My Father, the Prince

MY FATHER, THE PRINCE Compaq 1 0 2001-03-31T22: 17: 00Z 2001-03-31T22: 17: 00Z 1 Compaq 1 1 9.2720 6 pt 6 pt 0 MY FATHER, THE PRINCE by Princess Milena Petrović-Njegoš Thompson Copyright 1991, 2000All rights reserved This timely biography of Prince Milo of Montenegro and the betrayal of his country imparts new meaning to today’s Yugoslavian headlines. Overview Written by Prince Milo’s only child, Milena, My Father, the Prince paints contrasts of elite Eastern European palatial life at the turnof the century against the chaos, scheming and subterfuge surrounding World War I. The prince, His Highness, Prince Milo of Montenegro of the Royal House of Petrović-Njegoš, meets the reader in Ireland at the age of78. It is here, in his reunion with his daughter after 39 years, that Milo relates the events of his betrayal and that of his tiny kingdom, Montenegro, now the smaller of Yugoslavia’s two republics. Montenegrin Monarchy For centuries Montenegro was a theocracy, where the titular ruler was also the head of the Orthodox Church, and as such was forbidden to marry. Upon the leader’s demise, the crown went to an unmarried male member of the royal family. Prince Milo succeeded from the original older founding line, in contrast with King Nicholas who descended from ayounger line. It was Nicholas, the lastking, who broke tradition by marrying and siring twelve off-spring, — including Queen Elena of Italy, Grand Duchess Anastasia (Stana) of Russia, Grand Duchess Militza of Russia, Princess Zorka (who would have become Queen of Serbia hadshe not died before her husband, King Peter Karageorgevich, ascended its throne)and the Princess of Battenberg. Prince Milo’s Youth: Montenegro and St. Petersburg Born in Cetinje, Montenegro, in 1889, Prince Milo studied at the celebrated Corps des Pages Military Academy in St. Petersburg during a period covering the years of the 1905-1906 revolutions. While there he frequently was a guest at the palaces of the last Czar and Czarina, Nicholas II and Alexandra, and was present when his cousin, Princess Stana, introduced the infamous Rasputin to the Imperial family. In discussing Milo’s youth, his daughter weaves in some history of the Slavic peoples, as well as some of the extraordinary events affecting both the bordering Balkan countries and their neighboring continents. These impacting events include: the competition among Austria-Hungary, Russia and Turkey for Balkan control; the "Mayerling" murder of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolph and his sweetheart; the hideous assassinations of Serbia’s King Alexander and Queen Draga; the assassination o