Crown Prince Leka of Albania makes first appearance since shock royal divorce announcement

Crown Prince Leka of Albania made his first public appearance since announcing his shock divorce from Crown Princess Elia after seven years of marriage.

The 41-year-old royal stepped out Tuesday in Albania’s capital city of Tirana to pay a visit to the Queen Geraldine statue he and his soon-to-be ex-wife unveiled in Feb. 2022.

The Prince was joined by Péter Sztáray, the Minister of State for Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, for a wreath-laying ceremony.

The outing came just one day after Leka’s divorce announcement that was shared on social media Monday.

The royal appeared to be in good spirits and smiled while posing for photos with several Albanian dignitaries at the event.

“The event was attended by members of parliament, Albanian NGOs, and the leader of the Legitimacy Party. A touching tribute to a dedicated queen and symbol of unity!” his official Instagram account later wrote alongside several images from the outing, translated into English.

The post explained that the ceremony was held to honor “Queen Geraldine’s Hungarian heritage,” as Leka’s grandmother was born in Budapest, Hungary.

Prince Leka and Princess Elia’s daughter Geraldine, whom they welcomed in 2020, is lovingly named after the prince’s late grandmother.

The statue was donated to Tirana by the Hungarian Embassy to honor the late Queen as a touching nod to her legacy, according to the Tirana Post.

In Feb. 2022, Leka and Elia attended the unveiling ceremony with their daughter.

Leka, the head of the Albanian royal family, married actress and singer Elia in a lavish ceremony in the capital city of Tirana in October 2016.

The shocking divorce announcement said that the couple’s marriage had “lost its function.”

“Hello friends and lovers,” read a message on Crown Prince Leka’s official Instagram, translated into English.

“Through this post, I officially inform you that LTM Prince Leka and Elia Zharaia have agreed to end their marriage,” the statement read, in part. “Since marriage has lost its function, they have decided to resolve it with mutual consent by starting the necessary legal procedures.”

The statement added that the pair’s 3-year-old daughter, Princess Geraldine, remains “at the center of their dedicated attention to ensure a happy and safe life.”

Leka prides himself on being a “custodian of the Monarchy’s legacy” and maintains a balanced position in Albanian politics as a “symbol of Albanian unity,” according to the royal family’s official website.

Crown Prince Leka II became the heir to the Albanian crown following the death of his father, King Leka I, in 2011.