Nicholas, Crown Prince of Montenegro

Nikola II Petrovic-Njegos, Crown Prince of Montenegro (born 7 July 1944) in Saint-Nicolas-du-Pelem) is the Head of the House of Petrovic-Njegos which once reigned over Montenegro. He is Hereditary Grand Master of the Dynastic Order of Petrovic-Njegos, St. Peter of Cetinje and Prince Danilo I of Montenegro.

In 2011 Montenegro recognized an official role for the Royal House of Petrovic-Njegos in Montenegro: to promote Montenegrin identity, culture and traditions through cultural, humanitarian and other non-political activities.

The title of the Crown Prince is usually only borne by those persons who held it legally under monarchy and by courtesy after the monarchy ended (as in the case of his second cousin once removed, Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia). Nicholas II was born decades after the Kingdom of Montenegro was absorbed into Serbia and was thus officially never a Crown Prince as he was never an heir apparent or presumptive of a reigning sovereign. Nevertheless, this assumed title was never disputed by anyone and is considered as held by courtesy.

Family Background

The house of Petrovic came originally from Herzegovina and settled in Njegusi around 1400. Niegosch was born around 1425 and became the Voivode of Njegos.

Prince Nikola II descends from Danilo Petrovic-Njegos who obtained the hereditary Dignity of Vladika (Prince-Bishop) of Montenegro in 1711 when it became a theocracy. Danilo I Petrovic-Njegos was recognized as Sovereign Prince of Montenegro by Russia on 21 March 1852, and established succession by male primogeniture.

His successor, Prince Nikola I assumed the style of Royal Highness on 19 December 1900, and the title of King 28 August 1910.

Nikola is also related to the former royal House of Obrenovic through Yephrem, younger full brother of Milos Obrenovic I, Prince of Serbia.

During World War I the Petrovic Njegos family were forced to flee the country in 1915 after the Army of Montenegro was overwhelmed by the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the end of the war, the Kingdom of Serbia annexed Montenegro while abolishing the Kingdom of Montenegro and deposing the Petrovic Njegos dynasty.

The family made their home in France where Nikola I of Montenegro died in exile in 1921. The same year, King Nikola's maternal grandson, Alexander Karadordevic (Prince Nikola I's cousin) became king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, of which Montenegro had became a part. Though the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was proclaimed on 13 November 1918, it was never recognized by Nikola I, who maintained a government-in-exile, which was headed by the ex-king's former aide-de-camp and ambassador to Washington, General Anto Gvozdenovic, until the Conference of Ambassadors at Paris gave international recognition to the union 13 July 1922.

Nikola's I's heir at death was his eldest son, Prince Danilo (titular King Danilo II), who "abdicated" after one week, and the family's dynastic claim was taken up by his grandson, Michael, Prince of Montenegro, the titular King Mihajlo I, who was the father of Prince Nikola II and died in exile in 1986.

Though Prince Nikola II is de jure King of Montenegro he uses the style of "His Royal Highness Crown Prince" or "His Royal Highness Prince Nikola II of Montenegro."

Title

7 July 1944 His Royal Highness Crown Prince of Montenegro

House: Petrovic-Njegos

Decorations and Honors

Montenegrin Decorations

-Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Order of Petrovic Njegos (OPN)

-Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje (OStP)

-Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross with Diamond Star and Collar of the Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro (GCDO)

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