Plates adorned with portraits were popular in the late 19th century. The portrait of King Aleksandar is placed in the centre of the white porcelain plate with a dark purple rim decorated with gilt floral ornaments.
King Aleksandar (1876–1903) was the last ruler from the Obrenović dynasty. He was raised to the throne at the age of thirteen, after the abdication of his father, King Milan, in 1889. Until 1893, the country was ruled by the so called Third Regency of Jovan Ristić, Jovan Belimarković and Kosta Protić. Aleksandar's reign was marked by the adoption of the Constitution and an economic, cultural and scientific development of Serbia. His marriage to Draga Mašin, a widow and a former lady-in-waiting of Queen Natalija Obrenović, gave rise to dissent among the people and particularly among military officers, which culminated in a conspiracy and the destruction of the dynasty in the May Overthrow in 1903.