SYNOPSIS:
Prince Paul Royal Exile is a historical drama/political thriller based on the life of His Royal
Highness Prince Paul of Yugoslavia at the time of World War II. It is an intimate, behind
the scenes glimpse of the interaction between members of the Royal houses of
Europe as they dealt with the threat of impending war, the tragic events that led
up to the betrayal of Prince Paul and the subsequent destruction of Yugoslavia.
Prince Paul became Regent after the brutal assassination of his cousin King
Alexander in 1934. As reigning monarch, he healed the internal rifts of his
country and forged the first functioning democratic government. When Germany
declared war against Poland, Paul was thrust into the unenviable role of
protecting his country on all sides from the threat of both Fascist and Communist
invasions. He courageously stood up to Hitler and skillfully negotiated peace
and autonomy for his country while the rest of the Balkans fell to the Nazis.
Sadly, it was his desire for peace that perpetuated his downfall. Churchill decided
that Yugoslavia should declare war on Germany, unprovoked. When the Allies
were unable to send military assistance, Paul refused to sacrifice his people.
The British secretly funded a coup d’etat which resulted in his abdication and
resulting exile. Hitler immediately launched “Operation Punishment” and within a
week Yugoslavia lay in ruins, over a million Yugoslavs eventually lost their lives.
Prince Paul and his family were sent to Kenya for the remainder of the war where
they lived under British house arrest. Paul spent the rest of his life labeled a
traitor and a Nazi sympathizer.
On December 13, 2011, 70 years after his abdication, The Serbian Supreme Court cleared Paul on all charges. Finally, he has been recognized as a peacemaker and a visionary and has been vindicated as a national hero.
This story shines light on a part of history that has lain buried for almost a
century, remaining cloaked in deception and treachery. It will certainly change
our opinions of those who have gone down in history as heroes and those who
have been seen as villains.
Much of the dialogue is original and based on private correspondence between
heads of state and various members of Europe’s Royal families and from highly
classified documents recently released by the British Secret Service under the
Freedom of Information Act.
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CATCH-22: Prince Paul fights to keep Yugoslavia out of the war while Germany pressures him to join the Axis and Great Britain demands that he declare war on Germany.
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