Will the Duke of Connaught become the king of Serbia

January 7, 1909

A Viennese dispatch is reporting that King Peter of Serbia may soon resign his crown, and the country's national assembly will "gather in Belgrade and offer the crown to the Duke of Connaught."
The Duchess of Connaught "would become the prettiest Queen in the world, as she is now one of the most beautiful princesses."

The rumors are believed to have originated in the "close relations which Downing Street is known to have with the Belgrade government."
The Duke of Connaught has already turned the offer of one throne, when he and his son, Prince Arthur of Connaught, abdicated their rights, in favor of his nephew, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, as heir to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1899, The Duke of Connaught became the heir presumptive to his brother, Prince Alfred, who was the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, when the Duke's only son, Alfred, died. But neither Arthur nor his son wanted to take on the responsibilities, and renounced their rights. Duke Alfred died in 1900, and he was succeeded by the young Duke of Albany.
The Duke of Connaught is now field marshall, commander-in-chief and high commissioner in the Mediterranean, and he and his wife are returning from Venice to Malta, instead of inspecting the troops in Cryprus and Crete.