******** (2) Prince Stephen (b. 2018) *******(3) Prince Alexander (b. 1982) *****'' Prince Tomislav'' (1928–2000) ******(4) Prince Nicholas (b. 1958) ******(5) Prince George (b. 1984) ******(6) Prince Michael (b. 1985) *****'' Prince Andrew'' (1929–1990) ******''Prince Christopher'' (1960–1994) ******(7) Prince Vladimir (b. 1964) *******''Prince Kirill'' (2001–2001) ******(8) Prince Dimitri (b. 1965) ****''Prince Andrew'' (1890–1890) ***''Prince Andrew'' (1848–1864) ***''Prince George'' (1856–1889) ***'' Prince Arsen'' (1859–1938) **** '' Prince Regent Paul'' (1893–1976) *****'' Prince Alexander'' (1924–2016) ****** Prince Dimitri (b. 1958) ****** Prince Michael (b. 1958) ******Prince Sergius (b. 1963) *******( illegit.) Umberto (b. 2018) ******Prince Dushan (b. 1977) *****'' Prince Nicholas'' (1928–1954)

Notes

References

Sources and further reading

* * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Crown Prince Alexander's Foundation for Culture and Education

Princess Katherine's Humanitarian Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karadjordjevic dynasty Modern history of Serbia 19th century in Serbia 20th century in Serbia 1804 establishments in Serbia 1813 disestablishments in Serbia 1842 establishments in Serbia 1858 disestablishments in Serbia 1903 establishments in Serbia 1945 disestablishments in Yugoslavia