The question follows Alexander Karadjordjevic wherever he goes: Is it possible that he, the exiled Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, can someday help put his family's war-torn homeland back together? 
"Yes, it's very possible that a monarchy can provide a meeting point," said Karadjordjevic, in town yesterday for the 10th annual Serbian Unity Congress. "I'm not a politician. I've had the luxury of living in a democracy. I'm deeply rooted to democracy." 
The idea of Karadjordjevic, 54, restoring the family dynasty and bringing peace to the Balkans seems to be gathering steam. Proponents say a historical and unifying figure like the prince could play a pivotal role in replacing the autocratic rule of strongman Slobodan Milosevic with a national unity government espousing human rights and free elections. 
Karadjordjevic, a London-born insurance broker, does not discourage that kind of talk, but he is also a realist. It is true Milosevic was politically damaged after his retreat from Kosovo and that the royal family's popularity transcends nationalities and politics. But political opposition to Milosevic is factious, he notes, and the president remains in firm control of the country's media and army. 
Still, the prince said, the interest in his reclaiming the throne picked up after the bombing by NATO forces, of which Karadjordjevic was a sharp critic. He said polls taken in Yugoslavia show encouraging support for his return. 
"If we waste any more time, we could see further disaster," the prince said. "We've lost 10 years, and everyone is suffering. Winter is coming up, and many people lack basic needs. The key is a major change in Belgrade. This cannot go on." 
Karadjordjevic's father, King Peter II, fled Belgrade in 1941 to escape the advancing German army. The prince was born in Suite 212 of London's Claridge Hotel. Because only someone born in Serbia can be king, then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to recognize the hotel room as Yugoslavian territory for the day to protect the child's citizenship. 
After World War II, King Peter was formally deposed when Marshal Josip Tito established a communist regime in Yugoslavia. 
Karadjordjevic, a veteran of the British army who was educated in Switzerland, the United States and Great Britain, lived in the United States for 10 years before returning to London. 
Prince Alexander did not visit his family's homeland until 1992. He made his third visit there in June. 
"We were astounded," he said of his most recent trip. "One saw what the madness of human beings can do