Leka, Crown Prince of Albania
Leka | |
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Crown Prince of Albania | |
Burial | |
Spouse | |
Zog I of Albania | |
Mother | Countess Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony |
Signature |
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (also known as King Leka I; 5 April 1939 – 30 November 2011), was the only son of
Biography
Early life and education
Leka was born on April 5, 1939, in the
Just two days after his birth, King Zog I was forced into exile after
Crown Prince Leka began life in exile in various countries. After traveling across
After the End of World War II in Europe, Zog, Queen Geraldine and Leka moved temporarily to Egypt, where they lived at the invitation of King Farouk I.
Leka attended school at Victoria College, Alexandria in Egypt and at Aiglon College in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland.[citation needed] He studied economics at the University of Geneva and at the Sorbonne, and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England.[5] Following this he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the British Army.[citation needed] He had since made his money with successful business deals in commodities.
Leka became
Marriage and exile
In 1975, Leka married
When it was discovered that Leka not only retained some
Leka spent many years exiled in Bryanston, South Africa, where his son Prince Leka was born, before eventually returning to Albania in 2002.
Return to Albania
In 1993 Leka was permitted to enter Albania for the first time (since being exiled aged a few days old in 1939), doing so under a
During the
On June 29, a
On July 3, Leka led a crowd of 900 protesters, some armed, outside the main elections building, to protest, claiming election fraud had occurred. Royalist protesters sang at the rally, chanting "Brother, pick up the weapons. We'll fight or die, we'll win", as they waved pro-monarchy flags. 300 royalists then marched alongside Leka in the central Skanderbeg Square, causing police intervention. This led to a shootout between royalists and police, which lasted approximately 15 minutes. Gunfire and several grenade explosions went off, as nearby civilians scrambled for cover. Police killed one royalist protestor, Agim Gjoonpalaj, and several others were injured in the gunfight.[12] Gjoonpalaj was both a monarchist and a pro-democracy advocate.
Gjoonpalaj's funeral was held two days later, on June 5. President Sali Berisha called upon members of the Democratic Party of Albania to attend the funeral. Leka also attended, greeting mourners and walking with the coffin bearers. The funeral procession proceeded through Skanderberg Square, where the violence had previously broken out two days before. Royalists at the funeral walked through the square, shouting "Down with Communism!"[13]
After a recount it was announced by the government that the restoration was rejected by approximately two-thirds of those voting.[14]
Albanian President Sali Berisha expressed his thoughts on the failed referendum in 2011:
"By 2003, the Albanian Parliament passed the law that recognized the attributes of the Royal Family and it was a right decision. Also I remind you that even the referendum was held in the context of flames of the communist rebellion and therefore cannot be considered a closed matter. The Stalinist principle of: 'you vote, but I count the votes' was applied in that referendum. But, the fact of the matter is the Albanians voted massively for their King, but the referendum failed to meet quotas as it was manipulated."[15]
When Leka was later asked if he intended to leave Albania, he replied: "Why? It is my country", though he soon left Albania of his own accord on July 12.[16] Following that, Leka was tried and sentenced by the Albanian government to three years imprisonment for sedition, in absentia. This conviction was later set aside in March 2002, when 72 members of Parliament asked the royal family to return.[1][17] In June 2002, Leka returned to Albania and brought with him 11 cases of automatic weapons, grenades, and hunting arms. The authorities quickly seized them, though the weapons were returned to the royal family six years later, after being deemed items of cultural heritage. After his 2002 settlement in Albania, he lived out a quiet life with his wife and son.[2] His wife died two years later in July 2004.[18]
Further political activity
Leka was backed by the
I am above all political parties, even my own.[20]
Leka was head of the Movement for National Development.[21] He argued that he was a fighter for a Greater Albania in terms of ethnicity and that his restoration as king would make possible this goal.[19] However, in February 2006, he announced he would be withdrawing from political and public life.[21]
Death
Leka died on 30 November 2011 from a heart attack in
Leka was buried next to his wife's and mother's grave at the public Sharra cemetery in a Tirana suburb.[22] Later he was buried at the Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family.[23]
Personal life
Leka was a
Leka stood at a height of 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), much taller than his slim 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) wife Susan Cullen-Ward.[25] Author Charles Fenyvesi gave a description of his appearance and manner in his 1979 book, Splendor in Exile:
"Leka is a tower of a man with a bulging middle, the deliberate swagger of John Wayne, and the innocent eyes of an English schoolboy. He wears clean, freshly ironed green army fatigues, well-shined black combat boots, and a pistol strapped to his belt. He explains that the insignias on his jacket denote his specialties: guerilla warfare, commando operations, armaments expertise, marksmanship. The patch of a crowned double-headed eagle marks the outfit an Albanian uniform; his cap badge identifies him as the commander in chief."[26]
In the 1960s, Leka struck up a friendship with California Governor
Dynastic honours
- House of Zogu: Sovereign Knight with Collar of the Royal Order of Albania[28]
- House of Zogu: Sovereign Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Bravery[29]
- Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cordon of the Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[29]
- Russian Imperial Family: Knight Grand Cordon of the Imperial Order of Saint Vladimir[29][32]
- Georgian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Order of the Eagle of Georgia[29]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c "Queen Susan of the Albanians (obituary)". Daily Telegraph. 22 July 2004. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
- ^ a b c "Obituaries: Leka I Zogu". Daily Telegraph. 30 November 2011. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021.
- ^ Pettifer, James (1 December 2011). "Leka Zogu: Controversial 'king of the Albanians' who spent most of his life in exile". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022.
- ^ Fenyvesi, Charles (1979). Splendor in Exile. New Republic Books. p. 229.
- ^ Fenyvesi, p. 235
- ^ "Queen Geraldine of Albania: Geraldine Apponyi, a queen for 354 days, died on October 22nd, aged 87". Obituary. The Economist. 7 November 2002. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ a b Semini, Llazar (30 November 2011). "Albania's self-styled King Leka dies at 72". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022.
- ^ Fenyvesi, p. 243
- ^ Labi, Aisha (27 November 2000). "New Hope for The Old Regime". Time Magazine Vol. 156 No. 22. Archived from the original on 22 January 2001.
- ^ "Albania: two thousand attend Tirana protest rally in support of monarchy". ATA. 2 July 1997. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
- ^ "ALBANIA: KING LEKA I RETURNS FROM EXILE IN SOUTH AFRICA". AP Archive. 12 April 1997.
- ^ "ALBANIA: TIRANA: LEKA ZOGU'S SUPPORTERS OPEN FIRE ON POLICE". AP Archive. 3 July 1997.
- ^ "Albania: Victim of Shoot-Out Agim Gjoonpalaj's Funeral". AP Archive. 5 July 1997.
- ^ "Ex-king's son returns to Albania". BBC News Online. 28 June 2002. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022.
- ^ http://www.keshilliministrave.al/?fq=brenda&m=news&lid=15635&gj=gj2 [permanent dead link] Albanian Government Council of Ministers webpage November 2011
- ^ "Albania - Would-be king Leka Zogu departs". AP Archive. 12 July 1997.
- ^ "Commentary on Home Office Republic of Albania Country Report of April 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2007. (362 KB), UK Advisory Panel on Country Information, Third Meeting: 7 September 2004.
- ^ "Albania buries royal claimant Leka Zogu". BBC News. 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022.
- ^ S2CID 143797210.
- ^ Nordlinger, Jay (8 August 2005). "Albania votes: an emerging democracy, emerges". National Review. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008.
- ^ a b Leka: Enough with communist mentality, Gazeta SOT Online, 30 April 2005
- ^ Semini, Llazar (3 December 2011). "Albania holds funeral for self-styled king Leka I". The San Diego Union-Tribute. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Albanian Royal Family - Royal Residences". www.albanianroyalcourt.al. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Fenyvesi, p. 231
- ^ a b Fenyvesi, p. 229
- ^ Fenyvesi, p. 236
- ^ Altman, Alan (2007). "Life After the Throne: Leka Zog". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Crown Prince Leka wearing his national orders". Retrieved 12 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f gettyimages.co.uk, Crown Prince Leka wearing the sash, medal and ribbon bars at the Russian Imperial wedding
- ^ "Wearing the Grand Cross at his pre-wedding party". Retrieved 12 April 2023.
- ^ "Boda de Leka de Albania, hijo del Rey Zog, con su novia Susan Cullen-Ward en Illescas (Toledo). Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS". 26 March 2010.
- ^ "Prince Leka of Albania, son of the King Zog I of Albania, during his..." Getty Images. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
Bibliography
- Dedet, Joséphine "Géraldine, reine des Albanais". Paris: Belfond, 2016, published at the occasion of Prince Leka's wedding in Tirana, on October 8, 2016 (Leka being Geraldine's grandson) ; former editions: Criterion, 1997 ISBN 978-2-7144-5090-6. Biography enriched by the Queen's testimony, by her personal archives and by a huge correspondence with the author, who has benefited of many unpublished sources.
- Dedet, Joséphine, Géraldine, Egy Magyar No Albania Tronjan, Budapest : Europa, 2015, ISBN 978-963-405-202-9, best-seller in Hungary, translation of Géraldine, reine des Albanais".
- Fenyvesi, Charles. "Splendor in Exile". Washington D.C.: New Republic Books, 1979. ISBN 978-0915220557
- Najbor, Patrice. "Histoire de l'Albanie et de sa Maison Royale" (5 volumes) - JePublie - Paris - 2008
- Rees, Neil. A Royal Exile – King Zog & Queen Geraldine of Albania including their wartime exile in the Thames Valley and Chilterns, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-9550883-1-5)
External links
- Court of King Zog Research Society
- Official website of the Albanian Royal Court
- Maison Royale d'Albanie (in French)
- Histoire de l'Albanie et de sa Maison Royale 1443-2007
- Leka in military uniform with his wife
Historical video footage
- (12 April 1997) South Africa: Albanian Monarch in Exile King Leka I Speaks of Crisis
- (12 April 1997) Albania: King Leka I Returns from Exile in South Africa
- (12 April 1997) Albania: Self-proclaimed King Leka I Arrives
- (12 April 1997) Albania: King Gets Unruly Reception
- (18 April 1997) Albania: Berisha meets exiled King for talks
- (18 April 1997) Albania: Situation Update
- (20 April 1997) Albania: King Leka Makes Pilgrimage to His Father's Birthplace
- (3 July 1997) Albania: Leka Zogu's Supporters Open Fire on Police
- (3 July 1997) Albania: Royalist Dispute
- (3 July 1997) Albania: Appeal for Calm
- (5 July 1997) Albania: Victim of Shoot-Out Agim Gjoonpalaj's Funeral
- (12 July 1997) Albania: Would-be king Leka Zogu departs