Montenegro lost its beloved Princess, Her Royal Highness Princess France of Montenegro, consort of H.R.H. Crown Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh, who passed away peacefully on Wednesday August 6, 2008, at the Hôpital des Diaconesses, Paris XIIth, France, aged 58 years, after losing a hard-fought battle against a pancreatic cancer diagnosed earlier last year.

Determined to fight with all her, she always radiated courage and confidence to win her battle with the disease, until few months ago when increasing physical damages caused her no longer to be able to rise from her bed. But up to the latest moments, she suffered her long illness with an incredible force of character, surrounded by the love of her family and friends.

Friendly nicknamed the “Montenegrin daughter-in-law”, nothing was more important to Princess France than her family, carrying out to perfection her role as spouse and mother. She has always been devoted to her husband, Crown Prince Nicolas, and to their two children, Hereditary Prince Boris, Grand Voivode of Zeta and Grahovo, and Princess Altinaï, sharing all together a deep and sincere love for Montenegro, receiving with great hospitality and kindness every Montenegrin guests who came to visit the Royal Couple in their Parisian home, and being full of attention for everyone in Montenegro during her regular stays in the country. Radiating sunshine and laughter, always having a positive and giving spirit, her zest for love and life was shared by all whom she touched.

Before all princess of her time and modern woman, with her own professional identity as internationally recognised stylist and fashion designer, Princess France was highly conscious of her role aside the Heir to the Crown of Montenegro. She always morally supported her husband in the background, and followed with a great respect all the initiatives of Crown Prince Nicolas for his country, both having the common ambition to see their country entering the European family of peoples.

Princess France will be always present in our hearts and in our thoughts.

According to the wish of the Royal Family, Princess France will be buried in private funeral at Montparnasse cemetery in Paris XIVth, France. A public homage ceremony will be organised later in Montenegro. Further information will be announced later.

In memoriam

Her Royal Highness
PRINCESS FRANCE OF MONTENEGRO
born Francine Navarro
Dame Grand Cross in the Order of Danilo I [1]
Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje

January 27, 1950 — August 6, 2008

Remember Her.

H.R.H. PRINCESS FRANCE OF MONTENEGRO was born in Casablanca, Morocco on January 27, 1950, daughter of Antoine Navarro (º1922, †1989) and Rachel Wazana (º1929).

Living in Morocco until the age of 12, her family emigrated to France and settled in Marseille, Bouche-du-Rhône (13) where her father made career in the French Foreign Legion. While being Law student, she created with a friend her first small fashion atelier. Aged 20, she decided to continue her Law studies in Paris, France, being graduated in 1972. Two years later, she opened a fashion design office of which main activity was to manage budgets for specialised customers.

It is at that time she met H.R.H. Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh, young architect, and on November 27, 1976, they married in Trébeurden, Côtes d’Armor (22) [2], France. Princess France gave birth on October 27, 1977 to Altinaï — christened in reference to an heroine of a 1965 Soviet film, and three years later, on January 21, 1980, to Boris, become at the age of 6 the new Heir Apparent to the Royal House of Montenegro, after the death of his grandfather, His Royal Highness late Prince Mihajlo, on March 24, 1986.

Being more interested in fashion design than in budget management, Princess France created then with her Swedish friend, Eva Robinson (º1951), her own fashion brand, “France Havena”. Unfortunately, the adventure stopped in 1986 but not at all discouraged, the two friends helped by the own sister of the Princess, Linda Navarro (º1957), started in August 1993 a new fashion company “Fées et Associés”, definitively establishing Princess France, through the brand “France Petrovitch & Eva Robinson”, as a recognised fashion stylist whose creations have been exported all around the world (North America, Asia, Western Europe, Middle East).