Peter II of Yugoslavia

Peter II Karadjordjević ( Serbian Cyrillic Петар / Petar, born September 6, 1923 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; † November 3, 1970 in Denver, Colorado ) came out of the house Karadjordjević and was the last king of Yugoslavia.

Life

Peter was the eldest son of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria of Romania, daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania from the House of Hohenzollern - Sigmaringen.

1934 his father was killed by assassination and Peter followed him with eleven years as Peter II to the throne. The state affairs led his father's cousin, Prince Paul. As this, however, in March 1941 joined on German pressure towards the alliance of the " Axis Powers ", took place in Belgrade, a pro-British military coup that deposed the Regency Council and King Peter declared of age and thus capable of governing. But the real power lay with the new government under General Simovic, who was looking back over Hitler's Germany to a neutral policy. Hitler, however, did not accept this fact the UK -use U-turn and began on April 6, 1941 the military attack on Yugoslavia.

A few days later, the army had to capitulate. Together with the reign of King Peter II fled the country. In 1943 the Communists forbade him to return. In exile in London, he married on March 20, 1944 Princess Alexandra of Greece ( 1921-1993 ), daughter of the former king Alexander I., on July 17, 1945 son Alexander was born.

After the Allied victory and the restoration of Yugoslavia in 1945, he had, according to short-term return expectations, waive in November 1945 to the throne and handed power to the Regent Srdjan Budisavljević, Ante Mandic and Dušan Sernec. Already in December 1945 left the new communist authorities of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito as " Federal People's Republic " exclaim.

Ex - King Peter II emigrated after 1945 in the United States. He died in hospital from Denver to a failed liver transplant. He was buried in the cemetery of Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and that he was the only European monarch, who was buried on U.S. soil. His remains were transferred to Serbia in January 2013 and on 26 May 2013 Oplenac, the family tomb of the royal dynasty of Karadjordjević, buried alongside his wife Alexandra and his mother Marija in a solemn ceremony.

His son, Crown Prince Alexander rises when Alexander II still entitled to the Serbian throne.