HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARGARITA VON BADEN - KARADJORDJEVIC - Memory Eternal

Fr John Salter, chairman, writes in Chrysostom for Apostles-Dormition 2013:

The death occurred in London on 15th January 2013 of Princess Margarita of Yugoslavia, the widow of His Royal Highness Prince Tomislav, the middle brother of King Peter. She was the daughter-in-law of Queen Maria; niece of the Duke of Edinburgh and daughter of his sister Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark and the Margrave of Baden. She was born in Salem, Germany, on 14th July 1932, and moved to London in 1948 to train as a nurse at St.Thomas’ Hospital, where she was known as Nurse von Baden and after her marriage, and promotion, as Sister George. The Royal House of Yugoslavia being known as Karadjordevic- Black George.

Like many Lutheran princesses who married into Orthodox Royal families, Margarita converted to Orthodoxy and became a keen supporter of the Serbian Church not only in London, but also the church of St.Lazar in Bourneville, Birmingham. At her husband’s farm in Sussex she and Prince Tomislav held open house for the exiled Serbs.

Princess Margarita was a tireless worker for charitable causes and chaired the committee which oversaw the construction of the huge cathedral in Belgrade and the training of Serbian Theological students in England, thus building on the labours of Father Fynes-Clinton a generation earlier. For members of the Serbian community, who died and had no relations, she provided a charity to pay for their funerals. She was Vice-President of the Friends of the SS.Martha and Mary Convent in Bolshaya street, Moscow, founded by the Tzarina’s sister Grand Princess Elizabeth Feodrovna (St. Elizabeth of the New Martyrs of Russia) and played a significant role in its restoration. She also encouraged the work of Mother Mariam in Orthodox Georgia and the work of the icon painting school in Dobricevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to her son Prince Nicholas and her daughter Princess Katerina, and the bereaved members of the Serbian Orthodox community, who have lost a dear sister and friend.

Her uncle the Duke of Edinburgh and the Crown Prince and Princess of Yugoslavia were present at her funeral at the Cathedral of St. Savva. She was laid to rest in Belgrade.

MAY SHE REST IN THE PEACE OF GOD! Vyecnaya Pamyat!