On the 15th of December 2018, HRH Prince Stefan was baptized in Royals chapel of St. Andrew the First-called at Royal Palace in Dedinje. Representatives of the management of the Kingdom of Serbia Association, led by the President Mr. Mario Majstorović, attended this great event, and members of the Association helped the Royal Palace’s office to organize and realize this ceremony.
The delegation of the Association presented the gift to Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip and Princess Danica for the baptism of Prince Stefan – Serbian folk costume!
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia christened young Prince Stefan, the son of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip and Princess Danica, at the Royal Chapel of St. Andrew the First-Called in the Royal Compound in Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia. Prince Stefan’s godparents are HRH Prince Alexander (twin brother of HRH Prince Philip), Mrs. Petra Lazarevic and Mr. Dusan Antunovic, long standing family friends of the Royal Couple Prince Philip and Princess Danica. Joining the Patriarch in officiating the christening was His Grace Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac who married TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine in 1985, and also christened Princes Philip and Alexander.
Prince Stefan wore the Christening gown that His Majesty King Peter II wore on the day of his christening officiated by His Holiness Patriarch Dimitrije of Serbia in 1923 in Belgrade, and his godfather was King George V.
After the christening, His Royal Highness Prince Stefan acquired the right and obligation to be the bearer of the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Karadjordje Star (1st class), which is the highest decoration of the Royal House.
Besides the parents of Prince Stefan, TRH Prince Philip and Princess Danica, the christening ceremony was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Stefan’s Godfather His Royal Highness Prince Alexander, Her Royal Highness Princess Maria da Gloria of Orleans and Bragança, Duchess of Segorbe, HRH Princess Anne of France, godmother of HRH Prince Philip, Mrs. Maja Gojkovic, President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Princess Danica’s parents Beba and Cile Marinkovic, Their Royal Highnesses’ son David Andrews with spouse Dr. Angeliki Andrews Margariti and their son Alexander Andrews, Mrs. Betty Roumeliotis, sister of HRH Crown Princess Katherine.
On the occasion of Prince Stefan’s christening, at the Royal Palace there was presented the exhibition “Royal Ceremonies” which shows the photographs of many ceremonies like the coronation of HM King Peter I, the wedding of Their Majesties King Alexander I and Queen Maria, christening of HM King Peter II, wedding of Their Majesties King Peter II and Queen Alexandra, christening of HRH Crown Prince Alexander, wedding of TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine, christening of HRH Hereditary Prince Peter, the christening of TRH Prince Philip and Prince Alexander, and more.
HRH Prince Stefan was born in Belgrade, Serbia on Sunday, 25 February 2018 at 10:30am. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, the bells of Belgrade’s St. Sava Temple tolled heralding the birth of the newborn member of the Serbian Royal Family. That was the first time that the 49 bells of the biggest orthodox temple in the Balkans announced such a birth. The bells of St. George church in Oplenac and Zica monastery tolled heralding the birth, too. This birth of a male child was the first one in the Royal Family in Serbia after 90 years when HRH Prince Tomislav was born in Belgrade, who was the brother of HM King Peter II, the grandfather of HRH Prince Philip.
His Royal Highness Prince Philip is the fraternal twin of Prince Alexander and second in line to the Throne after Hereditary Prince Peter. He is the son of HRH Crown Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Maria da Gloria of Orleans Bragança. Prince Philip is the grandson of HM King Peter II and HM Queen Alexandra. His Godparents are HM King Constantine of the Hellenes, HM the Queen of Spain and HRH the Duchess of Calabria. In 2000, Prince Philip graduated from The King’s School Canterbury in England. Prince Philip then graduated from University College London (UCL) with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Humanities and following that he worked for a bank in the City of London. Prince Philip finished École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) Switzerland and worked in London. Prince Philip worked for a global systematic hedge fund in Cyprus. He is now working with a renowned global asset manager in London.
Her Royal Highness Princess Danica was born on 17 August 1986 and lived in Paris since 1992 where she completed the largest part of her studies. She graduated in graphic design and visual communications at the Academy of Applied Arts in Paris, as well as in the Comparative Literature and Slavic Studies at the Sorbonne-Paris University. In London, the Princess finished her Master of Graphic Design and Communication at the Chelsea College of Art and Design – University of Art in London. She spent a large part of her childhood and growing up both in Belgrade and Paris.
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip and Princess Danica were married at Saborna Church in Belgrade on 7 October 2017. The wedding was officiated by His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia. The godmother was HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the godfather was His Royal Highness Hereditary Prince Peter.
The Royal Family thanks everyone who helped with the christening: Studio Maruska, Kovacevic, Aleksandrovic, Royal wineries, Art Ival chocolates, violin player Mr. Dragan Sredojevic, guitar player Mr. Nemanja Bogunovic, studio “SP video”, Herald of the Royal Household Mr. Ljubodrag Grujic, Ivkovic atelier, clergy of Belgrade-Karlovac Diocese and the School of Theology choir.
Picture gallery – LINK
