Prince Filip Karadjordjevic appeals for removal of camp from Pioneers’ Park

Prince Filip’s office conveyed that he said that “as the heir to a dynasty that is woven into the history of Serbian statehood and culture, I feel a moral obligation to address the public and call on the competent institutions to protect the dignity of one of the most valuable areas in our capital, Pioneers’ Park, the former Palace Park.”

He recalled that it was precisely in the area that today encompasses Pioneers' Park that the first Serbian Palace was built in 1843 by Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic, thus beginning the creation of the state and cultural center of Serbia.

“It is here where, for the first time, in our principality a court protocol was established and the spirit of an emancipated ruling house took hold, bringing Serbia closer to European states,” he said.

Prince Philip also recalled the historical connection of the three representative buildings that surround the park – the Old Palace, the New Palace and the National Assembly building.

“The Old Palace, built by King Milan I Obrenovic (1881–1884), was the residence of King Peter I Karadjordjevic and King Aleksandar I. The New Palace, today’s building of the Presidency of Serbia, was built as the palace of my great-grandfather, King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic. The construction of the National Assembly Building, originally the House of People’s Representatives, began in 1907 as a representative building of the Kingdom of Serbia, and the cornerstone was laid by King Peter I,” Prince Filip recalled.

He added that these buildings form a unique whole of the first state and palace complex in Serbia, and are a symbol of the “permanence of statehood, culture and identity of the Serbian people.”

“The Pioneers’ Park that surrounds them is today a legally protected natural good and part of a cultural and historical complex of exceptional importance. In addition to the historical, this area also has state, representative and tourist value, because its surroundings are home to the highest institutions of the Republic of Serbia and landmarks that represent the face of our state before the world,” the Prince said.

Prince Philip specifically appealed for the removal of the camp that has been in the park since winter and has been “destroying the appearance, value and meaning of this space for months.”

“Such a sight is not only a matter of aesthetics or security, but it also insults the memory of history, violates the dignity of state institutions and encourages unnecessary social divisions,” Prince Filip warned.

He said that “Pioneers’ Park, or Palace Park, belongs to all citizens of Serbia, regardless of their political, ideological or any other affiliation.”

“It is a place that should unite us, not divide us; a space that reflects our common heritage, pride and state continuity,” said Filip Karadjordjevic.

Prince Filip called on the state and city authorities to act in accordance with the law and protect Pioneers’ Park as a natural and cultural treasure of exceptional importance, restoring to it the dignity it deserves.

“May this space once again be what it has always been, a place of peace, respect and unity of all citizens of Serbia,” said the heir to the Karadjordjevic dynasty.