The future king of Serbia, young prince Petar Karadordevic was born on 29 June 1844 as the fifth child of Prince Aleksandar Karadordevic and Princess Persida. Due to various circumstances he was not born at the Court, which was undergoing a renovation at the time, but at the house of the renowned merchant Miša Anastasijevie. His departure to a college in Geneva in 1858 coincided with his father’s dethronement. The Obrenovic dynasty again ruled Serbia. An emigre life, constantly accompanied by financial difficulties, began for the Karadordevic family. During preparations, between 1901 and 1903, of the plot to replace King Aleksandar Obrenovic, the conspirators decided in favour of Prince Petar Karadordevic at a meeting of officers and politicians in November 1901. Their attempts to get in touch with Petar were initially refused. King Petar and Vojvoda Putnik were the only ones who possessed the keys to the safe where war plans were kept.