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Prince Michael of Montenegro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (September 14, 1908, Podgorica - March 24, 1986, Paris) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta (1879-1918), and Natalija Konstantinović, a cousin of Aleksandar Obrenović of Serbia. He was pretender to the throne of Montenegro. He was the Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta, in succession to his father. King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro was Michael's grandfather.
| Pretender Prince Michael Petrović-Njegos |
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| Born | September 14, 1908 Podgorica |
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| Died | March 24, 1986 Paris |
| Throne(s) claimed | Montenegro |
| Pretend from | March 7, 1921 – March 24, 1986 |
| Monarchy abolished | 1918 |
| Last monarch | Nicholas |
| Connection with | Grandson |
| Royal House | Petrović-Njegoš |
| Father | Prince Mirko of Montenegro |
| Mother | Natalija Konstantinović |
| Predecessor | Crown Prince Danilo |
| Successor | Prince Nicholas |
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Michael was born the son of Prince Mirko of Montenegro in Cetinje in 1908. In 1916 the defence of Montenegro against the invasion by Austria-Hungary in the First World War collapsed and he alongside the rest of the Royal Family were forced to flee to Italy. Here, he briefly attended a boarding school in Naples before joining his mother who had taken up residence in Eastbourne, England where he completed his primary education.
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, his nephew the young Michael (who succeeded him as pretender) "reigned" as King Mihaijlo I under the guidance of the regent. In 1929 the Regency of General Anto Gvozdenovic ended and Mihaijlo - perhaps ill advisedly - renounced his dynasty's claim to the defunct throne of Montenegro and declared allegiance to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The King of Serbia, in thanks, rewarded Prince Mihaijlo with a pension from the Civil List.
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In 1941 following the Fall of France, Prince Mihaijlo 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. It was here that they were visited by Count Galeazzo Ciano and Joachim von Ribbentrop 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 by the Germans until his aunt, the Queen of Italy (Elena of Montenegro), secured their release in 1943. He returned to France only to be arrested by the German authorities and transferred to a concentration camp in eastern Germany. It was in this camp that his son Prince Nicholas of Montenegro was born in 1944.
At the end of the war Michael, his wife and infant son were released and returned to France, taking up residence in Paris. Shortly after this he began talking to Marshall Tito of newly socialist Yugoslavia and was invited to come to the country. In 1947 the young family took up residence in Belgrade and Prince Mihaijlo accepted the position of Head of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prince Mihajlo was able to visit Montenegro which he had not seen since 1916, and realized that the memory of his dynasty was still alive in the population, which must have displeased Tito. But, disappointed by Titoism, the princely family came back to France after one year in June 1948.
Following this break from the government of Yugoslavia, the little money he received from the civil list was cut off. After this, he and his wife divorced and he remained in exile until his death in 1986. His son and heir were brought up by his wife. Prince Mihaijlo is buried in the Serbian Orthodox Church cemetery in Paris.
Michael married Geneviève Prigent in Paris, France on January 27, 1941 and they divorced on August 11, 1949 in Paris. They had one child:
- 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).
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Prince Michael of Montenegro
Born: September 14 1908 Died: March 24 1986 |
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| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by Crown Prince Danilo |
— TITULAR — King of Montenegro March 7, 1921 – March 24, 1986 Reason for succession failure: Montenegro declared union with Serbia in 1918 |
Succeeded by Prince Nikola |
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King Nicholas I (1918-1921) |
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