Leka, Crown Prince of Albania

King Leka of the Albanians
Pretender
File:King leka.jpg Leka and his wife, Queen Susan
Born	(1939-04-05) April 5, 1939
Regnal name claimed	Leka I
Title(s)	King
Throne(s) claimed	Albania
Pretend from	April 9, 1961 – present
Monarchy abolished	1939
Last monarch	Zog
Connection with	son
Royal House	Zogu
Father	Zog of Albania
Mother	Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi
Spouse	Susan Cullen-Ward
Children	Leka

Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (Leka I Zogu), (born April 5, 1939, the Royal Palace, Tirana) is the only son of King Zog I and Queen Geraldine. He was called Crown Prince Skander at birth. He is the pretender to the Albanian throne. He styles himself King Leka I, and is often referred to as such, including by monarchists and members of the media .

Family and early life

King Zog I was forced into exile only two days after the birth of Leka due to the Italian invasion of Albania, and soon officially replaced on the throne of Albania by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy — an action the King of Italy would later plead personal forgiveness for. Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, arrived soon after the invasion; on searching the Palace in Tirana found the 'labour room' in the Queen's suite; seeing a pile of linen on the floor, stained by the afterbirth, he kicked it across the room. "The cub has escaped!" he said .

Immediately after his deposition, Zog moved temporarily to Egypt, where he became a friend of King Farouk. He then began life in exile as a jet setter in various countries. The royal family settled in England, first at The Ritz in London, then moving for a very short period in 1941 to Sunninghill near Ascot in Berkshire, (near his nieces who were at school in Ascot), and then in 1941 to Parmoor House, Parmoor, near Frieth, in Buckinghamshire with some staff of the court living in locations around Lane End. He was an occasional guest at Claridge's on Brook Street in Mayfair. He once talked of using part of his huge fortune to buy The Times, telling Auberon Herbert: "I won't give a penny more than ten million for it". Records of his conversations with friends and family indicate that he wished to set up a feudal kingdom outside Albania if he was not restored to the throne.

In 1951, he bought the Knollwood estate in Muttontown, New York, for approximately $102,800, though some stories claim that he bought the mansion for a bucket of diamonds and rubies. But he never moved into the mansion.

When Zog briefly went to the United States, he wanted to bring along his Court, but the immigration authorities allowed only 20 members. Zog tried unsuccessfully to bribe the Senate to permit the remainder to join him.

Zog finally chose to make his home in France, living the lifestyle favoured by exiled monarchs, that of the Riviera recluse. Zog passed away in Hospital Foch, Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine , on April 9, 1961 at the age of 65 but had been seriously ill for some time. Through his mother, Leka has some attested distant medieval roots in Albania, whereas his father's much closer Albanian ancestry cannot be historically attested as far as to Middle Ages. The Zogu family were one of the main Principalities that fought beside the Albanian Hero Skanderbeg against the invading Turks, and Mamica Kastriot, (Skanderbeg's sister) married into the Toptani family, which King Zog's mother came from.

Leka was educated at English schools in Egypt and at Aiglon College, Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Fluent in seven languages he also studied economics at Sorbonne and passed out of Sandhurst Military Academy in England. Following this he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the British Army . He has since made his money with successful business deals in commodities.

Leka became heir apparent of the abolished throne on April 5 1957. At the death of King Zog I in 1961, Leka was proclaimed King of the Albanians by a convened Albanian National Assembly-in-Exile, in a function room at the Hotel Bristol, Paris. He also holds the position of Sovereign Grand Master of the Orders of Scanderbeg, Fidelity and Bravery.

In 1975, Leka married Australian citizen and former teacher Susan Cullen-Ward in Biarritz. They were married in a civil ceremony in the Hôtel de Ville, Biarritz. The wedding reception, at a five-star Toledo Roadhouse, was attended by members of other exiled royal families, loyal Albanians and Spanish friends, who toasted "Long live the King".

The couple returned to Madrid, where they were befriended by King Juan Carlos and continued to enjoy the attentions of Albanians while awaiting what they knew must be the fall of Communism. But when it was discovered that Leka not only retained some Thai bodyguards but had what was described as an arms cache in their home, the Spanish government asked him to leave.

That Leka had some reason for his fears was proved when he arrived at Gabon for refueling, to find his aeroplane surrounded by local troops, who were said to have been hired to capture him by the Albanian government; he saw them off by appearing at the plane's door with a bazooka in his hand. The couple went on to Rhodesia. But after Mugabe took power they settled in a large compound at Johannesburg, where they were given diplomatic status by the South African government.

Leka spent many years exiled in Bryanston, South Africa, where his son, Prince Leka Anwar Zog Reza Baudouin Msiziwe, was born. He currently resides in Tirana, Albania, where his wife, Susan, died on July 17 2004.

There is no proof that the King Leka has been involved in arms dealing. The French magazines Point De Vue, Le Figaro and La Montagne were taken to court and lost the case when they made such allegations.

On the occasion of his wedding, he said

I normally wear two pistols but not even I could carry guns at my wedding reception.

Return to Albania

In 1993 he entered Albania for the first time (since being exiled aged a few days old in 1939), doing so under a passport issued by his own Royal Court-in-exile. In this passport, which the Albanian government had refused to recognise previously, Leka listed his profession as "King". Leka was greeted by a crowd of approximately 500 supporters on his arrival at the airport. He stated at this time that he would renounce this passport and accept the status of a normal citizen if a referendum on the monarchy failed.

In 1997 Leka returned again, this time being greeted by 2,000 supporters. A referendum was held in Albania concerning a monarchical restoration. The restoration was rejected by approximately two-thirds of those voting. The King refused to recognize the result, and questioned the independence of the election. Refusing to renounce his royal passport, Leka later attempted to organise a peaceful meeting following the election results, before being forced back into exile. When asked if he intended to leave Albania he replied

Why? It is my country.

After leaving Albania of his own accord he was tried and sentenced to three years imprisonment for sedition, in absentia; this conviction was pardoned in March 2002, when seventy two members of Parliament asked the royal family to return. · Leka is backed by the Legality Party, which formed a coalition with other parties in Albania. Leka, however, does not vote, stating that

I am above all political parties, even my own.

Leka was head of the Movement for National Development however, in February 2006, he announced he would be withdrawing from political and public life.

Leka is friends with many monarchs and politicians throughout the world, including the late President Ronald Reagan. In 1967 Leka presented Reagan with a baby elephant named Gertie he had bought through Harrods. It was later donated to Sacramento Zoo. The Crown Prince is also a distant cousin of Richard Nixon, through his mother; it is believed Nixon and "such good friends as the Shah of Persia … and the CIA are thought to have helped" with his life in exile.

External links

• Maison Royale d'Albanie Template:Fr icon
• Leka in military uniform with his wife