Alexander Obrenovich
| Alexander I | |
|---|---|
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| King of Serbia | |
| Reign | 6 March 1889 – 11 June 1903 |
| Coronation | 2 July 1889 |
| Predecessor | Milan I |
| Successor | Peter I |
| Born |
14 August 1876 Belgrade, Serbia |
| Died | 11 June 1903 (aged 26) Belgrade, Serbia |
| Burial | St. Mark's Church, Belgrade |
| Spouse | Draga Mašin |
| House | House of Obrenović |
| Father | Milan I |
| Mother | Natalija Keşco |
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Styles of Alexander I of Serbia |
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|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Sir |
Alexander I or Aleksandar Obrenović (Cyrillic: Александар Обреновић; 14 August 1876 – 11 June 1903) was king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903 when he and his wife, Queen Draga, were assassinated by a group of Army officers, led by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijević.
Alexander was born on 14 August 1876 to King Milan and Queen Natalie of Serbia. He belonged to the Obrenović dynasty.
In 1889, King Milan unexpectedly abdicated and withdrew to private life, proclaiming Alexander king of Serbia under a regency until he should attain his majority at eighteen years of age. His mother became his regent. His parents were second cousins. In 1893, King Alexander, aged sixteen, arbitrarily proclaimed himself of full age, dismissed the regents and their government, and took the royal authority into his own hands. His action won popular support, as did his appointment of a radical ministry. In May 1894 King Alexander arbitrarily abolished King Milan's liberal constitution of 1888 and restored the conservative one of 1869. His attitude during the Greco-Turkish War (1897) was one of strict neutrality.
In 1894 the young King brought his father, Milan, back to Serbia and, in 1898, appointed him commander-in-chief of the Serbian army. During that time, Milan was regarded as the de facto ruler of the country.
In the summer of 1900, King Alexander suddenly announced his engagement to the widowed Madame Draga Mašin, formerly a lady-in-waiting to his mother and 12 years older than him. The proposed union aroused great opposition: not only was Draga of unequal birth and obscure family, but at 36 years of age, the chances of her bearing an heir were dim. Alexander was an only child, and it was imperative to secure the succession.
Before making the announcement, Alexander did not consult with his father, who had been on vacation in Karlovy Vary and making arrangements to secure the hand of German princess Alexandra zu Schaumburg-Lippe for his son, or his Prime Minister Dr. Vladan Đorđević, who was visiting the Paris Universal Exhibition at the time of the announcement. Both immediately resigned from their respective offices and Alexander had difficulty in forming a new cabinet. Alexander's mother also opposed the marriage and was subsequently banished from the kingdom. She was known to have been seen in the nearby countries, such as Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria.
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Wikipedia