Darinka Kvekić

Darinka Petrović-Njegoš (Serbian Cyrillic: Даринка Петровић-Његош; 19 December 1838 – 2 February 1892) was the first Princess of Montenegro by her marriage to Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro.

Princess of Montenegro

She married Danilo I on 12 January 1855 at Njeguši. They had one daughter, Princess Olga.

The marriage took place after he had made the theocracy Montenegro into a monarchy by renouncing his title as Prince Bishop of Montenegro for the title and position of Sovereign Prince of Montenegro. Darinka thus became the first Princess of Montenegro, and the hostess of the first court formed in Montenegro.

Darinka are known to have introduced many Western European customs in Montenegro, which was a very traditional society at this time period. She could speak Latin, French, Russian, and Italian, and encouraged Danilo to learn French and Russian. She dressed in French fashion, brought her own Western European staff and furniture to the Princely Residence in Cetinje, and arranged court functions to which her guests were invited to dance the waltz to foreign music, and she entertained them playing the piano.

The marriage was described as happy but full of jealousy. Danilo was described as deeply in love with Darinka and affected by a jealous temperament, and there were rumours that Danilo challenged and killed men who were rumoured to be the lovers of Darinka, among them his own personal friend Savo Đurašković.

She built her own palace in Cetinje 1863-1867 and made several trips to Western Europe, and the fact that Nicholas paid her expenses from the state treasury, allowed her political influence and neglected his wife Milena for Darinka, resulted in opposition to her presence in Montenegro. There were rumours that Darinka and Nicholas had a love affair, and the Serbian ambassador wrote in his diplomatic report that the relationship between Darinka and Nicholas "exceeded the border of friendship".

From 1864 onward, Nicholas' wife Milena started to give birth to children, which raised her popularity and improved her relationship with Nicholas, while his relationship with Darinka deteriorated. In 1867, Darinka saw herself obliged to leave Montenegro because of the public opposition to her presence. She left for Venice with her daughter Olga. They lived the rest of their life in Venice, and were never again given permission from Nicholas to return to Montenegro. Her residence in Cetinje was transformed to the Cetinje Royal Palace.

Issue Olga (Cetinje, March 19, 1859 – Venice, September 21, 1896), died childless.