Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
Encyclopedia
Danilo Aleksandar Petrović-Njegoš (29 June 1871 – 24 September 1939) was the Crown Prince of Montenegro
. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro
and Queen Milena Vukotić
. During the Balkan Wars
and World War I
he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić
, and Mitar Martinović. From 1 March 1921 – 7 March 1921 Danilo was the self-assumed King of Montenegro leading an unrecognised government-in-exile. On 7 March 1921, for reasons that are still unclear, Danilo abdicated his royal claims and headship of the royal house in favour of his nephew, Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro
. His reputation was undermined by announcing his abdication on 5 March only to publicly retract this the following day, before re-affirming it the day after that. His decision was met with much dismay amongst the Montenegrin expatriate community.
Prince Danilo was married to Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg (1880–1946) the daughter of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
, but the marriage was childless. After he abdicated in 1921, he spent most of his life living in Nice
.
Prince Danilo resurfaced in 1934 when he sued Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
for libel and collected $4,000 in a Paris court for the false depiction of him in the first version of the film The Merry Widow
. In the film "Prince Danilo of Montenegro" seduces a commoner and then rejects her because it could impoverish the royal treasury. He then regrets his actions and tries to win her back but fails to convince her of his true love. The film bears no relation to reality. The film was re-shot and addition to demoting the Prince to a Captain, they were careful to change the date of the action from 1905 to 1885, when the real Prince was a young boy.
Danilo died in Vienna
(which had recently been annexed by Nazi Germany
) in 1939 without issue.
Danilo is famous as a one-time composer
, composing the music for the Serb patriotic song of his predecessor King Nikola Onamo, 'namo!
, which he published in Prague
.
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
and Queen Milena Vukotić
Milena Vukotic
Milena Vukotic is a former ballerina and a stage, television, and film actress.Vukotic was born in Rome, to a Serbian Montenegrian comediographer father and an Italian pianist/composer mother....
. During the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić
Janko Vukotic
Janko Vukotić, was a Serbian General, Serdar and Voivode from Montenegro in the Balkan Wars and World War I. He served as Montenegro's Minister of Defence in periods 1905-1907, 1911–1912 and 1913–1915 and as the Prime Minister of Montenegro 1913-1915...
, and Mitar Martinović. From 1 March 1921 – 7 March 1921 Danilo was the self-assumed King of Montenegro leading an unrecognised government-in-exile. On 7 March 1921, for reasons that are still unclear, Danilo abdicated his royal claims and headship of the royal house in favour of his nephew, Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro
Prince Michael of Montenegro
Prince Michael Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro was the third son of Prince Mirko Petrović-Njegoš, Grand Voivode of Grahovo and Zeta , and Natalija Konstantinovic, a cousin of Aleksandar Obrenović of Serbia...
. His reputation was undermined by announcing his abdication on 5 March only to publicly retract this the following day, before re-affirming it the day after that. His decision was met with much dismay amongst the Montenegrin expatriate community.
Prince Danilo was married to Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg (1880–1946) the daughter of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Adolphus Frederick V was grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914.-Biography:Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg was born in Neustrelitz the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick William of...
, but the marriage was childless. After he abdicated in 1921, he spent most of his life living in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
Prince Danilo resurfaced in 1934 when he sued Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
for libel and collected $4,000 in a Paris court for the false depiction of him in the first version of the film The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow (1934 film)
The Merry Widow is a 1934 film adaptation of the operetta of the same name by Franz Lehár. It was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starred Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald...
. In the film "Prince Danilo of Montenegro" seduces a commoner and then rejects her because it could impoverish the royal treasury. He then regrets his actions and tries to win her back but fails to convince her of his true love. The film bears no relation to reality. The film was re-shot and addition to demoting the Prince to a Captain, they were careful to change the date of the action from 1905 to 1885, when the real Prince was a young boy.
Danilo died in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(which had recently been annexed by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
) in 1939 without issue.
Danilo is famous as a one-time composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, composing the music for the Serb patriotic song of his predecessor King Nikola Onamo, 'namo!
Onamo, 'namo!
"Onamo, 'namo!" also known as the Serbian Marseillaise was a popular anthem in Montenegro in the late 19th to early 20th century...
, which he published in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
External links
- Family of King Nikola Petrovic Njegos
- New Pictures, Time Magazine