Michael, Prince of Montenegro

Prince Michael Petrović-Njegos
Pretender
Born	(1908-09-14)September 14, 1908 Podgorica
Died	March 24, 1986(1986-03-24) (aged 77) Paris
Title(s)	Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta
Throne(s) claimed	Montenegro
Pretend from	March 7, 1921 – 1929
Monarchy abolished	1918
Last monarch	Nicholas
Connection with	Grandson
Royal House	Petrović-Njegoš
Father	Prince Mirko of Montenegro
Mother	Natalija Konstantinović
Predecessor	Crown Prince Danilo
Successor	Prince Nicholas

Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro (September 14, 1908, Podgorica - March 24, 1986, Paris) was the third (but eldest surviving) son of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta (1879-1918), and Natalija Konstantinović, a cousin of Aleksandar Obrenović of Serbia. He was pretender to the throne of Montenegro, holding the title Grand Duke of Grahovo and Zeta, in succession to his father. King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro was Michael's grandfather. Michael had recognized and acknowledged the Unification of Montenegro with Serbia, renouncing the throne. In World War II he was held prisoner by the Nazis after refusing to take up the throne of the Axis forces' re-established Montenegrin puppet-state. During the period of Communism, he was an active member of the Serb diaspora revolutionary organization and a diplomatic worker against the Communist dictatorship of Marshall Tito.

Early life

Michael was born the son of Prince Mirko of Montenegro in Cetinje in 1908. In 1916 the defence of Montenegro against the invasion by Austria-Hungary during the First World War collapsed and he, alongside the rest of the royal family, fled to Italy. Here, he briefly attended a boarding school in Naples before joining his mother who had taken up residence in Eastbourne in the United Kingdom where he completed his primary education.

Ascession

After his grandfather Nikola died in 1921, the defunct throne was inherited by Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro. However, Danilo unexpectedly abdicated a few days later and his nephew the young Michael (who succeeded him as pretender) "reigned" as King Mihaijlo I under the guidance of a regent. In 1929 the Regency of General Anto Gvozdenovic ended and Mihaijlo renounced his dynasty's claim to the throne of Montenegro and declared allegiance to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In gratitude, the King of Yugoslavia, Alexander I rewarded Prince Mihaijlo with a pension from the Civil List.

The Axis Proposition

In 1941, following the Fall of France, Prince Mihaijlo and his wife were arrested by the German occupation authorities. They were transferred to Germany and were held at a castle on the shores of Lake Constance. It was here that they were visited by Count Galeazzo Ciano and Joachim von Ribbentrop and were offered the throne of a new, independent Kingdom of Montenegro, but under Italian and German protection and guidance. He rejected this offer and remained imprisoned in Germany until his aunt, the Queen of Italy (Elena of Montenegro), secured their release in 1943. They returned to France only to be arrested by the German authorities and transferred to an internment camp at Jezeří Castle in occupied Czechoslovakia. It was here that the couple's son Prince Nicholas of Montenegro was born in 1944.

The Communist Proposition

At the end of the war Michael, his wife and infant son were released; they returned to France, taking up residence in Paris. Shortly after this he began talking to Marshall Tito of the newly socialist Yugoslavia and was invited to visit the country. In 1947 the young family took up residence in Belgrade and Prince Mihaijlo accepted the position as Head of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prince Mihajlo was able to visit Montenegro which he had not seen since 1916, and realized that the memory of his family was still alive amongst the people. Eventually disappointed with Tito, the family returned to France in June 1948.

Serb Opposition to Communist Dictatorship

From its founding in 1964, Michael Petrovich spent his years as an active political dissident of the Communist regime and worked to bring about its downfall. He was a member of the revolutionary Serb Liberation Movement Fatherland, aimed at gathering the Serb diaspora and internal dissidents in an effort to destroy the Yugoslav Communists.

Later Life and Death

Following his break with the government of Yugoslavia, the money he received from the civil list was terminated. Soon after, he and his wife divorced and he remained in exile until his death in 1986. Their son, Nicholas, was brought up by his mother. Prince Mihaijlo is buried in the Serbian Orthodox Church cemetery in Paris.

Marriage and Children

Michael married Geneviève Prigent in Paris, France, on January 27, 1941; they divorced on August 11, 1949 in Paris. They had one child:

• Prince Nikola of Montenegro (July 7, 1944 - )

Works

• Njegoš's Chapel on Lovćen - Serb Sacred Place (Serbian: Његошева Капела На Ловћену Српска Светиња)
• "From my Memmoires" (Serbian: Из мојих мемоара), The Serb National Defense, 1961, Winsor

External links

• The Njegoskij Fund Public Project : Biography of Prince Michel of Montenegro (1908-1986).
• The Njegoskij Fund Public Project : Biography of Genevieve Prigent, Militant Princess and French Resistant (1919-1990).