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Michael I ( ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last
King of Romania The King of Romania () or King of the Romanians () was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian People's Republic following Michael I's forced abdication. ...
, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced
abdication Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the Order of succession, succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of ...
on 30 December 1947. Shortly after Michael's birth, his father, Crown Prince Carol, had become involved in a controversial relationship with
Magda Lupescu Magda Lupescu (born Elena Lupescu; 3/15 September 1899 – 29 June 1977), later officially known as Princess Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the mistress and later wife of King Carol II of Romania. Early life and family Many of the fa ...
. In 1925, Carol was pressured to renounce his rights (in favour of his son Michael) to the throne and moved to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in exile with Lupescu. In July 1927, following the death of his grandfather Ferdinand I, Michael ascended the throne at age five, the youngest crowned head in Europe. As Michael was still a minor, a regency council was instituted, composed of his uncle Prince Nicolas, Patriarch
Miron Cristea Miron Cristea (; monastic name of Elie Cristea ; 20 July 1868 – 6 March 1939) was a Romanian cleric and politician. A bishop in Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Cristea was elected Metropolitan-Primate of the Orthodox Church of the newly unifie ...
and Chief Justice
Gheorghe Buzdugan Gheorghe V. Buzdugan (February 10, 1867 – October 7, 1929) was a Romanian jurist and politician. Born in Focșani, Buzdugan studied law at the University of Bucharest, after which he served as a judge. Assigned to Piatra Neamț in early 189 ...
. The council proved to be ineffective and, in 1930, Carol returned to Romania and replaced his son as monarch, reigning as Carol II. As a result, Michael returned to being
heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
to the throne and was given the additional title of Grand
Voievod Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
of Alba-Iulia. Carol II was forced to abdicate in 1940, and Michael once again became king. Under the government led by the military dictator
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
, Romania became aligned with
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. In 1944, Michael participated in a coup against Antonescu, appointed
Constantin Sănătescu Constantin Sănătescu (14 January 1885 – 8 November 1947) was a Romanian general and statesman who served as the 44th Prime Minister of Romania after the 23 August 1944 coup after which Romania left the Axis powers and joined the Allies. Ea ...
as his replacement, and subsequently declared an alliance with the Allies. In March 1945, political pressures forced Michael to appoint a pro-Soviet government headed by
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
. From August 1945 to January 1946, Michael went on a "royal strike" and unsuccessfully tried to oppose Groza's
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
-controlled government by refusing to sign and endorse its decrees. In November 1947, Michael attended the wedding of his cousins, the future Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Shortly thereafter, on the morning of 30 December 1947, Groza met with Michael and compelled him to abdicate, while the monarchy was abolished. Michael was forced into exile, his properties confiscated, and his citizenship stripped. In 1948, he married
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma Anne (born Princess Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite of Bourbon-Parma; 18 September 1923 – 1 August 2016) was the wife of King Michael I of Romania. She married Michael in 1948, the year after he had abdicated the throne. N ...
, with whom he had five daughters. The couple eventually settled in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
's communist dictatorship was overthrown in December 1989 and the following year Michael attempted to return to Romania, only to be arrested and forced to leave upon arrival. In 1992, Michael was allowed to visit Romania for
Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
, where he was greeted by huge crowds; a speech he gave from his hotel window drew an estimated one million people to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. Alarmed by Michael's popularity, the post-communist government of
Ion Iliescu Ion Iliescu (; born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as the second president of Romania from 1989 until 1996 and from 2000 until 2004. Between 1996 and 2000 and also from 2004 to 2008, the year in which he retired, ...
refused to allow him any further visits. In 1997, after Iliescu's defeat by
Emil Constantinescu Emil Constantinescu (; born 19 November 1939) is a Romanian professor and politician, who served as the President of Romania, from 1996 to 2000. After the Romanian Revolution, Romanian Revolution of 1989, Constantinescu became a founding member ...
in the presidential election of the previous year, Michael's citizenship was restored and he was allowed to visit Romania again. Several confiscated properties, such as
Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...
and
Săvârșin Castle Săvârșin Castle (, ) is a large country house situated in ''Săvârșin Park'', a private estate that was owned by King Michael I of the Romanians (1921–2017) in Săvârșin, Arad County, Romania. It is the Romanian Royal Family’s offi ...
, were eventually returned to his family.


Early life

Michael was born in 1921 at Foișor Castle on the Royal Complex of Peleș in
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
, Romania, the son of Crown Prince Carol of Romania and Crown Princess Elena. He was born as the paternal grandson of the reigning King
Ferdinand I of Romania Ferdinand I (Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad; 24 August 1865 – 20 July 1927), nicknamed ''Întregitorul'' ("the Unifier"), was King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death in 1927. Ferdinand was the second son of Leopold, Prince of Hoh ...
and maternal grandson of the reigning King
Constantine I of Greece Constantine I (, Romanization, romanized: ''Konstantínos I''; – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 18 March 1913 to 11 June 1917 and again from 19 December 1920 to 27 September 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army dur ...
. When Carol
elope Elopement is a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, sometimes involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting married without parental approval. A ...
d with his mistress Elena Magda Lupescu and renounced his rights to the throne in December 1925, Michael was declared
heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
. Michael succeeded to the throne of Romania upon Ferdinand's death in July 1927, before his sixth birthday. Later, Michael attended a special school established in 1932 by his father.


Reign


1930s and the Antonescu era

A
regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
, which included his uncle, Prince Nicolae, Patriarch
Miron Cristea Miron Cristea (; monastic name of Elie Cristea ; 20 July 1868 – 6 March 1939) was a Romanian cleric and politician. A bishop in Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Cristea was elected Metropolitan-Primate of the Orthodox Church of the newly unifie ...
, and the country's Chief Justice (
Gheorghe Buzdugan Gheorghe V. Buzdugan (February 10, 1867 – October 7, 1929) was a Romanian jurist and politician. Born in Focșani, Buzdugan studied law at the University of Bucharest, after which he served as a judge. Assigned to Piatra Neamț in early 189 ...
, and from October 1929, ) functioned on behalf of the five-year-old Michael, when he succeeded Ferdinand in 1927. In 1930,
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...
returned to the country at the invitation of politicians dissatisfied with the regency in the context of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, and was proclaimed king by the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. Michael was demoted to
crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...
with the title "Grand
Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
of
Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș (river), Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a ...
". In November 1939, Michael joined the
Romanian Senate 2012–2016 2008–2012 In December 2008, the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) and the political alliance established between the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Conservative Party (PC) formed a coalition government. 2004–2008 In the ...
, as the 1938 Constitution guaranteed him a seat there upon reaching the age of eighteen. Just days after the
Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all of Maramureș and part of Cri ...
, the pro-
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
anti-
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
regime of Prime Minister Marshal
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
staged a coup d'état against Carol II, whom he claimed to be "anti-German". Antonescu suspended the Constitution, dissolved the Parliament, and re-installed the 18-year-old Michael as king, by popular acclaim in September 1940. (Although the Constitution was restored in 1944, and the Romanian Parliament in 1946, Michael did not subsequently take a formal oath nor have his reign approved retroactively by Parliament.) Michael was crownedFundamental Rules of the Royal Family of RomaniaThe Romanian Royal Family website
as. Retrieved 8 January 2008
with the Steel Crown and
anointed Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...
King of Romania by the
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and ...
of Romania,
Nicodim Munteanu Nicodim (), born Nicolae Munteanu (; 6 December 1864, Pipirig, Neamț County, Romania – 27 February 1948, Bucharest), was the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church (Patriarch of All Romania) between 1939 and 1948. Biography He studied theo ...
, in the Patriarchal Cathedral of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, on the day of his accession, 6 September 1940. Although King Michael was formally the Supreme Head of the Army, named ''
Conducător ''Conducător'' (, meaning 'Leader') was the title used officially by Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu during World War II, also occasionally used in official discourse to refer to Carol II and Nicolae Ceaușescu. History The word is derived from ...
'' ("Leader of the people"), and entitled to appoint the
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
with full powers, in reality he was forced to remain a figurehead for most of the
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
, until August 1944. Michael had lunch with
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
twice—once with his father in
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
in 1937, and with his mother in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1941. He also met
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
in Italy in 1941.


Turning against Nazi Germany

In 1944,
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was going badly for the
Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
, but Antonescu was still in control of Romania. By August 1944, the Soviet conquest of Romania had become inevitable, and was expected in a few months."Bulgaria"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''.
On 23 August 1944, Michael joined the pro-
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
politicians, a number of army officers, and armed Communist-led civilians in staging a coup against Antonescu. Michael ordered his arrest by the Royal Palace Guard. On the same night, the new Prime Minister, Lt. General
Constantin Sănătescu Constantin Sănătescu (14 January 1885 – 8 November 1947) was a Romanian general and statesman who served as the 44th Prime Minister of Romania after the 23 August 1944 coup after which Romania left the Axis powers and joined the Allies. Ea ...
—appointed by King Michael—gave custody of Antonescu to the communists (in spite of alleged instructions to the contrary by the King), and the latter delivered him to the Soviets on 1 September. In a radio broadcast to the Romanian nation and army, Michael issued a ceasefire just as the Red Army was penetrating the Moldavian front, proclaimed Romania's loyalty to the Allies, announced the acceptance of the armistice offered by the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union, and declared war on Germany. However, this did not avert a rapid Soviet occupation and capture of about 130,000 Romanian soldiers, who were transported to the Soviet Union where many perished in prison camps."Romania – Armistice Negotiations and Soviet Occupation"
countrystudies.us.
Although the country's alliance with
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
was ended, the coup sped the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
's advance into Romania. The armistice was signed three weeks later on 12 September 1944, on terms the Soviets virtually dictated. Under the terms of the armistice, Romania recognized its defeat by the USSR and was placed under occupation of the Allied forces, with the Soviets, as their representative, in control of media, communication, post, and civil administration behind the front. The coup effectively amounted to a "capitulation", an "unconditional" "surrender". It has been suggested by Romanian historians that the coup may have shortened
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by six months, thus saving hundreds of thousands of lives.Constantiniu, Florin, "O istorie sinceră a poporului român" ("An Honest History of the Romanian People"), Ed. ''Univers Enciclopedic'', București, 1997, At the end of the war, King Michael was awarded the highest degree (Chief Commander) of the American
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
by
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
. He was also decorated with the Soviet
Order of Victory The Order of Victory () was the highest military decoration awarded for World War II service in the Soviet Union, and one of the rarest orders in the world. The order was awarded only to Generals and Marshals for successfully conducting combat ...
by
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
"for the courageous act of the radical change in Romania's politics towards a break-up from Hitler's Germany and an alliance with the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, at the moment when there was no clear sign yet of Germany's defeat", according to the official description of the decoration. With the death of
Michał Rola-Żymierski Michał Rola-Żymierski (; 4 September 189015 October 1989) was a Polish high-ranking Polish United Workers' Party, Communist Party leader, communist military commander and NKVD secret agent. He was appointed as Marshal of Poland, and served in t ...
in 1989, Michael became the sole surviving recipient of the Order of Victory.


Reign under Communism

In March 1945, political pressures forced King Michael to appoint a pro-Soviet government headed by
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
. For the next two-plus years, Michael functioned again as little more than a figurehead. Between August 1945 and January 1946, during what was later known as the "royal strike", King Michael tried unsuccessfully to oppose the Groza government by refusing to sign its decrees. In response to Soviet, British, and American pressures, King Michael eventually gave up his opposition to the communist government and stopped demanding its resignation. He did not
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
'' Mareșal'' Antonescu, the former Prime Minister, who was sentenced to death "for betrayal of the Romanian people for the benefit of Nazi Germany, for the economic and political subjugation of Romania to Germany, for cooperation with the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
, for murdering his political opponents, for the
mass murder Mass murder is the violent crime of murder, killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more ...
of civilians and
crimes against peace The crime of aggression was conceived by Soviet jurist Aron Trainin in the wake of the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Pictured: Stalingrad in ruins, December 1942 A crime of aggression or crime against peace is the p ...
". Nor did King Michael manage to save such leaders of the opposition as
Iuliu Maniu Iuliu Maniu (; 8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was a Romanian lawyer and politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the Union of Transylvania wi ...
and the Bratianus, victims of Communist political trials, as the Constitution prevented him from doing so without the counter-signature of Communist Justice Minister
Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu (; 4 November 1900 – 17 April 1954) was a Romanian communist politician and leading member of the Communist Party of Romania (PCR), also noted for his activities as a lawyer, sociologist and economist. For a while, he ...
(who himself was later eliminated by Gheorghiu-Dej's opposing Communist faction). The memoirs of King Michael's aunt Princess Ileana quoted
Emil Bodnăraș Emil Bodnăraș (10 February 1904 – 24 January 1976) was a Romanian Romanian Communist Party, communist politician, an army officer (armed forces), officer, and a Soviet Union, Soviet Espionage, agent, who had considerable influence in the So ...
—her alleged lover, Romania's Communist minister of defence, and a Soviet spy—as saying: "Well, if the King decides not to sign the death warrant, I promise that we will uphold his point of view." Princess Ileana was sceptical: "You know quite well (...) that the King will never of his free will sign such an unconstitutional document. If he does, it will be laid at your door, and before the whole nation your government will bear the blame. Surely you do not wish this additional handicap at this moment!"


Forced abdication

In November 1947, King Michael travelled to London for the wedding of his cousins, Princess Elizabeth (later
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
) and
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from ...
, an occasion during which he met
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma Anne (born Princess Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite of Bourbon-Parma; 18 September 1923 – 1 August 2016) was the wife of King Michael I of Romania. She married Michael in 1948, the year after he had abdicated the throne. N ...
(his second cousin once removed), who was to become his wife. According to his own account, King Michael rejected any offers of
asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea * ...
and decided to return to Romania, contrary to the confidential, strong advice of the British Ambassador to Romania. Early on the morning of 30 December 1947, Michael was preparing for a New Year's party at
Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...
in
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
, when Groza summoned him back to Bucharest. Michael returned to
Elisabeta Palace Elisabeta Palace () is a palace on Kiseleff Road in Bucharest, Romania. Built in 1936, it is the official residence in Romania of Margareta of Romania, her husband Prince Radu, and her sister Princess Maria. The Palace was designed in 1930 ...
in Bucharest, to find it surrounded by troops from the
Tudor Vladimirescu Division The Tudor Vladimirescu Division (full name: ''Romanian 1st Volunteer Infantry Division 'Tudor Vladimirescu – Debrecen' '') was a Soviet-organized division of Romanians that fought against Germany and Hungary during the final year of World War I ...
, an army unit completely loyal to the Communists. Groza and Communist Party leader
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (; 8 November 1901 – 19 March 1965) was a Romanian politician. He was the first Socialist Republic of Romania, Communist leader of Romania from 1947 to 1965, serving as first secretary of the Romanian Communist Party ...
were waiting for him, and demanded that he sign a pre-typed instrument of abdication. Unable to call in loyal troops, due to his telephone lines allegedly being cut, Michael signed the document."Compression"
''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', 12 January 1948
Later the same day, the Communist-dominated government announced the abolition of the monarchy, and its replacement by a People's Republic, broadcasting the King's pre-recorded radio proclamation of his own abdication. On 3 January 1948, Michael was forced to leave the country, followed over a week later by Princesses Elisabeth and Ileana, who collaborated so closely with the Soviets that they became known as the King's "Red Aunts". He was the last monarch behind the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
to lose his throne. Michael's own account of the abdication varied over time, and was gradually embellished, especially after 1990. Thus, in accounts published in 1950 and 1977, Michael only mentioned seeing armed groups with machine-guns on their shoulders around the palace, while in much later accounts these were described as "heavy artillery, ready to fire at any moment". The story of the supposed blackmail also evolved: in the 1950 account, Groza tried to negotiate some form of material compensations for the abdication, noting he could not guarantee for Michael's life in case he refused, and his refusal could lead to thousand of arrests and possibly a civil war; in a hearing before the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
in 1954, Michael mentioned Groza's generic threats regarding his personal security, bloodshed and ruin of the country, as well as "vague hints" of persecution, with Groza suggesting the government had a large dossier on Michael; the possible arrest of thousands and a generic threat of bloodshed is also mentioned in the 1977 account; however, beginning with 1990, Michael claimed that Groza threatened to shoot 1,000 students that had already been arrested for publicly showing their attachment to the throne. Thus, while according to a ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' article published in 1948, Groza threatened to arrest thousands of people and order a bloodbath unless Michael abdicated, in an interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' from 2007, Michael recounted: "It was blackmail. They said, 'If you don't sign this immediately we are obliged'—why obliged I don't know—'to kill more than 1,000 students' that they had in prison." In historian Ioan Scurtu's opinion, the new account was created in order to leverage the recent Revolution of 1989, presented at the time as a revolution of the youth and the students. Another new element in Michael's account after 1990 was that Groza had threatened him at gunpoint; in earlier accounts Michael mentioned that Groza had shown him the pistol he was carrying only after Michael signed the abdication. According to the autobiography of the former head of the Soviet intelligence agency
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
, Major General
Pavel Sudoplatov Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov (; ; July 7, 1907 – September 24, 1996) was a senior Soviet official in the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union whose career spanned over 34 years in the different intelligence branches of the Soviet A ...
, the Deputy Soviet Foreign Commissar
Andrey Vyshinsky Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky (; ) ( – 22 November 1954) was a Soviet politician, jurist and diplomat. He is best known as a Procurator General of the Soviet Union, state prosecutor of Joseph Stalin's Moscow Trials and in the Nuremberg trial ...
personally conducted negotiations with King Michael for his abdication, guaranteeing part of a pension to be paid to Michael in Mexico. According to a few articles in ''
Jurnalul Național ''Jurnalul Național'' is a Romanian newspaper, part of the INTACT Media Group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular television station Antena 1. The newspaper was launched in 1993. Its headquarters is in Bucharest Buchares ...
'',"The return from London and the abdication,"
''
Jurnalul Național ''Jurnalul Național'' is a Romanian newspaper, part of the INTACT Media Group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular television station Antena 1. The newspaper was launched in 1993. Its headquarters is in Bucharest Buchares ...
'', 17 November 2005
"Communism – King Michael I's Abdication"
, '' Jurnalul Naţional'', 11 December 2006
Michael's abdication was negotiated with the Communist government, which allowed him to leave the country with the goods he requested, accompanied by some of the royal retinue. According to Albanian Communist leader
Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
's account of his conversations with the Romanian Communist leaders on the monarch's abdication, it was Gheorghiu-Dej, not Groza, who forced Michael's abdication at gunpoint. He was allowed to leave the country accompanied by some of his entourage and, as confirmed also by the Soviet leader
Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
recounting Gheorghiu-Dej's confessions, with whatever properties he desired, including gold and rubies.
Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
br>''The Titoites''
The "Naim Frasheri" publishing house,
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
, 1982, pp. 519–522, 572
Hoxha also wrote that pro-Communist troops surrounded the palace, to counter army units who were still loyal to the King. In March 1948, Michael denounced his abdication as illegal, and contended he was still the rightful
King of Romania The King of Romania () or King of the Romanians () was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian People's Republic following Michael I's forced abdication. ...
. According to ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine,"Anne & I"
''Time'', 15 March 1948
he would have done so sooner, but for much of early 1948, he had been negotiating with the Communists over properties he had left in Romania. There are reports''Miscellaneous''
''
Evenimentul Zilei ''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name translates to "The event of the day" or "Today's event". History and profile ''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nisto ...
'', 24 March 2005
''The Lia Roberts hope''
''
Evenimentul Zilei ''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name translates to "The event of the day" or "Today's event". History and profile ''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nisto ...
'', 19 January 2004
that Romanian Communist authorities allowed King Michael to depart with 42 valuable Crown-owned paintings in November 1947, so that he would leave Romania faster. Some of these paintings were reportedly sold through the famed art dealer
Daniel Wildenstein Daniel Leopold Wildenstein (11 September 1917 – 23 October 2001) was a French art dealer, historian and owner-breeder of thoroughbred and standardbred race horses. He was the third member of the family to preside over Wildenstein & Co., one of ...
. One of the paintings belonging to the Romanian Crown, which was supposedly taken out of the country by King Michael in November 1947, returned to Romania in 2004 as a donation made by John Kreuger, the former husband of King Michael's daughter Irina. In 2005, Romanian Prime Minister
Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu (; born 14 January 1952) is a Romanian politician who served as Prime Minister of Romania, prime minister of Romania from 2004 to 2008. He was also president of the National Liberal Party (Romania), Na ...
denied these accusations about King Michael, stating that the Romanian government has no proof of any such action by King Michael and that, prior to 1949, the government had no official records of any artwork taken over from the former royal residences. However, according to some historians, such records existed as early as April 1948, having been, in fact, officially published in June 1948. According to Ivor Porter's authorized biography, ''Michael of Romania: The King and The Country'' (2005), which quotes Queen Mother Helen's daily diary, the Romanian royal family took out paintings belonging to the Romanian Royal Crown, on their November 1947 trip to London to the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II; two of these paintings, signed by
El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...
, were sold in 1976. According to declassified
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
documents that were the subject of news reports in 2005, when he left Romania, the exiled King Michael's only assets amounted to 500,000
Swiss franc The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s. Recently declassified Soviet transcripts of talks between Joseph Stalin and the Romanian Prime Minister
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
show that shortly before his abdication, King Michael received from the communist government assets amounting to 500,000
Swiss franc The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s. King Michael, however, repeatedly denied that the Communist government had allowed him to take into exile any financial assets or valuable goods besides four personal automobiles loaded on two train cars.


Marriage


Engagement

In November 1947, Michael I met a distant relative,
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma Anne (born Princess Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite of Bourbon-Parma; 18 September 1923 – 1 August 2016) was the wife of King Michael I of Romania. She married Michael in 1948, the year after he had abdicated the throne. N ...
who was visiting London for the
wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ...
. In fact, a year previously Queen Helen, The Queen Mother had invited Anne, her mother, and brothers for a visit to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, but the plan did not come off. Meanwhile, King Michael I had glimpsed Princess Anne in a
newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news, news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a Movie theater, cinema, newsreels were a source of cu ...
and requested a photograph from the film footage. She did not want to accompany her parents to London for the royal wedding as she wished to avoid meeting Michael I in official surroundings. Instead, she planned to stay behind, go alone to the Paris railway station and, pretending to be a passerby in the crowd, privately observe the king as his entourage escorted him to his London-bound train. However, at the last moment she was persuaded by her first cousin, Prince Jean, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to come to London, where he planned to host a party. Upon arrival in London, she stopped by
Claridge's Claridge's is a 5-star hotels, 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street, London, Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. The hotel is owned and managed by the Maybourne Hotel Group. History Founding Claridge's traces its origins to ...
to see her parents, and found herself being introduced unexpectedly to King Michael I. Abashed to the point of confusion, she clicked her heels instead of
curtsey A curtsy (also spelled curtsey or incorrectly as courtsey) is a traditional gendered gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. In Western culture it is the feminine equivalent of bowing by males, altho ...
ing, and fled in embarrassment. Charmed, the king saw her again the night of the wedding at the Luxembourg embassy ''soirée'', confided in her some of his concerns about the Communist takeover of Romania and fears for his mother's safety, and nicknamed her ''Nan''. They saw each other several times thereafter on outings in London, always chaperoned by her mother or brother. A few days later, she accepted an invitation to accompany Michael and his mother when he piloted a
Beechcraft Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and Military aircraft, military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacture ...
aeroplane to take his aunt Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta, back home to
Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
. Sixteen days after meeting, Michael proposed to Anne while the couple were out on a drive in Lausanne. She initially declined, but later accepted after taking long walks and drives with him. Although Michael gave her an engagement ring a few days later, he felt obliged to refrain from a public announcement until he informed his government, despite the fact that the press besieged them in anticipation. Michael I returned to
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, where he was told by the prime minister that a wedding announcement was not "opportune". Yet within days it was used as the government's public explanation for Michael's sudden "
abdication Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the Order of succession, succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of ...
", when in fact the king was
deposed Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch.
ORB: The Online Reference for Medie ...
by the
Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...
on 30 December. Princess Anne was unable to get further news of King Michael I until he left the country. They finally reunited in
Davos Davos (, ; or ; ; Old ) is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of (). Davos is located on the river Landwasser, in the Rhaetian ...
on 23 January 1948.


Wedding

As a
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon, a beer produced by Brasseries de Bourbon * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * Bourbon coffee, a type of coffee ma ...
, Anne was bound by the
canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, which required that she receive a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic Christian (King Michael I was
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
). At the time, such a dispensation was normally only given if the non-Roman Catholic partner promised to allow the children of the marriage to be raised as Roman Catholics. Michael refused to make this promise since it would have violated Romania's monarchical constitution, and would be likely to have a detrimental impact upon any possible restoration. The
Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
(which handled the matter directly since King Michael I was a member of a reigning dynasty) refused to grant the dispensation unless Michael made the required promise. Helen, Queen Mother of Romania and her sister Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (an Orthodox married to a Catholic Prince) met with the fiancée's parents in Paris, where the two families resolved to take their case to the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
in person. In early March, the couple's mothers met with
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...
who, despite the entreaties of the Queen Mother and the fact that Anne's mother, Princess Margrethe pounded her fist on the table in anger, refused permission for Anne to marry King Michael I. It has been surmised that the Pope's refusal was, in part, motivated by the fact that when Princess Giovanna of Savoy married Anne's cousin,
King Boris III of Bulgaria Boris III (; 28 August 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier), was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death in 1943. The eldest son ...
, in 1930, the couple had undertaken to raise their future children as Roman Catholics, but had
baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...
them in the Orthodox faith in deference to
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
's state religion. However, King Michael I declined to make a promise he could not keep politically, while Anne's mother was herself the daughter of a mixed marriage between a Catholic ( Princess Marie d'Orléans) and a
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
(
Prince Valdemar of Denmark Prince Valdemar of Denmark (27 October 1858 – 14 January 1939) was a member of the Danish royal family. He was the third son and youngest child of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. He had a lifelong naval career. Early l ...
), who had abided by their pre-
ne temere was a Papal bull, decree issued in 1907 by the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council regulating the canon law of the Church regarding marriage for practising Catholics. It is named for its incipit, opening words, which literally mean "lest ...
compromise To compromise is to make a deal between different parties where each party gives up part of their demand. In arguments, compromise means finding agreement through communication, through a mutual acceptance of terms—often involving variations fr ...
to raise their sons as Protestant and their daughter, Margrethe, as Catholic. Although under a great deal of stress, the engaged couple resolved to proceed. Anne's paternal uncle,
Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma Xavier, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, known in France before 1974 as Prince Xavier de Bourbon-Parme, known in Spain as Francisco Javier de Borbón-Parma y de Braganza or simply as Don Javier (25 May 1889 – 7 May 1977), was head of the ducal House ...
, issued a statement objecting to any marriage conducted against the will of the Pope and the bride's family. It was he, not the
Pontiff In Roman antiquity, a pontiff () was a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs."Pontifex". "Oxford English Dictionary", March 2007 The term ''pontiff'' was later applied to any h ...
, who forbade Anne's parents to attend the wedding. King Michael I's spokesman declared on 9 June that the parents had been asked and had given their consent, and that the bride's family would be represented at the
nuptials A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ...
by her maternal uncle, the Protestant Prince Erik of Denmark, who was to give the bride away. The wedding ceremony was held on 10 June 1948 in Athens, Greece, in the throne room of the Royal Palace; the ceremony was performed by
Archbishop Damaskinos Archbishop Damaskinos Papandreou (), born Dimitrios Papandreou (; 3 March 1891 – 20 May 1949), was the archbishop of Athens and All Greece from 1941 until his death in 1949. He was also the regent of Greece between the pull-out of the German ...
, and King Paul I of Greece served as '' koumbaros''. Guests at the wedding included: Michael's mother The Queen Mother of Romania, aunts Queen Frederica, The Dowager Duchess of Aosta,
Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark Princess Katherine of Greece and DenmarkMarlene A. Eilers, ''Queen Victoria's Descendants'' (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987), page 165. (; 4 May 1913 – 2 October 2007), styled in the United Kingdom as Lady Katherine Br ...
; cousins Prince Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta,
Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for t ...
, Crown Prince Constantine of Greece and
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (, romanized: ''Iríni''; born 11 May 1942) is the youngest child and second daughter of King Paul of the Hellenes and his wife, Queen Frederica. She is the younger sister of Queen Sofía of Spain and Ki ...
, the three youngest ones serving as bridesmaids and pageboy; Anne's maternal uncle Prince Erik of Denmark;
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (29 January 1882 – 13 March 1957), was the only daughter and youngest child of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Her husband was Prince Nicholas ...
,
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark (; 11 June 1903 – 16 October 1997) was a Greek princess who married Prince Paul, Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After her marriage, she was known as Princess Paul of Yugoslavia. Princess Olga was a d ...
,
Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia ( sr-Latn-Cyrl, Jelisaveta Karađorđević, Јелисавета Карађорђевић; born 7 April 1936) is a member of the royal House of Karađorđević, a human rights activist and a former presidential ...
, Prince George Wilhelm of Hanover and many other dignitaries. King Michael I's father, Carol, and his sisters, Maria, Queen Mother of Yugoslavia,
Princess Elisabeth of Romania Elisabeth of Romania (Elisabeth Charlotte Josephine Alexandra Victoria; , , romanized: ''Elisábet''; 12 October 1894 – 14 November 1956) was the second child and eldest daughter of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania. She was Qu ...
(ex-Queen Consort of Greece) and
Princess Ileana of Romania Princess Ileana of Romania, also known as Mother Alexandra (5 January 1909 – 21 January 1991), was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and his consort, Queen Marie. She was a great-granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russ ...
were notified, but not invited. As no papal dispensation was given for the marriage, when it was celebrated according to the rites of the
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
, it was deemed invalid by the Roman Catholic Church, but perfectly legal by every other authority. The couple eventually took part in a religious ceremony again, on 9 November 1966, at the Roman Catholic Church of St Charles in
Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
, thus satisfying Roman Catholic canon law.


Family

Michael and
Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...
had five daughters, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren: * Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania (b. 26 March 1949), married
Radu Duda Prince Radu of Romania (born Radu Duda on 7 June 1960, formerly known as Prince Radu of Hohenzollern-Veringen from 1999 to 2007) is the husband of Margareta of Romania, who is the head of the House of Romania and a disputed pretender to the f ...
in 1996. *
Princess Elena of Romania Princess Elena of Romania (born 15 November 1950) is the second-eldest daughter of King Michael I and Queen Anne of Romania. Elena is first in the line of succession to the former Romanian throne and headship of the House of Romania as her e ...
(b. 15 November 1950), married
Robin Medforth-Mills Leslie Robin Medforth-Mills (8 December 1942 – 2 February 2002) was a British professor of Geography at the University of Durham and a United Nations official. Family Medforth-Mills was the son of Cyril Mills (1908–1989) and Nora Medforth ( ...
on 20 July 1983 and was divorced on 28 November 1991. They have two children. She married secondly Alexander McAteer on 14 August 1998. ** Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (b. 1 April 1985), married civilly Alina-Maria Binder on 6 October 2017. Before his marriage, he had a relationship with Nicoleta Cirjan, which resulted in a daughter. ***Iris Anna Cirjan (b. 9 February 2016) ***Maria Alexandra Medforth-Mills (b. 7 November 2020) ***Michael de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (b. 15 April 2022) **Elisabeta-Karina de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (b. 4 January 1989); she married civilly Kurt Metcalfe on 26 April 2024. They have one son: ***Augustus Mihai de Roumanie Metcalfe (b. 23 May 2024) *Princess Irina of Romania (b. 28 February 1953), married John Kreuger on 4 October 1983, from whom she was divorced on 24 November 2003. They have two children. She married secondly John Wesley Walker on 10 November 2007. **Michael-Torsten Kreuger (b. 25 February 1984), married Tara Marie Littlefield on 26 February 2011. ***Kohen Kreuger (b. 28 March 2012) **Angelica-Margareta Bianca Kreuger (b. 29 December 1986), married Richard Robert Knight on 25 October 2009 and divorced in November 2018. ***Courtney Bianca Knight (b. 31 May 2007) ***Diana Knight (b. 2011) *Princess Sophie of Romania (b. 29 October 1957), married Alain Michel Biarneix on 29 August 1998 and was divorced in 2002, with a daughter. **Elisabeta-Maria de Roumanie Biarneix (b. 15 August 1999) *
Princess Maria of Romania Maria of Romania may refer to: * Marie of Romania (1875–1938), queen of Romania from 1914 to 1917 as the wife of King Ferdinand I * Maria of Yugoslavia Maria (born Princess Maria of Romania; 6 January 1900 – 22 June 1961), known in Serbian ...
(b. 13 July 1964), married Kazimierz Wiesław Mystkowski on 16 September 1995 and divorced in December 2003.


Life in exile

Michael would never see his father again, after Carol II's 1940 abdication. Michael could see no point in meeting his father who had humiliated his mother so many times via his open affairs and did not attend his father's funeral in 1953. In January 1948, Michael began using one of his family's ancestral titles, "Prince of Hohenzollern","Milestones"
''Time'', 21 June 1948
instead of using the title of "King of Romania". After denouncing his abdication as forced and illegal in March 1948, Michael resumed use of the kingly title. Michael and Princess Anne lived near
Florence, Italy Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence was a centre of medieval European t ...
, until 1948, near Lausanne, Switzerland, until 1950, and then in
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, until 1956. After that, the couple settled near
Versoix Versoix () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. It is located in the northern suburbs of Geneva. Geography Versoix has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.1% is used for agricultural purpose ...
, Switzerland, where they would live for the next 45 years. The Communist Romanian authorities stripped Michael of his Romanian citizenship in 1948. During exile, Michael had a variety of occupations including farming, stockbroker, entrepreneur, and pilot. In 1957, he worked in Switzerland as a test pilot for a predecessor of aerospace manufacturer
Learjet Learjet was a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use based in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as Swiss American Aviation Corporation, it became a subsidiary of Canadian Bomba ...
. Together with his wife, he took part in the ship tour organized by Queen Frederica and her husband King
Paul of Greece Paul (; 14 December 1901 – 6 March 1964) was King of Greece from 1 April 1947 until his death on 6 March 1964. Paul was born in Athens as the third son of Constantine I of Greece, Crown Prince Constantine and Sophia of Prussia, Crown Princess ...
in 1954, which became known as the “
Cruise of the Kings The Cruise of the Kings () was a royal cruise around the Mediterranean Sea in the summer of 1954, organised by Queen Frederica of Greece, Queen Frederica and Paul of Greece, King Paul of Greece. The cruise aimed to promote tourism in Greece an ...
” and was attended by over 100 royals from all over Europe. He had five daughters with his wife between 1949 and 1964.


Return and rehabilitation

On 25 December 1990—a year after the
revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
which overthrew the Communist dictatorship of
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
—Michael, accompanied by several members of the royal family, landed at
Otopeni Airport Otopeni () is a town in Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, neighbouring the north of Bucharest along the DN1 road to Ploiești. It has 21,750 inhabitants, of which 99.0% are ethnic Romanians. One village, Odăile, is administered by the city. Hen ...
and entered Romania for the first time in 43 years. Using a Danish diplomatic passport, Michael was able to obtain a 24-hour visa. He intended to reach
Curtea de Argeș Cathedral The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș (early 16th century) is a Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. It is located on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, and is dedicated to Dormition of the M ...
, pray at the tombs of his royal ancestors and attend the Christmas religious service. However, on their way to Curtea de Argeș, the former King and his companions were stopped by a police blockade, taken to the airport and forced to leave the country. In 1992, the Romanian government allowed Michael to return to Romania for Easter celebrations, where he drew large crowds. His speech from the balcony of a Hotel Continental 1st Fl. room drew over 100,000 people. His visit in Bucharest drew over a million people in the streets of the capital to see him. Michael refused the offer of the president of the National Liberal Party (Romania), National Liberal Party, Radu Câmpeanu, to run for elections as president of Romania. Michael's popularity alarmed the government of President
Ion Iliescu Ion Iliescu (; born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as the second president of Romania from 1989 until 1996 and from 2000 until 2004. Between 1996 and 2000 and also from 2004 to 2008, the year in which he retired, ...
, and he was forbidden to re-visit Romania, being denied entry twice in 1994 and 1995. In 1997, after Iliescu's defeat by
Emil Constantinescu Emil Constantinescu (; born 19 November 1939) is a Romanian professor and politician, who served as the President of Romania, from 1996 to 2000. After the Romanian Revolution, Romanian Revolution of 1989, Constantinescu became a founding member ...
, the Romanian government restored Michael's citizenship and again allowed him to visit the country. He then lived partly in Switzerland at Aubonne, Switzerland, Aubonne and partly in Romania, either at Săvârşin Castle, Săvârșin Castle in Arad County or in an official residence in Bucharest—the
Elisabeta Palace Elisabeta Palace () is a palace on Kiseleff Road in Bucharest, Romania. Built in 1936, it is the official residence in Romania of Margareta of Romania, her husband Prince Radu, and her sister Princess Maria. The Palace was designed in 1930 ...
—voted by the Romanian Parliament by a law concerning arrangements for former heads of state. Besides Săvârșin Castle, the former private residences
Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...
and Pelișor Castle were also restituted. While Peleș and Pelișor are open to the public, Elisabeta Palace and Săvârșin are used as private residences. File:Elisabeta Palace front1.jpg,
Elisabeta Palace Elisabeta Palace () is a palace on Kiseleff Road in Bucharest, Romania. Built in 1936, it is the official residence in Romania of Margareta of Romania, her husband Prince Radu, and her sister Princess Maria. The Palace was designed in 1930 ...
,
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
File:01 Chateau Peles.jpg,
Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...
,
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
File:Pelisor Castle, Sinaia.jpg, Pelișor Castle,
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
File:CastelulSavar.jpg, Săvârşin Castle, Săvârșin Castle, Arad County


Later years

Michael neither encouraged nor opposed monarchist agitation in Romania and royalist parties have made little impact in post-communist Romanian politics. He took the view that the restoration of the monarchy in Romania can only result from a decision by the Romanian people. "If the people want me to come back, of course, I will come back," he said in 1990. "Romanians have had enough suffering imposed on them to have the right to be consulted on their future." King Michael's belief was that there is still a role for, and value in, the monarchy today: "We are trying to make people understand what the Romanian monarchy was, and what it can still do [for them]." According to a 2007 opinion poll conducted at the request of the Romanian royal family, only 14% of Romanians were in favour of the restoration of the monarchy. Another 2008 poll found that only 16% of Romanians are monarchists. Michael himself, however, was shown to be much more popular personally with the Romanian people: In a July 2013 survey, 45% of Romanians had a good or very good opinion of Michael, with 6.5% thinking the opposite. The royal family also enjoyed similar numbers, with 41% having a good or very good opinion of it, and just 6.5% having a poor or very poor one. Michael undertook some quasi-diplomatic roles on behalf of post-communist Romania. In 1997 and 2002 he toured Western Europe, lobbying for Romania's admission into NATO and the European Union, and was received by heads of state and government officials. In December 2003, to the "stupefaction of the public opinion in Romania","The Watchtower: The king and the jester"
Evenimentul Zilei ''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name translates to "The event of the day" or "Today's event". History and profile ''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nisto ...
, 18 December 2003
Michael awarded the "Man of The Year 2003" prize to Prime Minister Adrian Năstase, leader of the Social Democratic Party (Romania), Social Democratic Party (PSD), on behalf of the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid ''VIP''. The daily ''
Evenimentul Zilei ''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name translates to "The event of the day" or "Today's event". History and profile ''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nisto ...
'' subsequently complained that 'such an activity was unsuited to a king and that Michael was wasting away his prestige', with the majority of the political analysts 'considering his gesture as a fresh abdication'. On 10 May 2007, King Michael received the Prague Society for International Cooperation and 's 6th Annual Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award, previously awarded to Vladimir Ashkenazy, Madeleine Albright, Václav Havel, George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Lord Robertson, and Miloš Forman. On 8 April 2008, King Michael and Patriarch Daniel of Romania, Patriarch Daniel were elected as honorary members of the Romanian Academy. Michael participated in the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Victory Parade in Moscow in 2010 as the only living Supreme Commander-in-Chief of a European State in the Second World War. The name of Michael I is listed on the memorial in the Grand Kremlin Palace as one of only 20 recipients of the
Order of Victory The Order of Victory () was the highest military decoration awarded for World War II service in the Soviet Union, and one of the rarest orders in the world. The order was awarded only to Generals and Marshals for successfully conducting combat ...
. In old age, Michael enjoyed a strong revival in popularity. On 25 October 2011, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, he delivered a speech before the assembled chambers of the Romanian Parliament. An opinion poll in January 2012 placed him as the most trusted public figure in Romania, far ahead of the political leaders. Later, in October 2012, celebrating Michael's 91st birthday, a square in Bucharest was renamed after him. On 1 August 2016, he became a widower when Queen Anne died at the age of 92.


Health issues

On 2 March 2016, the Royal Council announced King Michael's retirement from public life; with tasks assumed by Crown Princess Margareta of Romania, Margareta, his daughter. After surgery, Michael was diagnosed with chronic leukemia and metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma, epidermoid carcinoma and faced a complex and lengthy treatment. In June 2017, the Royal House stated in a press release that "His Majesty's health is fragile but stable. King Michael is quiet, has soulful appreciation and appreciates the care of his medical team. Along with the King, they are permanently employed by His Majesty's House, detached in Switzerland, and two Orthodox nuns." At the end of August 2017, the Royal House announced that King Michael was "in a fragile but balanced state, and has a good mood," stating that Princess Elena of Romania, Princess Elena had completed a visit to Switzerland for a few days to see her father, at the private residence. According to the Royal House, Michael remained "daily under close supervision of physicians, medical staff of various specialties, and in the presence of devoted members of the staff of His Majesty's House, stationed in Switzerland." Two Orthodox nuns, detached from the Romanian Orthodox Church, remained at the private residence.


Death and state funeral

On 5 December 2017, Michael died at his residence in Switzerland at the age of 96, in the presence of his youngest daughter Princess Maria of Romania (born 1964), Princess Maria. His coffin, draped by his Royal Standard, was brought back to Romania on 13 December, arriving at the Henri Coandă International Airport, Otopeni Airport in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
from Lausanne, via Payerne Air Base, escorted by his second daughter, Princess Elena of Romania, Princess Elena with her husband Alexander Nixon, fourth daughter Sophie and also members of the Royal Household, were transported by the Romanian Air Force's Alenia C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, which was flanked by four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters. The coffin was first taken to
Peleș Castle Peleș Castle ( ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914 ...
at
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
in the Carpathian Mountains. Then, it was brought to Bucharest, where it was laid and displayed at the Royal Palace of Bucharest, Royal Palace for two days. King Michael I was buried on 16 December with full state honours in the Mausoleum of the Royal Family, on the grounds of the
Curtea de Argeș Cathedral The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș (early 16th century) is a Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. It is located on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, and is dedicated to Dormition of the M ...
together with his wife Queen Anne who died in 2016. His body was transferred from Bucharest to Curtea de Argeș with the help of a funeral train, the Royal Train, and a repainted domestic-traffic carriage, being led by a diesel locomotive. His funeral is stated to have been one of the largest in Romania, with almost a million Romanians flocking to the capital to pay their respects and watch the funeral, with it being comparable to the one of Corneliu Coposu in 1995.


Line of succession

According to the succession provisions of the Romanian kingdom's last democratically approved monarchical constitution of 1923, upon the death of King Michael without sons, the claim to the Crown devolves once again upon the House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern family. However, on 30 December 2007, on the 60th anniversary of his abdication, King Michael signed the ''Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania'', by which he designated Margareta of Romania, Princess Margareta as his heir. The document has no legal standing, as it regulates an institution that is no longer extant."The King and Margareta – On The 'Day of the Republic' The King Designated His Successor"
, Jurnalul National, 2 January 2008
On 10 May 2011, on a background of lawsuits in Germany brought against his family by Michael's German relatives regarding the former name Hohenzollern-Veringen of his son-in-law, Radu Duda, Radu, and of fears expressed by some that the German Hohenzollerns may claim succession to the headship of the Romanian royal house, Michael severed all of the dynastic and historical ties with the princely house of Hohenzollern, changed the name of his family to "of Romania", and gave up all princely titles conferred upon him and his family by the German Hohenzollerns.King Michael I announces the severance of all historical and dynastic ties to the House of Hohenzollern
Adevarul, 11 May 2011
On 1 August 2015, Michael signed a document removing the title Prince of Romania and the qualification of Royal Highness from his grandson, Nicholas Medforth-Mills, who was also removed from the line of succession. The former king took the decision "with an eye on Romania's future after the reign and life of his eldest daughter, Margareta". The former king hoped that "Nicholas will find in future years a suitable way to serve the ideals and use the qualities that God gave him". Nicholas's mother, Princess Elena, received notification of the former king's decision in a personal letter.Comunicatul Biroului de Presă al Majestății Sale, 10 August 2015


Personality and personal interests

Aged 16, when Michael was crown prince, he hit a bicyclist while driving a car, causing the cyclist's death. The incident was censored in contemporary press, but appears in the official Censorship Records, and is confirmed by the memoirs of the former prime minister Constantin Argetoianu. Michael was head of the Cercetaşii României, Romanian Boy Scouts in the 1930s. He was passionate about cars, especially military jeeps. He was also interested in aircraft, having worked as a test pilot during exile. Shortly after the Second World War, Michael became interested in Moral Rearmament, which was introduced to him by his first cousin Prince Richard of Hesse-Cassel, and as Swiss residents after 1956 he and Queen Anne paid numerous visits to the Caux Palace Hotel, MRA conference centre of Caux, Switzerland, Caux, where he found solace for the loss of his country and his émigré status as well as new hope for future reconciliation.


Arms, honours and awards


Honours

* : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), Order of Leopold I * : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Lion * : Recipient of the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, Medal of Merit of the Ministry of Defence, Special Class * : Recipient of the Royal Medal of Recompense, Royal Medal of Recompense, Special Class * : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose * France ** : Grand Cross of the Légion d'Honneur, Order of the Legion of Honour ** House of Orléans: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Lazarus * House of Glücksburg#Greece, Greek Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, Royal Order of the Redeemer * Greek Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saints George and Constantine, Royal Order of Saints George and Constantine * Greek Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of George I, Royal Order of George I * House of Glücksburg#Greece, Greek Royal Family: Knight of th
Royal Decoration of the Greek Royal House, Special Class
* Greek Royal Family: Recipient of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Greece, Centenary Medal of the Kingdom of Greece * House of Savoy, Italian Royal Family: Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, Royal Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation * House of Savoy, Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus * House of Savoy, Italian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross the Order of the Crown of Italy, Royal Order of the Crown ** : Bailiff Knight Grand Cross with Collar of Orders, decorations, and medals of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta * : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland), Order of the White Eagle * Russia ** : Member of the
Order of Victory The Order of Victory () was the highest military decoration awarded for World War II service in the Soviet Union, and one of the rarest orders in the world. The order was awarded only to Generals and Marshals for successfully conducting combat ...
(Soviet Union, 6 July 1945) "For the courageous act of decisive turning in the direction of the Romanian policy against Germany and the alliance with the Allies in a time when it was not yet set a clear defeat of Germany" ** : Recipient of the Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945", 60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 Commemorative Jubilee Medal * Serbia ** Karađorđević dynasty, Serbian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Karađorđe's Star, Royal Order of the Star of Karađorđe ** Karađorđević dynasty, Serbian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sava, Royal Order of Saint Sava ** : Recipient of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Serbia, Military Virtue Medal * : Recipient of the Swedish Royal Jubilee Commemorative Medals, 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf * : Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order * : Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal * : Chief Commander of the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...


Awards


National awards

* : Honorary citizenship, Honorary Citizen of Călărași County * : Honorary Citizen of the City of Techirghiol (in Constanța county) * : Honorary Citizen of the City of Craiova * : Honorary Citizen of the Village of Stremț (in Alba county) * : Honorary Degree from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies * : Honorary Degree from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (in Bucharest) * : Honorary Degree from the Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University (in Bucharest) * : Honorary Degree from the Politehnica University of Bucharest * : Honorary Degree from the University of Pitești * : Honorary Degree from the University of Bucharest * : Honorary Degree from the Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara * : Honorary Degree from the Polytechnic University of Timișoara * : Honorary Degree from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca * : Honorary Degree from the Carol I National Defence University (in Bucharest) * : Honorary Degree from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (in Iași) * History of the Jews in Romania, Romanian Jewish community: Recipient of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Romania#Community medals, Alexandru Șafran Medal


Foreign awards

* : Honorary citizenship, Honorary Citizen of the City of Kroměříž ** : *** Prague Society for International Cooperation: Sixth Recipient of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award * : Freedom of the City of London, Freeman of the City of London * : Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers


Military ranks

; * Mareșal (Romania), Marshal of the Romanian Armed Forces ** Supreme Commander–in–Chief, Supreme Commander–in–Chief General of the Romanian Land Forces ** Supreme Commander–in–Chief Marshal of the Romanian Air Force ** Supreme Commander–in–Chief Admiral of the Romanian Naval Forces ; * Honorary Air chief marshal, Air Chief Marshal of the Hellenic Air Force


Honorific eponyms

* ** House of Romania: Decorations of the Romanian Royal House#King Michael I Medal for Loyalty, King Michael I Medal for Loyalty **
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
: *** King Michael I Park *** *** **
King Michael I High School
**
King Michael I Railway Technical College
** Banat: Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, King Michael I Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine ** Curtea de Argeș
King Michael I Technological High School
** Drobeta-Turnu Severin
King Michael I High School
** Pucioasa: King Michael I Technical High School ** Săvârșin
King Michael I Technological High School
* ** Cimișeni: King Michael I High School


Statues and monuments

On 25 October 2012, a large monument to Michael including a large bronze bust was unveiled at King Michael I Square in Bucharest. Michael attended and unveiled the statue. On 25 October 2021, a statue of Michael was unveiled in the town of
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. Minister of Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu was in attendance, along with Princess Margareta of Romania, Margareta of Romania, other government representatives, and members of parliament. Representatives of the Army also attended.


Ancestry

As a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, through both of his parents, Michael was a third cousin of Margrethe II, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Harald V, King Harald V of Norway, Juan Carlos I, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Carl XVI Gustaf, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Through his maternal grandfather, Constantine I of Greece, King Constantine I of Greece, amongst others Michael was a first cousin of both Peter II of Yugoslavia, King Peter II of Yugoslavia and his wife Alexandra of Yugoslavia, Queen Alexandra, as well as of Constantine II of Greece, King Constantine II of Greece and his elder sister Queen Sofía of Spain, consort of King Juan Carlos I. In addition to being the pretender, claimant to the defunct throne of
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, he was also a Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen until 10 May 2011, when he renounced this title.


References


External links


The Official Website of The Romanian Royal Family

The Official Blog of The Romanian Royal Family


(Michael at age 5), on the cover of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', 1 August 1927
"We reigned in darkness"
''The Spectator'', 14 June 1997
"World War II – 60 Years After: Former Romanian Monarch Remembers Decision To Switch Sides"
Radio Free Europe, 6 May 2005 *Oliver North
"A Lesson in Leadership"
''The Washington Times'', 17 April 2006 * Costel Oprea
"Regele Mihai, retrocedare de un miliard de euro"
''România liberă'', 27 April 2007 * Costel Oprea
"Harta marilor retrocedări (II)"
''România liberă'', 18 April 2007 * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Michael 01 of Romania 1921 births 2017 deaths 20th-century kings of Romania 21st-century Romanian people Kings of Romania Romanian princes World War II political leaders Field marshals of Romania Romanian military leaders Romanian Land Forces personnel Romanian military personnel of World War II Romanian people of Greek descent Military leaders of World War II Hellenic Air Force personnel House of Romania Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave, 1st class First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Crosses of the National Order of Faithful Service Recipients of the Military Virtue Medal Grand Crosses of the Order of the White Lion Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 1st class Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy) Knights of Malta Recipients of the Order of Victory Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Chief Commanders of the Legion of Merit Grand Crosses of the Order of St. Sava Eastern Orthodox monarchs Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church People from Sinaia Pretenders to the Romanian throne Members of the Senate of Romania Honorary members of the Romanian Academy Child monarchs from Europe Monarchs deposed as children Romanian anti-communists Deaths from leukemia in Switzerland Dethroned monarchs Exiled royalty People from Aubonne Romanian people of English descent Romanian people of German descent Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Monarchs who abdicated Burials at Curtea de Argeş Cathedral