Principality of Albania

Principality of Albania
Principata e Shqipërisë
1914–1917 1920–1925
Flag Royal Coat of arms
Motto Atdheu mbi te gjitha "Homeland above all"
Anthem Himni i Flamurit "Hymn to the Flag"
The Principality of Albania in 1914.
Capital		Durrës
Languages		Albanian
Religion		Sunni Islam, Bektashi Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christianity
Government		Principality
Prince
•	1914-1925	William I[a]
Head of State
•	1914–1916	Essad Pasha Toptani
•	1916–1920	Position vacant
•	1920	Sulejman Delvina
•	1920–1925	High Council
Prime Minister
•	1914	Turhan Përmeti (first)
•	1925	Ahmet Zogu (last)
Legislature		Parliament
Historical era		WWI / Interwar Period
•	Established	21 February 1914
•	Disestablished	31 January 1925
Area
•	1923	28,748 km² (11,100 sq mi)
Population
•	1923 est.	803,959
Density		28 /km²  (72.4 /sq mi)
Currency		None until 1925 (Albanian Lek)
Preceded by Succeeded by Independent Albania Republic of Central Albania Albanian Republic Republic of Mirdita Italian protectorate over Albania Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
a. ^ His reign officially came to an end on 31 January 1925 when Albania was declared a republic. He never abdicated.

The Principality of Albania (Albanian: Principata e Shqipërisë or Shteti Shqiptar) refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by William, Prince of Albania and to the state after the First World War, until the abolition of the monarchy in 1925, when Albania was declared a republic.

The Great Powers recognized the independence of Albania in the Treaty of London in May 1913. The Principality was established on February 21, 1914. Albania had been under Ottoman rule from around 1478. The Great Powers selected Prince William of Wied, a nephew of Queen Elisabeth of Romania to become the sovereign of the newly independent Albania. A formal offer was made by 18 Albanian delegates representing the 18 districts of Albania on February 21, 1914, an offer which he accepted. Outside of Albania William was styled prince, but in Albania he was referred to as Mbret (King) so as not to seem inferior to the King of Montenegro. The first government under the rule of the House of Wied was a kind of "princes privy council" because of its members, who were representatives of the Albanian nobility: Prince Turhan Pasha Përmeti (former Governor of Crete and ambassador of the Ottoman Empire at Saint Petersburg), Aziz Pasha Vrioni, Prince Bib Doda of Gjomarkaj-Mirdita, Prince Essad Pasha Toptani, Prince George Adamidi bey Frashëri, Mihal Turtulli bey Koritza, and others.