First Montenegrin State Order of Merit instituted by Prince Danilo I Petrovitch Njegosh (º1826, †1860) on St. George’s Day April 23/May 5, 1852, and become de facto dynastic since 1919 [1], the Order of Danilo I is the prerogative of the only Head of the Royal House of Montenegro.

Inheriting the Grand Mastership of the Royal House Orders on March 24, 1986 after the death of his father, His Royal Highness late Prince Royal Mihajlo (º1908), son of Prince Mirko Dimitri (º1879, †1918) and grandson of His Majesty King Nikola I of Montenegro (º1841, †1921), His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh, as part of his family patrimony, decided on November 11, 2004 in Cetinje, Montenegro, to revive and reform the ancient Order, enacting the revised statutes on May 5, 2005, and registering the Order as a Montenegrin Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) having its headquarters at the former King Nikola’s Palace in Cetinje, now National Museum of Montenegro. The Order, conferred upon Grand Master own initiative or on recommendation of his Officers, rewards services rendered to Montenegro or to its Royal Family, as well as to the whole humanity.

Today’s evening, this Saturday June 4, 2005, Cetinje, the old Royal Capital of Montenegro, hosted the first gala ceremony of the Order of Danilo I in the country since 90 years.
Placed under the High Patronage of the President of Montenegro, H.E. Mr. Filip Vujanović, and his wife Svetlana, tonight’s event included an investiture ceremony and a cocktail party in the Blue Saloon of the King’s Palace, the former official reception room of King Nikola I, followed subsequently by a gala banquet at the Vladin Dom, the House of the Royal Government built in 1910.

Hereditary Grand Master H.R.H. Crown Prince Nicolas was accompanied by his consort, H.R.H. Princess France, their elder daughter, H.R.H. Princess Altinaï, and their long-dated friend, Mrs. Gordana Stevović, former Private Secretary of the Crown Prince when she lived in Paris, France, presently Secretary General of the Biennale of Cetinje [2], Registrar of the Order of Danilo I and curator at the National Museum of Montenegro.

Among the prestigious international guests to this gala evening, there were notably H.R.H. Dom Duarte III Pio of Portugal Duke of Bragança, H.S.H. Dmitri Romanovich Prince Romanovsky-Cheremetev [3], his wife Dorrit Reventlow, Viktoria Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Mr. Nicholas Bosanquet, London representative of Canadian billionaire Mr. Peter Munk and own brother of Mr. Munk’s wife, Mélanie, Mr. Dan Hill, Canadian businessman, and several other renowned guests from the Italian community, especially Attorney John Leopoldo Fiorilla from New York, USA, representative of H.R.H. Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, member of the Board of Directors of the American Foundation of Savoy Orders.