Bahá’í World/Volume 5/Prince Paul and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
PRINCE PAUL AND PRINCESS OLGA OF YUGOSLAVIA
(Excerpts from an Article Written by Martha L. Root)
LONG have I wished to present to you a pen picture of H. R. H. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and his wife, H. R. H. Princess Olga, who before her marriage was a Greek Princess, niece of His Majesty King Constantine and daughter of H. R. H. Prince Nicholas of Greece. The first time I met them was at tea at the Royal Palace in Belgrade, for H. R. H. Prince Paul is a cousin of His Majesty King Alexander of Yugoslavia and they live in the Royal Palace, sometimes representing the King and Queen at state functions when Their Majesties cannot be present. Her Majesty Queen Marie of Rumania and H. R. H. Princess Ileana were visiting the King and Queen of Yugoslavia in January, 1928, and had brought with them some of their Bahá’í books. The young prince and princesses read them too, and it was because the writer was a Bahá’í, that through the courtesy of Princess Ileana, the invitation came from Their Royal Highnesses Prince Paul and Princess Olga to come to the Royal Palace in January, 1928, and tell them about these universal principles for world peace.
They saw my Esperanto pin and it chanced that our introductory conversation was about this universal auxiliary language. H. R. H. Prince Paul said: “Say a few words in Esperanto that we may hear it spoken.” “It sounds like Spanish,” they agreed, and then followed a little discussion how some kind of a universal auxiliary language is necessary to world peace.
We spoke of Bahá’u’lláh’s principles of universal education, the equal education of the girl and the boy, the doing away of all prejudices in order to bring into solid reality this ideal of the oneness of humanity and the permanent peace. I remember so well Her Royal Highness Princess Olga said: "Couldn’t we do something to help Miss Root? Couldn’t we translate one of those little Bahá’í booklets about the peace principles into Serbian, just as Ileana did into Rumanian? Her husband replied: “Yes, we could, but we might not do it as well as my professor, Professor Bogdan Popovitch, who is one of the finest Serbian scholars in the world.” This prince then explained to me that so much of his own education had been in other countries—I understand he has taken his M. A. degree in Oxford University —he has lived so much abroad that while I know his Serbian is perfect, he said he felt his teacher might give a better translation. So Prince Paul left the tea table to write for me a note of introduction to Professor Bogdan Popovitch. (The latter made a marvelous translation of a small Bahá’í compilation which to this day is praised throughout Yugoslavia.)
When we spoke of Haifa, Palestine, and the Family of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the young princesses said: “It must be lovely to go to Palestine and see and speak with the sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum, and with Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í work.” They said they had read "Some Answered Questions” and other books which Her Majesty Queen Marie of Rumania and Princess Ileana had brought.
The next time I was in Belgrade, that
wonderful city, the “Gate” between East and
West—the Gate through which the Crusaders
passed en route to the Holy Land, the
Gate through which came the Turks on their
“mission” of conquest into Europe, the Gate
through which have thronged the nationals
of Europe, who knows, it may in this
twentieth century, become a Gate to enduring peace
and the tranquillity of suffering humanity!—was
in February, 1933, five years later. I
was impressed what faces, full of peace, the
Yugoslavs have! Also, Yugoslavia is a microcosm
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of the world macrocosm in this new
universal age; just what Yugoslavia must
do and is doing to build up permanent peace
amid its religions, its races, its varied
interests of these several South Slav groups, so
H. R. H. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.
the whole universe must do the same, for the whole world is but one country and mankind are its citizens.
H. R. H. Prince Paul and H. R. H. Princess
Olga again invited me to the palace.
Quite unexpectedly we again spoke of
Esperanto first (as the writer was coming
to Belgrade to take part in a Yugoslav National
Esperanto Congress). The guest said: "Oh,
I beg you not to tell Dr. Prince, the American
Minister, that I am urging Esperanto,
for he does not care for this simple language
and perhaps he wouldn’t arrange for me to
come and see you again!” Prince Paul, who
possesses such a sense of fun, laughed gaily
and replied: “Oh, yes, I’ll tell Dr. Prince
I’m going to learn Esperanto; I think it is
better than studying twenty—two languages!”
Dr. Prince is one of the greatest
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linguists, also he is very loved by us all.
Then we spoke of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh for the education of the inner spirit as well as for the intellect.
Coming to Belgrade in June, 1933, the writer had tea at the Royal Palace with H. R. H. Princess Olga and her two lovely sisters, H. R. H. Princess Elisabeth and
H. R. H. Princess Olga of Yugoslavia with Prince Nicholas and Prince Alexander.
H. R. H. Princess Marina of Greece. We spoke of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith in Haifa, Palestine, and how several princes and princesses of Europe have expressed interest in his great task to help make a better world and have sent him greetings and wishes for success. These princesses said they would be very glad to see the Greek edition of Dr. J. E. Esslemont’s book, “Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era,” which was to be published soon.
When I had tea with H. R. H. Princess Olga in Dedinje Royal Palace up on the heights just above Belgrade, on March 12th, 1934, among the first questions asked were, “Oh, have you been to Haifa since you were here? How is Shoghi Effendi and how are members of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Family?” We spoke of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings about education. This is only one group of princes and princesses who have liked the Principles of Bahá’u’lláh and read carefully some of His great Writings. There are others and for all of them Shoghi Effendi prays fervently for their welfare, their success and their spiritual advancement.
The Imám-Zádih—Ma‘súm Ṭihrán, Persia, where the remains of the Báb were kept.
Burial-place of “The Seven Martyrs” in Ṭihrán.
Burial-place near Ṭihrán (underneath boulder) of Badí‘, bearer of Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet to the Sháh of Persia.
