Residence of Princess Ljubica – Introducing Serbian history through special programme “A Coffee with Princess Ljubica”
The Residence of Princess Ljubica was erected on orders by Prince Miloš Obrenović in 1831, as the private residence of his wife, the Princess Ljubica. The architecture and placement of rooms represent an example of the Balkans style, with a number of western baroque elements. “A Coffee with Princess Ljubica“ is a special progamme meant to represent the Residence of Princess Ljubica and the life in Belgrade during the rule of the Оbrenović dynasty.Nataša Popovska, will meet you as the hostess of the Residence, dressed in the early 19th-century costume.
Along with the underlying historical story, you can hear interesting details about the private life of the ruling family, dressing habits of the wives of Serbian rulers, their domestic economy, approach to children bringing-up, their head adornments, etc. During the visit, you will be offered coffee and homemade lokum (Turkish delight). For this occasion, the Divan-hana, the central room in the Residence where guests were received, is open to visitors.
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace was built between 1924 and 1929 with the private funds of His Majesty King Alexander I(the grandfather of HRH Crown Prince Alexander). The Royal Palace was the home of King Alexander I and King Peter II (the father of Crown Prince Alexander). Today The Royal Palace is the home of Crown Prince Alexander and his family.The architects were Zivojin Nikolic and Nikolay Krassnoff of the Royal Academy. The palace is built in the Serbian-Byzantine style. Attached to The Royal Palace there is a Royal Chapel dedicated to Saint Apostle Andrew The First-Called, the Patron Saint of The Royal Family.
The chapel was built reflecting the monastery Church of Saint Andrew on the River Treska in Macedonia where the Holy Place of the medieval Serbian King Vukashin is located.
The Royal Palace is surrounded with pergolas, park terraces, swimming pools, pavilions and platforms. There are magnificent views from the palace towards the ridge of Dedinje Hill, Koshutnjak Forest, Topchider and Avala Mountain.The ground floor reception rooms are very beautifully appointed.
The Formal Entrance Hall is paved with stone and decorated with copies of medieval frescoes from the Monasteries of Dechani and Sopochani. The Blue Drawing Room is decorated in the Baroque style; the Golden Drawing Room (Palma Vecchio) and Dining Room are in the Renaissance style with impressive wood carved ceilings and bronze chandeliers. These rooms are ornately decorated with paintings of old masters and Renaissance painted Florentine Cassoni from the Royal collections. The Greater and Lesser Libraries are decorated in the same manner.
White Palace
The White Palace is located within the same complex as The Royal Palace and it was commissioned by command of His Majesty King Alexander I. The White Palace was built with the private funds of King Alexander I as the residence for his three sons HRH Crown Prince Peter (the future King Peter II and father ofHRH Crown Prince Alexander), Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrej. The White Palace took almost four years to finish (1934-1937) and it became the official residence on loan of HRH Prince Regent Paul and his family in waiting for King Peter II majority.
