CROWN PRINCE Alexander of Yugoslavia’s lifetime in exile ended yesterday in the suite at Claridge’s where he was born, when the new authorities in Belgrade formally restored his citizenship. 
In a moving ceremony, which heralds the return of the royal family to Yugoslavia and could lead to the restitution of property seized by the communists, a Balkans conflict more than half a century old came to a close with cheers and kisses. 
Zoran Zivkovic, the Yugoslav Interior Minister, who flew from Belgrade for the occasion, presented certificates of citizenship to the Prince and members of the Karadjordjevic royal family. He also handed over an official record of a decision in Parliament last month to scrap the 1947 communist-era law that stripped the members of the royal family of their citizenship and property rights. 
The location for the brief ceremony could not have been more poignant. The hotels ornate room 212 was Prince Alexander’s birthplace in 1945 and was declared sovereign Yugoslav territory by Winston Churchill, mindful that by law the future king had to be born on Yugoslav land to be a rightful heir to the throne. 
Fighting back tears, the Prince vowed that the Yugoslav royal family would now be returning to the land of their ancestors. 
I started my life as an émigré, said the Prince. Choking with emotion, he then abandoned his prepared speech and simply declared: “Anyhow, I am going home. 
Home for the Yugoslavia monarch in exile will be a largely foreign land. He was educated at Gordonstoun and Millfield, went to Sandhurst and served in the British Army until 1972. Since then he has run his own business out of an office in Mayfair. He speaks Serbian fluently but with a heavy accent. 
Although the Prince has made several visits to Yugoslavia and its former republics over the past decade, he could never have contemplated making his home there while Slobodan Milosevic, the ousted leader, remained in power. 
All that changed six months ago when President Kostunica won the election and reformers won a majority in the Serb Parliament in Decembers polls. 
While the royal family are liked by many of their countrymen, and still have pockets of supporters dotted around the country, most Yugoslavs regard them largely as relics from another age. 
The Prince and his followers would clearly like to change that and, without stating it openly, see constitutional monarchy as a serious alternative to the chaos that has swept the region over the past decade. The Prince said yesterday that the question of the monarchy was inappropriate now that Yugoslavia was struggling to cope with serious economic and social problems. 
The issue now is jobs, the healthcare system, the future of the country,” he said. He appealed to the European Union to help the country and said that he and his family would be pressing for more Western assistance. 
We have people who are suffering, we have damages from the system and damages from the bombs, he said. The Danube is still blocked and I think this is pitiful . . . it would be very nice if the EU and the US remember us. We are a proud country but we are always grateful for good investments. 
In the longer term, however, Yugoslavia’s newest citizen hopes to persuade his countrymen of the benefits of a constitutional monarchy. 
There are moves to have a referendum on the return of the monarchy and also to move ahead with the coronation of Prince Alexander, whose father King Peter died in exile in America in 1970. The present royal family could be seen as a unifying force in the Balkans, where civil war has split the territory into ethnic fiefdoms. 

YUGOSLAVIA’s decision to restore citizenship and property rights to the exiled Royal Family could open the way for thousands of claims by Yugoslavs who lost their homes, lands and businesses during communist rule. 
Arguably the biggest issue raised by the planned return of the Karadjordjevic family will be the thorny question of who rightfully owns what in post-communist Yugoslavia. 
The Royal Family fled the country in 1941 in the face of the Nazi invasion. After the war, Tito imposed communist rule over the newly-formed Yugoslav Federation, stripping the Royal Family and their supporters of palaces, estates and villas dotted across the country from Slovenia in the west to Macedonia in the east. 
Those holdings are almost certainly lost for good, since the two countries have broken away from the Yugoslav Federation and are now independent states. 
In Serbia and Montenegro, however, there are still substantial holdings, which Prince Alexander said the communists had catalogued before confiscating them. 
In particular, there is the large compound in Belgrade containing the Stari Dvor (Old Palace) and the Beli Dvor (White House), which Tito used and which more recently Slobodan Milosevic used as a working residence until he was ousted six months ago. 
Details of how the restitution will be handled is due to be set out in a new law. 
“Many people lost property. Either it was confiscated outright, or they were forced to sell,” said Dragomir Acovic, the Prince’s Privy Counsellor. The new law should set up a framework for their claims to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.” 
Working through the claims could take years, but the current authorities in Belgrade have insisted that everyone, from the Royal Family down, will have the opportunity to get back what is rightfully theirs. 

CROWN Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia wept yesterday as he stood in Suite 212 at Claridges Hotel, London - the room in which he was born in exile 55 years ago - after finally receiving citizenship of his own country. 

In an emotional ceremony, made possible after the repeal of a Communist-era decree which stripped the former royal family of citizenship and property rights, he was handed his birthright and declared: "I'm going home". His voice breaking, the prince said: "I started my life as an émigré. I'm very happy that as a family we can return home as citizens". 

Along with his wife, Princess Katherine, 57, the prince, who is the Queen's godson, hopes to leave his Knightsbridge home for good within a few months. The couple were accompanied by Philip and Alexander, the Crown Prince's 19-year-old twin sons by his first marriage, as the citizenship certificate was handed over by Zoran Zivkovic, Yugoslavia's Interior Minister. 

The prince said he hoped to use his experience in the financial world in London, New York and Chicago to attract investment for his impoverished homeland. Princess Katherine will continue her role as the new government's co-ordinator for humanitarian aid as she works to resurrect the public health service. He said: "I'm going to use this opportunity to appeal to the European Union to come to our aid." 

The decision by the Yugoslav parliament two weeks ago was made to "rectify a historical injustice". But the Karadjordjevic family will not automatically get back lost property, including the White Palace in which the deposed president Slobodan Milosevic received official guests. This will be dealt with separately. The 1947 decree affected Yugoslavia's last king, Petar II, Prince Alexander's father, and nine other members of the family who fled to London in 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded. 

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - A prince who has never lived in his country gained his citizenship on Monday. 
Yugoslav Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic, son of the country's last king Peter II, was given back his citizenship in a ceremony at the exclusive London hotel where he was born into exile nearly 55 years ago. 
"I am going home," the prince said in English, abandoning his prepared speech after he was overcome by emotion. 
The prince was dressed in a dark business suit and the ceremony, conducted by Yugoslav government officials, took place at London's Claridge’s Hotel. 
The Yugoslav federal parliament passed a bill last month to restore citizenship to members of its royal family, who fled the country after Nazi German forces invaded. 
Communist rulers stripped the family's royal status and property rights in 1947. 
But Yugoslav's interior minister Zoran Zivkovic told reporters that nurturing the country's democratic development was a priority over reinstating its monarchy. 
"The issue of the monarchy is a democratic question," he said through a translator. "The immediate task is to crown democracy." 
The prince, a long-time critic of ousted President Slobodan Milosevic, agreed. 
"The issue now is the jobs, the health care, and the future of the country," said the prince, who added he supports all the political parties in the nation. "Now I have to do my duty and so does my family to help our country." 
The prince made an appeal to the European Union to "get on with their job" of helping the war-torn nation get back on its feet. 
"We're opening our doors to private investment," he said. "It would be very nice if the EU and the U.S. remembers us." 
The prince, a godson of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, has served in the British army and worked in banking, consulting and advertising. The family -- his wife, Princess Katherine, and three sons -- plan to move from their ritzy Knightsbridge home to Belgrade soon. The Yugoslav Parliament is expected to pass another bill that would restore the royal family's property rights, including the 19-century White Palace, which Milosevic used as a working residence. 

LONDON (AP) -- Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, born in a London hotel suite four years after the royal family fled the country ahead of advancing Nazi forces, became a Yugoslav citizen on Monday. 

Zoran Zivkovic, interior minister of Yugoslavia's new pro-democracy administration, confirmed Alexander's citizenship in a ceremony in Suite 212 at Claridge's Hotel, where the prince was born July 17, 1945. 

King Peter II fled Yugoslavia in 1941, and Yugoslavia's communist government abolished the monarchy in 1945. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared the suite Yugoslav territory the day the crown prince was born so the heir to the throne would be considered Yugoslav-born. 

``I started my life as an émigré,'' said a tearful Alexander. He said he intended to move to Yugoslavia. ``I'm very happy that as a family we can return home as citizens... As citizens we will do our best.'' 

Alexander said he planned to use his experience in the financial world to seek investment for his homeland. 

``We are opening our doors to private investment. It would be very nice if the EU and the U.S. remember us,'' he added. 

Alexander was accompanied by his wife, Princess Katherine, 57, and his 19-year-old twin sons by his first marriage, Philip and Alexander. Another son, Peter, 21, is a student in the United States. 

In an interview for London’s Daily Telegraph, Prince Aleksandar said it was his intention to assist in encouraging foreign investment in Yugoslavia rather than the renewal of the monarchy. 

The Daily Telegraph writes that due to her success with her charity work for Balkan war victims, President Kostunica has asked Princess Katarina to take over the coordination of his humanitarian projects. 

The heir to the throne and his family are expected to receive their Yugoslav passports from Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic on Monday. 

He told Britain's Sunday Telegraph in an interview in his London home that he would be presented with certificates of citizenship for him and his family by Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic. 

The ceremony takes place in suite 212 of the exclusive Claridge’s hotel in central London, where he was born into exile in 

1945. Now aged 55, with English his mother tongue but Serbian apparently "coming on well," he said he was preparing to return to live in Belgrade as soon as possible. 

"I thought I was destined for life as a professional refugee, he said. "I love London, but I cannot tell you how much it means to my family to be given the chance to go home. "This is another nail in the coffin of oppression in Yugoslavia," he reasoned. 

The prince's father was chased from the country by German forces in 1941, and the post-war Socialist regime of Josip Broz Tito forbade the royals from returning. He went back last October after Slobodan Milosevic was overthrown, voicing support for new President Vojislav Kostunica and saying that he would return to live. 

He was tactful, in his Sunday Telegraph interview, about a restoration of the monarchy. "I think a constitutional monarchy is a fine system and there is no better example than Britain," he said. "I also respect republics. "It is up to the people and politicians to choose. "Our immediate goal is to restore prosperity not monarchy. The priorities are jobs, services and investment." He said he hoped to use his financial experience and royal name to attract investment to Yugoslavia. 

The emotional ceremony follows the repeal by the Yugoslav parliament of a communist decree that stripped the royal family of its citizenship and its palaces. Prince Alexander and his Greek wife, Princess Katherine, intend to move permanently to Belgrade within a few months, swapping their home in Knightsbridge for the splendours of the 19th-century Old Palace. 

The younger White Palace, which stands in the same compound, was the official residence of Slobodan Milosevic until he was toppled five months ago. 

"I thought I was destined to life as a professional refugee," the 55-year-old prince said in an exclusive interview at his Piccadilly offices. "I love London, but I cannot tell you how much it means to my family to be given the chance to go home. This is another nail in the coffin of oppression in Yugoslavia." 

Their imminent return reflects the remarkable transformation in Belgrade since the overthrow of Milosevic, of whom Prince Alexander was an outspoken critic. The prince and his wife cannot disguise their excitement about the chance to help rebuild their shattered country. 

He intends to draw on his royal name and experience in the financial world in London, New York and Chicago to attract investment for his impoverished homeland; she will continue her role as the new government's co-ordinator for humanitarian aid as she works to resurrect the stricken public health service. 

President Vojislav Kostunica, Milosevic's successor, is a royalist and his government is anxious to cast off relics of the communist past, so it may not be long before Crown Prince Alexander becomes King Alexander II. In the process, Yugoslavia would become the first country in eastern Europe to restore the monarchy. For now, however, his thoughts are focused on tomorrow's presentation when Zoran Zivkovic, the Yugoslav interior minister, hands certificates of citizenship to Prince Alexander and his family. 

The crown prince and Princess Katherine, 57, will be joined by Philip and Alexander, his 19-year-old twin sons by his first marriage to Princess Maria da Gloria of Orleans Braganza. His third child, Peter, 21, is studying in the United States. 

The ceremony will be staged, with an appropriate nod to history, in Suite 212 where the crown prince was born on July 17, 1945. His parents, King Peter II and Queen Alexandra, who fled German forces in 1941 and subsequently led their government-in-exile from Greece, Palestine and Egypt, were living in the hotel at the end of the war. Winston Churchill declared the suite Yugoslav territory for the day so that the heir to the throne would be born in his own country. 

Although the prince intends to move to Belgrade as soon as feasible, he handles questions about the possible restoration of the monarchy with a diplomat's tact. "I think a constitutional monarchy is a fine system and there is no better example than Britain," he said. "I also respect republics. It is up to the people and politicians to choose. Our immediate goal is to restore prosperity not monarchy. The priorities are jobs, services and investment." 

His previous visits to the country have attracted huge crowds and supporters of the monarchy cite the precedent of Spain, where King Juan Carlos's return played a key role in unifying the country after Franco's dictatorship. Should he find himself as the head of a constitutional monarchy, he knows that he can turn to Buckingham Palace for advice - the Queen is his godmother. Indeed, he has already sought her guidance. 

His wife is a bundle of energy. She arrives clutching a file heavy with pleas for assistance from hospitals, clinics and orphanages. She set up her own charity, Lifeline, in London in 1993 to channel aid to victims of conflict in the Balkans, regardless of their religion or ethnic origin. So successful was her work that President Kostunica asked her to co-ordinate his humanitarian operations. "It is a huge responsibility," she says. "The health service has collapsed. In my heart, I know things will get better, but for now the situation is terrible." 

The Sandhurst-educated Prince Alexander will maintain his position "on a few boards" to fund his family and their homes as he knows there is no question of the equivalent of a civil list. English is his mother tongue but he says his Serbian is "coming on well". 

He may face a dispute with his cousin, Princess Elizabeth (mother of the Hollywood actress Catherine Oxenberg), over the White Palace, although the prince says the property clearly belongs to his line of the family. 

The fate of Milosevic and the future of Montenegro are still to be resolved and a fresh conflict is under way along Kosovo's borders but the prince is optimistic. "After years of madness, negative nationalism and negative religions, we are extremely proud and excited to be able to play our role in the new democratic era." 

Belgrade, 10 March: As of today, members of the [Yugoslav royal] Karadjordjevic dynasty are officially Yugoslav citizens, after the FRY Interior Ministry issued copies from the Citizenship Register to the family this morning, Goran Vesic, adviser to the FRY interior minister, announced. 

He told Beta that the law overturning a decree, which seized the assets of the members of the Karadjordjevic dynasty and stripped them of citizenship, came into effect today... 

The members of the dynasty will formally become Yugoslav citizens on Monday [12 March], when they will receive copies from the Citizenship Register. These will be presented to them in London by an Interior Ministry delegation, headed by Minister Zoran Zivkovic... 

Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1124 gmt 10 Mar 01