Philip, Hereditary Prince of Yugoslavia

Filip Karadordevic; born 15 January 1982), known in English as Prince Philip Karageorgevitch and unofficially titled Philip, Hereditary Prince of Serbia and Yugoslavia is a Serbian business manager, a member of the House of Karadordevic, and heir apparent to Crown Prince Alexander. He is the second grandson of the last King of Yugoslavia, Peter II.

Born in the United States and raised in the United Kingdom, he shaped into a finance and asset manager. In 2020, he moved to his homeland Serbia and took more active role in public life, traveling often across Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska. His son is the first male child born to the Karadordevic royal family on Serbian soil for 90 years. In 2022, be became the hereditary prince, following his brother's abdication.

Early Life and Education

Born in 1982, Philip is the second son and second child of the last Crown Prince of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Alexander and Princess Maria Gloria of Orleans-Braganza. He is the fraternal twin of Alexander. His godparents are Queen Sofia of Spain, King Constantine II of Greece (both first cousins of his paternal grandmother), and Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria (first cousin of his mother). Besides the twin brother, he has the older brother, Peter (b. 1980). Philip lived in Virginia until 1984. In 1982, Philip and his twin brother were baptized by Lavrentije, Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Western Europe, at a castle in Villamanrique Condesa, near Seville, Spain.

Philip's parents divorced in 1985. After the divorce, his father remarried Katherine Clairy Batis later that year, while his mother remarried Ignacio, Duke of Segorbe later that year also. Through his mother, Philip has two younger half-sisters, Sol Maria Blanca Medina Orleans-Braganza, 54th Countess of Ampurias (b. 1986) and Ana Luna Medina Orleans-Braganza, 17th Countess of Ricla (b. 1988)

Together with his twin brother, Philip was educated in London and Canterbury. In June 2000, Philip completed sixth form at The King's School, Canterbury having obtained three A levels and ten GCSEs. He was awarded a BA from University College London at the completion of his university studies. In 2003-04, he joined a student exchanged program at a university in Madrid. Also, he finished Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland.

In 1991, Philip with his father and brothers briefly visited Belgrade, Yugoslavia. In February 2001, the Parliament of FR Yugoslavia passed legislation conferring citizenship on members of the Karadordevic family, making Philip eligible for a Yugoslav citizenship. In July 2001, his father and step-mother moved to Belgrade, Serbia FR Yugoslavia. After the dissolution of FR Yugoslavia (later renamed to Serbia and Montenegro), Philip obtained a citizenship of Serbia.

Personal Life

After completion of his studies, Philip started to work for financial institutions located in the City of London. There he worked as finance manager for Landsbanki and Teather & Greenwood. Then, he worked in the Ritz Hotel in London. Afterwards, he worked for Cyprus-based global hedge fund IKOS. Most recently, Philip has been working with a renowned global asset manager in London.

Philip lived and worked in London until 2020 when he relocated to Serbia and started to work remotely, following COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

Philip completed the 2010 Athens Marathon, the 2011 Belgrade Half-marathon, and the 2014 London Marathon.

Marriage and Issue

On 24 July 2017, his engagement to Danica Marinkovic was announced.

Philip married Danica Marinkovic on 7 October 2017, at the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Belgrade, Serbia. Their witnesses were Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden and his brother Peter. His two godmothers, Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria attended the wedding. It was the first royal wedding in Serbia since 1922 and the wedding of his grand-grandfather King Alexander I and Princess Maria of Romania. Several members of European royal families also attended, including Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg with his wife, Prince Amyn Aga Khan, Princess Jeet Nabha Khemka, and guests of the Karadordevic Royal Family and the Marinkovic family, including president of the National Assembly of Serbia Maja Gojkovic among others.

Princess Danica gave birth to their son, Prince Stephen, in Belgrade on 25 February 2018 at 10:30 am. Stephen is the first male child born to the royal family on Serbian soil for 90 years, the last birth being that of Prince Tomislav in Belgrade in 1928. Stephan was baptized on December 15 2018 at the Royal Palace's Chapel in Belgrade.

Public Life

Prince Philip attended the reburial of his grandparents King Peter II and Queen Alexandra, grand-grandmother Queen Maria, and granduncle Prince Andrew in the Royal Family Mausoleum at Oplenac on 26 May 2013. The Serbian Royal Regalia were placed over King Peter's coffin, having Philip placing the Royal Orb and Sceptre near to the Karadordevic Crown.

On 17 July 2015, Prince Philip and his brothers were present at their father's 70th birthday celebration in Royal Compound, Belgrade. The event gathered 400 guests, including Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Albert II of Monaco among others.

Prince in Serbia (2020-2022)

Philip used to lived in London with his family, a wife and a son, but as of July 2020 they relocated and currently live in Belgrade, Serbia. With his relocation to Serbia, Philip fulfill his promise gave to Serbian Patriarch Irinej to do so.

In January 2020, Prince Philip had voiced support for the clerical protests in Montenegro.

On 22 November 2020, Philip and his wife Princess Danica were the only members of the House of Karadordevic who attended the funeral service of Patriarch Irinej at the Church of Saint Sava.

Prince Philip and his wife were also the only members of the House of Karadordevic who attended enthronement of newly elected Patriarch Porfirije on 19 February 2021 in St. Michael's Cathedral in Belgrade.

In April 2021 before the Easter, Philip visited Kosovo to give a support to Serbian community there, becoming also the first member of House of Karadordevic after his grand-grandfather King Alexander I who traveled to Prizren. He and his wife traveled there for a weekend visiting Orthodox Seminary, Our Lady of Ljevis Church, Cathedral of Saint George, and Church of St. Nicholas. Also, they have visited Velika Hoca, Orahovac, and monasteries Patriarchate of Pec and Zociste during the trip.

On 13 September 2021, Prince Philip and his wife Princess Danica attended Holy Liturgy led by Patriarch Porfirije in the Jasenovac Monastery in Croatia and visited the Jasenovac concentration camp and Stone Flower sculpture becoming first members of the House of Karadordevic who visited this memorial site from World War II.

In December 2021, Philip has support for the environmental protests in Serbia.

In February 2022, Philip and his wife traveled to Han Pijesak, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they met with local authorities and took over keys of the summer house of the Karadordevic family. The summer house was built by King Alexander I in the early 1920s and used by his family until 1941.

Afterwards, the house was used for the command of the Ustasa Commissioner Jure Francetic during World War II. After the war, the house was commonly known as the Tito's Villa although Yugoslav communist president Josip Broz Tito never stayed there. Devastated by time, the summer house will be rebuilt and renovated as Prince Philip has agreed with local authorities and the Government of Republika Srpska to fund it. According some sources, the Vidovdan Constitution was signed in the summer house. Furthermore, on 10 February, Prince Philip and his wife met with Milorad Dodik, a Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 21 March 2022, Philip and Princess Danica signed the People's initiative to ban the exploitation of lithium and boron in Serbia.

Hereditary Prince (2022-present)

On 27 April 2022, his elder brother Prince Peter renounced the title of hereditary prince-for himself and his descendants. Philip became Hereditary Prince of Serbia and Yugoslavia, heir apparent to his father Alexander. The ceremony took place at Casa de Pilatos in Seville, Spain at the presence of his mother Princess Maria da Gloria, his stepfather Duke Ignacio, his wife Danica, his half-sister Countess Sol, Ljubodrag Grujic, a member of the Crown Council, Chancellor of the Orders and the Herald of the House of Karadordevic and Nikola Stankovic, Chief of Staff of the Crown Prince.

His father, Crown Prince Alexander, did not attend the event. The Crown Prince was dissatisfied with Peter's abdication. A grandson of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, Prince Michael, supported the act of abdication.

On 5 May 2022, Philip and his wife attended mass at Cathedral of Saint-Louis Invalides in Paris in honor of Napoleon I and soldiers of the Grande Armee who died for France, by a invitation from his cousin Jean-Christophe, Prince of Napoleon, a descendant of Napolean, and his wife Princess Olympia. Afterwards, they have traveled to Mileseva Monastery in southwest Serbia and Pljevlja, Montenegro, attending the Holy Liturgy in Mileseva led by Patriarch Porfirije and Metropolitan Joanikije II of Montenegro and the Littoral.

In the first week of June 2022, Philip and his family traveled to Kosovo, visiting Gazimestan, Gracanica Monastery, Prizren (Church of the Holy Saviour and Holy Archangels), Pristina (St. Nicholas Church), and Visoki Decani Monastery. During his visits, he opened Vidovdanske svecanosti (transl. The Solemnity of Vidovdan) in Gracanica and Spasovdanski dani (transl. The Days of Spasovdan) in Prizren. Furthermore, Prince Philip gave a copy of the Prince Peter's abdication paper to the library of Visoki Decani Monastery.

Titles, Styles and Honours

Titles and Styles

-15 January 1982-2003: His Royal Highness Prince Philip of Yugoslavia

-2003-2022: His Royal Highness Prince Philip Serbia and Yugoslavia

27 April 2022 present: His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Hereditary Prince of Serbia and Yugoslavia

Honours

-House of Karadordevic: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Star of Karadorde

-House of Karadordevic: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the White Eagle

-House of Karadordevic: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown

-House of Karadordevic: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St. Sava

House: Karadordevic

Religion: Serbian Orthodox

(https://en.wikipedia.org)