(1939) MiNr. 396 ** sp - Yugoslavia - King Peter II. (1923-1970)

King Peter II was the last monarch of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia and his reign falls between World War II and the establishment of socialist Yugoslavia. He was born on 6 September 1923 in Belgrade, the son of King Alexander I and Queen Mary. After his father's assassination in 1934, when the kingdom was hit by political upheaval, he became king at the age of just 11.

Due to his youth, the de facto government was placed in the hands of the regents. In 1941, during World War II, the royal court was forced to leave Yugoslavia when the country was invaded by Nazi Germany. Peter II lived in exile while trying to rebuild the monarchy and support the Yugoslav government abroad. In 1945, after the end of the war, Yugoslavia became a socialist republic under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, and the monarchy was abolished.

King Peter II spent the rest of his life in exile, attempting political and diplomatic activities, but never succeeded in regaining the throne. He died on 3 November 1970 in Denver, United States, from the effects of surgery complicated by health problems. His death marked the end of an era in Yugoslav history.

King Peter II remains in the hearts of many Yugoslavs as a symbol of a lost monarchy that never existed and no longer exists.