Today’s evening, this Saturday June 4, 2005, the city of Cetinje, in the heart of traditional Montenegro, hosted the first gala ceremony of the Order of Danilo I in the country since 90 years. This prestigious event in the old Royal Capital — placed under the High Patronage of the President of Montenegro, H.E. Mr. Filip Vujanović, and his wife Svetlana — started by an investiture ceremony in the historic setting of the Blue Saloon of the King’s Palace, the former official reception room of King Nikola I.

The highly symbolic ceremony was the occasion for Hereditary Grand Master H.R.H. Crown Prince Nicolas to honour his long-dated collaborator and “very close friend” of his family for many years, Mrs. Gordana Stevović, by investing her with the insignia of Dame Grand Cross in the Order of Danilo I.

In his congratulation address to Mrs. Stevović, the Hereditary Grand Master praised the commitment of his collaborator, her loyalty and her disponibility, remembering good moments when, in the early 1990s, she accompanied him as translator throughout regions of montenegro to go and meet the population, and thanking her for the energy she always showed as being his relay in Montenegro as Director then Secretary General of the Biennale of Cetinje — the contemporary art exhibition His Royal Highness founded in 1991 and which held its Vth Edition, named “Love it or leave it”, last year from August 28 to September 19, 2004 in Cetinje. The Hereditary Grand Master finally thanked Mrs. Stevović for accepting being the Registrar of the Order of Danilo I.

Basically Mrs. Stevović works as curator at the National Museum of Montenegro.