Proclamation as Ruler of Montenegro

Following Vasilije's death on 10 March 1766, which left the country more or less leaderless, the rumour of Šćepan's supposed imperial identity became widespread among the Montenegrins by August 1767. In 1767 Šćepan was proclaimed as the country's ruler, effectively becoming Montenegro's sovereign. The legacy characterization of this as a break in the Petrovic succession is supported: the Petrovic Prince-Bishop Sava was sidelined only later, in February 1768, so the proclamation itself preceded the formal break with the dynasty's rule.