Obrenović dynasty


The House of Obrenović was a Serbian dynasty that ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. They came to power through the leadership of their progenitor Miloš Obrenović I in the Serbian Uprising of 1815–1817 against the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of the Principality of Serbia in 1817. The Obrenović dynasty were traditionally allied with Austria-Hungary and opposed the Russian-supported Karađorđević dynasty.
The family's rule came to an end in a coup d’état by the military conspirators, often known today as the Black Hand, who invaded the royal palace and murdered King Alexander I, who died without an heir. The National Assembly of Serbia invited Peter Karađorđević to become a king of Serbia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, some descendants from Jakov Obrenović, Miloš Obrenović's half-brother, declared themselves successors of the Royal House of Obrenović and elected their pretender to the defunct throne of Serbia.
Unlike other Balkan states such as Greece, Bulgaria, or Romania, Serbia did not import a member of an existing European royal family to take its throne; the Obrenović dynasty, like its Karađorđević rival, was an indigenous Serbian family.

Monarchs

PictureTitleNameReignNotes
Prince of Serbia
Miloš Obrenović I		First reign
November 6, 1817 – June 25, 1839

Second reign
December 23, 1858 – September 26, 1860		Leader of the Second Serbian Uprising.
Abdicated.

Died due to old age.
Prince of Serbia
Milan Obrenović II		June 25, 1839 – July 8, 1839Ruled for only 26 days.
Prince of Serbia
Mihailo Obrenović III		First reign
July 8, 1839 – September 14, 1842

Second reign
September 26, 1860 – June 10, 1868		Deposed by the Defenders of the Constitution.

Assassinated in Košutnjak
Prince of Serbia
Milan Obrenovic IV

King of Serbia
Milan I		June 10, 1868 – March 6, 1889Proclaimed King of Serbia on March 6, 1882.
Abdicated.
King of Serbia
Alexander I		March 6, 1889 – June 11, 1903Assassinated together with Queen Draga in the May Coup.
The end of Obrenović dynasty.

Unlike most other dynasties in Europe, where a regnal number is used to distinguish different monarchs who shared the same given name, the Obrenović dynasty assigned subsequent regnal numbers to each ruling prince. Thus, there was never a Milan I, Milan III, a Mihailo I or a Mihailo II. Milan II and Mihailo III were simply the second and third ruling prince from the Obrenović dynasty. This practice was discontinued when prince Milan Obrenovic IV proclaimed himself king and declared the principality of Serbia a kingdom.

Other family members