The Buckingham

Photo Credit: www.chicagomag.com

The only King buried in the United States has been returned to Europe.

The remains of King Peter II of Yugoslavia has been removed from the Chicago suburb where they’ve been resting for the last 40 years.

The remains arrived in Belgrade, Serbia on Jan. 22, much to the delight of Crown Prince Alexander, who has wanted to bring his father home for years.

Peter II took the throne in 1934, when he was 11, after his father’s assassination.  He tried to hold back the Nazis during his reign, but was forced to flee the country after his government surrendered.  He died at 47 in Denver, and was unable to be buried in his then-communist country.  Peter II selected a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Libertyville for his tomb, where he stayed until now.

A formal state funeral will be held in Belgrade in May.