KRALJ PETAR II PONOVO U SRBIJI

VODITELj - Iz naše dijaspore u Čikagu stigla je i priča o reagovanjima Srba u Americi na zahtev Princa Aleksandra Karađorđevića da zemni ostaci njegovog oca kralja Petra II budu preneti u Srbiju na Oplenac.

NINA RADONjlĆ (novinar) - još uvek niko pouzdano i sa sigurnošću ne može da tvrdi da li će ostaci Kralja Petra II biti preneti u otadžbinu. Kralj Petar II Karađorđević po svojoj želji podsećamo sahranjen je u manastiru Sveti Sava u Libertvilu, najstarijem manastiru SPC na severnom Američkom kontinentu.

DR SRĐA TRIFKOVIĆ (politički analitičar) - jedino je pitanje da li će to biti zvanična sahrana u državnoj organizaciji ili će to biti strogo privatna stvar porodice Karađorđević. Moje lično mišljenje je da bi tu trebalo da se angažuje država i da to bude na svoj način simbolično vraćanje ne samo posmrtnih ostataka jednog nesrećnog čoveka koji je umro kao izbeglica, već takođe i rehabilitacija porodice Karađorđević i svođenje jednog istorijskog duga koji vuče svoje korene još iz nesrećne '44. - '45. godine.

RADONjlĆ - Procedura prenosa zemaljskih ostataka građana republike Srbije zakonski je regulisana

DESKO NIKITOVIĆ (generalni konzul Srbije u Čikagu) - Ukoliko se radi ekshumaciji odnosno licima koja su sahranjivana i sada će ponovo biti preneta u zemlju za ponovno sahranjivanje u tom slučaju je potreban saglasnost MUP-a Srbije. Mislim da bi bilo dobro da kralj Petar bude u Srbiji, da bude sa svojim narodom jer promenilo se mnogo toga i mislim da srpski narod sada u Americi mora da radi zajedno sa zemljama ne kao što je nekada bilo daje morao da bude protiv režima koji je tada u zemlji vladao.

RADONjlĆ - Sticajem političkih okolnosti kralj Petar II je jedini monarh neke svetske zemlje koji počiva na tlu SAD- a.

SLAVKO PANOVIĆ (predsednik Srpske narodne odbrane) - Mi u svakom slučaju podržavamo inicijativu Njegovog kraljevskog visočanstva Princa Aleksandra da prenese zemne ostatke svoga oca Njegovog veličanstva kralja Petra II, iz manastira Libertvil u zajedničku mauzolej gde leže svi Karađorđevići

RADONjlĆ - O prenosu zemaljskih ostataka kralja Petra II Karađorđevića svakako će biti još govora i u matici i u dijaspori.

RT Vojvodine 1, 22.3.2007

JEDINI MONARH NEKE SVETSKE ZEMLJE KOJI POČIVA NA TLU SAD

Spiker:

A iz naše dijaspore u Čikagu stigla je priča o reagovanju Srba u Americi na zahtev Princa Aleksandra Karađorđevića da zemni ostaci njegovog oca Kralja Petra II budu preneti u Srbiju na Oplenac. Iz Čikaga dopisništvo RTV, televizija 4S.

Reporter, Ivana Radonjić: Još uvek niko pouzdano i sa sigurnošću ne može da tvrdi da li će i kad zemaljski ostaci Kralja Petra II biti preneti u otadžbinu. Kralj Petar II Karađorđević je po svojoj želji, podsećamo, sahranjen u manastiru Sveti Sava u Libertvilu, najstarijem manastiru SPC na Severno - američkom kontinentu.

dr Srđa Trifković, politički analitičar: Jedino je pitanje da li će to biti zvanična sahrana, u državnoj organizaciji ili će to biti strogo privatna stvar porodice Karađorđević. Moje je lično mišljenje da bu tu trebalo da se angažuje država i da to bude na svoj način simbolično vraćanje ne samo posmrtnih ostataka jednog nesrećnog čoveka koji je umro kao izbeglica, već takođe i rehabilitacija porodice Karađorđević i svođenje jednog istorijskog duga koji vuče svoje korene još iz nesrećne 44-5 godine.

Reporter: Procedura prenosa posmrtnih i zemaljskih ostataka građana Republike Srbije Zakonski je regulisana.

Duško Nikitović, generalni konzul Srbije u Čikagu: Ukoliko se radi o ekshumaciji, odnosno licima koja su sahranjivana i sada će ponovo biti preneta u zemlju za ponovno sahranjivanje u tom slučaju je potrebna saglasnost Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova Republike Srbije. Mislim da bi bilo dobro da Kralj Petar bude u Srbiji, da bude sa svojim narodom jer promenilo se mnogo toga i mislim da srpski narod sada u Americi mora da radi zajedno sa zemljama ne kao što je nekada bilo nažalost da je morao da bude protiv režima koji je tada u zemlji vladao.

Reporter: Sticajem političkih okolnosti Kralj Petar II je jedini monarh neke svetske zemlje koji počiva na tlu SAD.

Slavko Panović, predsednik Srpske narodne odbrane: Mi u svakom slučaju podržavamo inicijativu njegovog Kraljevskog Visočanstva Princa Aleksandra da prenese zemne ostatke svoga oca, njegovog Veličanstva Kralja Petra II iz manastira Libertivilu u zajednički mauzolej gde leže svi Karađorđevići.

Reporter: O prenosu zemaljskih ostataka Kralja Petra II Karađorđevića svakako će još biti govora i u matici i u dijaspori.

Subotičke novine, 9.03.2007

„POVRATAK" KRALJA PETRA II U ZEMLJU

Hrvatska informativna agencija (Hina) prenosi pisanje agencije Asoši-jeted pres da princ Aleksandar II Karađorđević želi da prenese posmrtne ostatke svog oca Petra II, poslednjeg Kralja Jugoslavije, iz manastira Svetog Save u Libertvilu blizu Čikaga u -zemlju.

Petar II Karađorđević, koji je od strane komunističkih vlasti zbačen s prestola 29. novembra 1945. godine, umro je u SAD 1970. godine.

Vesti, 6.03.2007

NOVA INICIJATIVA PRINCA ALEKSANDRA KARAĐORĐEVIĆA KRALjA PETRA NA OPLENAC

Princ Aleksandar Drugi Karađorđević namerava da posle formiranja novog saziva vlade Republike Srbije ponovo aktuelizuje pitanje prenosa zemnih ostataka svojih roditelja kralja Petra Drugog i Kraljice Aleksandre, kao i svoje bake kraljice Marije, u porodičnu kriptu u crkvi Svetog "Đorđa na Oplencu - zadužbini kralja Petra Prvog Karađorđevića.

- Prestolonaslednik je još 2004. godine uputio zvaničnu inicijativu tadašnjoj vladi sa želim da se u proces prenosa uključi država Srbija. Pošto je reč o nekadašnjoj vladarskoj porodici, a ne nečijim anonimnim roditeljima, normalno je i prirod-no da prenos posmrtnih ostataka jednog srpskog kralja i dve srpske kraljice bude izvršen zvanično i uz sve državne počasti. Pošto do sada nikakav odgovor nije dobijen, apel će biti ponovljen novoj vladi - izjavio je za "Vesti" Dragomir Acović, član Krunskog saveta princa Aleksandra.

Prema njegovim rečima, ekshumacija kralja Petra Drugog iz grobnice u manastiru Svetog Save u Libertvilu kod Čikaga, kao i Kraljice Aleksandre sa grčkog kraljevskog groblja Tatoj u Atini i Kraljice Marije, koja počiva u engleskoj kraljevskoj grobnici u Vindzoru, ne bi predstavljao nikakav problem, s tim da se prenos u Srbiju obavi kako dolikuje vladarima i krunisanim glavama.

Politika, 13.3.2007

NA GROBU KRALjA PETRA II

Od centra Čikaga do Manastira Sveti Sava u Libertivilu, gde se nalazi grob Kralja Petra Drugog, stiže se širokim autoputem za pedesetak minuta. Manastir se nalazi u Milvoki ulici, najdužoj u državi Ilinois. Nema nekih velikih znakova koji bi s puta ukazivali da je to manastir, ali to Srbi u Čikagu znaju.

RT Vojovodine 1, 13.3.2007

Spiker:

Pre desetak dana u intervju za Asošijetid Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar II Karađorđević najavio je da će tražiti da se zemni ostaci njegovog oca Kralja Petra II iz SAD prenese u Srbiju. Taj zahtev Prestolonaslednik je našoj javnosti i

zvanično uputio danas u ekskluzivnoj izjavi za RTV.

Reporter Velimir Petrušić:

Vest o preranoj smrti svoga oca Princa Aleksandra II Karađorđevića zatekla je kao vojnika Britanske kraljevske armije 1970. godine u Nemačkoj. Danas su ostale samo uspomene i gorka činjenica da zemni ostaci kraljevske porodice ne

počivaju gde im je i mesto u otadžbini.

Princ Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar II Karađorđević:

Moj otac i ja mislim to je bio u Njujork. Ali ja mislim sam imao tri, četiri godine, to je Njujork, četiri godine, da.  To je interesantno slika moje...

Reporter:

Vaš otac je bio vrlo lep čovek?

Princ Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar II Karađorđević:

A da on je bio vrlo dobar čovek, da. On je imao vrlo teško život, on je želeo da vrati se u naša zemlja. On je bio vrlo tužan da, on je čekao svaki dan da dolazi ovde. Moj plan je da moj otac vrati u naša zemlja. To je bio uvek njegov cilj, a on je iz ovde, njihovi koreni su ovde to je normalno i imamo specijalno mesto koji naš narod zna to je Oplenac.

Reporter:

Brižljive i delikatne pripreme za prenos tela poslednjeg kraja Jugoslavije iz Američkog Libertvila kod Čikaga u dogovoru sa državom i crkvom mogle bi da potraju i godinu dana.

Čedomir Antić, istoričar:

Danas se postavlja pitanje da li treba njemu ukazati vojne i državne počasti u trenutku kada budu njegovi zemni ostaci preneseni iz Libertvila u otadžbinu. Svakako da treba. On je bio vladar Jugoslavije zakonit, njegova dinastija je nad Kraljevinom Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca uspostavljena mnogo demokratski način nego Brozov režim. Mislim da je sasvim logično da oko ovog pitanja ne bude podignuta velika buka. Mislim da je vreme da se kod nas prevaziđu ti veliki sporovi iz prošlosti i da je krajnje vreme da po nekim pitanjima, stručnim pitanjima nastavimo kao jedan ozbiljan politički narod.

Reporter:

Kada se po završetku drugog svetskog rata u garavim kutijama jasno videlo da nije za Kralja, komunisti su definitivno učvrstili svoj autoritarni režim. Ponovnim rađanjem demokratske Srbije stvoreni su uslovi za istorijsku neminovnost.

Povratak Petra II Karađorđevića čijim se senima valja pokloniti kako i dolikuje jednom kralju, potomku oca nacije Karađorđu Petroviću.

Frankfurtske vesti, 6.3.2007  

NOVA INICIJATIVA PRINCA ALEKSANDRA KARAĐORĐEVIĆA

KRALjA PETRA NA OPLENAC

Princ Aleksandar Drugi Karađorđević namerava da posle formiranja novog saziva vlade Republike Srbije ponovo aktuelizuje pitanje prenosa zemnih ostataka svojih roditelja kralja Petra Drugog i Кraljice Aleksandre, kao i svoje bake kraljice Marije, u porodičnu kriptu u crkvi Svetog Đorđa na Oplencu - zadužbini kralja Petra Prvog Karađorđevića.

- Prestolonaslednik je još 2004. godine uputio zvaničnu inicijativu tadašnjoj vladi sa željom da se u proces prenosa uključi država Srbija, Pošto je reč o nekadašnjoj vladarskoj porodici, a ne nečijim anonimnim roditeljima, normalno je i prirod-no da prenos posmrtnih ostataka jednog srpskog kralja i dve srpske kraljice bude izvršen zvanično i uz sve državne počasti. Pošto do sada nikakav odgovor nije dobijen, apel će biti ponovljen novoj

Kraljica Aleksiša, Kralj Petar i Princ Aleksandar

vladi - izjavio je za "Vesti" Dragomir Acović, član Krunskog saveta princa Aleksandra.

Prema njegovim rečima, ekshumacija kralja Petra Drugog iz grobnice u manastiru Svetog Save u Libertvilu kod Čikaga, kao i kraljice Aleksandre sa grčkog kraljevskog groblja Tatoj u Atini i kraljice Marije, koja počiva u engleskoj kraljevskoj grobnici u Vindzoru, ne bi predstavljao nikakav problem, s tim da se prenos u Srbiju obavi kako dolikuje vladarima i krunisanim glavama.

Kurir, 07.03.2007

SAHRANIĆU OCA NA OPLENCU

BEOGRAD - Princ Aleksandar II Karađorđević saopštio je juče da planira da telo svog oca kralja Petra II iz crkve Svetog Save u predgrađu Čikaga prenese u Srbiju i sahrani ga u grobnici Karađorđevića na Oplencu. Princ Aleksandar II smatra da je najvažnije to što će se ponovnim sahranjivanjem u Srbiji ispraviti istorijska nepravda zbog koje je njegov otac sahranjen 5.000 kilometara daleko od otadžbine i grobova svojih predaka, medu kojima su kralj Petar II i vožd Karađorđe. Petar II rođen je u Beogradu 6. septembra 1923. godine, a imao je samo 11 godina kad mu je otac Aleksandar I, jugoslovenski kralj, ubijen u atentatu u Marseju.

Večernje novosti, 07.03.2007

KRALЈEVSKI DOM KARAĐORĐEVIĆA ZAPOČEO PRIPREME ZA POVRATAK PETRA DRUGOG I OSTALIH ČLANOVA DINACTIJE

OPLENAC ČEKA KRALЈA

Preliminarni razgovori obavljeni su pre tri godine sa crkvom i vlastima u Americi i Velikoj Britaniji. U kripti hrama na Oplencu odavno namenjena mesta za Karađorđeviće upokojene u tuđini. KRALЈEVSKA kuća Karađorđević odavno je započela pripreme za povratak kralja Petra Drugog Karađorđevića, poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja i jedinog suverena koji počiva na teritoriji Amerike. Ideja se rodila još 2000. godine, kada se u otadžbinu vratio princ Aleksandar, sa porodicom. Od tada praktično teku nezvanični razgovori sa našom Crkvom i predstavnicima vlasti zemlje u kojoj počiva, da bi, kako kaže Dušan Babac, član Krunskog saveta, bili intenzivirani tokom 2004. godine, kada su obeležena dva veka Prvog srpskog ustanka. - Sasvim je logično da porodica Karađorđević želi da vrati svog pretka. Crna Gora vratila je mošti kralja Nikole Petrovića još pre desetak godina. Isto mora da učini i Srbija - kaže Babac. Zasada, učinjen je prvi korak obavljen je kontakt sa episkopom severnoameričkim, sa Sinodom, predstavnicima američke države, ali i sa britanskom kraljevskom lozom, s obzirom da je kraljica Marija, majka kralja Petra, sahranjena na privatnom posedu u Vindzoru. Takođe, nezvanično, predstavnici Karađorđevića razgovarali su i sa grčkim vlastima i crkvom, budući da u Atini počiva kraljica Aleksandra, majka princa Aleksandra.

- Do sada nije bilo nikakvih problema, ni sa jedne strane, ali to je tek početak. Preseljenje moštiju Karađorđevića je ozbiljan i dugotrajan posao. Posle načelne saglasnosti koju smo dobili, sledi postupak parafiranja dozvola. Tek onda je moguć sam čin preseljenja, a to su već tehnički detalji - navodi Babac. Karađorđevići će u otadžbini biti sahranjeni po Pravilniku o sahranjivanju, po kome se tačno zna mesto u kripti crkve na Oplencu za svakog Karađorđevića. Crkva svetog Đorđa na Oplencu podignuta je kao "večni dom" dinastičke porodice. Miladin Gavrilović, direktor Zadužbine kralja Petra Prvog u Topoli, kaže da se oni odavno nadaju da će svi počivši Karađorđevići konačno biti zajedno. - Kralj Petar će počiva-ti u severnom kraku kripte, to je svečano i posebno naglašeno mesto, dok je mesto za kraljicu Mariju odavno namenjeno pored njenog muža, kralja Aleksandra - kaže nam Gavrilović. Postavlja se, međutim, pitanje odnosa države prema porodici Karađorđević. Da li je država spremna da uz sve počasti, koje zaslužuje kralj Petar, sahrani ovog suverena?

- Svesni smo da u ovom trenutku to nije prioritet broj jedan za državu Srbi-ju. Bilo bi neumesno da sa-da iznosimo takve zahteve, ali čim se reše gorući politički problemi i formira nova vlada - to ćemo svakako učiniti. Ne možemo da prognoziramo kada će se to dogoditi: možda do maja, možda naredne godine.

DIJASP0RA

UK0LIK0 bi mošti kralja Petra bile prenete u Srbiju, najtužniji bi bili svakako Srbi u dijaspori, koji njegov grob doživljavaju kao mesto hodočašća, Svake godine na hiljade Srba poseti kraljev grob.

TESTAMENT

KRALЈ Petar Drugi Karađorđević ostavio je testament u kome je izričito naveo da želi da bude sahranjen u Libertivnlu i njega čuva Milica Akđelković (Mici Lou). Ovaj testament, međutim, osporavao je čak i njegov brat, princ Tomislav, o čemu je detaljno izneo u svojim "Memoarima", koje je objavila Zadužbina na Oplencu. - Ne želimo da se sada time bavimo, jer bismo otvorili Pandorinu kutiju. Takođe, zna se i kako je pomenuta gospođa došla do testamenta, kaže Dušan Babac,

24 Sata, 6.3.2007

KRALJ PETAR DRUGI SE VRAĆA U OTADŽBINU

Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar Karađorđević namerava da uskoro u Srbiju prebaci posmrtne ostatke svog oca kralja Petra Drugog, koji je kao izgnanik umro 1970. godine u Americi.

KARADORĐEVIĆI - U kancelariji prestolonaslednika za sada su samo potvrdili njegovu nameru, ali se još ne zna kada bi posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja mogli da budu preneti II Srbiju. Pretpostavlja se da bi bio sahranjen u porodičnoj grobnici Karađorđevića, u crkvi Svetog Đorda na Oplencu.

Petar Drugi postao je kralj sa svega 11 godina. u oktobru 1934. nakon atentata na njegovog oca Aleksandra Karađorđevića u Marselju. Pošto je bio maloletan u njegovo ime Kraljevinom Jugoslavijom vladao je knez Pavle Karađorđević. Od septembra 1941. s jugoslavenskom vladom do kraja rata boravio je u Londonu, a s vlasti je zbačen 29. novembra 1945, iako nikad nije abdicirao.

Želja kralja Petra htela je da bude sahranjen u Ilinoisu. postojbini Abrahama Linkolna, čiji je Karađorđević bio veliki poštovalac. Kralj je naročito insistirao da bude sahranjen ti blizini Čikaga, jer u toj oblasti živi nekoliko stotina hiljada Srba.

Za mnoge Srbe u Americi kraljev grob je simbol nacionalnog ponosa a nekoliko hiljada njih svake godine odlazi u Libertrvil da oda poštu Petru Drugom. Zbog toga su mišljenja o prebacivanju njegovih posmrtnih ostataka podeljena. Dok se jedni pozivaju na izričitu kraljevu želju da bude sahranjen u Ilinoisu. drugi misle da je vreme da se kralj konačno vrati u svoju otadžbinu, od koje je trenutno udaljen više od 8.000 kilometara..

IZUZETAK Splet istorijskih okolnosti učinio je da kralj Petar Drugi bude jedina krunisana glava koja je sahranjena na teritoriji Sjedinjenih Država. Sahranjen je u uniformi Jugoslovenske ratne avijacije, 1 pogrebu je prisustvovalo više od 10.000 ljudi.

Blic, 6.3.2007

POSLEDNJEG JUGOSLOVENSKOG KRALJA SAHRANIĆE U BEOGRADU

Iz Amerike stižu mošti Petra II Karađorđevića

Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar Karađorđević želi da posmrtne ostatke svog oca, poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja, i jedinog evropskog vladara sahrani i njegove mošti u Americi, prebaci u Srbiju. Ali taj čin, naglašava Aleksandar Acović, predsednik Krunskog saveta, mora da se održi uz sve   državne   počasti.

Iako je odgovor države, prenosi Acović, još pre tri godine glasio da postoji spremnost, nikada nijedan konkretan korak nije preduzet. Još se čeka na pravi momenat. On će, ubeđen je Acović, doći kada se okonča presija oko aktuelnih pitanja kao što je Kosovo.

Prestolonaslednik, objašnjava Acović, odvaja familijarni prioritet i dužnost potomaka prema roditeljima od činjenice da je kralj bio Šef države. Poslednji jugoslovenski kralj zato, naglašava Acović, ne sme biti sahranjen u Srbiji samo kao otac prestolonaslednika, već i kao državni suveren.

- Ne sine se dozvoliti pohranjivanje posmrtnih ostataka kralja Petra II u tajnosti ili privatnosti. To bi bila uvreda za državu i narod. Odluku o sahrani uz državne počasti donosi Vlada - kaže Acović.

Kada za to dođe pravo vreme, i prestanu presije oko aktuelnih problema, Acović je ubeđen da će Vlada obrazovati odbor koji će upravljati pripremama oko državne sahrane. Slobodan Aligrudić, potpredsednik DSS, veruje da će 10 pitanje doći na red kada se reše problemi koji nas more u ovom trenutku, a to je pre svega rešenje statusa Kosova. DSS, do sada, objašnjava on, međutim, nikada nije razgovarala o ovoj temi. On lično nema ništa protiv da se kosti kralja Petra II Karađorđevića prenesu u Srbiju, ali skeptičan je pri pomisli da će se oko sahrane uz državne počasti složiti sve političke opcije.

- Takve stvari obično su obojene jakim političkim reagovanjima i razmiricama - kaže Aligrudić.

U drugim strankama demokratskog bloka trenutno nisu spremni da o ovome govore dok se ne reše aktuelna politička  zbivanja.

Sam prestolonaslednik, koji želi istovremeno i prenošenje posmrtnih ostataka ne samo svog oca već i kraljice Marije i kraljice Aleksandre, o svojoj nameri, tvrdi Acović, zvanično je obavestio državne organe još pre tri godine. Država je tada ukazala spremnost da se uključi u prenos posmrtnih ostataka ne samo kralja Petra II već i ostalih članova porodice Karađorđević, sahranjenih van zemlje.

Kralj Petar sahranjen je u Americi, kraljica Marija u Vindzoru, a kraljica Aleksandra u Atini. Ovo bi otvorilo i pitanje prenošenja ostataka kraljevića Andreja, kneza Pavla, kneginje Olge... Međutim, prestolonaslednik smatra da bi samo kralj Petar II i kraljica Marija i Aleksandra trebalo sahraniti kao šefove države, a ostale kao članove vladarske porodice.   

Biografija

Poslednji jugoslovenski kralj Petar II Karađorđević (1923-1970) sahranjen je na neuobičajenom mestu za jednog balkanskog vladara - u manastiru srpske pravoslavne crkve Svetog Save u Liberivilu u blizini Čikaga. On je na toj način postao jedini evropski vladar sahranjen na teritoriji Amerike. Inače, krunisan je oktobra 1934. godine nakon atentata na njegovog oca, kralja Aleksandra u Francuskoj Do 27. marta 1941, godine u njegovo ime Jugoslavijom je vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević. Od juna 1941. godine 5 jugoslovenskom vladom do kraja rata boravi u Londonu. S vlasti je zbačen 29. decembra 1945. godine, iako nikad nije abdicirao. Nakon Drugog svetskog rata živeo je u Francuskoj i Americi. Iz braka sa grčkom princezom Aleksandrom (1921-1993) ima sina jedinca Aleksandra rođenog 1945. godine, koji od 2000. živi u Beogradu.

Danas, 6.3.2007

KRALJ SE VRAĆA U SRBIJU?

Libertvil - Posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslavenskog kralja Petra II Karađorđevića mogli bi iz Čikaga, gde je sahranjen, uskoro biti preseljeni u Beograd, rekao je za AP njegov sin, princ Aleksandar. Petar II Karađorđević, (1923-1970), sahranjen je u manastiru srpske Pravoslavne crkve Sv. Save u Libertvilu blizu Čikaga i na taj način postao je jedini evropski vladar koji je sahranjen na teritoriju Sjedinjenih Država.

Kralj je postao 9. oktobra 1934. posle atentata na njegovog oca, kralja Aleksandra u Francuskoj. Do 27. aprila 1941. u njegovo ime Jugoslavijom je vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević. Od septembra 1941. s jugoslavenskom vladom do kraja rata boravi u Londonu, a sa vlasti je zbačen 29. novembra 1945, iako nikad nije abdicirao. Posle Drugog svetskog rata živeo je u Francuskoj i Sjedinjenim Državama. Tamo je sarađivao sa Srpskom pravoslavnom crkvom i srpskom emigracijom. Iz braka s grčkom princezom Aleksandrom (1921-1993) ima sina jedinca Aleksandra rođenog 1945. koji od 2000. živi u Beogradu. Princ Aleksandar bi želeo da posmrtne ostatke svog oca prebaci na teritoriju Srbije, kako je rekao u telefonskom razgovoru za AP, dodajući da veruje da će to biti uskoro.

Građanski list, 6.3.2007

POSMRTNI OSTACI KRALJA PETRA DRUGOG USKORO U BEOGRADU

ZAGRFB - Posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja Petra II Karađorđevića mogli bi iz Čikaga, gde je sahranjen uskoro biti prebačeni u Beograd, rekao je za AP njegov sin, princ Aleksandar, prenosi veb portal indeks Hr. Petar II Karađorđević, (923-1970) pokopan je u manastiru Srpske pravoslavne crkve Sveti Sava u Libertivilu blizu Čikaga, te je na taj način postao jedini evropski vladar koji je sahranjen na teritoriji Sjedinjenih Američkih Država. Petar II Karađorđević postao je kralj 9 oktobra 1934. nakon atentata na njegova oca, kralja Aleksandra u Francuskoj. Do 27. aprila 1941. u njegovo ime Jugoslavijom je vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević. Od septembra 1941. s jugoslovenskom vladom do kraja rata boravio je u Londonu, a s vlasti je zbačen 29. novembra 1945. iako nikad nije abdicirao.

Kurir, 6.3.2007

POVRATAK KRALJA NA OPLENAC

Kosti kralja Petra uskoro će biti prenete iz SAD u kriptu crkve svetog Đorđa

BEOGRAD - Posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja Petra Drugog Karađorđevića mogli bi uskoro iz Čikaga, gde je sahranjen, biti preseljeni u Srbiju, najavljuje njegov sin princ Aleksandar. Heraldičar Dragomir Acović i član Savetodavnog tela Krune podseća da ova inicijativa nije nova.

- Ideja nije prvi put sada izneta. Princ Aleksandar Karađorđević je na proslavi dvestote godišnjice Prvog srpskog ustanka2004. godine prvi put javno izrekao nameru porodice da se kraljevi posmrtni ostaci prenesu na Oplenac. Međutim, nije reč samo o prenosu njegovih posmrtnih ostataka već i o prenosu ostataka kraljice Marije i kraljice Aleksandre. Sve je to bilo prihvaćeno od strane države, ali se dosad nije realizovalo - priča Acović. On smatra da su razlog političke trzavice u zemlji.

-  U Srbiji je u međuvremenu bilo mnogo potresa i verovatno da niko nije mislio da je to toliko urgentno. U svakom slučaju, cela procedura ne može da se obavi bez podrške države, jer se ne radi o nekom porodičnom projektu, već o vladaru jedne zemlje. Ceo čin bi morao da oslikava odnos države prema tom vladaru - smatra Acović i navodi kao primer prenošenje posmrtnih ostataka crnogorskog kralja Nikole, njegove žene Milene i princeza Ksenije i Vjere. On navodi daje 1. oktobra 1989. godine bio prisutan na Cetinju kada su Crnogorci ispunili amanet mrtvog kralja i njihove ostatke preneli iz Ruske pravoslavne crkve u Sanremu u dvorsku kapelu na Cetinju.

- Sve je bilo na veoma visokom državnom nivou. Njihove ostatke je sačekala država, koja je, kako i dolikuje, organizovala sahranu - navodi Acović. Podsetimo, Petar II Karađorđević sahranjen je 1970. godine u manastiru SPC svetog Save u Libertivilu blizu Čikaga. Tako je postao jedini evropski vladar koji je pokopan na teritoriju Sjedinjenih Američkih Država. Inače, u porodičnoj grobnici u crkvi svetog Đorda na Oplencu ima četrdeset sedam ograđenih mesta, od čega je dvadeset popunjeno potomcima loze Karađorđevića.   

Opozicija, 6.3.2007

MOM OCU JE MESTO U BEOGRADU

Petar II Karađorđević je sahranjen u manastiru srpske Pravoslavne crkve Sveti Sava u Libertvilu, nedaleko od Čikaga. Njegovi ostaci bi uskoro mogli da budu preseljeni u Beograd, rekao je za AP njegov sin princ Aleksandar.

Posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja, Petra II. Karađorđevića, mogli bi iz Čikaga, gđe je pokopan, uskoro biti preseljeni u Beograd, rekao je za AP njegov sin, princ Aleksandar.

Petar II Karađorđević (1923-1970) sahranjen je u manastiru srpske Pravoslavne crkve Svetog Save u Libertvilu, nedaleko od Čikaga, i na taj način je postao jedini evropski vladar koji je sahranjen na teritoriju Sjedinjenih Država.                     Petar II je postao je kralj 9. oktobra 1934. godine, posle atentata u Francuskoj na njegovog ova Kralja Aleksandra. Do 27. aprila 1941. godine, Jugoslavijom je u njegovo ime vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević.

Od septembra 1941. godine, Petra II s jugoslovenskom vladom boravi u Londonu do kraja rata* a s vlasti je zbačen 29. decembra 1945. godine, mada nikad nije abdicirao.

Posle. Drugog svetskog rata je živeo u Francuskoj i Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama. Tamo je sarađivao sa Srpskom pravoslavnom crkvom i srpskom emigracijom. Iz braka s grčkom princezom Aleksandrom (1921- 1993) ima sina jedinca Aleksandra, rođenog 1945. godine koji od 2000. živi u Beogradu.

Princ Aleksandar bi želeo da posmrtne ostatke svog oca prebaci na teritoriju Srbije, kako je rekao u nedavnom telefonskom razgovoru za AR dodajući kako veruje da će to biti uskoro.

Dnevnik, 6.3.2007

MOŠTI KRALjA PETRA II U SRBIJI?

Posmrtni ostaci poslednjeg jugoslovenskog kralja Petra II Karađorđevića mogli bi iz Čikaga, gde je sahranjen, uskoro biti preseljeni u Beograd, rekao je za AP njegov sin, prestolonaslednik Aleksandar. Petar II Karađorđević (1923-1970), sahranjen je u manastiru Srpske pravoslavne crkve Sv. Sava u Libertvilu blizu Čikaga. Na taj način postao je jedini evropski vladar koji je sahranjen u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama. Kralj, je nestao 9. oktobra 1934, posle atentata na njegovog oca, kralja Aleksandra, u Francuskoj. Do 27. aprila 1941. u njegovo ime Jugoslavijom je vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević. Od septembra 1941. s jugoslavenskom vladom do kraja rata boravi u Londonu, a s vlasti je zbačen 29. novembra 1945, iako nikad nije abdicirao. Posle Drugog svetskog rata živeo je u Francuskoj i SAD. Tamo je sarađivao sa Srpskom pravoslavnom crkvom i srpskom emigracijom. Iz braka s grčkom princezom Aleksandrom (1921- 1993) ima sina jedinca Aleksandra, rođenog 1945. koji od 2000. živi u Beogradu. Princ Aleksandar želeo bi da posmrtne ostatke svog oca prebaci na teritoriju Srbije, kako je rekao u telefonskom razgovoru za AP, dodajući da veruje da će to biti uskoro.  

Politika, 6.3.2007

KRALj PONOVO U SRBIJI

Princ Aleksandar i Krunski savet tražiće od nove vlade da prenese telo kralja Petra Drugog iz Libertvila (SAD) na Oplenac

Princ Aleksandar Karađorđević namerava da telo svog oca, kralja Petra Drugog iz crkve Svetog Save u Livertvilu prebaci na Oplenac.

Plan je da ga prenesemo ovde, rekao je prestolonasledniku razgovoru sa novinarom Asošijeted presa, dodavši da se nada da će to biti uskoro.

Dragomir Acović, član Krunskog saveta, kaže da ta namera nije nova.

- Još 2004. godine pokrenuta je inicijativa u okviru proslave 200 godina Prvog srpskog ustanka da se prenesu tela preminulih članova kraljevskog doma, pre svega onih koji su bili suvereni. To je kralj Petar Drugi, kraljica Marija, majka kralja Petra Drugog i supruga kraljica Aleksandra - kaže Acović.

U razgovorima koji su tada vođeni, po rečima člana Krunskog saveta, predstavnici države nikada nisu rekli da nisu spremni za takav čin, ali uvek su postojala neka urgentnija pitanja. Kad bude inaugurisana nova vlada očekujemo da se ponovo pokrenu razgovori i odredi datum sahrane, kaže Acović.

Ako ni je bilo načelnih razmimoilaženja Krunskog saveta sa zvaničnicima u Srbiji, obnovljena inicijativa prestolonaslednika Aleksandra uznemirila je neke američke Srbe.

Američka štampa piše da je Petar Drugi sam tražio da bude sahranjen u crkvi Svetog Save u Libertvilu kod Čikaga, jer u tom gradu i okolini živi na stotine hiljada Srba. Na sahrani je bilo više od deset hiljada lju-di, a na hiljade njih svake godine i dalje posećuje njegov grob. Navode se i izjave pojedinih Srba, kao što je ona čelnika Srpske pravoslavne crkve za Srednji zapad mitropolita Hristifora i menadžera u Srpskom društvenom centru iz Čikaga Alekse Čolovića koji kažu da bi „bilo bolje da ostane ovde,jer je tako sam tražio".

S druge strane, prestolonaslednik ističe da su u Evropi šefovi država, kraljevi i kraljice sahranjeni u svojim zemljama.

„Sahranom kralja Petra Drugog u mauzoleju Svetog Đorđa na Oplencu bila bi ispravljena istorijska greška. Mi sada zatvaramo krug i ispravljamo pogrešne stvari", rekao je Princ Aleksandar.

Kralj, Petar Drugi Karađorđević jedini je monarh sahranjen na američkom tlu. Prenos njegovih posmrtnih ostataka ne bi bilo samo porodično, već i državno pitanje.

- To podrazumeva određenu proceduru sahrane, jer na taj način država odaje poštovanje prema samoj sebi. Ceremonijal mora biti onakav kakav dolikuje - kaže Dragomir Acović k podseća da su tako obavljene sahrane u Crnoj Gori kad su preneseni posmrtni ostaci kralja Nikole, kraljice Milene i njihove dve kćerke. Status državne sahrane određen je i u slučaju nedavnog prenosa posmrtnih ostataka carice Marije Fjodorovne u Sank Peterburg.

- Zato s prenosom tela Petra Drugog ne treba žuriti, to se mora obaviti onda kad se stvore uslovi da takav čin bude dostojanstven i da od njega niko nema štete, a svi da imamo koristi makar samo u moralnom smislu - kaže Acović. U mauzoleju Svetog Đorđa postoje grobna mesta za kralja Petra, kraljicu Mariju i kraljicu Aleksandru, kaže Miladin Gavrilović, upravnik Zadužbine na Oplencu, a kad je reč o vremenu sahrane, porodica treba o tome da odluči, kaže on.

Kralj Petar Drugi rođen je u Beogradu 6. septembra 1923. godine. Kumovi na krštenju bili su mu engleski kralj Džordž Šesti i kraljica Elizabeta (kasnije Kraljica Majka Velike Britanije). Imao je samo 11 godina kada mu je u Marseju ubijen otac, a on proglašen za kralja. Posle demonstracija od 27. marta 1941, koje su dovele do krize vlade i državnog udara, prestolonaslednik Petar proglašen je punoletnim i preuzeo kraljevska ovlašćena od namesništva. Napadom Hitlerove Nemačke kralj Petar Drugi bio je primoran la zajedno sa vladom emigrira u Englesku, gde je prihvaćen kao simbol protivljenja nacizmu. Dolaskom komunista na vlast zabranjen mu je povratak u zemlju i konfiskovana imovina. Poslednje godine života proveo je u Americi. Posle duge i teške bolesti umro je u denverskoj bolnici 3. novembra 1970. godine, kada je imao svega 47 godina.           

Press, 6.3.2007

KRALJA PETRA II PRENOSE U SRBIJU!

Princ Aleksandar najavio da će posmrtni ostaci njegovog oca biti prebačeni na Oplenac

LIBERTVIL- Posmrtni ostaci kralja Petra II Karađorđevića uskoro će iz Čikaga, gde je sahranjen, biti preseljeni na Oplenac u grobnicu srpske kraljevske porodice, rekao je za A P prestolonaslednik Aleksandar.

Petar II Karađorđević (1923-1970) sahranjen je u manastiru Srpske pravoslavne crkve Svetog Save u Libertvilu blizu Čikaga. On je jedini evropski vladar koji je sahranjen na teritoriji Sjedinjenih Američkih Država.

Kralj Petar sa 11 je došao na presto 9, oktobra 1934. posle atentata na njegovog oca, kralja Aleksandra, u Francuskoj u Marseju. Pošto je bio maloletan, do 27. aprila 1941. u njegovo ime Jugoslavijom je kao namesnik vladao knez Pavle Karađorđević.

Kralj Petar II je od septembra 1941. sa jugoslovenskom vladom do kraja rata boravio u Londonu, a s vlasti je zbačen 29. novembra 1945. lako zvanično nikad nije abdicirao. Posle Drugog svetskog rata živeo je u Francuskoj i SAD. Tamo je sarađivao sa Srpskom pravoslavnom crkvom i srpskom emigracijom.

Iz braka s grčkom princezom Aleksandrom (1921- 1993) ima sina jedinca Aleksandra koji je sada prestolonaslednik i od 2000. godine živi u Beogradu.

Prestolonaslednik Aleksandar naglasio je u izjavi za AP da bi želeo da što pre posmrtne ostatke svog oca prebaci na teritoriju Srbije.

CBS News, NY - March 4, 2007

KING'S BODY IN U.S. MAY HEAD TO HOMELAND

LAST YUGOSLAVIAN KING, ONLY MONARCH BURIED IN U.S., MAY BE RETURNED TO HOMELAND

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Houston Chronicle, TX  - March 4, 2007

KING'S BODY IN U.S. MAY HEAD TO HOMELAND

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Guardian Unlimited - March 4 , 2007

KING'S BODY IN U.S. MAY HEAD TO HOMELAND

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

International Herald Tribune, France - March 4, 2007

ONLY KING BURIED IN U.S. TO BE SENT HOME

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Business Portal 24 (press release), Germany 

KING'S BODY IN U.S. MAY HEAD TO HOMELAND

Yugoslavia's last monarch, exiled from his homeland during World War II, ended up in a tomb inside an ornately decorated church outside Chicago, a place that still attracts his loyal followers.

But while King Peter II personally chose St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery as his final resting place, his son, Crown Prince Alexander, is upsetting some Serbian-Americans by planning to take his father's remains back to the land of his birth.

"The plan is _ and that is a solid plan _ that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in

Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

He has not yet set a date for returning his father to Serbia, the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom, but he said it will be soon.

Peter II was just 11 when he became king after the assassination of his father, King Alexander I. During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. After the war, communists seized control and confiscated his wealth.

He later devoted himself to visiting exile communities in the United States and elsewhere, often helping to raise money for charities. He died in Denver in 1970, at the age of just 47.

Peter had asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area. He also cited admiration for Illinois as the home of Abraham Lincoln, according to newspaper accounts at the time.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," the reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny."

More than 10,000 people attended his funeral and several thousand still visit the brilliantly frescoed church annually to see his tomb.

Some Serbian-Americans think he should stay there.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The head of the Serbian Orthodox church in the Midwest spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that the issue has prompted concern among Serbians.

"The monarch is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians," said Metropolitan Christopher.

Prince Alexander said that principle also applies to people in Serbia.

"If you visit Arlington (National) Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia in 2001, after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area.

That place is the royal family's century-old Mausoleum of St. George, near Belgrade.

Prince Alexander said reburial in Serbia will correct a historical mistake.

"We are now going in a complete circle and making things wrong into right," he said.

Biloxi Sun Herald, MS,  March 4, 2007

KING'S BODY IN U.S. MAY HEAD TO HOMELAND

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Waukegan News Sun, IL - March 4, 2007

LAST YUGOSLAV KING'S BODY TO LEAVE CHICAGO AREA

KING PETER II, NOW BURIED IN NORTHWEST SUBURBAN CHURCH, WILL BE REBURIED IN SERBIA

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Chicago Daily Herald, IL - March 3, 2007

SERBIAN KING FINALLY MAY GO HOME

Son wants remains of exiled leader buried in Libertyville church sent to Serbia

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

KTVO, MO - March 3, 2007

ONLY KING BURIED IN U-S TO BE SENT HOME

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. It appears the final resting place of Yugoslavia's last monarch isn't so final, after all.

King Peter the Second was buried in a suburban Chicago church, as specified in his will.

But now, his son wants to rebury him in Serbia. That was the core of Peter's kingdom before communists deposed him in the 1940s.

Crown Prince Alexander wants to move his father's body to a mausoleum where other Yugoslav kings are entombed.

Reburial is a touchy subject for Serbian Americans. For them, the king's grave is a source of pride. He's believed to be the only king buried in the United States.

But Alexander says his father was the head of state of another country -- and his home is where he belongs.

He hasn't set a date for exhuming his father's body, but says it will happen soon.

WHBF, IL - March 3, 2007

ONLY KING BURIED IN U-S TO BE SENT HOME

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. It appears the final resting place of Yugoslavia's last monarch isn't so final, after all.

King Peter the Second was buried in a suburban Chicago church, as specified in his will.

But now, his son wants to rebury him in Serbia. That was the core of Peter's kingdom before communists deposed him in the 1940s.

Crown Prince Alexander wants to move his father's body to a mausoleum where other Yugoslav kings are entombed.

Reburial is a touchy subject for Serbian Americans. For them, the king's grave is a source of pride. He's believed to be the only king buried in the United States.

But Alexander says his father was the head of state of another country -- and his home is where he belongs.

He hasn't set a date for exhuming his father's body, but says it will happen soon.

WQAD, IL - March 3, 2007

YUGOSLAVIA AND ITS LAST KING

UNDATED Some key points in the history of Yugoslavia's last king:

1918: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes _ later named "Yugoslavia" _ is created.

1923: Peter II is born in Belgrade on Sept. 6. He's a direct descendant of Britain's Queen Victoria.

1934: At just 11, Peter II becomes king after his father, King Alexander I, is assassinated.

1941: Germany overruns Yugoslavia; Peter II, then 17, escapes to Greece _ then joins other European monarchs displaced by the Nazis in London. He's never able to return home.

1944: Peter II marries Princess Alexandra of Greece.

1945: Yugoslavia's new communist leaders abolish the monarchy and confiscate Peter II's palaces and other assets. The same year, the king's son, Prince Alexander, is born in London.

1970: During a U.S. visit, Peter II dies in Denver at age 47; he is buried in St. Sava monastery in Libertyville, Ill.

1990: Different Yugoslav states begin declaring independence; in the years to come, civil war ensues and Yugoslavia effectively ceases to exist. 

 New York Times, NY - March 4, 2007

SERBIAN KING BURIED IN U.S. MAY BE RETURNED HOME

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Chicago Tribune, IL - March 4, 2007

 SON WANTS YUGOSLAV KING’S BODY SENT HOME

After an eventful but often tragic life, Yugoslavia's last monarch ended up in an unlikely spot: entombed in an ornately decorated suburban Chicago church that was intended to be his final resting place.

But it turns out that resting place might not be so final after all.

The son of exiled King Peter II, a boy king who fought the Nazis only to see his kingdom fall to communism, plans to bring his father's remains back to the land of his birth. Some Serbian Americans, though, want to keep their claim to reputedly the only king buried in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander has not set a date for exhuming his father's body from St. Sava, one of the leading Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the United States, and reburying him in Serbia -- the Balkan nation that once formed the core of Peter II's kingdom. But he said it will be soon.

"The plan is -- and that is a solid plan -- that he'll be brought here," the prince said in a recent phone interview from his palace in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The king died in Denver in 1970. Communist rule made burial in his former realm impossible, so his will requested interment in St. Sava.

For many Serbian Americans in the Midwest, the king's grave is a source of pride. Several thousand visit the church annually to see the grave and pay their respects.

"It was his own request to be buried (where he is now)," said Alex Colakovic, sales manager at the Serbian Social Center near Chicago. "I'd rather have him stay here."

The handsome, diminutive king spent the years preceding his death visiting exile communities in the United States, England and other countries -- often helping to raise money for charities. He had apartments in England and France and died after falling ill during one of his frequent visits to the U.S. He was just 47.

He asked to be buried at St. Sava because of the hundreds of thousands of Serbians living in the Chicago area; he also cited admiration for Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois native, newspaper accounts at the time said.

"I want to rest near my freedom-loving people," those reports quoted his will as saying. "I must always share their destiny." He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

His status among Serbian Americans is immediately evident inside the church.

By the door is a drawing of the king on a church wall. And his body-length grave marker is just feet from where priests say liturgical services amid brightly colored frescoes that blanket virtually every inch of the sanctuary's curvy walls.

Peter II is widely seen as both a heroic and deeply tragic figure.

In his 1954 memoir, he described how his life began to spin out of control at age 11 when a government minister broke the news that his father, King Alexander I, had been assassinated and that Peter now was king.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder," he wrote. "'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?"' He added that "the assassin's bullet ... wrenched me from a happy childhood."

During World War II, the young king refused to ally Yugoslavia with the Nazis, prompting Hitler to invade and drive him into exile. Later, communists confiscated his wealth, forcing him to live the rest of his life abroad in comparative scarcity.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, whose home overlooks St. Sava's church, spoke lovingly of the king. But when asked about the possibility of a reburial, he would say only that previous talk of that prospect prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

"The monarch," Metropolitan Christopher explained, "is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians."

But if the king is a symbol to Serbians in the United States, that's doubly true for those in Serbia, said Prince Alexander. He likened deceased monarchs of Yugoslavia to America's war dead at its national cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you have heroes there, and they belong there," he said. "In Europe, you have heads of state, and kings and queens who are buried in their own country. Isn't that normal?"

The London-born prince, who advocates a restoration of the monarchy in a British-style parliamentary system, returned to Serbia for good himself in 2001 -- after Yugoslavia had split into several independent nations following a deadly civil war.

He bristled when asked if he believed U.S. Serbians might try to oppose his father's exhumation and reburial.

"They have no option," he said. "He is the head of state of a foreign country ... he belongs here; this is his home. So no one can object."

Not all Serbian Americans are upset by the prospect of relinquishing the king.

"I think moving his body would be all right with Serbian Americans," said Father Uros Ocokoljich, a longtime Orthodox priest in the Chicago area. "In the end, everybody knows he belongs more there than here. And they have a place for him there."

That place is the stately Mausoleum of St. George, a forested hilltop site built 100 years ago near Belgrade specifically to inter royals. Among those buried there is Peter II's father, the assassinated king.

It is a place of reverence for Serbs, as well as a top tourist attraction.

Most importantly, Prince Alexander said, reburial in Serbia will correct a historical quirk of fate that led to his father's burial 5,000 miles from his beloved home.

"We are now going in a complete circle," he said, "and making things wrong into right."

Serbianna.com, MI - March 4, 2007 

SON OF THE ONLY KING BURIED IN US WANTS FATHER HOME

The boy King, a teenager who fought Nazis during the WWII only to see his kingdom fall to communism, the late Serbian King Peter II is the only royalty buried in America, and now, the son of the King Peter II wants his father back to his homeland.

Crown Prince Alexander did not set the date for the reburial of his father's remains in Serbia for now.

"The plan is — and that is a solid plan — that he'll be brought here [to Serbia]," the prince said.

King Peter II is buried on the cemetery grounds of the Saint Sava monastery in Libertyville near Chicago.

The king died in Denver in 1970 as an exiled royalty from his country, Yugoslavia, that was taken over by communist tyrant Josip Broz Tito. In 1946, Tito's communists organized a kangaroo plebiscite in the country where people voted to remove the monarchy. Virtually all who voted in that plebiscite voted in favor of the removal out of fear of being killed by the communists.

An admirer of Abraham Lincoln, King Peter II wanted to be buried in Illinois, and in particular, the Chicago area because hundreds of thousands of his countrymen lived there.

"I want to rest near my freedom loving people," King Peter II was recorded as saying. "I must always share their destiny." 

He was buried in a Yugoslav Air Force uniform, and more than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

In his 1954 memoir, King Peter II described how his life spun out of control at age of 11 when his beloved father, King Alexander I, was assassinated in 1934 in Marseilles, France.

"The minister's wife held me in her arms and I cried on her shoulder,” King Peter II wrote.

"'What has happened?' I kept asking. 'What has happened to Papa? What will happen now?'"  The "assassin's bullet … wrenched me from a happy childhood." wrote King Peter II.

Croatian Nazis were behind the assassination in an attempt to bully the Serb royal family to side themselves with Hitler. King Peter II refused and Hitler dismembered Serbia and, along with his Croatian allies, genocided over 1 million ethnic Serbs.

"The monarch is a symbolic representation of the life and values of Serbians," Metropolitan Christopher explained.

In 2001, after being exiled with his father, the son of the King Peter II returned to Serbia and seeks to unify his family in his homeland.

The Mausoleum of St. George is the hilltop built 100 years ago near Belgrade is the final resting place for Serbian royal family. Among those buried there is Peter II’s father, the assassinated king.

Perhaps soon, the tragic late King Peter II will finally join his family.

WQAD, IL - March 3, 2007

ONLY KING BURIED IN U.S. TO BE SENT HOME

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. Exiled King Peter the Second was buried inside a suburban Chicago church in what was thought would be his final resting place.

But that resting place may not be so final after all.

Yugoslavia's last monarch died in Denver in 1970. In his will, he asked to be interred in the Orthodox church in Libertyville.

He's reputedly the only king buried in this country.

Now, Prince Alexander wants to rebury his father in Serbia -- the core of Peter's kingdom before communists deposed him in the 1940s.

But reburial is a touchy subject for Serbian Americans, for whom the king's grave is a source of pride.

The head of Serbian Orthodox in the Midwest, Metropolitan Christopher, says earlier talk of moving the grave prompted concerned calls from area Serbians.

Prince Alexander says his father will be reburied in a Serbian mausoleum where other Yugoslav kings are already entombed.