TUESDAY JULY 10 2001
THE TIMES
Yugoslavia
invites royal family back to palace
BY
RICHARD BEESTON, DIPLOMATIC EDITOR
CROWN Prince Alexander of
Yugoslavia
has been told that he will be able to move back into his family’s
official residence in
Belgrade
, 60 years after his father’s eviction.
In a move that could herald the restoration
of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, Zoran Djindjic, the Prime Minister of
Serbia, told the Yugoslav heir to the throne at a meeting in
Belgrade
that the way was clear for his “family to return and live in their
home”.
The properties in question are the Stari Dvor
(Old Palace) and Beli Dvor (White Palace), located in a sprawling compound
in Belgrade’s fashionable Dedinje suburb.
The houses, along with other royal properties
in
Serbia
and
Montenegro
, were confiscated by the communists and used first by Marshal Tito and
later Slobodan Milosevic as their working residences. With Mr
Milosevic’s removal from power last October, the way was opened for the
royal family to return from exile.
Both buildings are said to be in good
condition. Although visitors complain of “heavy communist” decor, some
of the original paintings have survived.
Crown Prince Alexander, who was born into
exile in a suite at Claridge’s in 1945 but had his Yugoslav nationality
restored in March this year, is now making arrangements to return with his
family.
“I do not want to say in a hotel. I have a
house here in our country. I am a Yugoslav, a Serb. This is my country,”
he said in
Belgrade
. “My wife and I are very happy to come here once again, but we do not
want to come here as if we were arriving in a foreign country. We would
like to come to our home.”
The return of the Yugoslav royal family could
have significant political implications in
Belgrade
. Although monarchists are a minority in
Serbia
and
Montenegro
, events in the Balkans have improved their prospects enormously.
Yugoslavia
has watched with interest the return to power of King Simeon of
Bulgaria
, who emerged from exile to lead a political party to victory in general
elections in June. Also, the Crown Prince’s return has coincided with a
constitutional debate on the future of
Yugoslavia
as a federal republic, after repeated threats by
Montenegro
to break away and declare independence. Some argue that a constitutional
monarchy could provide a good compromise solution to resolve the crisis.
BBC Monitoring
Sunday, 8 July, 2001
,
07:09 GMT
08:09
UK
Yugoslav royalty to return to
ancestral home
The royal family - set to return to
ancestral home
The Yugoslav royal family has been told it will be allowed to live in one
of the palaces once occupied by the monarchy in
Belgrade
.
The current head of the royal
family, Crown Prince Alexander, expressed delight after Serbian Prime
Minister Zoran Djindjic told him he would be able to live in Stari Dvor -
the
Old
Palace
- in the exclusive residential area of Dedinje.
His father, King Petar II, once
lived in Stari Dvor. He was exiled in 1941 and died in the
USA
in 1970.
Regret
Belgrade-based Radio B-92 reported
that Mr Djindjic had held talks with the crown prince and had
"reached agreement for the Karadjordjevic family to return and live
in their home".
Mr Djindjic said the family could
"also start proceedings for the return of its property",although
it was unclear exactly how much property would be involved.
Mr Djindjic said he "regretted
this had not happened earlier".
The crown prince, who was granted
Yugoslav citizenship in March after parliament abolished the communist
decree stripping the monarchy of its rights, said he was happy to be back.
"I do not want to stay in a
hotel. I have a house here in our country. I am a Yugoslav, a Serb. This
is my country, as much as it is yours.
"My wife and I are very happy
to come here once again, but we do not want to come here as if we were
arriving in a foreign country. We would like to come to our home," he
said.
Return from exile
Crown Prince Alexander was born in
Claridges hotel in
London
in 1945 and was barred from
visiting
Yugoslavia
by the communist leader, Josip Broz Tito.
He first visited the country in
1991, when half a million people lined the streets of
Belgrade
to greet him. He has since returned many times, but continued to live in
London
.
The crown prince welcomed the
overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic last October,but s aid at the time he was
unsure whether he would return permanently to
Yugoslavia
.
However, he did say: "My
future is in the homeland and in the family. In going back, which was
always my desire, to help the country, to serve the people, but not to
create any problems.
"The monarchy provides unity,
the continuity and the stability of the state," he said.
But unlike his royal counterpart in
Bulgaria
,King Simeon, who could soon be prime minister,the crown prince has yet to
reveal any aspirations to become actively involved in politics.
The then newly elected President,
Vojislav Kostunica, told the crown prince that another former royal
palace, the White
Palace - also in Dedinje and
recently occupied by Slobodan Milosevic - could be returned to him.
It is not clear whether this is
still scheduled to go ahead, or whether Crown Prince Alexander would want
it if he is to take over Stari Dvor.
Belgrade-based
Radio B92 on 7 July
Crown Prince Aleksandar to return to
live in "old home" in Yugoslavia
Text of report by Belgrade-based
Radio B92 on 7 July
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
Djindjic has told reporters after a meeting wish Crown Prince [of
Yugoslavia
] Aleksandar [Karadjordjevic] and his [Greek] wife Katarina that the Old
Palace will be handed over for the use of the Karadjordjevic family.
During the conversation, agreement was reached to allow the Karadjordjevic
family to return and live in their house, and for them to start the
proceedings for the return of property.
Djindjic said he regretted this had
not happened earlier, stressing the problem should be addressed quickly.
Addressing the reporters, Crown
Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic said:
[Prince Karadjordjevic, speaking in
Serbian] I do not want to stay in a hotel. I have a house here in our
country. I am a Yugoslav, a Serb. This is my country, as much as it is
yours. My wife and I are very happy to come here once again, but we do not
want to come here as if we were arriving in a foreign country. We would
like to come to our home. Thank you very much.
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