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Nicholas
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 Prince Nikola in 2017 | |||||
| Head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš | |||||
| Period | 24 March 1986 – present | ||||
| Predecessor | Michael, Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Heir apparent | Boris, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Born | (1944-07-07)7 July 1944 (age 81) Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, France | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Princess Altinaï Boris, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro | ||||
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| House | Petrović-Njegoš | ||||
| Father | Michael, Prince of Montenegro | ||||
| Mother | Geneviève Prigent | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro (Montenegrin: Nikola Petrović Njegoš/ Никола Петровић Његош; born 7 July 1944), is a French-born architect and the Head of theHouse of Petrović-Njegoš, which reigned overMontenegro from 1696 to 1766 and again from 1782 to 1918.
He lives in Montenegro and occupies part of the former royal palace and the historic family home inNjeguši. In 2011, the country recognised an official role for the RoyalHouse of Petrović-Njegoš: to promote Montenegrin identity, culture, and traditions through cultural, humanitarian and other non-political activities.[1]
The house of Petrović came originally fromHerzegovina and settled inNjeguši around 1400. Niegosch was born around 1425 and became theVoivode of Njegoš.
Nicholas descends from Danilo Petrović-Njegoš who obtained the hereditary Dignity ofVladika (Prince-Bishop) of Montenegro in 1711 when it became atheocracy.[2] Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš was recognized as SovereignPrince of Montenegro byRussia on 21 March 1852, and established succession by maleprimogeniture. His successor,Prince Nikola I assumed thestyle ofRoyal Highness on 19 December 1900, and then the title ofKing on 28 August 1910.
Nicholas is also related to the former royalHouse of Obrenović throughJevrem, younger brother ofMiloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia.
DuringWorld War I, the Petrović Njegoš family were forced to flee the country in 1915 after theArmy of Montenegro was overwhelmed by the troops of theAustro-Hungarian Empire. At the end of the war, Montenegro joined theKingdom of Serbia, while thePodgorica People's Assembly abolished theKingdom of Montenegro anddeposed thePetrović Njegoš dynasty.[citation needed]
The family gainedFrench citizenship and made their home inFrance, whereNikola I of Montenegro died inexile in 1921.[citation needed] The same year, King Nikola's maternal grandson,Alexandar Karađorđević (Prince Nikola I's cousin) became king of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, of which Montenegro had become a part. Though the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed on 13 November 1918, it was never recognized by Nikola I, who maintained a government-in-exile, which was headed by the ex-king's formeraide-de-camp and ambassador to Washington, GeneralAnto Gvozdenović, until the Conference of Ambassadors at Paris gave international recognition to the union 13 July 1922.
Nicholas I's heir was his eldest son,Crown Prince Danilo (titular King Danilo II), who "abdicated" after one week,[2] recognizing his cousin's reign over Serbia (including the territories of Montenegro) and Yugoslavia. The family's dynastic claim was taken up by Nicholas I's grandson,Michael, Prince of Montenegro, the titular King Mihajlo I, who was the father of Prince Nikola II. He died in exile in 1986.[2]
Nicholas was born inSaint-Nicolas-du-Pélem at the house of a maternal great aunt in France as the only son and heir ofMichael, Prince of Montenegro and his wife Geneviève, Princess of Montenegro, née Prigent (1919–1990), a member of the French resistance.[3] Prince Michael was internationally recognised as Montenegro's king-in-exile under a regency headed by his grandmotherQueen Milena from 7 March 1921 until 13 July 1922 when international recognition was given for the 1918 annexation of Montenegro by the new Serbian headedkingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Prince Nicholas' parents were married on 27 January 1941 in Paris.
Nicholas was initially baptisedCatholic by his mother before his father had him re-baptisedOrthodox. Nicholas has stated he feels close to both religions.[4] His parents divorced in Paris, France, on 11 August 1949, exactly 5 weeks after his 5th birthday. Geneviève received custody of the young Nicholas and raised him largely as a single mother. Growing up in France Nicholas barely saw his father; consequentially, he knew very little about Montenegro or his family's history as he raised and educated as a Frenchman.[5]
In 1967 while a student he visited Montenegro for the first time, upon showing his university ID card the staff bowed upon recognising the Petrović-Njegoš name. News of his visit had spread and by the time he left the museum a crowd of 300 Montenegrins had gathered to greet him.[6]
Nicholas succeeded as head of the House of Petrović-Njegoš on the death of his father in 1986 and grew closer to his Montenegrin heritage. In 1989 he received an official invitation to come to Montenegro for the reburial and state funeral of his great grandparents King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Queen Milena and their two daughters, Princess Vera and Princess Xenia.[7] Nicholas accompanied the remains on an Italian battleship and his family received an enthusiastic welcome from Montenegrins.[8]
During thebreakup of Yugoslavia, Nicholas made several statements calling on Montenegrins not to get caught up in the violence.[5]
Nicholas was an active participant in the campaign for the restoration of Montenegro's independence, preceding thereferendum on the separation of the former kingdom from the provisionalState Union of Serbia and Montenegro.[citation needed]
Nicholas chose not to attend the celebrations of the centenary of the Kingdom of Montenegro that were held on 28 August 2010.[9] Instead, he celebrated in private.
Legislation passed in 2011 provides Nicholas with a monthly stipend equal to that of the President, and grants his family residences inCetinje andPodgorica, the Petrović Njegoš historic family home inNjeguši, and use of the first floor of the former royal palace. The Montenegrin state also promised to pay €4.3 million to a charitable foundation administered by the family.[10]
On 27 November 1976 inTrébeurden,Côtes-du-Nord, he married Francine Navarro (Casablanca, 27 January 1950 –Paris, 6 August 2008), afashion designer. She was the daughter of Antoine Navarro (Melilla, 29 January 1922 –Marseille, 12 August 1989), who fought in theFrench Foreign Legion, and wife Rachel Wazana (Casablanca, 19 July 1929), ofMoroccan Jewish descent, paternal granddaughter of Francisco Navarro and wife Carmela Padia and maternal granddaughter of Charles Wazana and wife Fanny.[11] Together they raised a family atLes Lilas,France:
House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of theOrder of Petrović Njegoš[13]House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of theOrder of Prince Danilo I[13]House of Petrović-Njegoš: Grand Master of theOrder of Saint Peter of Cetinje[13]
France: Member of theOrder of the Legion of Honour[14][15]
Italian Republic: Red Cross Great Cross[13]Italian Republic: Recipient of theRed Cross Gold Medal
Italian Royal Family: KnightSupreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation[13]Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[13]Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of Savoy
Two Sicilian Royal Family: Recipient of the Golden Medal of Honor of theSacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[13]Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Francis I[13][16]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta:Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 2nd Class with Band[13]
Grand Ducal Royal Family of Mecklenburg: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Wendish Crown[citation needed]
Portuguese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa[13]
Georgian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of the Eagle of Georgia[17]
He bears the Montenegrin Coat of Arms, which can be seen at the centre of theFlag of Montenegro. The Royal Coat of Arms is borne by the head of thePetrović Njegoš Dynasty, and differs from the family Coat of Arms.[citation needed]
The Constitution of 2007 maintained "the tradition" of King Nicholas I: the adopted Coat of Arms was a crowned silver eagle with the sara in one and the sceptre in the other claw, and charged on its breast was a red shield with the lion passant.
The 2011Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty[19] states that Nicholas "may use the heraldic symbols of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty" (Article 6).
| Ancestors of Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro (born 1944) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nicholas, Prince of Montenegro (born 1944) Born: 7 July 1944 | ||
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| Preceded by | — TITULAR — King of Montenegro 24 March 1986 – present | Incumbent |
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See alsoHouse of Petrović-Njegoš | ||
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