Leka, Crown Prince of Albania

Head of the House of Zogu (1961-2011)

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
Period9 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
(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.

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

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Other sources

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  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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  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