Alexander I of Serbia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander IАлександар I Обреновић |
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Alexander in 1900
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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
(m. 1900) |
| House | Obrenović |
| Father | Milan I of Serbia |
| Mother | Natalija Keşco |
| Religion | Serbian Orthodox |
| Styles of Alexander I of Serbia |
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| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Alexander I (born 14 August 1876, died 11 June 1903) was the king of Serbia. He ruled from 1889 until 1903. He and his wife, Draga Mašin, were killed by a group of army officers.
Becoming King
Alexander was born on 14 August 1876. His parents were King Milan and Queen Natalie of Serbia. He was part of the Obrenović dynasty.
In 1889, King Milan decided to step down from the throne. He made Alexander the new king of Serbia. Alexander was only thirteen years old at the time. Because he was so young, three people were chosen to help him rule. These helpers were called regents.
On April 13, 1893, Alexander decided he was old enough to rule alone. He had the regents arrested. He also closed down the national assembly. A month later, he changed the country's main rules, called the constitution. He brought back an older version of the constitution.
In 1894, Alexander brought his father, Milan, back to Serbia. In 1898, he made his father the leader of the army. During this time, Milan was very powerful in the country. Alexander's government also took action against some political groups. These groups were thought to be involved in a plot against his father.
Alexander chose to stay neutral during the Greco-Turkish War (1897). This means Serbia did not pick a side in the conflict.
His Marriage
In the summer of 1900, King Alexander surprised everyone. He announced he would marry Draga Mašin. She was a widow and nine years older than him. Alexander had met Draga in 1897 when she worked for his mother.
Many important people did not like this marriage. They thought Draga was not a good match for a king. It was hard for Alexander to find people to work in his government.
Alexander did not tell his father or his Prime Minister about his plans. His father was trying to arrange a marriage for Alexander with a German princess. Both his father and the Prime Minister resigned. Alexander's mother also did not approve of the marriage. She was sent away from the kingdom.
However, the Russian Emperor, Nicholas II of Russia, sent his good wishes for the engagement. He even agreed to be a main witness at the wedding. This helped calm some of the opposition. The wedding happened in August 1900. Still, many people in the army and the country were unhappy about the marriage. This made the king's position weaker.
Politics and Changes
King Alexander tried to make political groups happy. In 1901, he introduced a new, more open constitution. For the first time, Serbia had two parts to its parliament: the skupština and the senate. This helped bring political groups together.
But the army was still unhappy. There were rumors that Queen Draga's brother might become the next king. This made the army even more upset.
Serbia also became more dependent on Austria-Hungary. Many Serbs disliked this. Millions of Serbs lived in Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Many of them wanted to move to Serbia.
The king became annoyed with the independence of the senate and other government groups. In March 1903, he stopped the constitution for a short time. During this time, he removed and replaced old senators and government members. This sudden action made people in the country even more unhappy.
To try and calm things down, King Alexander forgave some political opponents. He also issued a new, more moderate constitution in 1901.
In 1902, Alexander's rival, Peter Karađorđević, was declared king by some followers. Alexander reacted by forming a military government and stopping the constitution again. Some political groups began to plan against the King.
His Death
Many people believed King Alexander would soon name Queen Draga's brother as the next king. This was despite an agreement that Prince Mirko of Montenegro would be the heir if Alexander and Draga had no children.
To prevent Queen Draga's brother from becoming heir, a group of army officers planned to remove Alexander. They wanted to replace him with Peter Karađorđević. This group was led by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijević. Some politicians were also part of this plan.
In the early morning of June 11, 1903, the conspirators entered the royal palace. They searched for the King and Queen. The royal couple hid in a wardrobe in the queen's bedroom. (Some stories say they were in a secret room behind a mirror.) The conspirators found them and killed them.
King Alexander and Queen Draga were buried in the crypt of St. Mark's Church, Belgrade.
Honours
Kingdom of Serbia:
- Founder of the Order of St. Prince Lazar, 28 June 1889
- Founder of the Order of Miloš the Great, 1898
Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen, 1891
Baden:
- Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1894
- Knight of the Order of Berthold the First, 1894
Kingdom of Italy: Knight of the Order of the Annunciation, 25 November 1896
Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Cross of the Sash of the Three Orders, 5 August 1893
Russian Empire: Knight of the Order of St. Andrew
Spain: Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, with Collar, 24 September 1897
Images for kids
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Royal Monogram of King Alexander I of Serbia
See also
In Spanish: Alejandro I de Serbia para niños
