Footnotes

For the sword originally belonging in this case and sold in these Rooms for £10,800 see Antique Arms and Armour, 23 July 2008, lot 143

Zog I, Skanderbeg III, King of the Albanians was born on 8 October 1895. Following his father's death in 1911 he became governor of Mat, and during the First World War supported the cause of Austria-Hungary. Following the war he became more involved in Albanian politics holding a number of posts including Chief of the Albanian Military between 1921-22. In 1924 Zog's industrialist opponent, Avni Rustemi, was assasinated leading to a revolt which forced Zog into exile. He returned to Albania with the assistance of Yugoslav forces and Yugoslavian-based White Russian troops, and became Prime Minister. He was elected President on 21 January 1925. Following the European model Zog's government maintained the social structure unchanged since the days of Ottoman rule however serfdom was gradually eliminated and for the first time since the death of Skanderbeg Albania began to emerge as a nation. He was crowned King of the Albanians on 1 September 1928 and was also declared Field Marshal of the Royal Albanian Army the same day. He married Countess Geraldine Apponyi de Nagy-Apponyi on 27 April 1938 and their son, King Leka of the Albanians was born on 5 April 1939. Zog is believed to have survived over fifty-five assassination attempts, one of which he survived by firing back at his would-be assassins, During the 1930s the Albanian Government became increasingly dependent on Mussolini and Italian influence began to dominate much of Albanian life culminating in the Italian invasion of 7 April 1939. Following his exile the royal family eventually settled in England at Parmoor House, near Frieth, Buckinghamshire before moving to the French Riviera where Zog died, having led the lifestyle of an exiled monarch, on 9 April 1962