She was born in a white palace in Belgrade, but by the time she was five, she was a stateless person living in exile. That’s the thing about Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Her life doesn't follow the predictable, stuffy trajectory of European royalty. It’s more like a high-stakes drama that spans across Kenya, London, New York, and eventually, the very halls of power in the Balkans. Most people recognize the name Yugoslavia from history books about the Cold War or the tragic ethnic conflicts of the 90s, but Elizabeth represents the living bridge to a kingdom that literally vanished overnight.
Honestly, her story is wild.
Imagine being the daughter of Prince Paul, the Prince Regent of Yugoslavia, and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark. You’re related to basically every royal house in Europe, including the British Windsors. Then, in 1941, your father is ousted in a British-supported coup after being forced into a "non-aggression" pact with Hitler. Suddenly, your family is being shuffled off to house arrest in Kenya by the British government. From the gilded halls of the Beli Dvor to a remote house in the African bush. It’s a dizzying fall. And it shaped her into a woman who spent the rest of her life trying to reclaim her identity, her family’s reputation, and her actual physical home.
The Drama of Exile and the New York Social Scene
Exile is a strange thing for a royal. You have the title, but you don't have the country. Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia spent her formative years navigating this weird duality. She wasn't just some figurehead waiting for a restoration that would never come. She was active. She was out there. By the 1960s and 70s, she was a fixture in international society, but not in the "sit still and look pretty" way that her ancestors might have preferred.
She moved to New York. She became an entrepreneur. She even launched her own perfume line. Can you imagine a Romanov or a Bourbon doing that in the mid-20th century? It was a total break from tradition.
She’s also famous for her personal life, which the tabloids absolutely loved. She was engaged to Richard Burton—yes, that Richard Burton—shortly after one of his many breakups with Elizabeth Taylor. It didn’t last, obviously, but it highlights just how much of a "celebrity" royal she became. She married Howard Oxenberg, a dress manufacturer, and had two daughters, Catherine and Christina. You probably know Catherine Oxenberg from the 80s soap opera Dynasty. The irony of a real princess’s daughter playing a fictional socialite on TV isn't lost on anyone.
But beneath the glamour of New York galas and famous boyfriends, there was a persistent ache for Yugoslavia. Or what was left of it. While Tito was running the socialist state, Elizabeth was persona non grata. She was a "traitor" by birth, according to the regime. That label stuck for decades. It’s hard to wrap your head around being banned from a place where your ancestors are buried, but that was her reality until the 1980s.
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Clearing the Name of Prince Paul
If you ask Elizabeth what her most important work has been, she probably won't talk about perfume or Richard Burton. She’ll talk about her father. For years, Prince Paul was remembered by history as a Nazi sympathizer. It’s a heavy, ugly label. But the truth is way more complicated. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place: Hitler was at the border, and the British weren't coming to save him. He signed the Tripartite Pact to buy time, hoping to keep his country from being leveled.
It didn't work. He was deposed, and the Nazis invaded anyway.
Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia spent decades digging through archives. She lobbied the Serbian government. She wanted a formal rehabilitation of her father’s name. This wasn't just about pride; it was about historical truth. In 2011, a Serbian court finally overturned the 1945 conviction of Prince Paul. They declared it was politically motivated and that he was not a collaborator. That is huge. It’s rare for history to actually be corrected in such a formal, legal way. Shortly after, she managed to have the remains of her parents and her brother, Prince Nicholas, repatriated to Serbia. They were reburied in the Karadjordjevic family mausoleum at Oplenac.
That moment was the culmination of a seventy-year journey.
The Political Gamble: Running for President
Most royals stay as far away from actual elections as possible. They like the safety of the "above politics" stance. Not Elizabeth. In 2004, she decided to run for the Presidency of Serbia.
People thought she was crazy.
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She ran under the slogan "Initiative for Parliamentary Democracy." She didn't win—she got about 2% of the vote—but that’s not really the point. The point was that she was asserting her right to be a citizen of the country that had once kicked her out. She campaigned on human rights and the idea that Serbia needed to look forward, not just backward at its bloody recent history. She was trying to bring a sense of European liberalism to a country that was still reeling from the Milosevic years and the NATO bombings.
It was a bold, kinda weird, totally "Elizabeth" move.
Why She Matters Today
We live in an era where "royalty" is often just a brand. You look at the British Royal Family, and it’s a massive PR machine. Elizabeth of Yugoslavia is different because she had to build her own brand from scratch after her world was destroyed. She’s a survivor of the 20th century’s worst impulses—fascism, communism, and the displacement of millions.
She also represents a bridge to a multicultural Balkans that people often forget existed. Before the ethnic cleansing of the 90s, there was a vision of a unified Southern Slavic state. While the monarchy wasn't perfect, it was a symbol of a different kind of unity. Elizabeth carries that history with her, but she doesn't seem weighed down by it. She’s remarkably modern. She speaks multiple languages, she’s lived on three continents, and she’s as comfortable in a Belgrade cafe as she is in a London ballroom.
The Fight for the White Palace
Even today, things aren't totally settled. There’s a long-standing dispute over the "Beli Dvor" (the White Palace) in Belgrade. The Serbian government allows the royal family to live there, but they don't actually own it. It’s a legal limbo. Elizabeth has been vocal about the need for restitution—not just for her family, but for all Serbians whose property was seized by the communist regime.
It’s about the principle of the thing.
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She’s argued that if Serbia wants to be a truly modern, democratic European nation, it has to reckon with the thefts of the past. It’s a messy, complicated issue that involves constitutional law, national identity, and a whole lot of bureaucracy. But she hasn't backed down. She’s 89 years old (born in 1936), and she’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Common Misconceptions
People often get a few things wrong about her, so let’s clear the air:
- She’s not just "Catherine Oxenberg’s mom." While her daughter is famous, Elizabeth’s own political and human rights work in the Balkans is far more substantial in terms of historical impact.
- She wasn't a "Nazi puppet." Despite the rumors that dogged her family for years, the opening of British and Serbian archives has largely vindicated her father’s desperate attempts to maintain Yugoslav neutrality.
- She isn't trying to bring back the monarchy. While she’s proud of her heritage, her presidential run proved she’s interested in democratic participation, not a return to 19th-century autocracy.
Lessons from a Life in Exile
What can we actually learn from the life of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia? It’s easy to look at royals as museum pieces, but her life is surprisingly relevant to the modern world.
First, identity isn't something that's given to you; it’s something you claim. She was told she wasn't Yugoslavian. She was told she was a traitor. She refused to accept that. She spent her life acting like the citizen she knew she was until the world caught up with her.
Second, the importance of historical legacy. Most of us don't have to clear our father's name in a court of law, but we all deal with the "ghosts" of our family history. Elizabeth showed that you can't move forward until you’ve dealt with the past. Repatriating her parents' remains wasn't just a funeral; it was a closing of a wound.
Lastly, adaptability is the only real currency. From a palace to the Kenyan bush to New York high society to a presidential campaign trail—she transitioned through all of it. In a world that's changing faster than ever, that kind of resilience is worth more than any title.
Actionable Insights for History and Genealogy Enthusiasts
If you're fascinated by the story of the Yugoslavian royals or European history in general, here is how you can dive deeper:
- Research the Prince Paul Archives: Much of the documentation that cleared Prince Paul’s name is available through the Columbia University libraries and the archives in Belgrade. If you want to see how "history is written by the winners" (and then corrected by the persistent), start there.
- Explore the Restitution Movement: Follow the legal battles over the Beli Dvor. It’s a masterclass in the complexities of post-communist property law and offers a unique look at how modern states handle royal legacies.
- Visit Oplenac: If you’re ever in Serbia, go to the Saint George's Church in Topola. It’s where the Karadjordjevic family is buried. The mosaics are incredible, but more importantly, it’s the physical manifestation of the homecoming Elizabeth fought for.
- Read "The Prince of the White Palace": This biography offers a deep dive into Prince Paul’s life and the impossible choices he faced, providing the necessary context for Elizabeth’s lifelong mission.
The story of Princess Elizabeth isn't over yet. She remains a sharp, active participant in the cultural life of Belgrade. She proved that you can lose a kingdom and still keep your crown—as long as that crown is made of character rather than gold.