Serbia’s Crown Prince Hopes To Win Back The Throne
Serbia’s global image would improve, the political landscape would be cleaned up, and much-needed cash would be safe in the country’s coffers if Serbia would return a Karadjordjevic king to the throne. That is the opinion of Crown Prince Alexander II, as told to W!LD RooSTeR during an interview at Belgrade’s Royal Palace.
“I think that parliamentary monarchy is a great solution for Serbia,’ declared Crown Prince Alexander, who publicly favours a system of parliamentary monarchy. “The Prime Minister and his cabinet, along with the parliament, elected by the people in free and fair elections, would run the country. I should say that the politicians would be the same. You can’t have a new bunch of politicians, just pick them up from some village.
“What would be different is that the Head of State would be neutral, they would not be a member or president of any political party. They would be the meeting point of unity and continuity. That is absolutely vital.”
As well as practical and constitutional benefits, the Crown Prince believes that placing a royal figurehead on the ancient throne would positively impact the world’s perception of Serbia. “The image of the country would change a lot and it would be cheaper, also. You would cut out one election for president, and it would run similar to the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Holland, Sweden and so on. It works extremely well there, and these societies where there is constitutional monarchy are extremely advanced societies, socially and politically.”
Despite the Serbian government publicly shunning the idea as irrelevant, the Crown Prince is convinced that Serbia is ready for such a bold step, sensing the mood of the people is behind him, as he travels the nation. “People are a little fed up with politics,’ he said. “They want to get on with life. They want to have a job, have a good social system, health care, pensions and so on. I think the monarchy could cut out the political rhetoric and allow politicians – the Prime Minister and his cabinet – to get on with the business of running the country.”
Popularity at the Palace is something that matters dearly to the head of Serbia’s Karadjordjovic royal family, appreciating it as their key to survival. “We notice a tremendous amount of interest, from young people, old people, everyone. They are very warm, very interested when we meet them at the Palace.”
To foster even better relations with the people, they recently staked their place in the social media world, Crown Prince Alexander said: “We have started a Facebook page. People are very, very nice there, they get on with each other, and we get some lovely comments. It’s good to see that. Curiously enough, all political parties joined our page! I don’t know anywhere else in the country where you have all the political parties together in one group, which is quite interesting.”
As head of a dynasty spread around the world, Crown Prince Alexander has his work cut out keeping the extended family informed and together. “Unity is important to a family like ours,’ he said. “My oldest son, Peter, is a graphic designer. It’s pretty technical stuff but he enjoys doing that. Philip is in the financial world in London, and Alexander is in New York in public relations and communications. But they come here to the palace quite often.”
Now that the opportunity has been identified, the Royal Family is exploring the logistics of such a move. “First of all the people will need to want it,’ said the Crown Prince.
“Organisation is not a great trait in our country and this is probably due to the years of dictatorship, where the regimes have imposed their will on the people. So we will need more organisation and, of course, funds would help. Politicians need to realise it is not an act against them, it is actually in favour of them and they would operate more freely. So there’s a lot more work to be done to convince and make people happy, relaxed, and not be against it.”
There is also an on-going issue of family property that was confiscated by the Tito regime and which the Crown Prince is fighting to have returned. “We are a long way away still,’ he said. “We are one of the only countries in South Eastern Europe who has not got a restitution bill. There is talk about it coming in parliament and it has to be done if you want to become a member of the European Union.
“I like to see myself as helping other families who have lost property that was confiscated. It is not only my family, the Royal Family, but other families who have been hurt by these illegal acts of dictatorships.”
First, though, they must work with the Serbian government to determine the management of the royal palaces they currently occupy. “The government have been funding [upkeep] but they have been reducing it tremendously,’ he said.
“We are seated here in confiscated property [the Royal Palace] and the principle is that either they return it, which would be normal, and with my family I would have to find a way of funding to maintain this huge compound with two palaces, or they take care of what they claim to be theirs until they decide by parliamentary act how to deal with it.
“We have the Minister of Culture and the government involved here and they are working on a bill to make the funding of the compound a legal entity. My wife and I and our family do not live off the funding bill. We fund ourselves for living expenses. The bill and the money that comes in are to repair things, which has been very problematic. We’ve had leaks and horrific problems, and it’s a big responsibility with all the art in here. We still have some beautiful art, which I am very glad about. So we have to preserve this little Versailles, as one might say, for the good of the people, so they can come and visit and enjoy it.
“We receive everybody in this Palace. Everybody comes to visit us. We love seeing people, young and old, pensioners and so on. I think there is an element that is needed to bring everyone together. The White Palace should be a centre for culture, for history and the Government can use it for a visiting head of state, but first it needs some work.”
8 / 2 / 2011 12:53 pm
Right. The family of the peasants Karadjordjevic, brutal murderers of the legitimate King Aleksander and his wife Draga, would be the suitable rulers of Serbia, perfectly representing national character. This family is neither royal nor anything else, and should just dissolve in history.
8 / 3 / 2011 4:06 am
The pretender is a member of the Atlantic Council. A NATO linked NGO.
So much for the myth he tries to present of a constiutional monarchy in which the king is outside the monarchy.
8 / 3 / 2011 4:05 pm
I’ve met him a few times. He’s a plank. On Vidovdan a few year back (the Orthadox church near Liecester, UK), he and his family didn’t stay very long as they had to get their kids back to private school. He only started learning serbian few years back too.
8 / 11 / 2011 7:55 am
The point that is failed to be realized is that he has devoted himself to charity for this country as well as, from what i can tell, he seems to resist any political sides making him impartial. I’d rather have someone with no agenda on my side than someone who is probably highly corrupt.