The House of Zogu

GENEALOGY

1928 - [1961] H.M. Zog I [Skënderbeg III], King of the Albanians. b. at Burgajet Castle, Mati, 8^th October 1895, as Ahmet Muhtar [Ahmad Mukhtar] Bey Zogolli third son of H.E. Jamal [Xhemal] Pasha Zogolli, Hereditary Governor of Mati, by his second wife, H.M. Sadiya Khanum, Queen Mother of the Albanians, daughter of Salah Bey Toptani, educ. privately at Mati, at the Turkish Cadet Sch, Monastir, and Galatasaray Coll, Constantinople. Succeeded his father as Hereditary Governor of Mati and Chief of the Gheg clan 1911, prom Col 1912, cdr Nationalist Forces under Prince Wilhelm 1914, Presdt Commission of Initiative 1915-1916, appointed as Col Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Army 1916, cdr Albanian Volunteer Army in Austro-Hungarian service 1916-1917, detained at Vienna 1917-1918, and Rome 1918-1919, returned to Albania in 1919, Minister for the Interior Mar-Nov. 1920, 1921-1924 and 1925, and for War 1925, Governor of Skutari 1920-1921, General and C-in-C of the forces 1921-1922, Prime Minister 1922-1924 and 1925, elected as Presdt of Albania by the Constituent Assembly 21^st January 1925. Proclaimed by the Albanian National Assembly at Tirana, as Defender of the Nation (Shpëtimtar i Kombit) 24^th December 1927. Proclaimed by the Albanian National Assembly at Tirana, as King of the Albanians (Mbreti i Shqiptarëvet) with the style of His Majesty, 1^st September 1928. Took the Oath of Allegiance on the Bible and the Koran, at the Houses of Parliament in Tirana, 1^st September 1928. Left the country after the Italians invaded on 8^th April 1939. Lived in Exile in Greece, Turkey, England, Egypt, the USA, and France. Field Marshal, Royal Albanian Army, 1/9/1928. Founded the Grand Collar of Albania (Kular i Madh i Shquipëria) on 12^th December 1925, and the Order of Skanderbeg (Urdhëri i Skënderbeut) in five classes on 12^th December 1925, the Order of Fidelity (Urdhëri Besa) in four classes on 22^nd January 1926, and the Order of Bravery and Military Merit (Urdhëri iTrimërisë me Meritë Ushtarak) in three classes in 1928. Rcvd: Knt of the Orders of the Annunziata of Italy (16.12.1928), and Golden Lion of Luxembourg, the Collar of the Order of Muhammad ‘Ali of Egypt, GC of the Orders of Star of Karageorge of Yugoslavia, SS Maurice & Lazarus of Italy, Legion of Honour of France (1926), Carol I of Rumania with collar (1928), the Redeemer of Greece, Leopold of Belgium (4.11.1929), National Merit of Bulgaria, and the Holy Crown of St Stephen of Hungary (1938), the Order of the White Eagle of Poland, the Order of the White Lion of Czechoslovakia 1^st class with collar, Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Merit of Austria, Cdr of the Order of Franz Josef I with swords of Austria (1918), etc. m. at Tirana, 27^th April 1938, H.M. Queen Geraldina (b. at Budapest, 6^th August 1915; d. at the Military Hospital, Tirana, Albania, 22^nd October 2002, bur. Sharra Cemetery), née Countess Geraldine Margit Virginia Olga Maria Apponyi de Nagy-Appony, educ. English Sch., Menton and Sacred Heart Convent, Pressbaum, near Vienna, raised to the titles of Princess of Albania (Princësh i Shqiptarë) with the style of Her Highness 10^th January 1938, Queen of the Albanians (Mbretëreshë i Shqiptarëvet) with the style of Her Majesty 27^th April 1938, and Queen Mother of the Albanians (Nëna Mbretëreshë i Shqiptarëvet) 15^th May 1961, elder daughter of Count Gyula Rudolf Fhilipp Ludwig Hermann Roger Maria Apponyi de Nagy-Appony, by his wife, Gladys Virginia, Countess Apponyi de Nagy-Appony (later Mme. Gontrand Girault), daughter of John Henry Steuart, sometime US Consul-General at Antwerp, Belgium. He d. at the Hospital Foch, Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France, 9^th April 1961 (bur. Thiais Cemetery, Ille de France, Paris), having had issue, an only son:

• 1) H.M. Leka I, King of the Albanians - see below.

• 1) H.R.H. Crown Prince Leka Anwar Zog Reza Baudouin Msiziwe. b. at Sandton Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26^th March 1982, educ. St Peters Prep Sch, St Stithian’s Coll, St Peters Coll, Johannesburg, South Africa, Skenderbeu Albanian Military Acad and Albanian Defence Coll, Tirana, RMA Sandhurst, and Univ di Stranieri, Perugia, and the Royal Univ of Illyria (BA 2010), Italy. Political Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs 2006-2009, and to Minister of Interior 2009-2011. Founder Youth Movement for National Development. Hon Presdt Brd of Royal Univ of Illyria since 2006. Presdt the Mati Assoc, Fiaba Orphans Soc in Albania, and Albanian Golf Fed. Hon Mbr SOS Avenir Orphelins d’Albanie-France, and the Albanian Olympic Cttee since 2011. Hon Patron The International Cmsnd & Assoc on Royalty and Nobility. Dir Brd of Royal Institution for Security Studies. Engaged to Elia Zaharia (b.
  at Tirana, 8^th February 1983), educ. Arts Lyceum Jordan Misja, National Conservatory, Bordeaux, and the Univ of St Denis, Paris 8, France, Mbr of the “Spirit Voice” singers 1999-2002, later a film actress and drama teacher, daughter of George Zaharia, from Kosova of Permeti, Southern Albania, by his wife, Yllka .

Copyright© Christopher Buyers, August 2003 - January 2012