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Albanian Biography: Leka Zogu, Crown Prince of Albania
Posted on Wednesday, July 05 @ 08:35:40 UTC by acl
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Leka Zogu, Crown Prince of Albania (born April 5, 1939), is the only son of King Zog I and his Queen consort, Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi. He is the pretender to the Albanian throne and thus is sometimes known as King Leka I. After a long time in exile in Bryanston, South Africa, he is currently living in Tirana, Albania.
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Leka Zogu - Crown Prince of Albania
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King Zog I was forced into exile only two days after the birth of Leka and soon officially replaced on the throne of Albania by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
Leka was educated at English schools in Egypt and in Switzerland, he also studied Economics at Sorbonne and passed out of Sandhurst Military Academy in England. He has since reinforced the family fortune with a successful business career.
His business enterprises have included arms dealing, for which he has been arrested, he has a keen interest in weaponry and brought a large cache of arms (amounting to around 90, including hand grenades and rocket launchers) into Albania when he recently returned, describing it as a historic collection. Once, when his plane landed in Botswana to refuel, an armed militia, aledgedly agents of Albania's communist government, attempted to seize him. Leka, however, went to the door of the plane with a rocket launcher to warn them off, he succeeded and his plane manged to leave the airport after a gun battle.
On the occasion of his wedding he said "I normally wear two pistols but not even I could carry guns at my wedding reception." This has led some to give him the nickname "Rambo of the Balkans".
Leka was appointed heir apparent of the Albanian throne on April 5, 1957, while Albania was still under communist rule. At the death of King Zog I in 1961, Leka was proclaimed King of the Albanians by the Albanian National Assembly in Exile, in Paris. He also has the title of Sovereign Grand Master of the Orders of Scanderbeg, Fidelity and Bravery.
In 1993 he entred Albania for the first time, doing so under a passport issued by his Royal Court-in-exile. The Albanian authorities permitted him to enter. He stated at this time that he would renounce this passport and become a normal citizen if a referendum on the monarchy failed.
A referendum was held in Albania in 1997 concerning a monarchical restoration, this was supported by aproximately forty per cent of voters. Zogu refused to recognize the result, and, questioned the independence of the election. He refused to renounce his Royal passport and later attempted to organise an armed insurrection following the election results, before being forced back into exile. When asked if he intended to leave Albania he relplied "Why? It is my country". Once he had left Albania again he was tried and sentenced for sedition, in absetia.
Crown Prince Leka is backed by the Legality Party which formed a coalition with other parties in Albania. Leka, however does not vote stating that "I am above all political parties, even my own".
Crown Prince Leka is head of the Movement for National Development, however in February 2006 he announced he would be withdrawing from political and public life.
Crown Prince Leka is friends with many monarchs and politicians throughout the world, including President Ronald Reagan. In 1967 Leka presented Reagan with a baby elephant named Gertie he had bought through Harrods, this was later donated to Sacramento Zoo.
He married in 1975, in Biarritz, to Australian citizen and landowner Susan Cullen-Ward, who royalists called Queen Susan. The wedding was a large event with the many guests toasting "Long live the King" as well as toasting General Franco who was, along with the then Pince Juan Carlos, a personal friend of Prince Leka. The wedding reception was attended by 2000 people. Susan died on July 17, 2004.
The Crown Prince has one son, Prince Leka Anwar Zog Reza Baudouin Msiziwe.
ACL - 05 July 2006
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Average Score: 5
Votes: 2
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