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Death and state funeral of Michael I of Romania

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

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Funeral

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

On 13 December at 11:00 am, King Michael I's coffin, draped by his Royal Standard, was brought back to Romania, arriving at the Otopeni Airport in Bucharest from Lausanne, via Payerne Air Base, escorted by his second daughter, Princess Elena with her husband Alexander Nixon, fourth daughter Princess Sophie and also members of the Royal Household, were transported by the Romanian Air Force's Alenia C-27J Spartan Military Plane, which was flanked by four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Military Combat Jets.[4][5] The coffin was first taken to Peleș Castle at Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains. Then, it was brought to Bucharest, where it was laid and displayed at the Royal Palace for two days.[6]

Michael was buried on 16 December with full state honours in the Mausoleum of the Royal Family, on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral together his wife, Queen Anne, who died in 2016.[6] The funeral ceremony was led by Patriarch Daniel of Romania.[7] A period of national mourning was declared for 14–16 December.[8]

Important Romanian politicians, including President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, former President Ion Iliescu, as well as Liviu Dragnea, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Gabriela Firea, Victor Ponta, Ludovic Orban, Dacian Cioloș, Adrian Năstase, Vasile Dîncu and Victor Ciorbea, participated in the funeral or expressed their condolences.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] A delegation of Moldovan politicians, led by Andrian Candu, also attended the funeral.[18] Candu also proposed for 16 December to be declared a day of national mourning in Moldova, but President Igor Dodon refused, arguing that "King Michael led another state", but expressed his condolences.[19]

His body was transferred from Bucharest to Curtea de Argeș with the help of a funeral train, the Royal Train, and a repainted domestic-traffic carriage, being led by a diesel locomotive. His funeral is stated to have been one of the largest in Romania, with almost a million Romanians flocking to the capital to pay their respects and watch the funeral, with it being comparable to the one of Corneliu Coposu in 1995.

A copy of the Steel Crown of Romania was placed on the coffin of the late king during the funeral.[20]

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Guests

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Sources: [21][22][23][24]

Romania

Immediate family

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

Politicians

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Royalty

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Dignitaries

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Memorial concert

On 8 December 2017, German conductor Matthias Manasi [de] conducted a worldwide broadcast memorial concert for Michael with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania and the Academic Radio Choir at Sala Radio at the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company in Bucharest.[27] Matthias Manasi conducted the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré with the soloists Veronica Anușca and Ștefan Ignat and pieces by Beethoven, Chausson and Massenet with the Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu as the soloist.[28]

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References

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