Radio România Internațional

Tag: QUEEN

The Coronation of 1922

On October
15th, 1922, Romanians witnessed an unexpected event, an event with a strong
impact in the mind of every Romanian, who had seen the years of the First World
War: the coronation of Romania’s sovereigns, King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie
in Alba Iulia. The kingdom of Greater Romania, took shape in the wake of WWI, being
the result of an incommensurable sacrifice of human and material resources, as
well as superhuman diplomatic efforts. Following that huge price in human lives
and material resources, the new Romania became the country where any citizen
could freely develop their personality and contribute to the general happiness
and wellbeing. The publications of the
time abounded in details on the organization of the aforementioned event. First
off they published the special venue, the city of Alba Iulia, where in 1600
Wallachian prince Michael the Brave entered in front of his army, an event
considered by historians the first political union of the Romanian
principalities.

Then there was the religious service
and the emotions caused by the coronation, the rituals going on and the leading
personalities attending the event. The press also wrote about the political
rivalries which didn’t cease to exist even during this event. The Liberal
government led by Ion I.C. Brătianu staged the entire coronation, which was
boycotted by the political opposition. At the same time, publications wrote
about the Pope’s disapproval of a Catholic king who was to be crowned in an
Orthodox church. However, these were all minor elements and the coronation went
on as planned, because there was nothing to hinder that major event in the life
of a nation.

In the
following minutes historian Ioan Scurtu is going to help us understand how that
moment was perceived by the main participants in the event, the king and the
queen. According to Ioan Scurtu the two very different personalities of the
king and his wife became very visible on that occasion.

Ioan
Scurtu: King Ferdinand was less
active and didn’t love public appearances, but he eventually accepted the
coronation protocol just like he did during the Crown Council in 1916 when he
announced he had to go against his will and accept Romania’s joining the war as
the Council had asked. Queen Marie had a more active role in politics unlike
Queen Elizabeth, who wasn’t allowed by her husband, King Carol I, to get
involved in Romania’s political life. Ferdinand believed that it was the
sovereigns’ right to coronation for their major contribution to the 1918 union
of the Romanian principalities. And that was also visible in the crowns of the
two royal figures. Ferdinand took over the steel crown of his predecessor, king
Carol, which had three precious stones added, representing Bessarabia, Bukovina
and Transylvania. Queen Marie decided that the crown she took over from Queen
Elizabeth was too modest, so she ordered one made up of gold adorned with a lot
of jewels, which was weighing more than two kilograms.

The extremely
strong personality of Queen Marie became very visible during the coronation,
but that strong personality was actually completing that of her husband. Here
is historian Ioan Scurtu at the microphone.

Ioan Scurtu: The
central figure in the programme of the Coronation Committee was of course King
Ferdinand. Queen Marie tried all the time to be close to the king, she wouldn’t
be overshadowed although she hadn’t had the king’s contribution to the union.
In her diary she wrote about a difficult moment for her when she had to kneel
before the king to have the crown placed on her head. However, the king helped
her to stand up and kissed her forehead. The king placed the crown on his head
like Napoleon Bonaparte.

The general happiness and the feeling of victory at the end of 1918
persisted right until the coronation. Here is historian Ioan Scurtu again.

Ioan Scurtu: The king was himself, he behaved in his style. After
the war, an armistice was signed and high officials, including the clergy had
to come to Bucharest those days. The queen was very happy and told him ‘Nando,
do you realize you have become the king of all Romanians, you’re a great man, a
historic personality?’ But the king had only a laconic reply ‘It was God’s
will!’ As if he hadn’t made such an extraordinary contribution to that union.
They were so different from each other, like I said, different personalities,
but what was important was the fact that they stayed together and everyone saw
the event as the coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie.

The coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie on October 15th
1922 was a triumph for an entire nation, which paid a huge price and the
sacrifice they made at that time will never be forgotten by the generations to
come.

(bill)

24 October 2022
Queen Elizabeth II was paid homage in Viscri

We find ourselves in the candlelight in a village in
the heart of Transylvania reflecting to the life of Queen Elizabeth II,
British ambassador to Romania, Andrew Noble said on Sunday night at the Blue House
in Viscri belonging to the former Prince of Wales.

The Queen was a global presence for 70 years. Even
though the Queen has never visited Romania, I can tell you that the Queen was
very familiar with what was happening in our country during these 32 years of
freedom. I talked to the Queen about Romania and it meant a lot to her not
least because it was an important place to King Charles, HE Andrew Noble said.

This simple house in Viscri is a small token of the
connection between the British and Romanian royal families, as well as between
our peoples and countries. It will play an important role in the future as
well, to remind us of what unites us. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a
particularly sad moment for the people of the United Kingdom, for the people of
the countries where the Queen was also head of state, the Commonwealth
countries and the other countries where we didn’t expect it to have this huge
impact. We think of the service she did for all of us, about the debt she felt
towards us, the common people, the ordinary people, and I don’t think this
memory will fade quickly, especially in this garden, in this house we will feel
the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and especially the presence of King Charles
III, Ambassador Noble also says.

Since his first visit to Transylvania in 1997, Prince
Charles, now King of the United Kingdom has every year visited this region
abounding in medieval buildings. In late 20th century, the
descendants of the Saxon settlers brought here in the 12th century by
the Hungarian kings to put an end to the Mongol and Turkish invasions, migrated
in large numbers to Germany leaving behind hundreds of fortified churches and
medieval houses. The former Prince Charles has contributed to the preservation
of these buildings at the same time getting involved in the preservation and
documentation of the wildlife in Transylvania, which is unique in Europe.

By means of his own foundation and through cooperation
with other organizations, hundreds of craftsmen have been trained to keep the
traditional trades in the area alive. The present monarch has also launched a
series of initiatives to support he local farmers and animal breeders in the
area as well as the orphan children in various areas of Romania.

The connection between the two royal families, of
Romania and Britain, is a special one – the grandmother of Queen Marie of
Romania was Queen Victoria of Britain. Mihai I, the former King of Romania who
died in 2017, was 3rd cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and also cousin
to Prince Consort Philip.

(bill)

19 September 2022
September 16, 2022

TENNIS The worlds former number one tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, has announced her intention to stay away from competitions this year. She had earlier informed her supporters of having recently undergone nose surgery, and that is going to keep her out of competitions for a while. Halep was eliminated in the first round of the US Open but stays in WTA top ten. A Roland Garros Champion in 2018 and in Wimbledon, a year later, Halep turns 31 in late September.

ENERGY The ruling coalition in Bucharest has been assessing a series of potential amendments to the ordinance regulating energy prices and is currently drawing up fresh support and energy-saving schemes. In order to reduce the energy consumption, coalition leaders have agreed that by next week, the Ministry of the Environment come up with a proposal to replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs. At the same time, every ministry must produce a measure plan to curb energy consumption. Coalition partners have decided the Ministry of Waters and Forests draw up a project to cap firewood prices for a period up to 6 months.

REFUGEES According to sources with the General Border Police inspectorate, 88,187 people entered Romania on Thursday, including 11,124 Ukrainian citizens, 2% more than the previous day. According to a communiqué, since the beginning of the conflict 2.3 million Ukrainians have entered Romania.

QUEEN Tens of thousands last night queued for hours in the center of London to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8th at the age of 96. According to Radio Romania correspondent in London, after the ceremonies that followed the Queens death, King Charles yesterday returned to his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire. He comes back today with his consort Camilla for a visit to Wales, the last of his UK tour after succeeding his mother to the throne. State funeral for the Queen is to take place on Monday. The first religious service at Westminster Abbey at 11 oclock is expected to be attended by three thousand people including heads of state, members of the royal families, high-ranking politicians and representatives of humanitarian organizations. The coffin will be carried through the streets of London and taken to Windsor Castle, where a new religious service is to be held. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Romanian crown, and her consort Prince Radu, are also expected to attend the Queens funeral.

VACCINE Romania has received 5,060 doses of Monkeypox vaccine under a donation contract between the Health Ministry and the European Commission. The vaccine will be delivered to hospitals around Romania, in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania, Iasi in the east, Timisoara in the west and Constanta in the south-east. The vaccine is to be used for those who got into contact with the infected persons.

SPORTS Romanias football champions, CFR Cluj, on Thursday night conceded a 1-0 defeat to Turkish side Sivasspor in a home game counting towards Europa Conference League. CFR, which is presently ranking last in the groups standings will be up against Slavia Prague on October 6th and 13th. Also in the Conference League, Romanias vice-champions FCSB and the Belgians from Anderlecht Brussels ended in a goaless draw their game, hosted by the National Arena Stadium in Bucharest. FCSB will be playing Danish side Silkeborg in an away game on October 6th and in Bucharest, a week later. (bill)

16 September 2022
September 14, 2022 UPDATE

Debates – The new scheme for capping and compensating the price of energy on Wednesday reached the parliamentary committees in Bucharest for debates. The senators from the economic and energy commissions are debating the document recently adopted by the government, which includes the new scheme for compensating and capping the energy price, which applies from September 1. According to the emergency ordinance, the monthly consumption level up to which the price will be capped was reduced to 255 KWh, in the case of electricity. The intention of the government is for people to try to save electricity in the coming period. In the case of natural gas, the ordinance does not make any changes for domestic consumers. The interim speaker of the Senate, Alina Gorghiu, has declared that the ordinance will be modified in the commissions, if anything was omitted, but the changes will be made with the agreement of the governing coalition. The provisions in the emergency ordinance have triggered criticism from the opposition and the business environment.

Energy — The EU will propose measures to cap the income of low-cost electricity producers and will force companies that sell fossil fuels to share the profits they make following the increase in energy prices. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her speech on the state of the EU held in the plenary session of the European Parliament gathered in Strasbourg. She also said that the EU bloc was also discussing capping energy prices and was working on establishing a more representative gas reference price than that at the TTF hub in Amsterdam. In the spring, at the TTF hub in Amsterdam, the gas pricing hub for the European gas market, the pricing reached the record level of almost 335 Euros for one MWh. Also, the European Commission will propose that member countries should reduce their net monthly electricity consumption by at least 10% and by 5% during peak hours, until March 31, 2023. Instead, the EC document does not include a ceiling for the price of natural gas, an idea that caused divisions among the member countries. Ursula von der Leyen has warned that a difficult period will follow for companies and households in Europe, evoking the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine.

London – Five days after the death in Scotland, on September 8, of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Queen’s coffin arrived at Buckingham Palace in London, last night, to the applause of the crowd, and it was greeted by the new King Charles III. After being on public display for the first time, for 24 hours, in Edinburgh, the royal coffin was flown to the British Capital by a Royal Air Force plane and deposited overnight at Buckingham Palace before being moved, on Wednesday, to Westminster Hall, the building of the British Parliament. From this evening, people will have access to the Parliament building, to pass by the Queen’s coffin. People started queuing as of Tuesday. Hundreds of thousands of people, spread over kilometers and regardless of the weather, are expected to queue for hours to bid their final farewell to the queen. Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral will take place on September 19, at Westminster Abbey. Romania will be represented by President Klaus Iohannis. Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and Prince Consort Radu will also attend the funeral.

Software — The Romanian government will force all central and local public authorities to give up Russian anti-virus solutions or applications that could be under Moscows control. A draft law in this sense was on the agenda of the government’s meeting on Wednesday, in the context in which other European states, such as Germany and Italy, have already made such decisions. Kaspersky company, which produces one of the best known antivirus solutions, will be directly affected by this measure, because all its software will have to be uninstalled from public computer systems in the country. Any antivirus program creates backdoors on computers and could be used for espionage. The bill’s substantiation note shows that many public institutions and local administration authorities in Romania, including Bucharest City Hall, purchase and use Russian antivirus programs, due to their low prices.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (65 WTA) qualified, on Wednesday, to the quarter finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Portoroz, Slovenia, after defeating the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, 6-1, 6-7, 6-1. The Romanian player will fight for a place in the quarter finals with the Spanish Cristina Bucsa (110 WTA), or the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (18 WTA). The Portoroz tournament, on an outdoor hard court, has prizes up for grabs worth over 200 thousand Euros. (LS)

14 September 2022
September 11, 2022 UPDATE

CELEBRATION The celebration of 150 years since the death of Avram Iancu, the leader of the 1848 Revolution in Transylvania, included events devoted to this national hero. Military ceremonies and religious services were held, followed by a traditional music show in Ţebea (Hunedoara County). In a message on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis mentioned that Avram Iancu believed in the power of action and will be remembered as a fighter for social and national freedom. The head of state also mentioned Russias aggression against Ukraine and the revival of an “imperialist mindset.” The joint efforts of the international community, political dialogue rather than confrontation, and our goals, converging and complementary to those of NATO and the EU, will ensure the consolidation of European security and stability, especially in southeastern Europe and at the Black Sea, president Klaus Iohannis also said.

9/11 In Bucharest, PM Nicolae Ciucă Sunday addressed a message of solidarity with the people of the USA, 21 years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. “The tragedy of the American nation, shared by the entire planet, struck at the heart of freedom and democracy: the trust in and respect for the other. We honour the memory of those who passed away and we stand by the survivors and rescuers in the terrorist attacks of 9/11,” the Romanian Prime Minister said. Mr. Ciucă also mentioned Romanias continued solidarity with the US, as reflected in the military cooperation between the 2 countries. “Our troops, in increasingly complex missions, have proved professionalism and dedication, contributing to the safeguarding of peace and democratic values. In the most important missions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Romanian troops showed solidarity with their American partners, fighting together the worlds democracies against terrorism and defending fundamental rights and liberties,” reads the message. Nearly 3,000 people were killed 21 years ago by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking 4 aircraft.

QUEEN The state funerals for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, will take place on the 19 September. Meanwhile, Britons will have several days to pay their respects to their former sovereign, first in Edinburgh and then in London, where the Queens coffin is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. On Saturday, King Charles III was proclaimed monarch, and today he was officially proclaimed head of state of Australia and New Zealand. The British monarch is the sovereign of 14 other countries apart from the UK, although with a largely ceremonial role. The King is also the head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 countries, most of them former British colonies. For over 4 decades, King Charles has been involved in charities lobbying for environment and heritage conservation, but as head of state he will take on exclusively constitutional responsibilities. As a Prince of Wales, the new King has visited Romania almost every year for 2 decades, supporting a number of organisations and projects, especially in Transylvania, where he owns several estates. The UK Embassy in Bucharest opened an online condolence book for members of the public, but hundreds of Romanians went to the embassy offices to bring flowers and light candles for the Queen. The flag at the embassy office was flown at half-mast.

FLIGHTS The national airline TAROM continues to repatriate the Romanians stranded in international airports after the private operator Blue Air suspended flights. On Sunday around 200 people were brought from Greeces Zakynthos and Rhodes islands, with another 200 to be repatriated on Monday, after 350 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Greece on Saturday. Four other special flights had previously been organised to Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October. Blue Airs current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

UKRAINE Since early September the Ukrainian army has freed some 2,000 sq.km of the countrys territory, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in 2 counter-offensive campaigns, one in the south, targeting Herson, and the second one in the Kharkiv area in the north-east, where they entered the key cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. According to international media, these are the most important gains for Ukraine since early April, when the Russians were pushed out of Kyiv area. Reuters quotes a former chief of pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, as talking about a “major defeat” for Russia.

NUCLEAR Operations at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, controlled by Russian forces, have been fully stopped as a safety measure, Ukraines nuclear operator Energoatom announced on Sunday. Another emergency shut-down had been ordered in August. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, while president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the region around it to be demilitarised. (AMP)

11 September 2022
September 11, 2022

9/11 In Bucharest, PM
Nicolae Ciucă Sunday addressed a message of solidarity with the people of the
USA, 21 years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. The tragedy of the American
nation, shared by the entire planet, struck at the heart of freedom and democracy: the trust in and respect for the other. We honour the memory of
those who passed away and we stand by the survivors and rescuers in the
terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Romanian Prime Minister said. Mr. Ciucă also
mentioned Romania’s continued solidarity with the US, as reflected in the
military cooperation between the 2 countries. Our troops, in increasingly
complex missions, have proved professionalism and dedication, contributing to
the safeguarding of peace and democratic values. In the most important
missions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Romanian troops showed solidarity with their
American partners, fighting together with the world’s democracies against terrorism
and defending fundamental rights and liberties, reads the message. Nearly 3,000 people were killed 21 years ago
by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking 4 aircraft.

QUEENThe state funerals for Queen Elizabeth II,
who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, will take place on the 19 September. Meanwhile,
Britons will have several days to pay their respects to their former sovereign,
first in Edinburgh and then in London, where the Queen’s coffin is scheduled to
arrive on Tuesday. On Saturday, King Charles III was proclaimed monarch, and
today he was officially proclaimed head of state of Australia and New Zealand. The
British monarch is the sovereign of 14 other countries apart from the UK, although
with a largely ceremonial role. The King is also the head of the Commonwealth, an
association of 56 countries, most of them former British colonies. For over 4
decades, King Charles has been involved in charities lobbying for environment
and heritage conservation, but as head of state he will take on exclusively
constitutional responsibilities. As a Prince of Wales, the new King visited
Romania almost every year for 2 decades, supporting a number of organisations
and projects, especially in Transylvania, where he owns several estates. The UK
Embassy in Bucharest opened an online condolence book for members of the
public, but hundreds of Romanians went to the embassy offices to bring flowers
and light candles for the Queen. The flag at the embassy office was flown at
half-mast.

FLIGHTS The national airline
TAROM continues to repatriate the Romanians stranded in international airports
after the private operator Blue Air suspended flights. Today around 200 people
will be brought from Greece’s Zakynthos and Rhodes islands, with another 200 to
be repatriated on Monday, after 350 Romanian nationals were repatriated from
Greece on Saturday. Four other special flights had previously been organised to
Israel, Greece, Cyprus
and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports
since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although
the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive
debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October.
Blue Air’s current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

UKRAINE Since early September
the Ukrainian army has freed some 2,000 sq.km of the country’s territory,
president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Ukrainian forces are currently engaged
in 2 counter-offensive campaigns, one in the south, targeting Herson, and the
second one in the Kharkiv area in the north-east, where they entered the key
cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. According to international media, these are the
most important gains for Ukraine since early April, when the Russians were
pushed out of Kyiv area. Reuters quotes a former chief of pro-Russian militias
in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, as talking about a major defeat for Russia.

NUCLEAR Operations
at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, controlled by Russian
forces, have been fully stopped as a safety measure, Ukraine’s nuclear operator
Energoatom announced on Sunday. Another emergency shut-down had been ordered in
August. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, while
president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the region around
it to be demilitarised. (AMP)

11 September 2022
September 10, 2022 UPDATE

KING Senior British MPs Saturday swore an oath of allegiance to King Charles III, officially proclaimed king by the Accession Council,a body convened to confirm the new British monarchs throughout history. Both chambers of the British Parliament held special sessions, so that lawmakers may honour the Queen. Thousands have gathered in front of Buckingham Palace, the main residence of British monarchs in London, to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. King Charles III confirmed that the day of the Queens funeral will be a banking holiday in the United Kingdom. The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in London, on Monday, 19 September. The Queens coffin will be brought to Edinburgh on Sunday and later on to London, where the Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall. After the service, which will be attended by heads of state and government from around the world, the Queens coffin will be taken to Saint Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen is to be buried.

ENERGY EU energy ministers voiced support for emergency measures in response to the energy crisis, and even mentioned price capping for natural gas imports. At Fridays extraordinary meeting in Brussels, officials for the 27 Member States agreed that a “unified approach” was needed to address the rise in energy prices caused by Russias invasion in Ukraine. They gave the European Commission several days to come up with a solid and concrete plan, said the Czech industry minister Jozef Sikela, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Union. Romania, which was represented by the energy minister, Virgil Popescu, pleaded for measures such as a price cap on Russian gas imports or an EU-wide platform for the joint procurement of natural gas. As for cutting down consumption, Bucharest said this should be voluntary, depending on national capacities and market developments.

FLIGHTS The national airline TAROM Saturday scheduled 2 additional flights to Greece to repatriate the Romanian passengers abandoned by the low-cost operator Blue Air, which announced it lacked funding even for fuel. TAROM has so far organised 4 other special flights, to Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October. The transport minister Sorin Grindeanu urged Blue Air customers to try to find other options to return, and pointed out TAROM could not replace all the flights that had been cancelled. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Blue Air took out a state-guaranteed loan of over EUR 60 mln. This summer, it was fined EUR 2 mln by the Consumer Protection Authority, for cancelling over 11,000 flights in 2021 and 2022. Blue Airs current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

UKRAINE Romania and 3 other EU member states (Greece, Poland and Lithuania) call on the European Commission to grant them exemptions from the budget deficit rules, with respect to military expenditure, in order to be able to make the investments required after the Russian invasion in Ukraine. They want this expenditure excluded from the deficit calculation, so that the 3% of GDP ceiling required by the EU may be observed. The 4 countries argue that this would help them mitigate the risks facing the Union. Meanwhile, a report made public by the World Bank, the Ukrainian government and the European Commission indicates that Ukraines reconstruction after the Russian invasion may cost around USD 350 bln, with figures set to increase in the coming months, as the war continues. According to the report, reconstruction and revamping needs in the social, industrial and infrastructure fields are 1.5 times higher than Ukraines GDP in 2021. Russias aggression had caused direct damages of over USD 97 bln by 1 June, with the most affected areas including housing (40% of the total damages), transports (31%), trade and industry (10%). The regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv are the most heavily hit, followed by Kyiv, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia.

RUSSIA A number of Russian Deputies from the Sankt-Petersburg area were summoned to the police after requesting the impeachment of president Vladimir Putin for high treason, in relation to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. In a rare show of dissent, they called on Russias parliament to impeach the president for the death of Russian youth sent to war, for Russias economic downturn and brain drain, and for NATOs eastward expansion. Not least, they argued, the invasion of Ukraine had the opposite effects to those expected by Moscow. (AMP)

10 September 2022
September 10, 2022

KING King Charles III was officially proclaimed
monarch in a ceremony held at St. James’s Palace in London on Saturday, by the Accession Council, a body convened to confirm the new British
monarchs throughout history.
Also today, the Cabinet will have their first meeting with King Charles III,
just days after PM Liz Truss formed a new government. Thousands have gathered in front of Buckingham Palace, the main
residence of British monarchs in London, to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,
who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, at Balmoral
Castle in Scotland. She will be brought to London, at Westminster Hall, and
the public will have 4-5 days to say goodbye. The
funerals will take place at Westminster Abbey, the church where British kings
are crowned. The BBC notes that the last funeral of a monarch at Westminster
Abbey took place in the 18th century. After the funeral, to be attended by
heads of state and government from around the world, the Queen will be taken to
Windsor Castle and buried in the Saint George Chapel within its premises.

ENERGY EU energy ministers voiced support for emergency
measures in response to the energy crisis, and even mentioned price capping for
natural gas imports. At Friday’s extraordinary meeting in Brussels, officials
for the 27 Member States agreed that a unified approach was needed to address
the rise in energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. They gave the
European Commission several days to come up with a solid and concrete plan, said
the Czech industry minister Jozef Sikela, whose country holds the rotating
presidency of the Union. Romania, who was represented by the energy minister,
Virgil Popescu, pleaded for measures such as a price cap on Russian gas imports
or an EU-wide platform for the joint procurement of natural gas. As for cutting
down consumption, Bucharest said this should be voluntary, depending on
national capacities and market developments.

FLIGHTS The national airline TAROM provides today
2 additional flights to Greece to repatriate the Romanian passengers abandoned
by the low-cost operator Blue Air, which announced it lacked funding even for
fuel. TAROM has so far organised 4 other special flights, to Israel, Greece,
Cyprus and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in
international airports since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was
suspending flights. Although the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the
airline, which had excessive debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it
would only resume flights on 10 October. The transport minister Sorin Grindeanu
urged Blue Air customers to try to find other options to return, and pointed
out TAROM could not replace all the flights that had been cancelled. In 2020, during
the COVID pandemic, Blue Air took out a state-guaranteed loan of over EUR 60
mln. This summer, it was fined EUR 2 mln by the Consumer Protection Authority, for
cancelling over 11,000 flights in 2021 and 2022. Blue Air’s current estimated
debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

AUTOMOTIVE Romania’s
automotive industry output went up nearly 25% in July and August, compared to
the corresponding period of 2021. According to the Automotive Producers
Association, more than 61,000 vehicles were assembled in the Ford plant in
Craiova and Dacia-Renault plant in Mioveni. In the first 8 months of the year, over
330,000 vehicles were produced, accounting for a 15.5% increase since 2021.

UKRAINE Romania and 3
other EU member states (Greece, Poland and Lithuania) call on the European
Commission to grant them exemptions from the budget deficit rules, with respect
to military expenditure, in order to be able to make the investments required
after the Russian invasion in Ukraine. They want this expenditure excluded from
the deficit calculation, so that the 3% of GDP ceiling required by the EU may
be observed. The 4 countries argue that this would help them mitigate the risks
facing the Union. Meanwhile, a report made public by the World Bank, the
Ukrainian government and the European Commission indicates that Ukraine’s
reconstruction after the Russian invasion may cost around USD 350 bln, with figures set to increase in the coming months,
as the war continues. According to the report, reconstruction and revamping
needs in the social, industrial and infrastructure fields are 1.5 times higher
than Ukraine’s GDP in 2021. Russia’s aggression had caused direct damages of
over USD 97 bln by 1 June, with the most affected areas including housing (40% of
the total damages), transports (31%), trade and industry (10%). The regions of Donetsk,
Luhansk and Kharkiv are the most heavily hit, followed by Kyiv, Chernihiv and
Zaporizhzhia.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu,
ranking 37 and 42 in the world, respectively, take part in the first edition of
Ţiriac Foundation Trophy, held between the 10th and 18th September in
Bucharest. The 2 players received wild cards from the organisers, and their
current world rankings makes them seed no 1 and 2 in the tournament hosted by
the Romanian capital city. Ţiriac Foundation Trophy is a WTA 125 tournament
organised by the Romanian Tennis Federation and supported by the Ţiriac
Foundation and the Sports Ministry. The main draw includes 32 players, and the
doubles competition involves another 16. They compete for USD 115,000 in total
prize money and 160 points in the WTA ranking. (AMP)

10 September 2022
September 9, 2022 UPDATE

QUEEN The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in
English history, brought her eldest son Charles to the throne. He will reign
as King Charles III. The protocol for proclaiming a new monarch provides for
the speedy convening of an Accession Council made up of high-ranking
politicians, bishops of the Anglican Church, together with secular
representatives of the Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, aged 96,
at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She is to be brought to London, at Westminster
Hall, and the public will have a few days to say goodbye. The funerals will
take place at Westminster Abbey, the church where British kings are crowned.
The BBC notes that the last funeral of a monarch at Westminster Abbey took
place in the 18th century. After the funeral, to be attended by heads of state
and government from around the world, the Queen will be taken to Windsor Castle
and buried in the Saint George Chapel within its premises. The president of Romania, Klaus
Iohannis, sent a condolence message to King Charles III. He will be officially
proclaimed king in a ceremony to be held on Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced.

DEFICIT Romania’s trade balance deficit in the first 7 months of this year
increased by almost EUR 5.9 billion, to EUR 18.77 billion, as exports rose by
23.9% and imports increased by 29%, according to data provided by the National Statistics
Institute, made public on Friday. Between January and July 2022, exports totalled
EUR 52.67 billion, and imports EUR 71.44 billion. On the other hand, net
investments in the national economy totalled EUR 11 billion in the first 6
months of this year, down 0.8% compared to the similar period in 2021, NSI data
show.

ENERGY The Romanian Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, attended a special
meeting of the EU Energy Council in Brussels on Friday, in the context of
EU-wide discussions over the rise in energy prices. At the meeting, Romania
supported measures such as capping Russian natural gas prices, a platform for
the joint purchase of natural gas by the EU, and access to credit lines for
companies with the European Central Bank, the Energy Ministry said. Romania
also emphasised the importance of activating the EU Energy Platform for the
joint procurement of natural gas, so as to ensure fair distribution of the
additional gas and LNG procured by the Union. While in Brussels, Virgil Popescu
had a bilateral meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart. Hristov Rossen. The two
discussed the importance of regional cooperation for the joint purchase of
natural gas, as well as for ensuring increased energy stability in the region.
In another move, in Bucharest, energy operators have called on the Government
to reconsider the order issued last week, which provides for capping and
compensation of gas and electricity bills, as well as for over taxation of
companies in the field. The Association of Energy Suppliers warns that the
document was developed without consulting the participants in the field, thus
jeopardizing the security of gas and electricity supply to consumers.

COHESION The Romanian Government has adopted measures concerning one-third
of the cohesion fund, amounting to EUR 16 billion, the Minister for Investment
and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, has announced. He has explained that the
money can be used to access and develop investment projects in transport
infrastructure, health, water supply and waste management. Under the cohesion
policy, Romania has a EUR 43 billion budget until December 31st, 2029, the
minister has stated. The projects mainly focus on the building of 600 km of motorway
and 3 regional emergency hospitals, in Craiova, Iasi and Cluj-Napoca.

AID The European Commission has approved a EUR 4 bln aid scheme for
Romania, in order to support businesses in all sectors in the context of the
invasion of Ukraine by Russia. According to the EC, Romania’s aid scheme is
necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption to a
member state’s economy, in accordance with EU state aid rules. Under this
measure, the aid will take the form of guarantees for loans, with a maximum
budget of EUR 3.6 billion, with the balance to be provided in direct grants.
Support under the scheme will be granted until 31 December 2022 at the latest.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu, ranking
37 and 42 in the world, respectively, take part in the first edition of Ţiriac
Foundation Trophy, held between the 10th and 18th
September in Bucharest. The 2 players received wild cards from the organisers,
and their current world rankings makes them seed no 1 and 2 in the tournament
hosted by the Romanian capital city. Ţiriac Foundation Trophy is a WTA 125 tournament
organised by the Romanian Tennis Federation and supported by the Ţiriac
Foundation and the Sports Ministry. The main draw includes 32 players, and the
doubles competition involves another 16. They compete for USD 115,000 in total
prize money and 160 points in the WTA ranking. (AMP)

9 September 2022
June 2, 2022 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT On Thursday the
Government of Romania passed an emergency order under which pensioners with
pension benefits below roughly EUR 400 will benefit in July from financial aid
amounting to EUR 140. The measure is intended to offset the drop in spending
power for vulnerable people, generated by the recent increase in fuel, food and
utility prices. Around 3.3 million people will benefit from the aid. Wednesday
also saw the start of a social voucher distribution programme called ‘Support
for Romania’. The EUR 50 vouchers are intended for over 2.5 million vulnerable
Romanians, and can be used for food purchases.

HOLIDAY Romania, a country
with an Orthodox majority, Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Lord Jesus
Christ, 40 days after his resurrection. Orthodox believers celebrated the event
with painted eggs and traditional Easter meals. Since 1920 Romanians have also
paid homage to their war heroes on Ascension Day. A series of events have been
staged to the memory of Romania’s heroes like religious services as well as
moments of silence in all major institutions across the country. In a message on Heroes Day, the country’s
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said ‘our thoughts of gratitude are today directed
towards those who made the supreme sacrifice for the better destiny of the
generations to come.’

POLL Over 70% of Romanians
blame the war in Ukraine on Russia, according to a poll conducted by INSCOP
Research over May 16th and 21st. Over 87% of the Romanians believe that Russian
leaders must be convicted for war crimes and 65% believe the presence of NATO
and US troops in Romania is a good thing. 50% of the respondents believe
Ukraine will win the war, whereas 26% believe Russia will be the victor.
According to the poll, only 25% of Romanians believe Russia is defending
traditional values against the decadence of the West, as compared to 41% in
February. 67% of the respondents believe that extraction of natural gas from
the Black Sea will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on Russian
gas.

LETTER Romania’s president
Klaus Iohannis has sent a congratulation letter to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on her
anniversary and the platinum jubilee, the presidential administration in
Bucharest has announced. The Romanian president voiced his belief that the
Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK will continue to be
consolidated in the future, for the mutual benefit of both nations. Starting on
Thursday, Britain is celebrating for 4 days the Queen’s 70 years of rule, the
longest in the kingdom’s history. The government has exceptionally approved a
four-day bank holiday allowing millions to participate in various events staged
on this occasion, such as street parties, concerts and military parades.
According to the BBC, the 96-year-old monarch, who has mobility issues and has
recently cancelled several public appearances, is likely to join members of the
Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the display.

REFUGEES The government of
Romania Thursday approved the provision of new emergency humanitarian aid
amounting to EUR 185,000 for the management of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Also
as of Thursday, a governmental information platform is available to Ukrainian
nationals benefiting from temporary protection in Romania. At
protecţieucraina.gov.ro, refugees can find all the necessary information on the
rights and services they can receive, how they can enter Romania or answers to
frequently asked questions in the legal field. The Romanian Border Police
announced that on Wednesday little over 10,000 Ukrainian citizens entered
Romania, down 13% since the previous day. Since the start of the crisis in
Ukraine on February 24, nearly 1.1 million refugees have entered Romania. Most
of them transited the country towards Western Europe, but several tens of
thousands applied for asylum or temporary protection from the Romanian
government. (AMP)

2 June 2022
June 2, 2022

LETTER Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has sent a congratulation letter to
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland on her anniversary and the platinum jubilee, the presidential
administration in Bucharest has announced. The Romanian president has voiced
his conviction that the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK will
continue being consolidated in the future for the mutual benefit of both
nations. Starting Thursday, Britain is celebrating for four days the Queen’s 70
years of rule, the longest in the kingdom’s history. The government has exceptionally
approved a four-day bank holiday allowing millions to participate in the
various events staged on this occasion, such as street parties, concerts and
military parades. According to the BBC, the 96-year-old monarch, who has
mobility issues and has recently cancelled several public appearances, is
likely to join members of the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace
to watch the display.

EURO According to the 2020 Convergence Report published by the European
Commission, Romania presently does not meet any of the four criteria needed to adopt
the single European currency. In order to adopt the euro, an EU member has to
meet four conditions: price stability, stable public finances, exchange rate
stability and long-term interest rates. According to the report, not only that Romania
doesn’t meet any criteria but the country is also the only member state that is
subject to an excessive deficit procedure opened in 2020. In 2016, Romania met only
three out of the four conditions needed to join the Euro zone.

HOLIDAY Romania, a country with an Orthodox majority, is today celebrating the
Ascension of Lord Jesus Christ, 40 days after his resurrection. Orthodox
believers are today celebrating the event with painted eggs and traditional
Easter meals. Since 1920 the Romanians have also paid homage to their war
heroes on Ascension Day. A series of events have been staged to the memory of
Romania’s heroes like wreath laying, religious services as well as moments of
silence in all major institutions across the country. Bucharest will today see
a commemoration ceremony at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is to be
attended by the country’s president Klaus Iohannis, Defence Minister Vasile
Dancu, and Chief of Staff, Daniel Petrescu. In a message on the Heroes Day, the
country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that our thoughts of gratitude are
today directed towards those who made the supreme sacrifice for the better
destiny of the generations to come.

POLL Over 70 percent
of the Romanians believes Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine, shows a
poll conducted by INSCOP Research over May 16th and 21st. Over 87% of the
Romanians believes that Russian leaders must be convicted for war crimes and
65% believes that the presence of NATO and the US troops in Romania is a good
thing. 50% of the respondents believes that Ukraine will win the war, whereas
26% believes that Russia will be the victor. According to the poll, only 25%
believes that Russia is defending traditional values against the decadence of
the West, as compared to 41% in February. 67% of the respondents believes that exploitation
of Black Sea gas will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on Russian
gas

(bill)

2 June 2022
January 24, 2022

CELEBRATION
Today Romania celebrates 163 years since the Union of the Romanian
Principalities, the first major step in the formation of the Romanian nation
state, paving the way for the Great Union of 1918. On January 24, 1859,
Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of Wallachia, after on January 5 he had
become sovereign of Moldavia. His rule laid the foundations for modern Romania.
January 24 is a banking holiday in Romania. While many people chose to spend
the holiday in mountain resorts, the ones who stayed at home had the option of
attending military and religious ceremonies and celebratory concerts organised
around the country under COVID-19 restrictions. Bucharest’s Patriarchal
Cathedral hosted a service devoted to all those who contributed to the 1859 Union.
Politicians posted messages on this occasion. President Klaus Iohannis said the
Union on January 24, 1859 proves the importance of a project able to bring
together the energy of the Romanian nation, and urged people to work
persistently to consolidate the country’s current European and democratic path.
The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that the Union was the result of the
untiring efforts of the politicians of the time, driven by the nation’s dream
of unity and of administrative, economic and social progress. This desire
endured with all the following generations, triggering major changes in the
Romanian society, Nicolae Ciucă added. In turn, the speaker of the Chamber of
Deputies and president of the Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu said that,
163 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities, what Romanians need
more than ever is unity and stability, if they are to handle current economic,
healthcare and security challenges.

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 12,082 new cases of SARS-CoV-2
infections in 24 hours and 41 related deaths. The incidence rate in the capital
Bucharest is on the rise, reaching 10.23 cases per thousand people. The city
has been in the red tier since January 12, when the incidence rate went over 3
per thousand. The COVID-19 testing capacity is set to increase this week to
150,000 tests per day, as over 3,800 family physicians have signed contracts
with public health insurance agencies in this respect. In Bucharest and the
nearby county of Ilfov, where the largest number of cases is reported, testing
centres have already been opened in 20 hospitals. On Wednesday at the latest
COVID-19 testing will also be resumed in schools, after more than 10 million
test kits were received by school inspectorates. The health minister Alexandru
Rafila expects the current (5th) wave of the pandemic to reach its
peak in Romania in about 3 weeks’ time.

UKRAINE The European Union does not intend for the time being to follow in
the footsteps of the US and order the families of its diplomats to leave
Ukraine, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said today, according to
France Presse and Reuters. On Sunday night a senior US official justified the
decision saying that a Russian invasion may take place at any time. The US
secretary of state Antony Blinken is to address a meeting of the EU foreign
ministers in Brussels today, via video link, to update them on his recent talks
with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Attending
the meeting in Brussels is the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu. Russia has deployed around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border,
which the West reads as a preparation for an attack designed to prevent Ukraine
from joining NATO.

DOCUMENTARY The French public TV channel France 3 tonight airs for the first
time a documentary on Marie of Romania, the amazing queen of the
Carpathians, as part of its highly popular history series Secrets
of history. The production of the documentary took one year and a half.
Archive photos and footage have been collected, along with testimonies by
historians and members of the Royal House of Romania. Scenes have been shot at
the Peleş and Bran castles in the southern Carpathians, at the Cotroceni
National Museum in Bucharest and at the Curtea de Argeş Monastery where Royal
House members have been buried. Queen Marie, the wife of King Ferdinand I, was
acknowledged in Europe as an ambassador of the Romanian nation and a supporter
of the Romanian nation state.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep lost to Alizé Cornet
of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in the round of 16 of the Australian Open in
Melbourne today. For Halep (15 WTA) this was the first defeat after a string of
8 consecutive wins. Also today, Sorana Cîrstea of Romania takes on seed no. 7 Iga
Swiatek of Poland, in the same competition round. (A.M.P.)

24 January 2022
Queen Elisabeth and King Carol I

Wedded in 1869, King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth, Romanias first royal couple, generally had a calm and warm marriage until the late 1890. Proof in this respect, among other things, is brought by the 2 volumes recently released by Humanitas Publishers, comprising the correspondence exchanged by the two spouses and entitled “With warm love, Elisabeth. Always faithfully yours, Carol.

Born in Neuwied in 1843, Elisabeth sought and managed to encourage artists and arts in her new country. She was in fact keen on literature and writing easily in German, Romanian, French and English using the pen-name Carmen Sylva. It is in arts that she sought refuge after the death of her only child, princess Maria, at the age of 5, in 1874. She would express her need for maternal love years later, in her relationship with one of her ladies in waiting, Elena Văcărescu. Born into an eminent family of local noblemen and scholars and awarded twice by the French Academy for her literary skills, Elena Văcărescu was for a brief period involved in a politically unacceptable romance with Carols adopted nephew, crown prince Ferdinand, the heir to Romanias throne.

This is actually the trigger of the correspondence between the King and the Queen included in the second volume of the book “With warm love, Elisabeth. Always faithfully yours, Carol, as historian Alina Pavelescu tells us:

Alina Pavelescu: “This is the volume where the human dimension of the protagonists is best revealed. Their letters revolve around the scandal prompted by Prince Ferdinands romance with Elena Văcărescu. (…) The affair resulted in Queen Elisabeth being exiled for several years, and most of the correspondence dates back to this exile, a period when her perfect marriage with King Carol I experienced its biggest crisis, perhaps even bigger than the fact that the queen could no longer have children and therefore heirs to the Romanian throne. The King displays a great deal of composure and reason and patience in trying to make her understand what she had done wrong, and in the way he tries to put behind some of the most delicate and potentially unforgivable moments in his relationship with his wife.

But what was the actual story behind Prince Ferdinands engagement to Elena Văcărescu? Romanița Constantinescu, one of the editors of the correspondence volume, explains:

Romanița Constantinescu: “Actually that marriage was not as unlikely as it seems today, and apparently the whole situation was on the edge. Around Easter time in 1890, Ferdinand got engaged to Elena and asked the Kings permission to marry her. Although concerned with the political consequences, the King did not reject the idea out of hand, primarily out of love and respect for the Queen, who encouraged the affair, and for his nephew, the crown prince, as we learn from these letters. He left the decision to his Council of Ministers, and as we know the Council, chaired at the time by general Ioan Emanoil Florescu, did not approve the engagement.

Romanias politicians denied the marriage in order to avoid a prospective competition for influence over the throne between the local noble families related to Elena Văcărescu. Apart from the suffering inflicted on the two lovers, this decision affected Queen Elisabeth as well, who was forced into exile in several European countries, to return to Bucharest only in 1894. Silvia Irina Zimmermann, the other editor of the correspondence volume, tells us more about the Queens exile:

Silvia Zimmermann: “These are not only the letters of a queen, but also the letters of a skilled writer and fine artist. We thought that period had been a bleak time, a break with literature, but the letters tell us something else. Queen Elisabeth spent her exile years in Italy, in Venice and Palanzza, until June 1892, and at her mothers estate in Neuwied until the end of July 1894. In one letter, the Queen tells her husband she was so ill and upset that she lost all inspiration and drive for writing. However, her exile years were particularly productive both in terms of literature and in terms of decorative arts, with some of the most outstanding works still on display in Romanian museums. During these years, Queen Elisabeth worked on 3 poetry volumes and 2 plays, published under the pen-name Carmen Sylva between 1891 and 1893.

Also during those years, the Queen started writing a number of texts which, after her return to Romania, were included in her memoirs and in her fairy tale collections. In other words, Queen Elisabeth was able to convert the trials of her exile into works of art. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

18 July 2021
Repatriation of Queen Mother Helen

“The Queen of the four exiles, as Queen Mother Helen has been dubbed, will be brought back to Romania, the adoptive home country that she will never again leave. The Queens remains were disinterred in Switzerland and brought to be reburied in the royal burial site in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, alongside her son, King Michael I, and the other members of the Royal Family—Carol I, Ferdinand I and Carol II, and queens Elizabeth, Marie and Anne.

Helens first exile began in 1910, when the entire Greek Royal family, including Princess Helen, born on May 3, 1896, was forced to leave Greece following a coup against her grandfather, King George I. Seven years later, in 1917, Helens family was once again forced into exile.

In 1921 she married Crown Prince Carol II of Romania and gave birth to her only son, Michael, but 7 years later she divorced Carol following an infidelity scandal. Helen was sent into her 3rd exile by her former husband, King Carol II, so in late 1931 she moved to Germany and then to Italy, where she lived until 1940.

In January 1948, Queen Mother Helen left Romania for good, together with her son, King Michael I, who had been deposed by the new communist power in Bucharest. Helen spent the last part of her life in Italy and Switzerland, close to her sons family. She passed away on November 28, 1982, and was buried in Bois-de-Vaux cemetery in Lausanne.

The troubled history of the Greek and Romanian royal houses turned Helens life into a tragic destiny. However, those who knew her say the Queen Mother was a prototype of integrity, dignity, honour and wisdom. She was also a fascinating, discreet and elegant woman, with a refined sense of humour. It was her who taught King Michael and his daughters to have faith, to love their family and to have compassion for those in need.

In the 1940s, Queen Mother Helen saved many from the Nazi persecution. This is why in 1993 Israel gave her the title of Righteous among the Nations, in recognition for her efforts to prevent the extermination of Romanian Jews. Queen Mother Helen equally opposed the abuses of the Soviet occupation in Romania, and struggled, together with King Michael I, to make Romania a part of the free world again. Unfortunately, she had to witness the Soviets increasingly tight grip on the country.

It is only now, 30 years after the fall of the communist regime, that Helen returns to her adoptive country.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

18 October 2019
Queen Marie of Romania

A street on the left bank of the
river Seine in Paris has been named after Queen
Marie of Romania. The plaque reading The Queen Marie of Romania promenade was
unveiled by the Custodian of the Crown of Romania Margareta, who paid tribute
to her grandmother in a speech on this occasion:

For us, Europeans, Queen Marie of
Romania is a precious example of patriotism, strength and professionalism,
competence and loyalty. Thanks to her humanitarian and diplomatic efforts in
the service of her country, during the First World War and the Paris Peace
Conference, we gained the recognition and affection of the entire world. It is
all the more important that France and Paris pay homage to Marie of Romania, to
her personal example, the love for her country and her attachment to the values
of humanity.

Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria
was born on the 29th of October 1875 in England. She was the
daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna
of Russia. In January 1863 she married Ferdinand, the crown prince of Romania,
whom she gave six children. She was queen of Romania between 1914 and 1927 and
took an active involvement in political life. Before and after WWI, she
dedicated her time and energy to the soldiers wounded in battle, coordinating
the collaboration with the Red Cross, organising field hospitals and raising
funds for the ambulance service, all of which earned her the nickname the soldier
Queen and mother to the wounded. Historians recognise her enormous
contribution to the achievement of the Great Union of 1918, when all Romanian
historical provinces that had until then been part of the Russian and
Austro-Hungarian empires came together under Bucharest’s control. Queen Marie
died on the 18th of July 1938 in Sinaia.

The initiative to name a street
after her in Paris belonged to Romania’s embassy in the French capital with the
help of the France-Romania friendship parliamentary group in the National
Assembly and the Paris City Hall.

16 October 2019