Thursday, January 9, 1997 

Hopes rise for man who would be king

For the man born to be king of Yugoslavia, the daily massed protest on the streets of Belgrade represent the best hope of restoration since Tito's communists abolished the monarchy in 1945. 

Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic, great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, and godson of the present Queen and cousin to most of the crowned heads of Europe, now works in modest offices in London's Park Lane, assisted by just one secretary. 

The disintegration of Yugoslavia means that, unlike his ancestors, Alexander no longer aspires to be King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. His diminished kingdom would comprise just Serbia and statelet Montenegro, that entity known to the international community as "rump Yugoslavia". 

But he wishfully speaks of a "domino effect" that might also bring democracy to Croatia, and refuses to rule out the possibility that the Serb half of Bosnia might one day be reattached to Serbia proper, despite what the Dayton peace accord say. 

"One day, there will have to be a Dayton 2," he argues. 

For many years a strong critic of the Milosevic regime, the prince now believes the strongman's time is over. 

"It is time for change. People are fed up," he says. Serbia and Montenegro have become internationally isolated, and at home the people know this, and will no longer permit their votes to be stolen by this man. He's a dinosaur of the past, a spent force." 

The turning point was reached, the prince believes, earlier this week, when the Serbian Orthodox Church turned against Milosevic, who is condemned for having annulled local elections in November that gave control of key cities, including Belgrade, to the opposition. 

Elements in the army, too, have said that they are ready to rebel, especially if Mr Milosevic orders them to turn their guns on the demonstrators. 

"The situation is very dangerous," says the prince. 

"Both of Mr Milosevic's parents committed suicide, and I am afraid he is planning a collective suicide for the nation. He seems be a captain intent on going down with his ship. It's time for him to recognise that he must put the interests of the country above his own." 

The prince believes that as a constitutional monarch, he would be uniquely well-placed to oversee the reconstruction of a country blighted in this century by occupation, communism and civil war. Standing outside the political fray, he could help guide a transitional government towards a new constitution and elections. 

His model, to whom he constantly refers, is a cousin, King Juan Carlos of Spain. "Juan Carlos must be credited with bringing democracy back to Spain after the death of Franco," he says. 

"Spain was fascist: now it is a great democracy and a member of the European Union. What does the King provide? He provides unity." 

Just how much support there is for a restoration of the Yugoslav monarchy is hard to fathom. Certainly, on his last visit to Serbia, ion 1992, the prince was greeted by enthusiastic crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. 

But during the past 52 days demonstrations, though they have been sporadic chants calling for his return, it has not emerged as a dominant issue. However, the prince claims that in principle the leadership of the three main opposition parties, who have together formed the anti-Milosevic Zajedno coalition, all support restoration. 

In the case of the most powerful of the opposition leaders, Vuk Draskovic, that is certainly true. 

"I do support the return of the monarchy, though only if the people agree," Mr Draskovic told The Daily Telegraph recently. 

A second leader, Zoran Djindjic, is also believed to favour the idea. 

A cautious man, Prince Alexander has visited his homeland three times, but has held back throughout the most recent upheavals. Now he hints, he could be on the point of returning. 

"It might happen within days," he says. "There have been already conversations. Had Mr. Djindjic become Mayor of Belgrade, I would be back already." 

If Mr Milsosevic reinstates Mr Djindjic, the implication is, he may be on the next plane. 

The prince was born a few hundred yards from his offices in Claridges Hotel just four months before his family were stripped of their royal titles. 

Because Serbian law requires a royal heir to born on Serbian soil, the Home Office declared Claridges, from where his exiled father had run his wartime government, to be Yugoslav territory for the day. 

This constitutional dodge has been challenged by Alexander's uncle, Prince Tomislav, who would otherwise be King-in -waiting. But though Tomislav's claims are said to enjoy the support of Mr Milosevic, they have found little support elsewhere. 

"Facts are facts, and the fact is that I am my father's heir," says Alexander. "No one seriously doubts that." 

" I think that 1997 will be a good year," he adds, smiling. " A good year for the Karadjordjevic dynasty and for the people of Yugoslavia."