Geraldine Zogu (Geraldine Apponyi), queen of the Albanians, was born in Budapest, Hungary. She was crowned queen through a civil marriage to King Ahmet Zogu of Albania in Tirana on April 27, 1938. Born into a noble Hungarian family, she held the title of countess and received her education at prestigious schools in Hungary and Vienna. Her studies at the well-known Assembly of the Sacred Heart of Pressburg (now Bratislava) near Vienna had a significant impact on her formation. Geraldine learned the Albanian language, embraced local traditions, and maintained her love for Albania and its people throughout her life. Following the fascist invasion of Albania on April 7, 1939, she left the country with her family and her son, Leka Zogu. During World War II, she remained in contact with the Albanian diaspora and pro-Albanian circles active in various European capitals. After the death of Ahmet Zogu, she spent time living in Spain and Johannesburg, South Africa. In June 2002, she returned to Albania with her family. She passed away in Tirana in 2002 and was posthumously honored with the “Mother Teresa” Order for her contributions and dedication to her homeland. (In the photo: Geraldine Zogu)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2997.
Photo: © https://albanianroyalcourt.al/sq/mbreteresha-geraldine/
Graphic processing: AHCF
