Hereditary Prince Philip offers birthday greetings to his dad

HRH Hereditary Prince Filip Karađorđević, on the occasion of the 80th birthday of His Royal Highness Alexander II, titular King of Serbia

Now, as my father, Crown Prince Alexander, turns eighty, I feel a deep duty to pay tribute to a man whose life is at the same time a testament of history, moral steadfastness, and a silent sacrifice in the name of honour, homeland, and of ancestors.

Few people have taken such a symbolic first breath. Born on 17 July 1945, in London, at the Claridges Hotel, in a suite that, at the personal request of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was declared Yugoslav territory, he cam to this world as a legitimate Heir to the Throne at the moment when his homeland was already in the hands of those who had declared the Royal family as enemies of the state. His baptism in Westminster Abbey, with King George VI and the future young Queen Elizabeth II as godparents, was an act of profound symbolism. Dignity and legitimacy cannot be banished.

My grandfather, His Majesty King Peter II, never abdicated. He was violently deprived of his right to return, and in 1947, the communist government stripped him of his citizenship and confiscated his family property. My father grew up in the shadow of injustice, but also in the light of responsibility.

Raised in a spirit of duty and service, he was educated in Switzerland, the United States, and Great Britain, where he graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. As an officer in the British Army, he served in the 16th/5th Royal Lancers regiment, in the Middle East, Germany, Italy, and Northern Ireland. As a captain, he was crowned the British Army’s skiing champion and left an impression of a man of discipline, honour, and courage.

Although with the death of my grandfather, he became the titular King of Serbia and Yugoslavia, my father consciously renounced the public use of that title. Not out of fear. Not out of weakness. But out of modesty. As a man of peace and national unity, he did not want to add another division to an unfortunate and divided nation. His silence was a cry for unity.

In the humanitarian aspect, Crown Prince Alexander contributed several million euros in aid to Serbia, with the support of the Serbian diaspora and friends from around the world, supporting hospitals, schools, homes, families and individuals. For this reason, in 2015, he was awarded the highest French order, the Legion of Honour in the rank of Commander, an order also worn by his great-grandfather, the famous liberator, King Peter I. This symbolism is not accidental. It testifies to the permanence of a lineage that, even when far from the throne, remains close to the people.

It is particularly valuable information that Crown Prince Alexander is the first in the history of the Royal Family Karađorđević to welcome the birth of his grandchildren, Prince Stefan and Princess Marija. Thanks to him, for the first time in history, three generations of descendants of Supreme Leader Karađorđe live in Serbia today. This is not just a joy for the family; it is a hope and a testimony of renewal.

In addition to being “kum” (in Serbian, referring to families who were godparents at baptism as well as witnesses at weddings) of His Majesty King Charles III, they were also schoolmates in Scotland at Gordonstoun. My father cherishes deep friendships with numerous European Royal houses. It is precisely thanks to his reputation and dignity that members of many Royal and noble families have visited Serbia in recent decades. He is the one who has restored international respect for Serbia through personal relationships, consistency, and honour.

In 1989, he began his active contribution to the democratic changes in Yugoslavia. He organized opposition meetings in Budapest, Banja Luka, Athens, and at Harvard University. These gatherings helped build trust among democratic participants and contributed to the crucial victory in 2000.

Since 17 July 2001, he has lived in the Royal Palace in Belgrade, a home built with their own funds by his grandfather, King Alexander I, and grandmother, Queen Maria. He entered the Palace not as a vanquisher, but as a host. Not as a master, but as a servant of the people. He did not return because of a title, but because of an obligation.

Through his efforts, his father, mother, grandmother, and uncle were rehabilitated and buried with dignity in Oplenac. The mortal remains of King Peter II, Queen Alexandra, Queen Maria, and Prince Andrew were returned from exile and laid to rest in the crypt of St. George’s Church. By doing so, he fulfilled the vow of his great-grandfather, King Peter I, that all the Karađorđevićs would rest together in his foundation in Oplenac. It was not just an act of family loyalty, but an act of historical dignity and national reconciliation.

My father is not just the keeper of a family history. He is a bridge between the past and the future. He is a symbol of values that outlive regimes: honour, patience, peace, service, and hope. At a time when many were looking for what they would get from Serbia, he gave himself unconditionally to Serbia. And he continues to provide.

Today, when I look at my father, I see myself reflected in the mirror of steadiness. In an example of how to love a country without hatred. How serving people is measured by silence, work, and constant insistence on a culture of remembrance and respect. As a grandfather to my children, Stefan and Marija, he is gentle and loyal. As a man, consistent.

His life was not easy, but it was right. His biography is not written in the splendour of the Palace, but in the silence of loyalty and the long walk to return. He is not just the keeper of the Crown. He is the keeper of values.

On his eightieth birthday, as a son, I am proud. As a citizen, I am grateful. And as a man, I am deeply moved that in a time when ideals were crumbling, he was a rock that did not give way.

Happy birthday, my father!