Romanian royal family

The former Romanian royal family, a branch of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, ruled Romania until 1947, when the country became a republic.

Members of the former royal family include the former King Michael of Romania, his consort Queen Anne, and several of their daughters. Some descendants have adopted the surname "of Romania." There are also descendants of Michael's older half-brother Carol Lambrino (also known as "Carol Hohenzollern" and "Carol Mircea Grigore of Romania" or, in Romanian, al României, on his amended Romanian birth certificate)^[1]), whose legitimacy was disputed and who were not recognised as members of the royal family during the monarchy by King Ferdinand, King Carol II or by King Michael.

Michael publicly renounced for himself, the former queen and their five daughters any claim to the titles of "Prince/Princess of Hohenzollern", styles which were not recognised under German laws since 1919 but had been attributed, along with the Romanian royal titles, to members of the Romanian dynasty in such subsequently published sources as the Almanach de Gotha and Burke's Guide to the Royal Family^[2]

Descendants of the former royal family

• HM King Michael I, The King of Romania (age 94)
  HM Queen Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte, The Queen of Romania (age 92)
  • HRH Princess Margareta, The Crown Princess of Romania (age 67)
    HRH Prince Radu of Romania (age 55)
  • HRH Princess Elena of Romania (age 65)
    HE Mr. Alexander Philips Nixon (age 51)
    • Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (age Template:32)
    • HE Miss Elisabeta Karina de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (age 27)
  • Mrs. Irina Walker (born Princess of Romania) (age 63)
    Mr. John Wesley Walker (age 70)
    • Mr. Michael Torsten de Roumanie Kreuger (age 31)
      Mrs. Tara Littlefield de Roumanie Kreuger
      • Mr. Kohen Kreuger (age 4)
    • Mrs. Angelica Margaretta Bianca de Roumanie Kreuger Knight (age 29)
      Mr. Richard Robert Knight (age 31)
      • Miss Courtney Bianca Knight (age 8)
      • Miss Diana Knight (age 4)
  • HRH Princess Sophie of Romania (age 58)
    • HE Miss Elisabeth Maria de Roumanie Biarneix (age 16)
  • HRH Princess Maria of Romania (age 51)

Daughters of Romania's kings, such as Margareta, Elena, Irina and Sophie, as well as their descendants, had no rights of succession to the Romanian throne during the monarchy's existence in accordance with the Salic law enshrined in both the defunct royal Romanian Constitution of 1923 and the defunct Statute of the Romanian royal house, dated 1884. On 30 December 2007 in a private ceremony,^[3][4] King Michael issued a declaration in the form of a statute,^[5] (an act of symbolic significance in the absence of its approval by the Parliament)^[6][7] promulgating new Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania,^[8]

Michael therein purported to add his daughters and grandchildren to the line of succession to Romania's former throne and to the headship of the former Royal House, further explicitly banning any other foreigners belonging to any other royal or princely house from succeeding. On the same occasion he asked the Romanian Parliament to abolish the Salic law, should it consider restoring the monarchy (see "Line of succession to the Romanian throne"). By the same act, Michael designated his grandson Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills as a future member of the deposed Royal Family and future "Prince of Romania" with the style of Royal Highness, effective either on his 25th birthday, 1 April 2010, or upon Michael's death, whichever might occur sooner. Children and consorts of the members of the family who do not bear a royal title are not recognised as members of the former Royal Family according to the new rules.

Family of Carol Mircea Hohenzollern

• Paul-Philippe of Romania (born 1948), son of Carol Mircea Lambrino
  Lia-Georgia Hohenzollern (née Triff) (born 1949), wife of Paul
  • Carol Ferdinand al Romanai (born 2010), son of Paul
• Alexander Hohenzollern (born 1961), son of Carol Mircea Lambrino

Deceased members of the royal family

• King Carol I, The King of Romania (1839-1914) (Reign 1881-1914)
  Queen Elisabeth, The Queen Dowager of Romania (1843-1916)
  • Princess Maria of Romania (1870-1874)
• King Ferdinand I, The King of Romania (1865-1927) (Reign 1914-1927)
  Queen Marie, The Queen Dowager of Romania (1875–1938)
  • King Carol II, King of Romania (1893-1953) (Reign 1930-1940)
    Queen Helen, The Queen Mother of Romania (1896-1982)
  • Queen Elisabeth, Queen of Greece, Princess of Romania (1894-1956)
  • Queen Maria, Queen of Yugoslavia, Princess of Romania (1900-1961)
  • Prince Nicholas of Romania (1903-1978)
  • Princess Ileana of Romania (1909-1991)
  • Prince Mircea of Romania (1913-1916)

Family tree

See also

• Line of succession to the Romanian throne
• Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• Order of Carol I

References

1. "General" Evenimentul Zilei
2. Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 295-296. ISBN 0-220-66222-3
3. (Romanian) "Princess Margarita, heiress to the throne of Romania," Evenimentul Zilei, December 30, 2007
4. (Romanian) Communique, December 30, 2007 – The Press Bureau of His Majesty King Michael I, Elisabeta Palace, The Romanian Royal Family website as of December 30, 2007
5. (Romanian) "A Dynastical Constitution," Romania libera, January 9, 2008
6. (Romanian) "The King and Margarita – On The "Day of the Republic" The King Designated His Successor", Jurnalul National daily
7. (Romanian) "The Actor Duda in The Role of A Lifetime: Prince Consort of Romania," Cotidianul, January 3, 2008
8. Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania, The Romanian royal family website as retrieved on January 13, 2008

External links

• The official website of The Romanian Royal House
• Website of Prince Paul of Romania
• Royal Romania History