Death and state funeral of Michael I of Romania

Funeral of Michael I of Romania
Date16 December 2017; 6 years ago (2017-12-16)
Time10:25–18:40 EET (UTC+02:00)
Duration384 minutes
VenueFuneral Ceremony
Royal Palace of Bucharest
(religious service)
Royal Palace Square
(military and religious service)
Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral
(Funeral Mass)
Curtea de Argeș Cathedral
(Burial Service)
Mausoleum of the Royal Family
(resting place)
TypeState funeral
ParticipantsSee list of state funeral dignitaries
Lying in stateGreek Orthodox Cathedral of Lausanne
(11 December – 12 December)
Peles Castle
(13 December)
Royal Palace of Bucharest
(13 December – 16 December)

On 5 December 2017, Michael I of Romania, former head of the House of Romania and former King of Romania from 1927 to 1930 and 1940 to 1947, died at his private residence in Switzerland at the age of 96, in the presence of his youngest daughter Princess Maria.[1][2][3]

King Michael I's coffin during the funeral procession on Victory Avenue towards the Union Square and the Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral

On Wednesday, 13 December 2017, at 11:00 am, King Michael I's coffin, draped by his Royal Standard, was brought back to Romania, arriving at the Otopeni Airport in Bucharest from Lausanne, via Payerne Air Base, escorted by his second daughter, Princess Elena with her husband Alexander Nixon, fourth daughter Princess Sophie and also members of the Royal Household, were transported by the Romanian Air Force's Alenia C-27J Spartan Military Plane, which was flanked by four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Military Combat Jets.[4][5]

The coffin was first taken to Peleș Castle at Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains. Then, it was brought to Bucharest, where it was laid and displayed at the 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 together his wife Queen Anne who died in 2016.[6]

The funeral ceremony was led by Patriarch Daniel of Romania.[7] Queen Anne-Marie, her son Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and sister-in-law, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark;,[8] Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium.[9][10] Also, important Romanian politicians, such as Klaus Iohannis, Liviu Dragnea, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Mihai Tudose, Gabriela Firea, Victor Ponta, Ludovic Orban, Dacian Cioloș, Adrian Năstase, Vasile Dîncu or Victor Ciorbea, participated in the funeral or expressed their condolences.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] A delegation of Moldovan politicians, led by Andrian Candu, also attended the funeral.[19] Candu also proposed for 16 December to be declared national mourning day in Moldova, but President Igor Dodon refused, arguing that "King Michael led another state".[20]

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.

Days of 14, 15 and 16 December were declared as national mourning days.[21]

A copy of the Steel Crown of Romania was placed on the coffin of the late king during the funeral.[22]

Guests[edit]

Romania[edit]

Immediate family[edit]

[23]

  • Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania and Prince Radu, The King’s eldest daughter and her husband
  • Princess Elena and The Hon. Alexander Nixon, The King’s second daughter and her husband.
    • The Hon. Nicolae de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills and The Hon. Alina de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills, The King’s grandson and granddaughter-in-law
    • The Hon. Elisabeta-Karina de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills, The King’s granddaughter
  • Princess Irina, The King’s third daughter
  • Princess Sophie, The King’s fourth daughter
  • Princess Maria, The King’s youngest daughter
  • Archduke Dominik and Archduchess Emanuella of Austria-Tuscany, The King’s first cousin and his wife
  • Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria-Tuscany and Baron Hans von Holzhausen, The King’s first cousin and her husband
  • Baroness Alexandra von Holzhausen, Mrs Ferch, The King’s first cousin once removed

Foreign[edit]

Royalty[edit]

[24]

Nobility[edit]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Romania's former King Michael I dies at age of 96". BBC News. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  2. ^ Clej, Petru (5 December 2017). "Romania's King Michael: A democrat in the face of totalitarian regimes". BBC News. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  3. ^ Murphy, Brian. "Michael I, last king of Romania and a Cold War exile, dies at 96". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  4. ^ "King Michael I has been brought to Romania; funeral to take place on Saturday". 13 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Romania's King Michael returns home for final rest after decades of exile".
  6. ^ "King Michael: Romanians unite to mourn their last monarch". BBC News. 9 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Patriarhul Daniel, la slujba înmormântării Regelui Mihai I, oficiată în Catedrala Patriarhală din Bucureşti: Timp de 45 de ani, cât a durat exilul său, Regele nu s-a mai putut ruga aici".
  8. ^ Ltd, Allied Newspapers. "World". Times of Malta.
  9. ^ "European royals come to Romania for King Michael's funeral – Romania Insider". www.romania-insider.com.
  10. ^ "Romanians Pay Their Respects During King Michael's Funeral". Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Funeraliile regelui Mihai. Mesajul lui Iohannis pentru românii care au ieșit în calea cortegiului funerar".
  12. ^ "Iohannis a fost impresionat de romanii veniti la funeraliile regelui Mihai: O autentica expresie a iubirii si respectului".
  13. ^ "Înmormântarea Regelui Mihai, în imagini. Momentele emblematice. FOTO".
  14. ^ "Regele Mihai, înmormântat astăzi la Curtea de Argeş. Politicienii romani au venit la Palatul Regal pentru a-i aduce un ultim omagiu Regelui Mihai!". 16 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Reacțiile politicienilor după moartea Regelui Mihai I". 5 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Mesajul lui Victor Ponta, după moartea Regelui Mihai: "Mă consider privilegiat că am avut ocazia să-l întâlnesc personal"".
  17. ^ "Adrian Năstase, mesaj emoţionant după decesul Regelui Mihai I: 'Cu moartea sa se încheie (Sau începe) o legendă...'".
  18. ^ "Primele reacții, după moartea regelui Mihai: "Ar trebui stat în genunchi în faţa unui om ca el"".
  19. ^ "Andrian Candu și Delegația Republicii Moldova, la funeraliile Regelui Mihai I (FOTO/VIDEO) | PUBLIKA .MD - AICI SUNT ȘTIRILE". 13 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Igor Dodon nu declară doliu naţional la 16 decembrie, întrucât "Regele Mihai este monarhul altui stat"".
  21. ^ "Prima zi de doliu național în memoria Regelui Mihai".
  22. ^ Obretin, Ana (2017-12-15). "De ce a fost folosită o copie şi nu orginalul Coroanei de oţel pentru funeraliile Regelui Mihai. Explicaţiile directorului Muzeului de Istorie". Mediafax (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  23. ^ https://www.romaniaregala.ro/jurnal/familiile-regale-participante-la-funeraliile-regelui-mihai-i/
  24. ^ https://www.romaniaregala.ro/jurnal/familiile-regale-participante-la-funeraliile-regelui-mihai-i/
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