Seven years ago, when they returned to Serbia, Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic and Crown Princess Katherine moved into the Royal Palace at Dedinje, which they have renovated with a lot of love and money, adapting it to their own personal needs and the needs of their three heirs

The Unreal Beauty of the Royal Chambers

After decades of exile and living outside the country, the Karadjordjevic Royal Family returned to Serbia in 2001 and moved into the beautiful Compound at Dedinje which consists of two Palaces, the Royal Palace and the White Palace. Each palace has about 4,000 square meters. The compound is one of the most unique and significant Serbian historical monuments, which can be enjoyed by tourists, apart from the members of the Royal Family. The compound area is 130 hectares and includes the King’s Gazebo, the favourite place of the Prince and Princess for having coffee or tea, three swimming pools, endless neat forest, and several peripheral buildings. This edifice has invaluable emotional value, and in order to create a comfortable living area, significant financial means have been invested in its reconstruction and adaptation. Today, whenever they are in Serbia, Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, and their sons Peter, Philip, and Alexander reside on the first floor of the Royal Palace, while the White Palace is used for receptions and accommodation of important and esteemed guests.

- The Royal Palace was built between 1924 and 1929 with personal financial means of my grandfather, King Alexander I, on the plans of architects Zivojin Nikolic and Nikolai Krasnov from the Royal Academy. He lived in it with my grandmother Queen Maria and their sons Crown Prince Peter and Princes Tomislav and Andrej. My father used to tell me a lot about the beauty of this marvellous place, and his youth in it. He did not hide nostalgia, and stressed that he wanted to go back to his home, in the park of which he used to play as a child with his brothers. He told me about the landscape surrounding the Palaces, which are breathtaking beautiful. My wife and I as well as our sons, were convinced that this was a truly unique and warm place as soon as we set foot on it – Crown Prince Alexander begins the story filled with strong emotions.

The White Palace was built between 1934 and 1936 on the command of King Alexander I according to the plans of architect Alexander Djordjevic. The King wanted to have a residence for his three sons, but unfortunately he did not live to see its completion. After his assassination, it was decided that the White Palace becomes the temporary residence of Prince Regent Paul and his family. He and his wife Princess Olga, whose daughter Elizabeth was born on the first floor of this palace, have very much influenced the enchanting interior decoration which every visitor to the Palace can personally see today, and numerous details that surround it carefully safeguard the stories of the well known ancestors.

- The emotional value of the Dedinje Compound is huge, because this was the home of my family and the place where my father had spent his youth, and that is why I am determined to preserve, restore, and protect its beauty. During the 1990s, there were many changes made to the Compound. Recently the White Palace roof was repaired, damaged water parts were renovated, new electrical and plumbing installations were introduced, the joinery was refurbished, and there is so much more yet to be done. I am in love with our home in the maintenance of which I have invested much of my own personal means – explains the Prince.

Each Palace consists of the basement, ground floor, storey, and loft. The floors have two apartments with several additional rooms; there are also the dining rooms, hallways and bathrooms. The upper chambers consist of several smaller bedrooms that were used by servants at one time. The basement of the Royal Palace consists of beautiful salons used primarily for fun and relaxing. Apart from the billiards room, there is the so-called Room for Men, the only place where the Palace etiquette used to allow smoking. King Alexander used to receive here only the closest of his male company, with whom he enjoyed playing cards and the quality wines from the Royal wine cellars. Also at this location is the Room of Whispers with a fountain, based on the role model of the famous Fountain of Tears of the Khan’s Bakhchisaray palace. On it are the verses of Branko V. Radicevic, and when one turns the key, the water creates a murmur and a sound wall that enabled confidential discussions, and prevented eavesdropping from the curious. The cinema at the Royal Palace was the first private cinema in our country. The oldest preserved film is the Coronation of King Peter I from 1904. The story has it that six armchairs at the lowest level were intended to be used by the six presidents of the Former Republics of Yugoslavia, and the one above the gallery was the Marshall’s.

The Royal and the White Palaces are equipped with the most exclusive stylish furniture purchased from all over Europe, mostly France, Italy, Great Britain, and the former Yugoslav Republics. According to the Prince and Princess, each represents a unique and special piece of art of incalculable value.

- I found the portrait of my grandfather, His Majesty King Alexander I, painted by Paja Jovanovic that was for a long time hidden in the loft of the White Palace. We put it back in its original place, above the fireplace in the Central Salon. The Royal and the White Palaces are equipped and decorated with carefully chosen carpets, furniture, and art work – emphasizes the Crown Prince.

Some of the most significant pieces of artwork, were made by the Royal Family members themselves, thanks to their talent, among which is the Knight in Contemplation from 1936, by Queen Maria, who was a gifted artist and sculptor, and whose art studio used to be located in the Thatched House, close to the Royal Palace.

- Forty five people take part in the security, cleaning, garden work, and administration of the Palaces, and also care for the tourists that come here – says the Crown Prince, whose family members had begun to do humanitarian work upon their return to Serbia, and in the White Palace frequently organize receptions for domestic and foreign delegations, with an endeavour to increase the rating of our country in the eyes of the world, by using their own reputation and numerous acquaintances.

- Our guests are also potential foreign investors, and we also participate in cultural events. In the last year, we have organized receptions for the participants of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, the participants of the International Press Institute (IPI) conference, gala dinner for the participants of the City Break, a tourist conference of major European cities, also an event for young business leaders, we have also hosted numerous participants of various medical and business conferences – concludes the Prince, emphasizing that the doors of their home are always open to guests with good intentions.

By: Veljko Zugic