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. 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
Period	9 April 1961 – 30 November 2011
Predecessor	Zog I of Albania
Successor	Leka II
Born	(1939-04-05)5 April 1939 Royal Palace of Tirana, Tirana, Kingdom of Albania
Died	30 November 2011(2011-11-30) (aged 72) Mother Teresa Hospital, Tirana, Albania
Burial	Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family
Spouse	Susan Cullen-Ward (m. 1975; died 2004)
Issue	Leka II
Full name Leka Skënder Zogu
House	Zogu
Father	Zog I of Albania
Mother	Countess Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony
Religion	Sunni Islam

He was born in Tirana in 1939. Two days later, the family was forced to leave Albania after Italy invaded the country. When his father died in exile in 1961, Leka was crowned king in a hotel in Paris. 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.

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 from heart and lung illnesss. 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.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Leka, Crown Prince of Albania

16. Mahmud Pasha Zogu, Governor of Mati 8. Xhelal Pasha Zogu, Governor of Mati 4. Xhemal Pasha Zogu, Governor of Mati 9. Ruhijé Halltuni 2. Zog I of Albania 10. Salah Bey Toptani 5. Sadijé Toptani 1. Leka, Crown Prince of Albania 24. Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony 12. Count Lajos Apponyi of Nagy-Appony 25. Countess Zsófia Sztáray de Nagy-Mihály et Sztára 6. Count Gyula Apponyi of Nagy-Appony 26. Count Hermann of Scherr-Thoß 13. Countess Marguerite of Scherr-Thoß 27. Countess Olga Strachwitz of Gross-Zauche-Camminetz 3. Countess Géraldine Margit Apponyi of Nagy-Appony 28. David Steuart, Jr. 14. John Henry Steuart 29. Margaret Heighe 7. Gladys Virginia Steuart 30. Edward Learned Harding 15. Mary Virginia Ramsay Harding 31. Lucy Booker Ramsay

Other sources

• 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 House of Zogu 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