| Order of Saint Prince Lazar Serbian: Орден светог кнеза Лазара | |
| Awarded By: | House of Karađorđević |
| Type: | State order (1889–1945) Dynastic order (since 1945) |
| For: | Monarch and Heir apparent (only) |
| Status: | Last appointment in 1941 Dormant order since 1945 |
| Established: | 28 June 1889 |
| Total: | 5 + 3 |
| Head Title: | Sovereign |
| Head: | Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia |
| Grades: | Knight Grand Collar |
| House: | Obrenović (until 1903) Karađorđević (from 1903) |
| Lower: | Order of Karađorđe's Star |
The Order of Saint Prince Lazar (Serbian: Орден Светог кнеза Лазара|Orden Svetog kneza Lazara) was a royal order created by King Alexander I of Serbia to commemorate the five hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo that took place on the 28 June 1389. It must not be confused with the Order of Saint Lazarus. The order is named after Prince Lazar who commanded the Serbian armies in the battle. The Order is worn only by the King of Serbia / King of Yugoslavia and by his Crown Prince (when of majority).
The order of Saint Prince Lazar was instituted by the Decision of the Parliament, signed by the King Aleksandar I, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the Battle of Kosovo (28 June 1389), that ended in the collapse of the medieval Serbian state. Saint Prince Lazar, of the Hrebeljanović family, commanded the Serbian armies that were defeated by the Ottoman Sultan Murat I. The Sultan was assassinated by Serbian knight Miloš Obilić, while captured the Serbian Prince was beheaded by the victorious Turks. The cult of the Saint Prince was very strong among Serbs, and the event was reckoned to be the paramount one in the entire history of Serbs. The commemoration of the 500th Anniversary took form of the Anointment of the King, and the Collar of Saint Prince Lazar ordered to be made by Nicolaus und Dunker of Hannau (Germany). The Order is worn only by the King of Serbia and by his Crown Prince (when of majority). Since inception, the Order has been worn only by the following:
The Collar of the Order was allowed to be worn only by the ruler of Serbia (later Yugoslavia) and the heir to the throne:[1]
| Name | Date awarded | |
|---|---|---|
| King Alexander I of Serbia | 28 June 1889 | |
| King Peter I of Serbia | 15 June 1903 | |
| Crown Prince George of Serbia | 27 August 1905 | |
| King Alexander I of Yugoslavia | 27 March 1909 | |
| King Peter II of Yugoslavia | 28 March 1941 |
| Name | Date Awarded | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia | 17 July 1963 | In exile | |
| Hereditary Prince Peter of Yugoslavia | 5 February 1998 | In exile; abdicated in 2022 | |
| Hereditary Prince Philip of Yugoslavia | 27 April 2022 | Titular holder after brother's abdication |
Sign and a chain of the Order were made of gold and richly decorated with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and pearls. Order for production was the German firm Nicolaus und Dunker. Sketches awards carried a professor of archeology Michael Valtrović.