PRINCE PHILIP AND PRINCE STEFAN IN HILANDAR, HEREDITARY PRINCE, SENT A MESSAGE OF UNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Belgrade, 28 July 2025 – HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Prince Stefan are visiting Holy Serbian Imperial Lavra, the Hilandar Monastery. This is the third visit to the monastery of the Hereditary Prince, and the first time that his son is visiting. It is the first time in history that two generations of descendants of the Supreme Leader Karađorđe are together in this Sanctuary. HRH Crown Prince Alexander, the Head of the Royal Family, has also stayed in Hilandar three times.
Their Royal Highnesses were welcomed by the Most Reverend Archimandrite Metodije with the brotherhood of this holy family. On the first day of the visit, 26 July, the Abbot and the honourable brotherhood served a memorial service for Supreme Leader Karađorđe on the occasion of his brutal murder, as well as for all deceased members of the Royal Family. As Hereditary Prince pointed out, “that prayer was more than a memory, it was a vow that we pass on from generation to generation.”
From the Holy Serbian Imperial Lavra, Heeditary Prince Philip sent the following message of unity, a reminder and a call for responsibility and dignity:
“While staying with my son Stefan at Hilandar Monastery, a place where for centuries passions have quietened and faith and unity have been preserved, I feel a duty to address all citizens of Serbia.
We live in a time when inner peace is more needed than ever, not as silence imposed by fear or force, but as the result of justice, responsibility, and mutual respect. A society is not built by turning one another into targets, but by resolving differences through free institutions, where personal or party interests do not override the common good.
Responsibility is the highest form of service. Politics, as the most visible expression of public life, must reflect maturity. Those who hold public office, or aspire to, whether in government or opposition, must now show themselves worthy of the weight of that calling.
As a Serbian Prince and member of the Royal Family, I do not belong to any party, nor do I support any political option. It is my duty to remind people of the values that transcend daily politics: the rule of law, freedom of the press, the strength of institutions, and the dignity of every individual. In this, I see the role of the Crown, which remains a symbol of our state, not to divide but to unite.
Our special attention is directed towards the young people who are the future of our country and of the world. Their voice, their hope, and their struggle deserve to be heard. They are not asking for privileges; they are asking for the chance to stay, to build, and to live in a country where honest work is valued and where justice applies equally to all.
The unity I speak of begins at the table of every family, where bread, concern, and the hope for a more secure, dignified, and just future are shared.
All of us, without exception, are called to demonstrate the maturity that this socio-political moment demands. Only in this way can we preserve what is most precious: unity, dignity, and faith in Serbia’s future.
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| All photos courtesy of HRH Crown Prince Alexander |
The entire Royal House, led by my father, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II, and I, as the Hereditary Prince of the dynasty founded by Karađorđe the Supreme Leader, will always stand by Serbia and all its citizens, never by political parties or politicians, always above political organizations and politicians, but we will always call for and appeal to responsibility, dignity, and the interest of the state and all its people, especially those who are disenfranchised, oppressed, or endangered.”
May future generations of Karađorđe’s descendants, in peace and freedom, return to Hilandar with the same pride, faith, and love for their homeland. May they, like HRH Prince Stefan, now in his seventh year, and like his father, grandfather, and great-great-great-grandfather, HM King Peter I, feel the depth of the spirituality of Hilandar, the fortress of our faith, culture, and historical memory.
