Alexander I of Serbia

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Alexander I Obrenović (Aleksandar Obrenović; 14 August 1876 – 11 June 1903) was the king of Serbia from 1889 to 1903. He was born in Belgrade to King Milan I and Queen Natalija and belonged to the Obrenović dynasty.

When Milan abdicated in 1889, Alexander was only 13, so three regents ruled Serbia, including his mother. In 1893 he declared himself of age, dismissed the regents, and changed the constitution. Milan returned to influence in 1894, and by 1898 he was effectively in charge as commander of the army, while Alexander remained king in name.

Alexander tried to steer a careful course in politics and kept Serbia neutral during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. In 1900 he married Draga Mašin, a widow who was unpopular with many people in Belgrade. The marriage caused strong opposition and hurt his standing.

To win support, Alexander introduced a liberal constitution in 1901, creating a two-chamber parliament. However, the army and many others remained unhappy, and in 1902 rival Peter Karađorđević was proclaimed king by radicals. In response, Alexander organized a military cabinet and suspended the constitution.

In March 1903 he dismissed many officials, and the country grew more unsettled. A group of army officers, led by Dragutin Dimitrijević (Apis) and Novak Perišić, plotted to end the Obrenović dynasty and replace Alexander with the Karađorđević line. On 11 June 1903, the king and his wife, Draga Mašin, were assassinated at the royal palace. They were buried in the crypt of St. Mark's Church in Belgrade. After their deaths, Peter Karađorđević became king.