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Romania

Custodian of the Crown marks 145th anniversary of Romania`s Independence  

The date 10 May has a special significance for Romania and especially the Romanian royal family. The day is often referred to as “Monarchy Day” or “Independence day”. Large parts of the royal family took part in the celebration, which is also celebrated in the neighbouring nation of Moldova.

Her Majesty Margaret the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, her husband Prince Radu and one of her sisters Princess Sofia were at the centre of this year’s celebrations. The royals travelled through parts of the nation in the royal train, greeting wellwishers from several parts of the nation.

During the morning, on the platform of the Royal Train Station, a military ceremony took place. The Representative Orchestra of the Ministry of National Defence and soldiers from the 30th Guard Brigade attended. The National Anthem and the Royal Anthem were sung, followed by the “King Carol I March” and “Plevna March”. The soldiers of the 30th Guards Brigade carried out a skill exercise with weapons.

The Royal Train stopped in Ploiești, where local authorities and a large number of residents welcomed the Romanian royal family. Volunteers of the Romanian Red Cross and soldiers from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations were present.

During the trip from Ploiești to Buzau, Romanian veterans were invited to a reception on the Royal Train, together with their families. In Buzau, Her Majesty, Prince Radu and Princess Sofia were greeted by local authorities, a large audience and representatives of the Red Cross.

During the trip from Buzau to Braila, guests in the Royal Train were elderly people who volunteer at the Royal Margaret Foundation of Romania. The Olympic students from Braila athletic school were Her Majesty’s guests on the Royal Train, on the journey from Braila to Galați.

The final destination of the Royal Train on May 10, this year, Galați was decorated the colours of the nation red, blue and yellow. A large number of people from the area came to the train station to meet Her Majesty Margaret, Prince Radu and Princess Sofia.

There are several reasons why this date is important for the Romanian royal family. On May 10 in 1866 the Prussian Prince Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, descendant of one of the oldest European reigning houses, arrived in Bucharest as Prince of the United Principalities of Moldova and Wallachia and took his oath in front of the country’s Parliament Assembly. In addition, on May 10 in 1877, the Independence of Romania was proclaimed a day before it was ratified in Parliament.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.