The Romanian Red Cross ( Crucea Roșie Română , CRR), also known as the National Society of Red Cross from Romania ( Societatea Națională de Cruce Roșie din România ), is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside Romania. It is the designated national affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
199-906: Romania became a signatory to the First Geneva Convention of 1864 and ratified it in 1874. Two years later, on July 4, 1876, the Romanian Red Cross Society was founded in Romania and began work in the present headquarters of the Colțea Hospital in Bucharest. Among the signatories of the founding document of the Romanian Red Cross, there were important personalities of the time, such as: Nicolae Cretzulescu, George Gr. Cantacuzino, C.A. Rosetti , Ion Ghica, Dimitrie Sturza, Gr. G. Cantacuzino and Dr. Carol Davila . The first president of
398-410: A High National Romanian Council ( Romanian : Marele Sfat Național Român ) for the province's temporary administration. Marie wrote, "the dream of România Mare seems to be becoming a reality ... it is all so incredible that I hardly dare believe it." After the assembly, Ferdinand and Marie returned to Bucharest, where they were met by general mirth: "a day of 'wild, delirious enthusiasm', with
597-484: A People's Republic , the monarchy was excoriated by communist officials. Several biographies of the royal family described Marie either as a drunkard or as a promiscuous woman, referring to her many alleged affairs and to orgies she had supposedly organised before and during the war. In the years preceding the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Marie's popularity recovered and she was offered as a model of patriotism to
796-564: A gala dinner, and the pair conversed in German. She found him shy but amiable, and their second meeting went just as well. Once the pair were formally engaged, Queen Victoria wrote to another granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine , that "[Ferdinand] is nice & the Parents are charming–but the country is very insecure & the immorality of the Society at Bucharest quite awful. Of course
995-418: A better understanding of the world than he did. Eventually, Marie came to believe that she and Ferdinand were "the best associates, the most loyal companions, but our lives intertwine only in certain matters". Ferdinand enjoyed Marie's presence during military marches and consequently, she was frequently invited to this sort of event. Marie gave birth to her first child, Prince Carol , only nine months after
1194-507: A certain influence on her husband and the entire court, leading historian A. L. Easterman to write that "it was not [Ferdinand], but Marie who ruled in Romania". At the time of Ferdinand's accession, the government was led by the liberal prime minister Ion I. C. Brătianu . Ferdinand and Marie jointly decided to not make many changes in court and let people accept the transition from one regime to another, rather than force them. Thus, many of Carol and Elisabeth's servants were kept in place, even
1393-652: A change in Clemenceau's attitude towards Romania after Marie's arrival. After staying in Paris for a week, Marie accepted King George V and Queen Mary 's invitation and crossed the English Channel , lodging at Buckingham Palace . Hoping to acquire as much goodwill for Romania as possible, Marie became acquainted with many important political figures of the time, including Lord Curzon , Winston Churchill , and Waldorf and Nancy Astor . She also frequently visited her son Nicky, who
1592-412: A cholera outbreak on Bulgarian territory. With the return of troops in the country, cholera spread in Romania, affecting a large number of people in the counties of Romanati, Teleorman and Dolj. The Red Cross intervened after it was requested this time by the national authorities and so large tents, medical supplies and medical teams managed to nurture and save thousands of cholera infected patients. In
1791-543: A correspondence with Shoghi Effendi , then head of the Faith, where she expressed herself as a follower of the Baháʼí teachings. Additionally, she made several public statements promoting the teachings of Baháʼu'lláh , describing him as a prophet similar to Jesus or Muhammad. This written correspondence has led Baháʼís to regard her as the first royal convert to their religion. Biographer Hannah Pakula notes that Marie "continued to attend
1990-426: A coup d'état. Carol succeeded in divorcing Princess Helen on 21 June 1928, on grounds of incompatibility. Marie's popularity was severely affected during Michael's reign and, after refusing to be part of the regency council in 1929, she was accused by the press, and even by Princess Helen, of plotting a coup. During this time, there were numerous rumours as to Princess Ileana's marriage. After talk of Ileana marrying
2189-477: A desire to be closer to her people. The Maryhill Museum of Art in Maryhill, Washington , was initially designed as a mansion for wealthy businessman Samuel Hill . However, at Loie Fuller 's behest, the building was turned into a museum instead. Hill wished it to be dedicated in 1926, and he conceived it as a monument to peace, to his wife Mary, and to Queen Marie herself. Marie agreed to come to America and witness
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#17328519418372388-589: A diplomatic tour of the United States, alongside her children Nicholas and Ileana . They were received enthusiastically by the people and visited several cities before returning to Romania. There, Marie found that Ferdinand was gravely ill and he died a few months later. Now queen dowager , Marie refused to be part of the regency council which reigned over the country under the minority of her grandson, King Michael . In 1930, Marie's eldest son Carol , who had waived his rights to succession, deposed his son and usurped
2587-558: A humanitarian nature, that were separated. Romanian Red Cross responds to all requests of citizens who meet the following search criteria: - interruption of contact with relatives abroad - locate missing relatives during international conflicts - mediation to obtain certificates of detention, imprisonment, deportation, death - transmission of Red Cross messages (to/from) conflict areas, where normal communication channels have been discontinued - assistance to unaccompanied minors, following an armed conflict, to restore family links In Romania,
2786-667: A leader of the opposition to Antonescu, entered into secret negotiations with British diplomats who made it clear that Romania had to seek reconciliation with the Soviet Union. To facilitate the coordination of their activities against Antonescu's regime, the National Liberal and National Peasants' parties established the National Democratic Bloc, which also included the Social Democratic and Communist parties. After
2985-669: A letter of gratitude to the President of the Romanian Red Cross Alexandru Marghiloman , dr. Laugier, chief physician of the county of Dolj, wrote: "With gratitude I find that the cholera epidemic was completely extinguished in the shortest possible time, giving conscientious and skilled care to patients". The Red Cross medical teams had only mobile units at the time, but also a bacteriology laboratory, where they were performed more than 7,000 medical tests, "reaching out to 44 communes with people infected with cholera". By
3184-452: A little over a month, was worsened by a cholera epidemic . Marie would look upon her first encounter with an epidemic as a turning point in her life. With the help of Dr. Ioan Cantacuzino and Sister Pucci, a Red Cross nurse, Marie travelled between Romania and Bulgaria, lending a helping hand in hospitals. These events would prepare her for her experiences in the Great War. As a result of
3383-473: A member of the Warsaw Pact , transitioning to democracy and a market economy after the 1989 Revolution . Romania is a developing country with a high-income economy , recognized as a middle power in international affairs . It hosts several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is a growing tourist attraction, receiving 13 million foreign visitors in 2023 . Its economy ranks among the fastest growing in
3582-472: A more personal monarchy. The first years of Marie and Ferdinand's marriage were not particularly easy, and Marie would later tell her husband that "it is such a shame that we had to waste so many years of our youth just to learn how to live together!" Gradually, the couple's relationship became based on a cordial friendship: Marie accorded Ferdinand respect she believed he was due as a man and, later, as king, and he respected her because he realised that she had
3781-607: A nation of "Very High Human Development". Marie of Romania Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh ; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I . Marie was born into the British royal family . Her parents were Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia . Marie's early years were spent in Kent, Malta and Coburg . After refusing
3980-495: A new state under Ottoman suzerainty, the Principality of Transylvania . Reformation spread and four denominations— Calvinism , Lutheranism , Unitarianism , and Roman Catholicism—were officially acknowledged in 1568. The Romanians' Orthodox faith remained only tolerated, although they made up more than one-third of the population, according to 17th-century estimations. The princes of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia joined
4179-510: A policy of total reimbursement of the foreign debt by imposing austerity steps that impoverished the population and exhausted the economy. The process succeeded in repaying all of Romania's foreign government debt in 1989. At the same time, Ceaușescu greatly extended the authority of the Securitate secret police and imposed a severe cult of personality , which led to a dramatic decrease in the dictator's popularity and culminated in his overthrow in
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#17328519418374378-546: A political crisis in 2012. Near the end of 2013, The Economist reported Romania again enjoying "booming" economic growth at 4.1% that year, with wages rising fast and a lower unemployment than in Britain. Economic growth accelerated in the midst of government liberalisation in opening up new sectors to competition and investment—most notably, energy and telecoms. In 2016, the Human Development Index ranked Romania as
4577-607: A principle was enacted, but women could not vote or be candidates. Calypso Botez established the National Council of Romanian Women to promote feminist ideas. Romania was a multiethnic country, with ethnic minorities making up about 30% of the population, but the new constitution declared it a unitary national state in 1923. Although minorities could establish their own schools, Romanian language, history and geography could only be taught in Romanian. Agriculture remained
4776-476: A proposal from her cousin, the future King George V , she was chosen as the future wife of Ferdinand, then crown prince of Romania, in 1892. Marie was crown princess between 1893 and 1914, and became immediately popular with the Romanian people. After the outbreak of World War I , Marie urged Ferdinand to ally himself with the Triple Entente and declare war on Germany , which he eventually did in 1916. During
4975-719: A regular tribute to the Ottoman sultans from 1417 and 1456, respectively. A military commander of Romanian origin, John Hunyadi , organised the defence of the Kingdom of Hungary until his death in 1456. Increasing taxes outraged the Transylvanian peasants, and they rose up in an open rebellion in 1437, but the Hungarian nobles and the heads of the Saxon and Székely communities jointly suppressed their revolt. The formal alliance of
5174-505: A restless, flaring great world, where I think everything can be realised ... I know, as long as I live, breathe and think, the love for America will beautify my life and thoughts ... Perhaps Fate will allow me one day to go back to America." Prince Carol sparked a dynastic crisis when he officially renounced his rights to succeed Ferdinand on 5 January 1926, simultaneously waiving all parental rights over Prince Michael, who had been proclaimed heir apparent. A Provisional Regency Bill
5373-594: A result of Hungarian oppression in the region. In April 1990, a sit-in protest contesting the results of that year's legislative elections and accusing the FSN, including Iliescu, of being made up of former Communists and members of the Securitate grew rapidly to become what was called the Golaniad . Peaceful demonstrations degenerated into violence, prompting the intervention of coal miners summoned by Iliescu. This episode has been documented widely by both local and foreign media, and
5572-522: A significant improvement in living standards as the country successfully reduced domestic poverty and established a functional democratic state. However, Romania's development suffered a major setback during the late 2000s' recession leading to a large gross domestic product contraction and a budget deficit in 2009. This led to Romania borrowing from the International Monetary Fund. Worsening economic conditions led to unrest and triggered
5771-474: A stop at Vienna , where they visited Emperor Franz Joseph . Due to growing tensions between Austria and Romania (the visit took place during the ongoing movement of the Transylvanian Memorandum ), the couple's visit was brief, and they arrived in the border town of Predeal following a nighttime crossing of Transylvania by train. Marie was warmly welcomed by the Romanian people, who were longing for
5970-466: A successful Soviet offensive, the young King Michael I ordered Antonescu's arrest and appointed politicians from the National Democratic Bloc to form a new government on 23 August 1944. Romania switched sides during the war, and nearly 250,000 Romanian troops joined the Red Army's military campaign against Hungary and Germany, but Joseph Stalin regarded the country as an occupied territory within
6169-399: A total of 110 beds. Material effort of the Romanian Red Cross amounted to 40,000 lei at the time. The proven skill and care of the Romanian doctors have been particularly appreciated by the governments of both belligerent countries. Between 1888 and 1892, the Romanian Red Cross has expanded its activities by organizing special courses to prepare nurses. In 1891, a permanent school for nurses
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6368-449: A treaty with the Entente on 17 August 1916. On 27 August, Romania formally declared war on Austria-Hungary. Saint-Aulaire wrote that Marie "embraced war as another might embrace religion". After informing their children that their country had entered the war, Ferdinand and Marie dismissed their German servants, who could only remain in their employ as "war prisoners" of sorts. Early on during
6567-503: Is a glorious cycle of song, A medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong; And I am Marie of Roumania. Upon her arrival, Marie was welcomed enthusiastically with the "whistle of steamers, roar of guns in white smoke puffs against gray fog, voices cheering in a stinging rain". She was formally greeted by Jimmy Walker , the Mayor of New York City . Constance Lily Morris, author of On Tour with Queen Marie , wrote that
6766-692: Is first attested in the 16th century by Italian humanists travelling in Transylvania , Moldavia , and Wallachia . The oldest known surviving document written in Romanian that can be precisely dated, a 1521 letter known as the " Letter of Neacșu from Câmpulung ", is notable for including the first documented occurrence of Romanian in a country name: Wallachia is mentioned as Țara Rumânească . Human remains found in Peștera cu Oase ("Cave with Bones"), radiocarbon date from circa 40,000 years ago, and represent
6965-574: Is magnificent and we have, against all protocol, shouted our admiration. The day remained grey, but Queen Marie carried her light within her. — The French writer Colette in Le Matin newspaper, 6 March 1919 Because Ferdinand had refused to sign the Treaty of Bucharest and because Romania had been hostile towards the Central Powers until the end of the war, its place among the winning countries during
7164-698: Is remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad . The subsequent disintegration of the Front produced several political parties, including most notably the Social Democratic Party (PDSR then PSD) and the Democratic Party (PD and subsequently PDL). The former governed Romania from 1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments, with Ion Iliescu as head of state. Since then, there have been several other democratic changes of government: in 1996 Emil Constantinescu
7363-602: Is well documented from the end of the 11th century. Scholars who reject the Daco-Roman continuity theory say that the first Vlach groups left their Balkan homeland for the mountain pastures of the eastern and southern Carpathians in the 11th century, establishing the Romanians' presence in the lands to the north of the Lower Danube. Exposed to nomadic incursions, Transylvania developed into an important border province of
7562-4037: The [REDACTED] Cook Islands [REDACTED] Costa Rica [ es ] [REDACTED] Côte d'Ivoire [REDACTED] Croatia [REDACTED] Cuba [ es ] [REDACTED] Cyprus [REDACTED] Czech Republic [REDACTED] Denmark [REDACTED] Djibouti [REDACTED] Dominica [REDACTED] Dominican Republic [REDACTED] Ecuador [ es ] [REDACTED] Egypt [REDACTED] El Salvador [REDACTED] Equatorial Guinea [REDACTED] Eritrea [REDACTED] Estonia [REDACTED] Eswatini [REDACTED] Ethiopia [REDACTED] Fiji [REDACTED] Finland [REDACTED] France [REDACTED] Gabon [REDACTED] Gambia [REDACTED] Georgia [REDACTED] Germany [REDACTED] Ghana [REDACTED] Greece [REDACTED] Grenada [REDACTED] Guatemala [REDACTED] Guinea [REDACTED] Guinea-Bissau [REDACTED] Guyana [REDACTED] Haiti [REDACTED] Honduras [REDACTED] Hungary [REDACTED] Iceland [REDACTED] India [REDACTED] Indonesia [REDACTED] Iran [REDACTED] Iraq [REDACTED] Ireland [REDACTED] Israel [REDACTED] Italy [REDACTED] Jamaica [REDACTED] Japan [REDACTED] Jordan [REDACTED] Kazakhstan [REDACTED] Kenya [REDACTED] Kiribati [REDACTED] Korea, North [REDACTED] Korea, South [REDACTED] Kuwait [REDACTED] Kyrgyzstan [REDACTED] Laos [REDACTED] Latvia [REDACTED] Lebanon [REDACTED] Lesotho [REDACTED] Liberia [REDACTED] Libya [REDACTED] Liechtenstein [REDACTED] Lithuania [REDACTED] Luxembourg [REDACTED] Madagascar [REDACTED] Malawi [REDACTED] Malaysia [REDACTED] Maldives [REDACTED] Mali [REDACTED] Malta [REDACTED] Marshall Islands [REDACTED] Mauritania [REDACTED] Mauritius [REDACTED] Mexico [REDACTED] Micronesia, Federated States of [REDACTED] Moldova [REDACTED] Monaco [REDACTED] Mongolia [REDACTED] Montenegro [REDACTED] Morocco [REDACTED] Mozambique [REDACTED] Myanmar [REDACTED] Namibia [REDACTED] Nepal [REDACTED] Netherlands [REDACTED] New Zealand [REDACTED] Nicaragua [REDACTED] Niger [REDACTED] Nigeria [REDACTED] North Macedonia [REDACTED] Norway [REDACTED] Pakistan [REDACTED] Palau [REDACTED] Palestine [REDACTED] Panama [REDACTED] Papua New Guinea [REDACTED] Paraguay [REDACTED] Peru (suspended) [REDACTED] Philippines [REDACTED] Poland [REDACTED] Portugal [ pt ] [REDACTED] Qatar [REDACTED] Republika Srpska [REDACTED] Romania [REDACTED] Russia [REDACTED] Rwanda [REDACTED] Saint Kitts and Nevis [REDACTED] Saint Lucia [REDACTED] Saint Vincent and
7761-651: The 2008 summit in Bucharest. The country applied in June 1993 for membership in the European Union and became an Associated State of the EU in 1995, an Acceding Country in 2004, and a full member on 1 January 2007. During the 2000s, Romania had one of the highest economic growth rates in Europe and has been referred at times as "the Tiger of Eastern Europe". This has been accompanied by
7960-781: The Arab countries and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) allowed Romania to play a key role in the Israel– Egypt and Israel–PLO peace talks. As Romania's foreign debt increased sharply between 1977 and 1981 (from US$ 3 billion to $ 10 billion), the influence of international financial organisations—such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank —grew, gradually conflicting with Ceaușescu's autocratic rule. He eventually initiated
8159-753: The Danubian Principalities ) in 1774. Taking advantage of the Greek War of Independence , a Wallachian lesser nobleman, Tudor Vladimirescu, stirred up a revolt against the Ottomans in January ;1821, but he was murdered in June by Phanariot Greeks. After a new Russo-Turkish War , the Treaty of Adrianople strengthened the autonomy of the Danubian Principalities in 1829, although it also acknowledged
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8358-584: The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (her paternal uncle, for whom the Duke of Albany stood proxy). Marie and her siblings, Prince Alfred (b. 1874, known as "Young Affie"), and Princesses Victoria Melita (b. 1876, known as "Ducky"), Alexandra (b. 1878, known as "Sandra") and Beatrice (b. 1884, known as "Baby Bee"), spent much of their early life at Eastwell Park, which their mother preferred instead of Clarence House , their official residence. In her memoirs, Marie remembered Eastwell fondly. The Duke of Edinburgh
8557-602: The Empress Frederick , wrote to her daughter, the Crown Princess of Greece , that "Missy of Roumania is more to be pitied than you. The King is a great tyrant in his family, & has crushed the independence in Ferdinand so that no one cares about him, & his beautiful & gifted little wife, I fear, gets into scrapes, & like a butterfly, instead of hovering over the flowers, burns her pretty wings by going rather near
8756-574: The French military mission to Romania . The ceremony was conducted by the Metropolitan of All Romania , Miron Cristea , but it was not performed inside the cathedral as Ferdinand, a Roman Catholic, refused to be crowned by a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church. After placing his crown on his own head, Ferdinand crowned Marie, who had knelt before him. Immediately, cannons were fired as a sign that
8955-667: The Holy League against the Ottoman Empire in 1594. The Wallachian prince, Michael the Brave , united the three principalities under his rule in May ;1600. The neighboring powers forced him to abdicate in September, but he became a symbol of the unification of the Romanian lands in the 19th century. Although the rulers of the three principalities continued to pay tribute to the Ottomans,
9154-563: The Italian Red Cross ) Romania – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green) Romania is a country located at the crossroads of 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 the east, and the Black Sea to
9353-572: The Kingdom of Hungary . The Székelys—a community of free warriors—settled in central Transylvania around 1100 and moved to the easternmost regions around 1200. Colonists from the Holy Roman Empire —the Transylvanian Saxons ' ancestors—came to the province in the 1150s. A high-ranking royal official, styled voivode , ruled the Transylvanian counties from the 1170s, but
9552-582: The Old Kingdom . Marie, now queen of Greater Romania , attended the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 , where she campaigned for international recognition of the enlarged Romania. In 1922, she and Ferdinand were crowned in a specially-built cathedral in the ancient city of Alba Iulia , in an elaborate ceremony which mirrored their status as queen and king of a united state. As queen, Marie was very popular, both in Romania and abroad. In 1926, she undertook
9751-416: The Paris Peace Conference was guaranteed. The official delegation was led by Brătianu, who had just begun his third term as prime minister. Brătianu's rigidity, combined with French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau 's reluctance to overlook Ferdinand's acceptance of the Treaty of Bucharest, led to open conflict and the Romanian delegation left Paris, much to the dismay of the " Big Four ". Hoping to resolve
9950-573: The RCSC ) [REDACTED] Kosovo (non-member) [REDACTED] Macau (autonomous branch of the RCSC ) [REDACTED] Oman (non-member) [REDACTED] Ossetia, South (non-member) [REDACTED] SADR (pending recognition and admission) [REDACTED] Somaliland (non-member) [REDACTED] Taiwan (former member) [REDACTED] Transnistria (non-member) [REDACTED] Vatican City (autonomous branch of
10149-637: The Republic of Genoa started establishing colonies on the Black Sea, including Calafat , and Constanța . The Mongols destroyed large territories during their invasion of Eastern and Central Europe in 1241 and 1242. The Mongols' Golden Horde emerged as the dominant power of Eastern Europe, but Béla IV of Hungary's land grant to the Knights Hospitallers in Oltenia and Muntenia shows that
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#173285194183710348-440: The Tripartite Pact of Germany, Italy and Japan on 23 November. The Iron Guard staged a coup against Antonescu, but he crushed the riot with German support and introduced a military dictatorship in early 1941. Romania entered World War II soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The country regained Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, and the Germans placed Transnistria (the territory between
10547-435: The Tsar of Bulgaria or the Prince of Asturias , she was eventually betrothed to Alexander, Count of Hochberg , a minor German prince, in early 1930. This betrothal was, however, short-lived and Marie never managed to conclude a political marriage for her youngest daughter, instead marrying her to Archduke Anton of Austria–Tuscany in 1931. On 6 June 1930, Carol arrived in Bucharest and made his way into Parliament, where
10746-411: The War of Independence of 1877–1878 , the Romanian Red Cross has stepped in with medical personnel, ambulances and sanitary trains in supporting the campaign. A hospital was founded in Bucharest and medical settlements in different cities all over the country. Red Cross Societies from Germany , Italy , Belgium , Sweden and France sent material aid and medical personnel. On the front near Rahova ,
10945-509: The White House , the official dinner was marked by awkward moments, due to the morose attitude of President Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace ; Marie lingered less than two hours. Before leaving the United States, Marie was presented with a bullet-proof armored town car by Willys-Knight , which she joyfully accepted. On 24 November, Marie and her children were seen off by a delegation from Washington, D.C., as they prepared to leave by ship from New York Harbor . Morris wrote that "our last view
11144-478: The first constitution of Romania in the same year. The Great Powers acknowledged Romania's full independence at the Congress of Berlin and Carol I was crowned king in 1881. The Congress also granted the Danube Delta and Dobruja to Romania. Although Romanian scholars strove for the unification of all Romanians into a Greater Romania , the government did not openly support their irredentist projects. The Transylvanian Romanians and Saxons wanted to maintain
11343-413: The national flag . In Transylvania, most Romanians supported the imperial government against the Hungarian revolutionaries after the Diet passed a law concerning the union of Transylvania and Hungary. Bishop Andrei Șaguna proposed the unification of the Romanians of the Habsburg Monarchy in a separate duchy, but the central government refused to change the internal borders. The Treaty of Paris put
11542-407: The "exotic" Queen of Romania. American President Woodrow Wilson remained unimpressed by Marie, and her comments on Russian laws dealing with sexual relations, which were considered inappropriate, did not help. Marie shocked many officials by waving all her ministers aside and leading negotiations herself. On this, she later commented, "Never mind, you'll all just have to get used to accepting me with
11741-401: The 1930s. The democratic parties were squeezed between conflicts with the fascist and anti-Semitic Iron Guard and the authoritarian tendencies of King Carol II . The King promulgated a new constitution and dissolved the political parties in 1938, replacing the parliamentary system with a royal dictatorship. The 1938 Munich Agreement convinced King Carol II that France and
11940-553: The Act of Succession 1927 was duly declared null. Thus, Carol usurped the throne from his son, becoming King Carol II. Upon hearing of Carol's return, Marie, who was abroad, was relieved. She had been growing anxious with the direction in which the country was heading and viewed Carol's return as the return of the Prodigal Son . However, as soon as she arrived in Bucharest, she became aware that things would not go well. Carol refused to accept his mother's advice to take Helen back and never sought Marie's counsel during his reign, thus making
12139-415: The Bulgar elite had already begun in the 9th century. Following the conquest of southern Transylvania around 830, people from the Bulgar Empire mined salt at the local salt mines. The Council of Preslav declared Old Church Slavonic the language of liturgy in the country in 893. The Vlachs also adopted Old Church Slavonic as their liturgical language. The Magyars (or Hungarians) took control of
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#173285194183712338-440: The Catholic ceremony took place at the Town Church, with Marie being led to the altar by her father. The Anglican ceremony was more modest and was conducted in one of the chambers of the castle. Although King Carol granted the couple "Honigtag" (one day of honeymoon), Marie and Ferdinand spent a few days at the Castle of Krauchenwies in Bavaria. From there, they left for the countryside, their journey being interrupted briefly by
12537-452: The Cucuteni–Trypillia culture built the largest settlements in Neolithic Europe , some of which contained as many as three thousand structures and were possibly inhabited by 20,000 to 46,000 people. The first fortified settlements appeared around 1800 BC, showing the militant character of Bronze Age societies. Greek colonies established on the Black Sea coast in the 7th century BC became important centres of commerce with
12736-483: The Danish throne, was higher than her in the order of precedence . The Duchess of Edinburgh was also against the idea of a marriage between first cousins, which was not allowed by her native Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, when George proposed to her, Marie informed him that the marriage was impossible and that he must remain her "beloved chum". Queen Victoria would later comment that "Georgie lost Missy by waiting & waiting". Around this time, King Carol I of Romania
12935-399: The Danubian Principalities under the collective guardianship of the Great Powers in 1856. After special assemblies convoked in Moldavia and Wallachia urged the unification of the two principalities , the Great Powers did not prevent the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their collective domnitor (or ruling prince) in January 1859. The united principalities officially adopted
13134-411: The Edinburgh girls. Other playmates included the children of Marie's maternal uncle Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia . In 1886, when Marie was eleven years old, the Duke of Edinburgh was named commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and the family took up residence at San Antonio Palace in Malta. Marie later remembered her time in Malta as "the happiest memory of my existence". It
13333-401: The European Pontic steppe , occupied the Lower Danube region in 680. After the Avar Khaganate collapsed in the 790s, the First Bulgarian Empire became the dominant power of the region, occupying lands as far as the river Tisa . The First Bulgarian Empire had a mixed population consisting of the Bulgar conquerors, Slavs , and Vlachs (or Romanians) but the Slavicisation of
13532-517: The European Union, primarily driven by the service sector . Romania is a net exporter of cars and electric energy worldwide, and its citizens benefit from some of the fastest internet speeds globally . Romania is a member of several international organizations , including the European Union , NATO , and the BSEC . "Romania" derives from the local name for Romanian ( Romanian : român ), which in turn derives from Latin romanus , meaning " Roman " or "of Rome ". This ethnonym for Romanians
13731-446: The Greek princesses had to return to their parents as soon as possible. The following day, news arrived that Marie's mother had died in her sleep in Zürich . Marie made arrangements for her departure to Switzerland, where she would take Helen and Irene to their parents and arrange her mother's funeral. Meanwhile, George and Elisabeth would remain at Sinaia. Soon enough, Crown Prince Carol proposed to Princess Helen and they were married
13930-1944: The Grenadines [REDACTED] Samoa [REDACTED] San Marino [REDACTED] São Tomé and Príncipe [REDACTED] Saudi Arabia [REDACTED] Senegal [REDACTED] Serbia [REDACTED] Seychelles [REDACTED] Sierra Leone [REDACTED] Singapore [REDACTED] Slovakia [REDACTED] Slovenia [REDACTED] Solomon Islands [REDACTED] Somalia [REDACTED] South Africa [REDACTED] South Sudan [REDACTED] Spain [REDACTED] Sri Lanka [REDACTED] Sudan [REDACTED] Suriname [REDACTED] Sweden [REDACTED] Switzerland [REDACTED] Syria [REDACTED] Taiwan (Republic of China) [REDACTED] Tajikistan [REDACTED] Tanzania [REDACTED] Thailand [REDACTED] Timor-Leste [REDACTED] Togo [REDACTED] Tonga [REDACTED] Trinidad and Tobago [REDACTED] Tunisia [REDACTED] Turkey [REDACTED] Turkmenistan [REDACTED] Tuvalu [REDACTED] Uganda [REDACTED] Ukraine [REDACTED] United Arab Emirates [REDACTED] United Kingdom [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Uruguay [REDACTED] Uzbekistan [REDACTED] Vanuatu [REDACTED] Venezuela [REDACTED] Viet Nam [REDACTED] Yemen [REDACTED] Zambia [REDACTED] Zimbabwe [REDACTED] Abkhazia (no-member) [REDACTED] Cyprus, North (non-member) [REDACTED] Hong Kong (autonomous branch of
14129-414: The Hungarian, Saxon, and Székely leaders, known as the Union of the Three Nations , became an important element of the self-government of Transylvania. The Orthodox Romanian knezes ("chiefs") were excluded from the Union. The Kingdom of Hungary collapsed, and the Ottomans occupied parts of Banat and Crișana in 1541. Transylvania and Maramureș , along with the rest of Banat and Crișana developed into
14328-656: The Orthodox Romanian prelates to accept the union with the Roman Catholic Church in 1699. The Church Union strengthened the Romanian intellectuals' devotion to their Roman heritage. The Orthodox Church was restored in Transylvania only after Orthodox monks stirred up revolts in 1744 and 1759. The organisation of the Transylvanian Military Frontier caused further disturbances, especially among
14527-1929: The RNRC has 47 branches, 1,996 sub-branches and 1,207 committees is making benefit of a single and unique structure, established over 130 years ago. There exists a county branch in each of the counties of Romania, plus one for each sector of the city of Bucharest. The sub-branches are organised as one for each, city, town, commune and village. [REDACTED] Afghanistan [REDACTED] Albania [REDACTED] Algeria [REDACTED] Andorra [REDACTED] Angola [REDACTED] Antigua and Barbuda [REDACTED] Argentina [REDACTED] Armenia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Austria [REDACTED] Azerbaijan [REDACTED] The Bahamas [REDACTED] Bahrain [REDACTED] Bangladesh [REDACTED] Barbados [REDACTED] Belarus (suspended) [REDACTED] Belgium [REDACTED] Belize [REDACTED] Benin [REDACTED] Bhutan [REDACTED] Bolivia [REDACTED] Bosnia and Herzegovina [REDACTED] Botswana [REDACTED] Brazil [REDACTED] Brunei [REDACTED] Bulgaria [REDACTED] Burkina Faso [REDACTED] Burundi [REDACTED] Cambodia [REDACTED] Cameroon [REDACTED] Canada [REDACTED] Cape Verde [REDACTED] Central African Republic [REDACTED] Chad [REDACTED] Chile [ es ] [REDACTED] China [REDACTED] Colombia [REDACTED] Comoros [REDACTED] Congo [ it ] [REDACTED] Congo, Democratic Republic of
14726-472: The RNRC's attention. The program addresses the entire population, in general, and in particular reaches out to youth, and the shares are held in partnership with governmental institutions and NGOs. Health Programs are developed with the support of volunteers trained in seminars organized by the Romanian Red Cross. RNRC prepares and distributes information materials: leaflets, brochures, educational and health-themed campaigns and actions on specific themes. Also,
14925-454: The Red Cross from public donations, from the population and from external sources. After stopping the cholera , another epidemic broke out throughout the full scale armed conflict: typhus . In early 1917, the Romanian Red Cross cared for the wounded evacuated from the front, and patients affected by the two serious infectious diseases. The RNRC had to face this difficult situation, given that
15124-561: The Red Cross volunteers fought to limit the ravages of typhoid fever . In 1885, the first Balkan war broke out, and the Romanian Red Cross proposed to the governments of two countries – Bulgaria and Serbia – to accept an ambulance to carry the wounded. Immediately after receiving the agreement, two Romanian Red Cross ambulances had left the country, providing medical assistance to a total of 625 wounded and sick. Romanian sanitary formations deployed in Serbia and took care of three hospitals with
15323-560: The Romanian Red Cross marks annually, through public events, today's global health issues, and those of the World Health Organization schedule. The Romanian Red Cross social program is aimed at improving the living conditions of vulnerable people. For the Romanian Red Cross, "vulnerable people" are those who are at risk, due to situations that threaten their survival or their ability to live in conditions of minimum material security and human dignity. These actions aimed at improving
15522-597: The Romanian Red Cross was Prince Dimitrie Ghica , between 1876 and 1897. In less than three weeks after the establishment, on July 20, 1876, the first Romanian Red Cross ambulance went on a humanitarian mission on the Serbian-Turkish front , south of the Danube . On the basis of solidarity that unites National Societies, the first mission of the Romanian Red Cross was meant to provide medical help to wounded soldiers, regardless of belligerent state tp which they belonged. During
15721-605: The Romanian army on behalf of the Entente Powers a day before Germany capitulated on 11 November 1918. Austria-Hungary quickly disintegrated after the war. The General Congress of Bukovina proclaimed the union of the province with Romania on 28 November 1918, and the Grand National Assembly proclaimed the union of Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș with the kingdom on 1 December. Peace treaties with Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary delineated
15920-587: The Romanian court, and she disliked the austere atmosphere of her household. She wrote that she "had not been brought down to Romania to be adored and spoilt and made much of; she had come to be part of the machinery King Carol had wound up. She had been imported to be trimmed, educated, cut down and trained according to the great man's conception of things." When describing her early days in Romania, Marie wrote that "for long hours [she] would mope, whilst [her] young husband did his military service, all alone in rooms [she] hated, heavy German rooms". Marie's paternal aunt,
16119-570: The Romanians as the fourth privileged nation was forced into exile. Uniate and Orthodox clerics and laymen jointly signed a plea for the Transylvanian Romanians' emancipation in 1791, but the monarch and the local authorities refused to grant their requests. The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca authorised the Russian ambassador in Istanbul to defend the autonomy of Moldavia and Wallachia (known as
16318-600: The September 1943 Allied armistice with Italy , Romania became the second Axis power in Europe in 1943–1944. After the German occupation of Hungary in March 1944, about 132,000 Jews – mainly Hungarian-speaking – were deported to extermination camps from Northern Transylvania with the Hungarian authorities' support. After the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, Iuliu Maniu ,
16517-446: The Soviet Union on 26 June 1940, Northern Transylvania to Hungary on 30 August, and Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria in September. After the territorial losses, the King was forced to abdicate in favour of his minor son, Michael I , on 6 September, and Romania was transformed into a national-legionary state under the leadership of General Ion Antonescu . Antonescu signed
16716-588: The Soviet sphere of influence. Stalin's deputy instructed the King to make the Communists' candidate, Petru Groza , the prime minister in March 1945. The Romanian administration in Northern Transylvania was soon restored, and Groza's government carried out an agrarian reform. In February 1947, the Paris Peace Treaties confirmed the return of Northern Transylvania to Romania, but they also legalised
16915-468: The Soviet-led 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia . Ceaușescu even publicly condemned the action as "a big mistake, [and] a serious danger to peace in Europe and to the fate of Communism in the world". It was the only Communist state to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel after 1967's Six-Day War and established diplomatic relations with West Germany the same year. At the same time, close ties with
17114-506: The Székely and Saxon seats (or districts) were not subject to the voivodes' authority. Royal charters wrote of the " Vlachs ' land" in southern Transylvania in the early 13th century, indicating the existence of autonomous Romanian communities . Papal correspondence mentions the activities of Orthodox prelates among the Romanians in Muntenia in the 1230s. Also in the 13th century,
17313-685: The Székelys in 1764 . Princes Dimitrie Cantemir of Moldavia and Constantin Brâncoveanu of Wallachia concluded alliances with the Habsburg Monarchy and Russia against the Ottomans, but they were dethroned in 1711 and 1714, respectively. The sultans lost confidence in the native princes and appointed Orthodox merchants from the Phanar district of Istanbul to rule Moldova and Wallachia. The Phanariot princes pursued oppressive fiscal policies and dissolved
17512-466: The United Kingdom could not defend Romanian interests. German preparations for a new war required the regular supply of Romanian oil and agricultural products. The two countries concluded a treaty concerning the coordination of their economic policies in 1939, but the King could not persuade Adolf Hitler to guarantee Romania's frontiers. Romania was forced to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to
17711-454: The already existing breach between mother and son complete. Desolate and almost stripped of her belief, Marie turned to the religious teachings of the Baháʼí Faith , which she found "vastly appealing". She was particularly attracted by the idea of humanity's unification under one faith , given her own religiously divided family. Introduced to the doctrine by Martha Root , Marie carried on
17910-604: The army. The neighboring powers took advantage of the situation: the Habsburg Monarchy annexed the northwestern part of Moldavia, or Bukovina , in 1775, and the Russian Empire seized the eastern half of Moldavia, or Bessarabia , in 1812. A census revealed that the Romanians were more numerous than any other ethnic group in Transylvania in 1733, but legislation continued to use contemptuous adjectives (such as "tolerated" and "admitted") when referring to them. The Uniate bishop , Inocențiu Micu-Klein who demanded recognition of
18109-521: The bands crashing and the troops marching and the people cheering". Allied troops took part in the celebration and Marie was elated to see the Entente on Romanian soil for the first time. Around this time, Marie became infected with the Spanish flu , with symptoms peaking a week after Alba Iulia; her diary describes "a changed being, miserable and weak, brought to the brink of despair by so much headache and terrible sickness that sapped me of my strength". She
18308-472: The births of two grandchildren destined to sit on Europe's thrones seemed to cement her ambitions. Marie's dynastic efforts were viewed by critics as those of a manipulative mother who would sacrifice her children's happiness in order to fulfil her ambitions; in reality, Marie never forced any of her children to marry. While attending Peter’s baptism, Marie met the Duchess of York , later Queen Elizabeth, by whom she
18507-590: The ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of her paternal grandfather, Prince Albert . Marie's godparents were Empress Maria Alexandrovna (her maternal grandmother, for whom Queen Victoria stood proxy), the Princess of Wales (her paternal aunt), the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her great-aunt, for whom Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein stood proxy), the Tsarevich of Russia (her maternal uncle, for whom Count Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov stood proxy) and
18706-489: The country and proclaimed Romania a people's republic . Romania remained under the direct military occupation and economic control of the USSR until the late 1950s. During this period, Romania's vast natural resources were drained continuously by mixed Soviet-Romanian companies ( SovRoms ) set up for unilateral exploitative purposes. In 1948, the state began to nationalise private firms and to collectivise agriculture. Until
18905-512: The country which has clear duties as auxiliary to public authorities, especially in the field of prevention and intervention in case of disaster. Basic First Aid is only a temporary relief granted in an emergency case to save lives, prevent suffering further complications and improve until an appropriate medical service can intervene.The Romanian Red Cross has an unbroken tradition of over 134 years in giving basic first aid training and volunteer Red Cross nurses. The first courses on proper "bandaging"
19104-561: The country. In 1915, the General Assembly of the National Red Cross Society approved the merger of these two entities. On this occasion, Queen Marie , under whose patronage the Red Cross was at that time, the Romanian people was sent the following message: "The Red Cross, our hope in case of peace as in war, should not perish. Everyone of us, small to large should support it with devotion, enthusiasm and infinite love." With
19303-566: The dedication, especially as Fuller was an old friend of hers. Fuller quickly put together a committee that supported Marie's "tour" of America and arrangements were made for her departure. Marie viewed the tour as an opportunity to "see the country, meet the people and put Romania on the map". She travelled by ship across the Atlantic Ocean and disembarked in New York, on 18 October 1926, accompanied by Prince Nicholas and Princess Ileana. Oh, life
19502-593: The early 1960s, the government severely curtailed political liberties and vigorously suppressed any dissent with the help of the Securitate —the Romanian secret police. During this period the regime launched several campaigns of purges during which numerous " enemies of the state " and "parasite elements" were targeted for different forms of punishment including: deportation, internal exile, internment in forced labour camps and prisons—sometimes for life—as well as extrajudicial killing . Nevertheless, anti-communist resistance
19701-557: The early 7th century. The Goths were expanding towards the Lower Danube from the 230s, forcing the native peoples to flee to the Roman Empire or to accept their suzerainty . The Goths' rule ended abruptly when the Huns invaded their territory in 376, causing new waves of migrations. The Huns forced the remnants of the local population into submission, but their empire collapsed in 454. The Gepids took possession of
19900-555: The early stages of fighting, the national capital Bucharest was occupied by the Central Powers . Marie, Ferdinand and their five children took refuge in Western Moldavia . There, she and her three daughters acted as nurses in military hospitals, caring for soldiers who were wounded or afflicted by cholera . After the war, on 1 December 1918, the historical region of Transylvania , following Bessarabia and Bukovina , united with
20099-488: The end of a life that had been absolute happiness and joy without clouds, of a life with no disappointments or delusions and without any discordant note." The Duchess, who was pro-German, hired a German governess for her daughters, bought them plain clothing and even had them confirmed in the Lutheran faith. The family spent their summers at Rosenau Castle . Duke Ernest was described by Marie as "having his oddities"; his court
20298-414: The evacuation of the province Dacia Trajana in the 270s. Scholars supporting the continuity theory are convinced that most Latin-speaking commoners stayed behind when the army and civil administration were withdrawn. The Romans did not abandon their fortresses along the northern banks of the Lower Danube for decades, and Dobruja (known as Scythia Minor ) remained an integral part of the Roman Empire until
20497-565: The extent of repression used to quell the 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt once it was too late to intercede. She afterwards took to dressing quite often in folk costume , both at home and in public, initiating a fashion trend among young upper-class women. On 29 June 1913, the Tsardom of Bulgaria declared war on Greece , thus starting the Second Balkan War . On 4 July, Romania entered the war, allying itself with Greece. The war, which lasted
20696-514: The fact that her mother never allowed chatting between the two "as if [they] were equals". Nonetheless, the Duchess was independent-minded, cultured, and "the most important person" in her children's lives. At the behest of their mother, Marie and her sisters were taught French, which they detested and rarely spoke. Overall, the Duchess neglected her daughters' education, considering them not very bright or gifted. They were permitted to read aloud, but in
20895-463: The fact that most of the former industrial and economic enterprises which were built and operated during the communist period were closed, mainly as a result of the policies of privatisation of the post–1989 regimes. Corruption has been a major issue in contemporary Romanian politics. In November 2015, massive anti-corruption protests which developed in the wake of the Colectiv nightclub fire led to
21094-441: The family". The Times Literary Supplement wrote that Marie had found herself, "from the hour of her arrival in Bucharest under the tutelage of that stern disciplinarian King Carol I". In 1896, Ferdinand and Marie moved to Cotroceni Palace , which had been extended by the Romanian architect Grigore Cerchez, and to which Marie added her own designs. The following year, Ferdinand was struck down with typhoid fever . For days, he
21293-434: The family, Prince Nicholas (1903–78), nicknamed "Nicky", Princess Ileana (1909–91) and Prince Mircea (1913–16). King Carol and Queen Elisabeth promptly removed Prince Carol and Princess Elisabeth from Marie's care, considering it inappropriate for them to be raised by their young parents. Marie loved her children, but found it difficult to even scold them at times, thus failing to properly supervise them. Consequently,
21492-573: The faults of my virtues." Marie left Paris with numerous supplies for Romania's relief, and later that year the conference resulted in the international recognition of Greater Romania, thus doubling Ferdinand and Marie's kingdom to 295,000 square kilometres (114,000 sq mi) and increasing the population by ten million. This led Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia , who briefly lived in Bucharest, to conclude that "by her charm, beauty, and ready wit, [Marie] could obtain anything she desired". In 1920, Marie's eldest daughter, Princess Elisabeth,
21691-536: The federalisation of Austria-Hungary and the Romanian intellectuals established a cultural association to promote the use of Romanian. Fearing Russian expansionism, Romania secretly joined the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy in 1883, but public opinion remained hostile to Austria-Hungary. Romania seized Southern Dobruja from Bulgaria in the Second Balkan War in 1913. German and Austrian-Hungarian diplomacy supported Bulgaria during
21890-658: The fields of painting and drawing, areas in which they had inherited Queen Victoria's talent, the girls received only a "pedestrian instruction". The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh frequently received members of the royal family at Eastwell Park, inviting them for breakfast nearly daily, and in 1885 Marie and Victoria Melita served as bridesmaids at the wedding of their aunt Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg . Among Marie's playmates were her maternal cousins Grand Dukes Nicholas (called "Nicky"), George (called "Georgie"), and Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia ; their siblings, Michael (called "Misha") and Olga , were too young for
22089-475: The fire!" Easily learning to speak the Romanian language , Marie followed her mother's advice to dress carefully and show respect for Orthodox rituals. Marie and Ferdinand were advised by King Carol to maintain a restricted group of friends; thus, Marie would lament that her familial circle had been shrunk to only the King and Ferdinand, "who stood in mighty awe of the iron old man, forever trembling that any action of [hers] might displease that duty-bound head of
22288-514: The first king and queen of Greater Romania had been anointed. A feast was given in the same room where the union had been proclaimed in 1918; there, more than 20,000 peasants were offered roast steaks. The following day, Ferdinand and Marie triumphantly entered Bucharest. The splendour of the coronation was subsequently cited as evidence of Marie's theatricality. Marie would be received into the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1926, mentioning
22487-489: The following year. Marie was delighted, as she had frowned upon Carol's relationship with Zizi Lambrino and had been worried at the birth of their illegitimate son Carol , who, to her great relief, had been given his mother's surname. In 1922, Marie married her second daughter, "Mignon", to Alexander I of Serbia (later of Yugoslavia). She was delighted at the births of her two royal grandsons, Prince Michael of Romania (1921–2017) and Prince Peter of Yugoslavia (1923–1970);
22686-516: The former Dacia province. Place names that are of Slavic origin abound in Romania, indicating that a significant Slavic-speaking population lived in the territory. The first Slavic groups settled in Moldavia and Wallachia in the 6th century, in Transylvania around 600. The nomadic Avars defeated the Gepids and established a powerful empire around 570. The Bulgars , who also came from
22885-409: The local Vlach rulers were subject to the king's authority in 1247. Basarab I of Wallachia united the Romanian polities between the southern Carpathians and the Lower Danube in the 1310s. He defeated the Hungarian royal army in the Battle of Posada and secured the independence of Wallachia in 1330. The second Romanian principality, Moldavia , achieved full autonomy during
23084-625: The local chieftains and established Roman Catholic bishoprics (office of a bishop) in Transylvania and Banat in the early 11th century. Significant Pecheneg groups fled to the Byzantine Empire in the 1040s; the Oghuz Turks followed them, and the nomadic Cumans became the dominant power of the steppes in the 1060s. Cooperation between the Cumans and the Vlachs against the Byzantine Empire
23283-543: The local hippodrome nearly daily, apart from Saturday. During their first year in Malta, a French governess oversaw the princesses' education, but due to her failing health, she was replaced the following year by a much younger German woman. At San Antonio, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh always maintained a room ready for Prince George of Wales , the second son of the Prince of Wales , who
23482-669: The local tribes. Among the native peoples, Herodotus listed the Getae of the Lower Danube region, the Agathyrsi of Transylvania and the Syginnae of the plains along the river Tisza at the beginning of the 5th century BC. Centuries later, Strabo associated the Getae with the Dacians who dominated the lands along the southern Carpathian Mountains in the 1st century BC. Burebista
23681-417: The low temperatures. Around this time, Marie met Lieutenant Gheorghe Cantacuzène , a member, albeit through an illegitimate branch, of an ancient Romanian princely family and a descendant of Prince Șerban Cantacuzino . Although not very good looking, Cantacuzène stood out using his sense of humour and fashion, as well as his talent in horse-riding. The two soon became romantically involved, but their affair
23880-521: The main focus most certainly are those living in extreme poverty – under a dollar a day. People search service is a special and unique service of the Red Cross, at an international level, in the humanitarian field. Being nearly a century old, the Red Cross people search service has a range of action in 186 countries worldwide. This service can restore and maintain ties between family members, due to international armed conflicts, internal national disturbances, natural disasters or special social situations, of
24079-566: The marriage and appointed him a Knight of the Garter . On 10 January 1893, Marie and Ferdinand were married at Sigmaringen Castle in three ceremonies: one civil, one Catholic (Ferdinand's religion) and one Anglican. The civil ceremony was performed in the Red Hall of the castle by Karl von Wendel, the German Emperor being the first of the witnesses present to sign the marriage act. At four o'clock,
24278-423: The marriage will be delayed some time as Missy won't be 17 till the end of October!" German Empress Frederick , Marie's aunt, wrote to her daughter, Crown Princess Sophia of Greece , that "Missy is till now quite delighted, but the poor child is so young, how can she guess what is before her?" In late 1892, King Carol visited London in order to meet the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Victoria, who eventually agreed to
24477-458: The marriage, on 15 October 1893. Although Marie requested the use of chloroform in order to ease the pains of labour, doctors were reluctant to do so, believing that "women must pay in agony for the sins of Eve". After Marie's mother and Queen Victoria insisted, King Carol eventually allowed the use of the drug on his niece-in-law. Marie did not derive much joy from the arrival of her firstborn, later writing that she "felt like turning [her] head to
24676-448: The minds of Romanians in Transylvania for some time and Brătianu had actively supported the concept before the war. In 1918, both Bessarabia and Bukovina voted for union with Romania. An assembly took place in the ancient city of Alba Iulia on 1 December 1918, where Vasile Goldiș read the resolution for the union of Transylvania with the Old Kingdom . This document, supported by Romanian as well as Saxon deputies, established
24875-559: The most talented princes— Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania, Matei Basarab of Wallachia, and Vasile Lupu of Moldavia—strengthened their autonomy. The united armies of the Holy League expelled the Ottoman troops from Central Europe between 1684 and 1699, and the Principality of Transylvania was integrated into the Habsburg monarchy . The Habsburgs supported the Catholic clergy and persuaded
25074-516: The name Romania on 21 February 1862. Cuza's government carried out a series of reforms, including the secularisation of the property of monasteries and agrarian reform, but a coalition of conservative and radical politicians forced him to abdicate in February ;1866. Cuza's successor, a German prince, Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (or Carol I), was elected in May. The parliament adopted
25273-549: The necessary equipment, materials and tools. This course is finalised with an exam which proves that the person who took part in these courses is qualified in giving basic first aid. If a century ago the RNRC run campaigns against malaria and typhus, today the Romanian Red Cross is working to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS, TB and avian flu, each time getting involved in public health priority issues. Drug use, maternal health, combating non-communicable diseases , respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases are special problems that are also in
25472-519: The new borders in 1919 and 1920, but the Soviet Union did not acknowledge the loss of Bessarabia. Romania achieved its greatest territorial extent, expanding from the pre-war 137,000 to 295,000 km (53,000 to 114,000 sq mi). A new electoral system granted voting rights to all adult male citizens, and a series of radical agrarian reforms transformed the country into a "nation of small landowners" between 1918 and 1921. Gender equality as
25671-456: The news reached them. On 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and, as Marie saw it, "the world's peace was torn to shreds". Then, on 3 August, King Carol held a Crown Council at Sinaia, in order to decide whether Romania should enter the war. Although Carol was in favour of his country supporting Germany and the Central Powers , the council decided against it. Not long after the council, Carol's illness worsened and he became bed-ridden;
25870-527: The north to the southwest and include Moldoveanu Peak , at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft). Romania's capital and largest city is Bucharest . Other major urban centers include Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Iași , Constanța and Brașov . Settlement in the territory of modern Romania began in the Lower Paleolithic , later becoming the kingdom of Dacia before Roman conquest and Romanisation . The modern Romanian state emerged in 1859 through
26069-424: The occupying army requisitioned the best medical establishments of the Red Cross and took to benefit their own troops, for a good part of the materials and drugs that were bought with huge efforts by the RNRC. Only in the occupied capital over 7,000 patients were cared for. The RNRC branches were active in over 40 cities, taking care of thousands of wounded and sick. The RNRC is the only humanitarian organization in
26268-778: The oldest known Homo sapiens in Europe. Neolithic agriculture spread after the arrival of a mixed group of people from Thessaly in the 6th millennium BC. Excavations near a salt spring at Lunca yielded the earliest evidence for salt exploitation in Europe; here salt production began between the 5th and 4th millennium BC. The first permanent settlements developed into "proto-cities", which were larger than 320 hectares (800 acres). The Cucuteni–Trypillia culture —the best known archaeological culture of Old Europe —flourished in Muntenia , southeastern Transylvania and northeastern Moldavia between c. 5500 to 2750 BC. During its middle phase (c. 4000 to 3500 BC), populations belonging to
26467-408: The ones who were not particularly liked. With Brătianu's help, Marie began pressuring Ferdinand into entering the war; concurrently, she contacted various reigning relatives in Europe and bargained for the best terms for Romania, in case the country should enter the war. Marie favoured an alliance with the Triple Entente (Russia, France and Britain), partly because of her British ancestry. Neutrality
26666-405: The opinion polls. This surprise victory was attributed by many analysts to the implication of the Romanian diaspora in the voting process, with almost 50% casting their votes for Klaus Iohannis in the first round, compared to only 16% for Ponta. In 2019, Iohannis was re-elected president in a landslide victory over former Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă . The post–1989 period is characterised by
26865-506: The people were excited for Marie's arrival mainly because of her almost mythical allure, which had been created by papers and rumour throughout her life; she observed that "the modest Queen of the Belgians had once come with her king for a brief visit and years ago the dusky Hawaiian ruler had honored us, but there had been no others. The time could not have been better set." Marie was also fairly popular within suffragette circles, where she
27064-403: The population. Marie is primarily remembered for her work as a nurse, but is also known for her extensive writing, including her critically acclaimed autobiography. Marie was the eldest daughter and second child of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh , and the former Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia , respectively the son of Queen Victoria and the daughter of Emperor Alexander II . She
27263-460: The possibility of his abdication was even discussed. Eventually, he died on 10 October 1914 and Ferdinand automatically succeeded as king. On 11 October 1914, Marie and Ferdinand were acclaimed as king and queen in the Chamber of Deputies . Princess Anne Marie Callimachi, a close friend of Marie's, wrote that "as Crown Princess, [Marie] had been popular; as queen, she was more loved". Marie maintained
27462-592: The presence of units of the Red Army in the country. During the Soviet occupation of Romania , the communist-dominated government called for new elections in 1946, which they fraudulently won , with a fabricated 70% majority of the vote. Thus, they rapidly established themselves as the dominant political force. Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej , a communist party leader imprisoned in 1933, escaped in 1944 to become Romania's first communist leader. In February 1947, he and others forced King Michael I to abdicate and leave
27661-600: The prestige Romania had gained after World War I. Whilst visiting Geneva , Marie and Ferdinand became the first royals to enter the newly established headquarters of the League of Nations . The location for Marie and Ferdinand's coronation was Alba Iulia , which had been an important fortress in the Middle Ages and where Michael the Brave had been declared Voivode of Transylvania in 1599, thus bringing Wallachia and Transylvania under his personal union . An Orthodox cathedral
27860-648: The principal sector of economy, but several branches of industry—especially the production of coal, oil, metals, synthetic rubber, explosives and cosmetics—developed during the interwar period . With oil production of 5.8 million tons in 1930, Romania ranked sixth in the world. Two parties, the National Liberal Party and the National Peasants' Party , dominated political life, but the Great Depression in Romania brought about significant changes in
28059-618: The provincials enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity in the 2nd century. Scholars accepting the Daco-Roman continuity theory—one of the main theories about the origin of the Romanians —say that the cohabitation of the native Dacians and the Roman colonists in Roman Dacia was the first phase of the Romanians' ethnogenesis . The Carpians , Goths , and other neighbouring tribes made regular raids against Dacia from the 210s. The Romans could not resist, and Emperor Aurelian ordered
28258-414: The quality of life of those in need are generally developed in three main directions: The group, which is the target and address of the RNRC social program, consists of: persons residing in Romania and, for economic, physical, mental or social reasons are unable to ensure social needs. If the basic social needs have not been met, such as food, shelter, clothing, health – where the most vulnerable people are;
28457-431: The regency council took charge of his role as monarch. In May 1928, Carol, who had found his life abroad with Magda Lupescu unsatisfactory, attempted to return to Romania with the help of the 1st Viscount Rothermere . He was prevented from doing so by English authorities, who then proceeded to expel him from England. Infuriated, Marie sent an official apology to George V on behalf of her son, who had already begun plotting
28656-523: The reign of Bogdan I around 1360. A local dynasty ruled the Despotate of Dobruja in the second half of the 14th century, but the Ottoman Empire took possession of the territory after 1388. Princes Mircea I and Vlad III of Wallachia , and Stephen III of Moldavia defended their countries' independence against the Ottomans. Most Wallachian and Moldavian princes paid
28855-403: The resignation of Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta. During 2017–2018, in response to measures which were perceived to weaken the fight against corruption, some of the biggest protests since 1989 took place in Romania, with over 500,000 people protesting across the country. Nevertheless, there have been significant reforms aimed at tackling corruption. A National Anticorruption Directorate
29054-459: The rivers Dniester and Dnieper) under Romanian administration. Romanian and German troops massacred at least 160,000 local Jews in these territories; more than 105,000 Jews and about 11,000 Gypsies died during their deportation from Bessarabia to Transnistria. Most of the Jewish population of Moldavia, Wallachia, Banat and Southern Transylvania survived, but their fundamental rights were limited. After
29253-526: The royal children were given some education, but were never sent to school. As the royal household could not provide what a classroom education would have, most of the children's personalities became severely flawed as they grew older. Prime Minister Ion G. Duca would later write that "it was like [King Carol] wished to leave for Romania heirs completely unprepared for succeeding." From the start, Marie had trouble adjusting to life in Romania. Her personality and "high spirits" frequently created controversies at
29452-734: The same regions. The reliability of the Gesta is debated. Some scholars regard it as a basically accurate account, others describe it as a literary work filled with invented details. The Pechenegs seized the lowlands abandoned by the Hungarians to the east of the Carpathians. Byzantine missionaries proselytised in the lands east of the Tisa from the 940s and Byzantine troops occupied Dobruja in the 970s. The first king of Hungary , Stephen I , who supported Western European missionaries, defeated
29651-609: The same?" After Bucharest fell to Austrian troops, the royal court was transferred to Iași , capital of the Moldavia region, in December 1916. There, she continued to act as a nurse in military hospitals. Daily, Marie would dress as a nurse and go to the train station , where she would receive more injured soldiers; then she would transport them to hospital. After the conclusion of the Russian Revolution in early November 1917 and
29850-546: The separate status of Transylvania in the Habsburg Monarchy, but the Austro-Hungarian Compromise brought about the union of the province with Hungary in 1867. Ethnic Romanian politicians sharply opposed the Hungarian government's attempts to transform Hungary into a national state, especially the laws prescribing the obligatory teaching of Hungarian. Leaders of the Romanian National Party proposed
30049-448: The sides; one contained an image of the royal arms of Romania and the other, the arms of the Duke of Edinburgh, which Marie had used as her own arms prior to her marriage. The crown, which cost around 65,000 francs , was paid for by the state, via a special law. Among the guests at the royal couple's coronation were Marie's sister "Baby Bee", the Duke of York and French generals Maxime Weygand and Henri Mathias Berthelot , who had led
30248-404: The signing of the Treaty of Bucharest , giving rise to her description as "truly the only man in Romania". The Armistice with Germany (11 November 1918) put an end to fighting in Europe and, thus, to the war. In the tenth century, the Principality of Hungary had begun conquering Transylvania, which Hungarians had fully occupied by around 1200. The idea of a " Greater Romania " had existed in
30447-446: The site of Peleș Castle , for a period of recovery. Nonetheless, the couple was not able to attend celebrations for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee that summer. During Ferdinand's convalescence, Marie spent most of her time with her two children, taking them on long walks and picking flowers with them. The winter of 1897/1898 was spent with the Russian Imperial family on the French Riviera , where Marie often rode horses, in spite of
30646-469: The situation, Saint-Aulaire suggested that Marie should be sent to the conference instead. The Queen was delighted at the prospect. Marie arrived in Paris on 6 March 1919. She was immediately popular with the French people, due to her boldness during the War. Upon meeting Marie, Clemenceau abruptly told her, "I don't like your Prime Minister", to which she replied, "Perhaps then you'll find me more agreeable." He did, and president Raymond Poincaré noticed
30845-432: The southeast. It has a mainly continental climate , and an area of 238,397 km (92,046 sq mi) with a population of 19 million people (2023). Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union . Europe's second-longest river, the Danube , empties into the Danube Delta in the southeast of the country. The Carpathian Mountains cross Romania from
31044-441: The statute of the Red Cross, adopted in 1876, women were not part of the leadership of the Society. Therefore, in 1906, the Ladies Red Cross Society in Romania was established. Its first elected president was Irina Campineanu. The society was operating in parallel with the one established in 1876 and it dealt with raising funds to help in time of war and disaster, preparing volunteers, co-opted devoted ladies in almost all cities around
31243-478: The steppes north of the Lower Danube in the 830s, but the Bulgarians and the Pechenegs jointly forced them to abandon this region for the lowlands along the Middle Danube around 894. Centuries later, the Gesta Hungarorum wrote of the invading Magyars' wars against three dukes— Glad , Menumorut and the Vlach Gelou —for Banat, Crișana and Transylvania. The Gesta also listed many peoples—Slavs, Bulgarians, Vlachs, Khazars , and Székelys —inhabiting
31442-407: The sultan's right to confirm the election of the princes. Mihail Kogălniceanu , Nicolae Bălcescu and other leaders of the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia demanded the emancipation of the peasants and the union of the two principalities, but Russian and Ottoman troops crushed their revolt. The Wallachian revolutionists were the first to adopt the blue, yellow and red tricolour as
31641-410: The support of a large number of volunteers, the Romanian Red Cross passed the fire test of the First World War . The mission of the RNRC was to assist the military by organizing 58 Hospitals both Bucharest and whole Romania. At the call of the Red Cross National Society, women belonging to various social groups have volunteered to work in hospitals and canteens run by the organization. Queen Marie herself
31840-410: The throne, becoming King Carol II. He removed Marie from the political scene and strove to crush her popularity. As a result, Marie moved away from Bucharest and spent the rest of her life either in the countryside or at Balchik Palace , her summer residence in Southern Dobruja by the Black Sea . In 1937, she became ill with cirrhosis and died the following year. Following Romania's transition to
32039-436: The throne. Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh all approved, but the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh did not. The Princess of Wales disliked the family's pro-German sentiment and the Duchess of Edinburgh did not wish her daughter to remain in England, which she disliked. She also disliked the fact that the Princess of Wales, whose father had been a minor German prince before being called to
32238-408: The union of Moldavia and Wallachia and gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. During World War I , Romania joined the Allies , and after the war, territories including Transylvania and Bukovina were integrated into Romania. In World War II , Romania initially aligned with the Axis but switched to the Allies in 1944. After the war, Romania became a socialist republic and
32437-492: The victory of the Bolsheviks , Romania became, in the words of diplomat Frank Rattigan, "an island surrounded on all sides by the enemy, with no hope of assistance from the Allies". Soon afterwards, Ferdinand signed the Treaty of Focșani , on 9 December 1917. Marie considered the treaty perilous, while Brătianu and Știrbey believed it was a necessary measure for obtaining more time. Later turns of events would prove Marie to have assumed correctly. In 1918, Marie vehemently opposed
32636-592: The violent Romanian Revolution of December 1989 in which thousands were killed or injured. After a trial, Ceaușescu and his wife were executed by firing squad at a military base outside Bucharest on 25 December 1989. The charges for which they were executed were, among others, genocide by starvation. After the 1989 revolution, the National Salvation Front (FSN), led by Ion Iliescu , took partial and superficial multi-party democratic and free market measures after seizing power as an ad interim governing body. In March 1990, violent outbreaks went on in Târgu Mureș as
32835-423: The wall". Similarly, although Marie was constantly reminded by Carol's wife Elisabeth that childbirth is "the most glorious moment in [Marie's] life", she could only feel a longing for her mother at the birth of her second child, Princess Elisabeth , in 1894. After becoming accustomed to life in Romania, Marie began to rejoice at the births of her children, namely Princess Maria (1900–61), nicknamed "Mignon" in
33034-428: The war , Romania gained possession of Southern Dobrudja , including the coastal town of Balchik ( Balcic ), which Marie would come to cherish in 1924 and use to host her residence, called The Quiet Nest . Soon after the war ended, Carol became ill. On 28 June 1914, at Sarajevo , Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated . This came as a shock to Marie and her family, who were vacationing at Sinaia when
33233-459: The war against the Central Powers in 1916. The German and Austrian-Hungarian troops defeated the Romanian army and occupied three-quarters of the country by early 1917. After the October Revolution turned Russia from an ally into an enemy, Romania was forced to sign a harsh peace treaty with the Central Powers in May 1918, but the collapse of Russia also enabled the union of Bessarabia with Romania . King Ferdinand again mobilised
33432-429: The war, Marie was involved in aiding the Romanian Red Cross and visited hospitals daily. During the first month of hostilities, Romania fought no less than nine battles; some, such as the Battle of Turtucaia , took place on its own soil. On 2 November 1916, Marie's youngest son, Prince Mircea, who had been sick with typhoid fever , died at Buftea . Marie was distraught and wrote in her journal: "Can anything ever be
33631-441: The war, bringing about a rapprochement between Romania and the Triple Entente of France, Russia and the United Kingdom. The country remained neutral when World War I broke out in 1914, but Prime Minister Ion I. C. Brătianu started negotiations with the Entente Powers. After they promised Austrian-Hungarian territories with a majority of ethnic Romanian population to Romania in the Treaty of Bucharest , Romania entered
33830-424: Was "a great day for me, one of emotions, sweet, happy and the same time glorious emotions to come back as Queen to my own country, to be received officially, in all honour and enthusiastically into the bargain – to feel your heart swell with pride and satisfaction, to feel your heart beat and tears start into your eyes, while something gave you a lump into your throat!" These state visits were a symbolic recognition of
34029-411: Was Cantacuzène's daughter, and not Ferdinand's. Over the following years, Marie was also rumoured to have been romantically linked to Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia , Waldorf Astor , Prince Barbu Știrbey and Joe Boyle . In 1903, Ferdinand and Marie inaugurated the Pelișor Castle , an Art Nouveau castle in Sinaia that King Carol commissioned for the royal couple. Marie only learned of
34228-432: Was again united under Decebalus around 85 AD. He resisted the Romans for decades, but the Roman army defeated his troops in 106 AD. Emperor Trajan transformed Banat , Oltenia , and the greater part of Transylvania into a new province called Roman Dacia , but Dacian and Sarmatian tribes continued to dominate the lands along the Roman frontiers. The Romans pursued an organised colonisation policy, and
34427-490: Was born at her parents' residence, Eastwell Manor in Kent , England, on 29 October 1875, at 10:30 a.m., in the presence of her father. Her birth was celebrated by firing the Park and Tower guns . She was named Marie Alexandra Victoria, after her mother and grandmothers, but she was informally known as "Missy". The Duke of Edinburgh wrote that his daughter "promises to be as fine a child as her brother and gives every evidence of finely developed lungs and did so before she
34626-469: Was built as the Coronation Cathedral in 1921–1922. An elaborate set of jewellery and clothing was made especially for the coronation. Marie's crown was designed by painter Costin Petrescu and it was made in the Art Nouveau style by Falize , a Parisian jewelry house. The crown was inspired by that of Milica Despina , the wife of 16th-century Wallachian ruler Neagoe Basarab , and it was made entirely out of Transylvanian gold. The crown had two pendants on
34825-404: Was closest to her sister Victoria Melita, who was one year younger, but whom everyone believed to be the older girl because of her stature, much to the princesses' dismay. The Edinburgh children were all baptised and raised in the Anglican faith; this upset their Russian Orthodox mother. The Duchess of Edinburgh was a supporter of the idea of separating generations, and Marie deeply regretted
35024-419: Was delirious and, despite his doctor's best efforts, came close to dying. During this time, Marie exchanged numerous letters with her family in Britain and was terrified at the prospect of losing her husband. King Carol still had an heir in Prince Carol, whose young age presented issues; thus, the whole family desperately wished for Ferdinand to pull through. Eventually, he did, and he and Marie went to Sinaia ,
35223-450: Was elected president, in 2000 Iliescu returned to power, while Traian Băsescu was elected in 2004 and narrowly re-elected in 2009. In 2009, the country was bailed out by the International Monetary Fund as an aftershock of the Great Recession in Europe . In November 2014, Sibiu former FDGR/DFDR mayor Klaus Iohannis was elected president, unexpectedly defeating former Prime Minister Victor Ponta , who had been previously leading in
35422-409: Was enchanted. In 1924, Ferdinand and Marie undertook a diplomatic tour of France, Switzerland , Belgium and the United Kingdom. In England, she was warmly welcomed by George V, who declared that "apart from the common aims, which we pursue, there are other and dear ties between us. Her Majesty the Queen, my dear cousin, is British born." Similarly, Marie wrote that the day of her arrival in England
35621-462: Was engaged to Prince George of Greece , the eldest son of the deposed King Constantine I of Greece and Marie's cousin Sophia. After inviting George and his two sisters, the Princesses Helen and Irene , to lodge with them at Sinaia, Marie organised numerous activities for the young couple and was delighted at the prospect of marrying off her daughter, whose character was severely flawed. In October, reports of King Alexander 's death came from Greece;
35820-430: Was established, and a year later a teaching hospital with 10 beds was founded. Taking advantage of a brief period of peace, the Romanian Red Cross has continued to organize and prepare, both in material terms, but also in terms of staff, to be able to act more effectively in case of necessity. In 1913, during the second Balkan War , the Romanian Red Cross mobile hospital staff provided assistance to soldiers suffering from
36019-424: Was fairly in the world." As a grandchild of the reigning British monarch in the male line, Marie was formally styled "Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Edinburgh" from birth. Marie's baptism took place in the private chapel of Windsor Castle on 15 December 1875 and was officiated by Arthur Stanley and Gerald Wellesley , Dean of Windsor . The baptism, "of a strictly private nature", took place one day after
36218-463: Was formed in the country in 2002, inspired by similar institutions in Belgium , Norway and Spain . Since 2014, Romania launched an anti-corruption effort that led to the prosecution of medium- and high-level political, judicial and administrative offenses by the National Anticorruption Directorate . After the end of the Cold War , Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe and the United States, eventually joining NATO in 2004, and hosting
36417-421: Was in Malta that Marie found her first love, Maurice Bourke , the captain of the Duke's ship, whom Marie called "Captain Dear". Marie was prone to fits of jealousy when Bourke would pay more attention to one of her sisters than to her. The Duke and Duchess were greatly loved in Malta, and San Antonio Palace was frequently full of guests. Marie and Victoria Melita received white horses from their mother and went to
36616-428: Was in the Royal Navy. George called the three elder Edinburgh girls "the three dearests", but favoured Marie the most. Meanwhile, the Duke of Edinburgh became heir presumptive to his childless paternal uncle, Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , upon the Prince of Wales's renunciation of his rights to the duchy. Consequently, the family relocated to Coburg in 1889. Marie later came to view this moment as "truly
36815-458: Was inevitable in the lives of girls who have brothers. Another activity which the girls enjoyed at Coburg was attending winter parties organised by their mother, during which they would ice-skate and play different games, such as ice hockey . Marie grew into a "lovely young woman" with "sparkling blue eyes and silky fair hair"; she was courted by several royal bachelors, including Prince George of Wales, who in 1892 became second in line to inherit
37014-453: Was involved in operations, in support of those wounded. During these difficult years for the country, the Romanian Red Cross assisted more than 150,000 wounded in own hospitals, provided food for soldiers, refugees and people affected by conflict, facilitated the exchange of correspondence between the POWs and their families, supported Romanian prisoners held in enemy camps with food and clothing. Funds for these operations have been mobilized by
37213-439: Was largely absent from his children's lives due to his position in the British Royal Navy , and their life was governed by their mother. Marie later stated that she did not even know the colour of her father's hair until she looked at later portraits of him, believing it to be much darker than it actually was. When he was at home, the Duke would often play with his children, inventing many games for them. Of all her siblings, Marie
37412-482: Was less strict than other German courts of the time. In Coburg, the princesses' education was broadened: more emphasis was placed on painting and music, which were taught by Anna Messing and Mrs. Helferich respectively. On Thursdays and Sundays, Marie and her sisters went to the Coburg Theatre, an experience which they enjoyed greatly. Marie and Victoria Melita often observed their brother's friends and made comments on whom they liked better, an aspect which Marie believed
37611-422: Was looking for a suitable bride for his nephew, Crown Prince Ferdinand , in order to secure the succession and ensure the continuation of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen . Possibly motivated by the prospect of removing tensions between Russia and Romania on the subject of control over Bessarabia , the Duchess of Edinburgh suggested that Marie meet Ferdinand. Marie and Ferdinand first became acquainted during
37810-454: Was not without perils, and entering the war with the Entente meant that Romania would act as Russia's "buffer" against possible attacks. Eventually, Marie demanded of Ferdinand in no uncertain terms that he enter the war, leading the French minister to Romania, Auguste Félix de Beaupoil, Count of Saint-Aulaire, to remark that Marie was twice an ally to the French: once by birth and once by heart. Ferdinand gave in to Marie's pleas, and he signed
38009-731: Was of Her Majesty, her children on either side, waving back with that tear-and-smile of those who pass from happy scenes." Morris accompanied the queen throughout her journey and offered a very detailed account of Marie's time in America in her book, published in 1927. Marie was delighted with the visit, and wished to return to America as soon as possible. She wrote in her diaries: "both my children and I have but one dream: to return! To return to that stupendous New World, which makes you almost guiddy [ sic ] because of its immencity, [ sic ] its noise, its striving, its fearful impetuous [ sic ] to get on, to do always more, always bigger, quicker, more astonishingly
38208-409: Was one of the most long-lasting and strongest in the Eastern Bloc. A 2006 commission estimated the number of direct victims of the Communist repression at two million people. In 1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power and started to conduct the country's foreign policy more independently from the Soviet Union. Thus, communist Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country which refused to participate in
38407-637: Was organized in 1877, at the Colțea Hospital in Bucharest. Since then, thousands have graduated from first aid courses or Red Cross volunteer sisters courses. Romanian personalities wore throughout white uniforms with the emblem of the Red Cross. During World War I, Queen Marie, dressed in Red Cross nurse's uniform, inspected the front or rear front of hospitals campaign and actively took part in assisting those injured. The RNRC organizes regular courses on basic first aid at each county branch. These courses are given by medics, which are attested as trainers of paramedical assistance. The RNRC always offers its trainees all
38606-553: Was passed, creating a regency council composed of Prince Nicholas; the Orthodox Patriarch, Miron Cristea ; and Gheorghe Buzdugan , the president of the Court of Cassation . However, both Marie and Ferdinand were reluctant to leave the country in the hands of a five-year-old boy, even overseen by a regency, for fear that the lands gained during World War I would be reclaimed by neighbouring countries and that political disturbances might lead to civil unrest. Nevertheless, when Marie returned from America, Ferdinand's death seemed imminent. He
38805-423: Was suffering from intestinal cancer , and by April 1927 had come so close to death as to be given the last rites of the Catholic Church. He died on 20 July, in Marie's arms. She later wrote: "'I am so tired' were his last words and when he lay so quiet in my arms one hour later, I knew that I must thank God for him at least. This was rest indeed." Michael automatically succeeded as king upon Ferdinand's death and
39004-427: Was terminated after it became known by the public. As much as she condemned Marie's behaviour, her mother allowed her to come to Coburg when, in 1897, she apparently became pregnant. Historian Julia Gelardi believes that Marie gave birth to a child at Coburg; the child may either have been stillborn or sent to an orphanage immediately following its birth. There was speculation on whether Marie's second daughter, "Mignon",
39203-398: Was the first Dacian ruler to unite the local tribes. He also conquered the Greek colonies in Dobruja and the neighbouring peoples as far as the Middle Danube and the Balkan Mountains between around 55 and 44 BC. After Burebista was murdered in 44 BC, his kingdom collapsed. The Romans reached Dacia during Burebista's reign and conquered Dobruja in 46 AD. Dacia
39402-431: Was then in school at Eton College . Marie was elated to have returned to England after so much time, writing that "it was a tremendous emotion to arrive in London, and to be greeted at the station by George and May." After the end of her visit in England, Marie returned to Paris, where the people were just as excited for her arrival as they had been a few weeks before. Crowds gathered around her frequently, waiting to see
39601-504: Was viewed as "a woman whose wits had devised many a coup d'état, whose brains had thought out many a difficult problem for her people, who had used the gifts given her to further every good purpose". During their time in America, Marie, Nicholas and Ileana undertook tours of several cities, including Philadelphia . They were very popular, and were greeted with equal enthusiasm in each city they visited, so much so that "[Nicholas and Ileana] seemed fairly dazed by their tremendous ovation". At
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