The House of Kаrаđоrđеvić

The Serbian and the Yugoslav ruling dynasty, whose founder was the commander Kаrаđоrđе Pеtrоvić. As successors to the preceding Оbrеnоvić Dynasty, they remained the ruling family until 1945, when Yugoslavia became a republic. In the mid- 19th century, Prince of Serbia was Alexander (1842–1858), son of Kаrаđоrđe Pеtrоvić.

The Kаrаđоrđеvić family came to power once again in 1903, overthrowing the Оbrеnоvićs. The Serbian and later the Yugoslav Kingdom was ruled by three members of the Kаrаđоrđеvić family in a row: King Petеr I (1903–1921), King Alexander I (1921–1934) and King Peter II (1934–1945).

The royal house of Kаrаđоrđеvić is divided into a senior and a junior branch. The senior branch starts with Peter I, and the present heir to the throne is his great grandson, Alexander Kаrаđоrđеvić.

The junior branch starts from Prince Аrsеn, brother to Peter I, whose son, Prince Paul Kаrаđоrđеvić, was for seven years the Regent to the minor Peter II.

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The St George’s Church on Оplеnac was built as a mausoleum to the Kаrаđоrđеvić family. Besides the two tombs in the church itself, which keep the remains of Kаrаđоrđe Pеtrоvić and the King Peter I, in the church crypt twenty members through six generations of the royal house were buried: from Kаrаđоrđе’s mother Маrica to Petеr’s grandson, Prince Тоmislаvа Kаrаđоrđеvićа.

The church interior is covered in mosaics with copies of Serbian mediaeval churches and monasteries.