Princess Olga was described as quite pretty, and as a timid and sweet tempered personality. Darinka hoped to see her daughter married into the [[Obrenović dynasty]], citing provisions of the secret Serbian-Montenegrin treaty as justification. By then, however, relations between the two dynasties had cooled, and Prince Nicholas had no intention of supporting such a match.
Princess Olga was described as quite pretty, and as a timid and sweet tempered personality. Darinka hoped to see her daughter married into the [[Obrenović dynasty]], citing provisions of the secret Serbian-Montenegrin treaty as justification. By then, however, relations between the two dynasties had cooled, and Prince Nicholas had no intention of supporting such a match.
Rumors also spread that Princess Olga was engaged to her cousin, Marko Dragov Petrović-Njegoš (b. 25 March 1858), a member of the younger branch of the Montenegrin ruling house. Because Marko’s elder brother, [[Božo Petrović-Njegoš]], had already been named heir to the throne should Prince Nicholas die without a male successor, whispers emerged that Princess Darinka was maneuvering to alter the line of succession so that Marko—then only twelve years old and supposedly promised to Olga—might one day become ruling Prince of Montenegro.<ref>Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=151)</ref>
Rumors also spread that Princess Olga was engaged to her cousin, Marko Dragov Petrović-Njegoš (b. 25 March 1858), a member of the younger branch of the Montenegrin ruling house. Because Marko’s elder brother, [[Božo Petrović-Njegoš]], had already been named heir to the throne should Prince Nicholas die without a male successor, whispers emerged that Princess Darinka was maneuvering to alter the line of succession so that Marko—then only twelve years old and supposedly promised to Olga—might one day become ruling Prince of Montenegro.<ref>Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=151)</ref>
Having no real property, constantly in financial trouble, but still of royal birth, she remained unmarried since she was expected to marry a royal, but her lack of dynastic importance or property never made her not so valuable on the royal marriage market. She excelled in languages, spoke them perfectly, but with the same slight foreign accent. After the death of her mother, she continued living in Venice, surrounded by her maternal cousins, but she frequently visited [[Russian Empire|Russia]], sometimes in the company of her cousin, [[Nicholas I of Montenegro|Nicholas]].<ref name=”:0″ />
Having no real property, constantly in financial trouble, but still of royal birth, she remained unmarried since she was expected to marry a royal, but her lack of dynastic importance or property never made her not so valuable on the royal marriage market. She excelled in languages, spoke them perfectly, but with the same slight foreign accent. After the death of her mother, she continued living in Venice, surrounded by her maternal cousins, but she frequently visited [[Russian Empire|Russia]], sometimes in the company of her cousin, [[Nicholas I of Montenegro|Nicholas]].<ref name=”:0″ />
Montenegrin princess (1859–1896)
Olga Petrović-Njegoš (Cetinje, 19 March 1859 — Venice, 21 September 1896), was a Montenegrin princess.
Early life and ancestry
Olga was born on 19 March 1859 in Venice, as a member of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, ruling family of the Principality of Montenegro since 1697. She was an only child of Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro and his wife, Princess Darinka of Montenegro. Alexander II of Russia and Eugénie, Empress of the French acted as Olga’s godparents.[1]
Biography
In 1860, her father died, and was succeeded by Nicholas I.[2] After her father’s death, she left Montenegro with her mother and settled in Venice. In accordance with the will of her father, Olga was placed under the guardianship of her mother until she reached the age of eighteen, and after that she was to come in to the inheritance and lands of her father. However, Nicholas I did not give permission to her or her mother to permanently return to Montenegro again once they had left, so she was never able to take control of her inheritance. Upon their departure, the Montenegrin court agreed to set aside 5,000 francs a year for Princess Olga and to give her a dowry of 250,000 francs upon her marriage. Upon her mother’s request for more, Prince Nicholas agreecd to contribute an additional 5,000 francs annually from his own funds, which meant that the total amount for Olga’s support would be 10,000 francs a year.[3] He and his father, Olga’s uncle, Mirko Petrović-Njegoš, then serving as president of the Montenegrin Senate, consistently expressed their readiness to oversee and support her education and upbringing.[4] During her visit to Russia, Princess Darinka secured an annual pension of 4,000 silver rubles to provide for both her own support and her daughter Olga’s education.[5]
After the fall of Napoleon III and the French Third Empire, the loss of their French pension—combined with the misfortunes of the once-wealthy Kvekic family of Trieste, whom she had long supported—left the princess and her daughter in a precarious financial state. The severity of their difficulties is evident in a letter from Olga to Prince Nicholas, in which she asked that 12,000 francs be advanced from the dowry that had been promised to her. Seeking broader relief, mother and daughter appealed to the prince himself, who provided 106,000 francs to settle their debts on the condition that ten and a half of the princess’s annual Russian pensions be assigned to him. A formal contract to that effect was drawn up in 1875 and personally approved and signed by the Russian emperor.
Even this assistance proved insufficient. A few years later the Montenegrin government guaranteed another loan of 40,000 francs in the names of Princess Darinka and her daugher, Princess Olga.
Despite these ongoing financial troubles, they continued to visit Montenegro, namely in 1881, 1884, 1886, and 1889. During these visits, Olga and her mother formally received members of the diplomatic corps, but their role within the Principality of Montenegro remained purely ceremonial, and they were regarded only as an honored guests.[6]
Olga’s life and marriage prospects
Princess Olga was described as quite pretty, and as a timid and sweet tempered personality. Darinka hoped to see her daughter married into the Obrenović dynasty, citing provisions of the secret Serbian-Montenegrin treaty as justification. By then, however, relations between the two dynasties had cooled, and Prince Nicholas had no intention of supporting such a match.
Rumors also spread that Princess Olga was engaged to her cousin, Marko Dragov Petrović-Njegoš (b. 25 March 1858), a member of the younger branch of the Montenegrin ruling house. Because Marko’s elder brother, Božo Petrović-Njegoš, had already been named heir apparent to the throne should Prince Nicholas die without a male successor, whispers emerged that Princess Darinka was maneuvering to alter the line of succession so that Marko—then only twelve years old and supposedly promised to Olga—might one day become ruling Prince of Montenegro.[7]
Having no real property, constantly in financial trouble, but still of royal birth, she remained unmarried since she was expected to marry a royal, but her lack of dynastic importance or property never made her not so valuable on the royal marriage market. She excelled in languages, spoke them perfectly, but with the same slight foreign accent. After the death of her mother, she continued living in Venice, surrounded by her maternal cousins, but she frequently visited Russia, sometimes in the company of her cousin, Nicholas.[8]
Illness and death
With the Russian and French pension, granted to her and her mother previously by Alexander II and Napoleon III, she lived her life in Venice surrounded by her maternal Kvekić family, where she died unmarried and childless. During the last days of her long illness, Prince Tommaso, Duke of Genoa was telegraphed on a daily basis about her health, while Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin visited her frequently when he returned from his military maneuvers in Germany.
She died in Venice on 21 September 1896. Her coffin was transferred first from Venice to Cattaro, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then to Montenegro, where her remains were buried next to her mother and father, in the Monastery of Cetinje.[9]
Princess Olga’s funeral was attended by every member of the Montenegrin royal family and the whole diplomatic corps. Special wreath of fresh flowers was sent by Queen Margherita, soon to be mother-in-law of her paternal cousin, Elena of Montenegro.[8]
References
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=54)
- ^ Ćirković, Sima (2004). The Serbs. Malden: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 9781405142915.
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (pages=93-94)
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=78)
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=97)
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (pages=154-155)
- ^ Др Димо Вујовић (1968). Књегиња Даринка – политичка активност: прилог историjи Црне Горе 1855 – 1867 (page=151)
- ^ a b www.antenam.net (3 June 2023). “Knjaginjica Olga Petrović-Njegoš: Smrt u Veneciji i sahrana na Cetinju”. Antena M (in Serbian). Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ http://www.royaltyguide.nl/countries/montenegro/Cetinje/cetinje.htm
