King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

The heraldry of the countries of the Balkans
User avatar
Chris Green
Posts: 3621
Joined: 10 Jul 2012, 13:06
Location: Karlstad, Sweden

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby Chris Green » 14 Oct 2013, 13:04

I have just been looking at the newsreel footage of the assassination in Marseilles of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/assassination-of-king-alexander/query/king+alexander+assassination

My further research on Wiki revealed the odd fact that he had an heraldic eagle tattoed on his chest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Alexander_I_of_Yugoslavia

He was by no means the only tattoed monarch, but probably the only one with an heraldic design.

Image
Chris Green
IAAH President

Bertilak de Hautdesert

User avatar
Edward Hillenbrand
Posts: 202
Joined: 10 Sep 2012, 01:42
Location: Catskill Mountains, New York, United States

Re: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby Edward Hillenbrand » 14 Oct 2013, 13:43

I would love to know what bet he lost to have THAT tattooed on his chest! ; )
Ed Hillenbrand

"Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori"

Image
Armorial Register - International Register of Arm

User avatar
Chris Green
Posts: 3621
Joined: 10 Jul 2012, 13:06
Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Re: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby Chris Green » 14 Oct 2013, 15:10

Possibly when serving in the Russian Imperial Page Corps sometime at the beginning of the 2oth century.
Chris Green
IAAH President

Bertilak de Hautdesert

User avatar
goran zajic
Posts: 64
Joined: 16 Jul 2012, 10:08
Location: Serbia
Contact:

Re: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby goran zajic » 14 Oct 2013, 20:47

Image

The tattoo was over the entire chest showed a eagle with wings spread wide, with a sword in one eagles claw and an orb in the other eagles claw.

Alexander spent his childhood in Montenegro, however, in 1894 his widower father took the four children, including Alexander, to Geneva where the young man completed his elementary education. Alongside his older brother George, he continued his schooling at the imperial Page Corps in St Petersburg, Russian Empire.
In 1903 House of Karađorđević thus retook the Serbian throne after forty five years and Alexander's 58-year-old father became King Peter I of Serbia.
God save, God feeds,
Serbian King, Serbian nation!

User avatar
Ljubodrag Grujic
Posts: 9
Joined: 30 Aug 2012, 08:47
Location: Serbia
Contact:

Re: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby Ljubodrag Grujic » 12 Jan 2014, 10:40

Mind you, the tattooed eagle in question is not double-headed and has wings elevated. It is a bit of mystery. It is most definitely not a Serbian eagle. King Alexander the Unifier was not the first-born son to king Peter, prince George was the original heir but he was forced to abdicate. Perhaps the tattoo is from those days.

I do wonder in my official capacity as the herald of the said house, what part of this tattoo was pierced by the bullet. Fascist, eh? Lovely bunch. That bullet caused a world of voe. There are some documents indicating that king Alexander was travelling to France to ask for support for our preventive attack on Nazi Germany in 1934.
Ljubodrag Grujić - Љубодраг Грујић

IAAH Fellow

User avatar
Chris Green
Posts: 3621
Joined: 10 Jul 2012, 13:06
Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Re: King Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888-1934)

Postby Chris Green » 12 Jan 2014, 11:38

Ljubodrag Grujic wrote:... the tattooed eagle in question is not double-headed and has wings elevated. It is a bit of mystery. It is most definitely not a Serbian eagle.

There are some documents indicating that king Alexander was travelling to France to ask for support for our preventive attack on Nazi Germany in 1934.


The tattooist may not have been an expert in Serbian heraldry! Possible scenarios: 1) When the Prince woke up to find himself tattooed and discovered the egregious error, the perpetrator had wisely taken a long holiday and was never seen again. 2) The Prince had the single-headed eagle of the HR Empire tattooed because he was enamoured of an Austrian princess.

Not too sure about the idea of France asking Yugoslavia to attack Germany, or Yugoslavia asking France to attack Germany in 1934. Strengthening the "Little Entente" seems more likely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Entente
Chris Green
IAAH President

Bertilak de Hautdesert


Return to “Balkan Heraldry”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests