Death of Crown Prince Leka, aka Leka I, King of the Albanians - 30 November 2011

[Princess Robijn]

Crown Prince Leka, aka Leka I, King of the Albanians, died today.

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Albanian Royal Family -

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[Warren]

First Obituaries

The Associated Press: Albania's self-styled King Leka dies at 72

Albania's self-styled King Leka dies at 72 - Yahoo! News

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Leka Zogu, whose father served as Albania's king until it was occupied by fascist Italy, and who twice returned home from exile to try to claim the throne himself, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 72. Zogu died of a heart attack at the Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana, said the family spokeswoman, Julinda Kamberi.

Zogu's father, King Ahmet Zog, was this small Balkan country's first and only post-independence monarch, reigning from 1928 to 1939, when he fled after Albania was occupied by Italian forces. Born just two days before Albania was occupied in 1939, Zogu spent most of his life in exile in Europe and Africa while his country was ruled by Communists who abolished the monarchy in 1946 and banned contact with the outside world.

After Albania's Communist regime fell in 1990, Zogu made two disastrous attempts to return home — being thrown out during the first in 1993 and charged with leading an armed uprising during the second in 1997. The six-foot, five-inch (2-meter) tall Zogu finally settled in Albania in 2002, leading a quiet life with his Australian wife and son but never relinquishing his claim to the throne. The royal family's official website listed his interests as "arms, shooting, reading and history."

His family was given back some of its old royal properties and granted diplomatic passports. Zogu's son, also named Leka, has since served as an adviser to several Albanian governments. Today, a small royalist party is allied to the governing Democratic Party's coalition of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

Two years ago, Albania's government pledged to bring home from Paris the late King Zog's remains, calling the monarch "one of the greatest, most distinguished personalities with a major contribution to the history of the Albanian nation." That could be done next year when Albania celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence.

Zogu was educated in Egypt, Switzerland and France and graduated from the military academy of Sandhurst, England. He studied economics and political science at the Sorbonne, France, and spoke English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Portuguese and Italian. In 1975, he married Australian-born Susan Cullen-Ward, who died in 2004. Zogu's Hungarian mother, Queen Geraldina, died in 2002.

Zogu is survived by his son, the self-styled Leka II.

 

[Biri]

Very sad news! He was not so old...
And Prince Leka jr. is now an orphan...

 

[maria-olivia]

Crown-Prince /King Leka I died in his country . I think the funeral will take place in Tirana as the remains of his father the late King Zog are there .
Is his son King or Crown Prince Leka II . Is he still engaged
I am looking forward the informations of the Albanian Royal House.
Thanks Warren.

 

[DWC]

Unfortunately the Associated Press (and thus all the sites that use the article) have forgotten Prince William of Wied as they call King Zog the "first and only post-independence monarch" of Albania.

 

[Jacknch]

I read his father's biography afew years ago. Sad news.

 

[Rhys82192]

What a sad news! I offer my deepest condolences to the Royal Family of Albania. May God rest his soul...

 

[lucien]

Albania mourns death of King Leka - News Summary ROYALBLOG.NL

courtesy hja

 

[Warren]

More Obituaries, and excerpts

Albania's self-styled King Leka dies at 72 | World news | The Guardian

On Wednesday, Albanian President Bamir Topi, Prime Minister Berisha and political parties sent condolences to Leka Zogu and his family."His active efforts and role to topple the communist system and, during transition, to heighten Albania's national values and promote the integrating process remain alive in the nation's memory," Topi said.

Berisha honored Leka Zogu by referring to him with the royal title he had always wanted.The prime minister declared Saturday a day of national mourning and said Albania "will respect King Leka I with all the attributes of a king not in office."Describing him as "one of the greatest personalities of (Albania's) political history," Berisha also questioned the result of a 1997 referendum that upheld the abolition of the monarchy. "The referendum was held under the flares of a communist rebellion and cannot be considered a closed issue," he said during a Cabinet meeting.

Leka Zogu: Controversial 'king of the Albanians' who spent most of his life in exile - Obituaries - News - The Independent

Leka of Albania was one of the most colourful and controversial characters on the 20th century Balkan scene, and one of the last links with the pre-Second World War Zogist monarchy. He was born in 1939 into a world of deep political crisis, with the government of his father, King Zog, Albania's first king, about to be snuffed out by Mussolini's forces. When Leka was one day old, his father held a great military parade in the capital, Tirana, a great provocation to the Duce in Rome.

Plans were laid for the immediate exile of Leka and his mother, Queen Geraldine. Zog's plan to retire to the mountains to head an anti-Fascist resistance was stymied by the treachery of the Yugoslavs, and he, too, fled into exile – in such confusion that the family Fabergé eggs and the queen's fortune were left behind – the family and a small entourage settling in northern Greece.

Zog's hope that he would be able to secure British support for his return to the throne when the war ended was reinforced by his close relationship with key members of the Special Operations Executive, like Julian Amery, who were sent from SOE HQ in Cairo to assist the pro-royalist resistance to the Axis. The Foreign Office, though, was never inclined to forgive Zog for his pro-Italian leanings in the 1930s and gave enough support to pro-Communist groups under the control of Enver Hoxha's Partisans to enable them to seize power before the war ended elsewhere in Europe. Amery remained a lifelong friend.

...in one of the dramatic reversals of fortune that dominated his life, he was rescued from political oblivion by the Kosovo crisis. He had always campaigned actively and without thought of personal gain on the Kosovo Albanians' behalf, and had built up much goodwill in that community in their fight against Serbian occupation. He and his followers played a positive role in the wartime period, and millions of dollars were raised by royalist exiles in the US, particularly in Detroit, for humanitarian relief and for munitions for the Kosovo Liberation Army.

As the political atmosphere eased in Tirana, Leka returned to live in a grand house owned by an Albanian-American multi-millionaire and recently vacated by the Greek ambassador, a particularly satisfying irony as Leka had always regarded Greek expansionism as one of the central causes of instability in the region. The fact that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and his abstention from controversial political activity no doubt eased his passage home.

He continued to fight for Kosovo until his death, and in spring 2003 addressed a highly emotional gathering to commemorate the foundation of the Prizren League at which he endorsed the principle of reunification of the Albanians. During his final years Leka stoutly resisted his illness but retired from public life, spending most of his time in Albania and taking great pride in his son's achievements as an officer cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in Britain.
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[Benjamin]

Preparations are underway to pay tribute to the memory of the heir to King Zog, Leka Zogu I
1 Dec 2011

Prime Minister Sali Berisha declared December 3, 2011 a national Day of Mourning, in a sign of respect for Leka Zogu I, and called for the creation of State Commission for the organization of the funeral ceremony. The national flag will fly at half mast at all state and public institutions. A minute's silence will be observed on Saturday at midday, and the Albanian Radio-Television will broadcast funeral music. The official funeral ceremony will be held at the hall of the Albanian Assembly.

Source: Albeu

 

[Kasumi]

I wonder if the Albanian RF are muslims or christians. The founder of the dynasty was Pasha under Osmans, and Queen Geraldine was from Hungarian noble family (christian?).
Which funeral ceremony will the King have?

 

[PetraHel]

I think they are Muslims (heard somewhere that they are the only European muslim royal family), but am not completely sure.

 

[Cory]

U.M.I. - Unione Monarchica Italiana - News

 

[maria-olivia]

They saw what happen in Romania with the King’s 90th Birthday.

If they want to be known abroad it is a good idea to mix the officials with the funerals of the late King. (Albanian National Flag and the Hall of the Albanian Assembly.

During HIRH the late Archduke Otto Funerals , the President of Austria assisted and at the end I heard the Kaiser’s Hymn ’s Song.

 

[The Illyrian]

I wonder if the Albanian RF are muslims or christians. The founder of the dynasty was Pasha under Osmans, and Queen Geraldine was from Hungarian noble family (christian?).
Which funeral ceremony will the King have?

lol why everybody asks this over and over again???
(Ahmet) Zogu was an atheist... he was not a religious persson! Also he was a "big fun" of the slogan: (alb) "Feja e Shqiptarit është Shqiptaria" (eng) "The religion of Albanians is Albanism"!
So the answer to your question is: THEY ARE ATHEISTS!

 

[Benjamin]

Queen Geraldine was Catholic and Queen Suzani was Episcopalian, but Leka I and Leka II are Muslims as far as I know.

 

[Kasumi]

Thank you, Benjamin, for clearing the situation!

 

[Cory]

President, condolences to Leka Zogu's family - Top Channel


The U.M.I.’s National Secretary went to Tirana to bring the condolences of the Italian monarchists to the Crown Prince of Albania, after the death of King Leka Zog I.

U.M.I. - Unione Monarchica Italiana - News


Is it possible to watch online the funeral?

 

[MAfan]

Here is the link to the online broadcast:
ABC News | Albanian Broadcasting Corporation

 

[Cory]

Any foreign Royals at this funeral?

 

[Benjamin]

Leka Zogu buried with honors
3 Dec 2011

For more than two hours, hundreds of people paid homage at the hall of the Albanian Parliament, where was placed the coffin of the pretender of the Albanian Throne.

Zogu’s family received the condolences of the Albanian President, Bamir Topi, the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, the Parliament Speaker, Jozefina Topalli, the Albanina PM, Sali Berisha, the Mayor of Tirana, Lulzim Basha, Socialist MPs and many Ministers, politicians, religious leaders and many people who had come from abroad.

The Mayor of Tirana, Lulzim Basha, declared that the Royal Family never became vassal to any other empire.

Full article: Top Channel
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Albania Holds Funeral for Self-Styled King Leka I
3 Dec 2011

The self-proclaimed heir to Albania's royal throne was buried on Saturday during a ceremony attended by the country's top leaders and broadcast live on national television.

Though a parliamentary republic, Albanian authorities held official ceremonies for the self-styled king -- who called himself Leka I Zogu -- at the Parliament building. They also declared Saturday a day of national mourning, with flags flying at and a minute of silence at noon.

Zogu, who returned home from exile to try to claim the throne himself, died Wednesday of a heart attack. He was 72.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.c.../#ixzz1fUOXeqz0

 

[Benjamin]

Any foreign Royals at this funeral?

Unlikely, though in the past the Albanian Royal Family was quite close to the Spanish, Bulgarian, Saudi Arabian, Moroccan, and Iranian royal families.

 

[maria-olivia]

Why foreign royals at his wedding in Spain and no at his funerals ?
I wonder if royals assisted Queen Geraldine funerals ? Thanks for answer.

 

[Cory]

Photos of the funeral:

U.M.I. - Unione Monarchica Italiana - News

 

[Grandduchess24]

::::house of zogu crest:: I send my condolences to the house of zogu.

 

[Biri]

Queen Geraldine was Catholic and Queen Suzani was Episcopalian, but Leka I and Leka II are Muslims as far as I know.

Leka II had King Baudoin as a godfather, so I suppose he is a Roman Catholic.

 

[Warren]

Crown Prince Pavlos is a godfather to Prince Christian of Denmark; that doesn't make him Greek Orthodox;
The Duke of Castro is a godfather to Princess Josephine of Denmark; that doesn't make her Roman Catholic.

According to Burke's Royal Families of the World Vol 1, when King Leka was 18 "he declared his adherence to the Moslem faith."

 

[maria-olivia]

Prince Laurent wanted Reza Pahlavi to be the godfather of his daughter Louise but he had to change his mind.
To stay in the thread I saw next to Prince Leka II a young lady in black..

 

[Cory]

Varroset Leka Zogu - YouTube

 

[maria-olivia]

Thanks for sharing Cory,
Who is the Official who pronounced the speech?
3 religions were represented , well done !