Leka, Crown Prince of Albania

Leka, Crown Prince of Albania was Albanian (also known as King Leka I; 5 April 1939 – 30 November 2011), was the only son of King Zog I of Albania.[1] Leka was also called King Leka of Albania, but he was never the ruler of the country.

Leka Zogu
Crown Prince of Albania
Head of the House of Zogu
9 April 1961 – 30 November 2011
PredecessorZog I of Albania
SuccessorLeka II
Born(1939-04-05)5 April 1939
Royal Palace of Tirana, Tirana, Kingdom of Albania
Died30 November 2011(2011-11-30) (aged 72)
Mother Teresa Hospital, Tirana, Albania
Burial
Spouse
Susan Cullen-Ward
(m. 1975; died 2004)
IssueLeka II
Full name
Leka Skënder Zogu
HouseZogu
FatherZog I of Albania
MotherCountess Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony
ReligionSunni Islam

He was born in Tirana in 1939. Two days later, the family was forced to leave Albania after Italy invaded the country.[1] When his father died in exile in 1961, Leka was crowned king in a hotel in Paris.[1] He returned to Albania in 1993, but was not allowed to stay in the country. He made a second visit in 1997. The country held a vote to decide whether they wanted to go back to a monarchy or stay as a republic. The country voted for a republic, but Leka said the vote had been changed. His supporters created demonstrations against the government. Several people were killed in the demonstrations. Leka again had to leave Albania.[1]

In 2002, he made an agreement with the government and came back to Tirana.

Death

He died on 30 November 2011 in Mother Teresa Hospital, Tirana[2] from heart and lung illnesss.[1] He was buried next to his wife’s and mother’s grave at the public Sharra cemetery in a Tirana suburb. Later he was buried in the royal mausoleum.[3]

Ancestors

Other sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Hundreds attend Albanian crown prince Leka's funeral". france24.com. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  2. LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press. "Albania's Self-Styled King Leka Dies at 72". ABC News. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  3. The Washington Post[dead link]
  • Dedet, Joséphine "Géraldine, reine des Albanais". Paris: Belfond, 2016, published at the occasion of Prince Leka's wedding in Tirana, on October 8, 2016 (Leka being Geraldine's grand-son) ; former editions: Criterion, 1997 ISBN 2-7413-0148-4 and Belfond, 2012, ISBN 978-2-7144-5090-6. Biography enriched by the Queen's testimony, by her personal archives and by a huge correspondence with the author, who has benefited of many unpublished sources.
  • Dedet, Joséphine, Géraldine, Egy Magyar No Albania Tronjan, Budapest : Europa, 2015, ISBN 978-963-405-202-9, best-seller in Hungary, translation of Géraldine, reine des Albanais".
  • Najbor, Patrice. "Histoire de l'Albanie et de sa Maison Royale" (5 volumes) - JePublie - Paris - 2008
  • Rees, Neil. A Royal Exile – King Zog & Queen Geraldine of Albania including their wartime exile in the Thames Valley and Chilterns, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-9550883-1-5)
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania
Born: 5 April 1939 Died: 30 November 2011
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
King Zog
— TITULAR —
King of the Albanians
9 April 1961 – 30 November 2011
Reason for succession failure:
Monarchy abolished in 1946
Succeeded by
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania



Leka, Crown Prince Of Albania Media