ROUMANIA’S BOY KING

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1927, Page 5

ROUMANIA’S BOY KING

ENTHRONEMENT CEREMONY ARMY SUPPORT UNCERTAIN (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) BUCHAREST, July 20. King Ferdinand died in the arms of Queen Marie. He had an agonising end, struggling to the last against suffocation. There were present all the members of the family, except Prince Carol. The King was kept alive during the last forty-eight hours by strychnine, though his wonderful fighting spirit helped to keep death at bay. His last words were: “I feel very tired.” There was a historic ceremony at 6 o’clock in the evening, when the three Reegnts took the oath to the boy King and the Constitution. A solemn session of Parliament was held, at which the six-year-old ruler was present. He kissed the Holy Cross. Thereupon the President of the Senate shouted: “Long Live King Michael the First!” The boy stepped forward," with military precision,, and saluted the Assembly, which burst into “Huzzas!” No political trouble is expected, though a section of the people are not averse to ex-Prince Carol’s return as King. There is a fear that sections of the Army may not prove loyal to the new regime. This has necessitated an Army order that all ranks must take an Oath of Allegiance. All meetings are forbidden. The newspapers are placed under a censorship.

ELDEST SON’S GRIEF. PARIS, July 20. Prince Carol has shut himself up in a villa at Neuilly, mourning his father’s death. There are wild rumours afloat that Carol intends to fly to Berlin, and thence reach Roumania, by way of Vienna, but this is. very unlikely, especially as all the French Air Companies have been officially notified not to give Carol a passage under any circumstance until further notice. WARNING FROM REGENCY.

LONDON, July 20. The “Daily News” says: Though the Roumanian King’s illness has aroused fears of grave disturbances, there is a general belief that the Government is strong enough to cope with any trouble, whether it should arise from a movement in favour of Prince Carol or party strife. The Government is taking no chances. The troops are confined to their barracks, and the public buildings are strongly guarded. j The Regents have wired ex-Prince Carol the news of his father’s death, also warning him that Government are firmly resolved that his abdication decree must be respected, and that they intended to maintain the Regency. The body of King Ferdinand has been embalmed and placed on a bier, which the Queen decorated with/flowers, pending its transference to the capital, where it will lie in state. NO DISTURBANCES. BUCHAREST, July 21. No disturbances occurred overnight. M. Bratiano formally tendered the Government’s resignation, but the Regency requested him to continue in office. LATE KING’S CAREER. Ferdinand Victor Albert, King of Rumania, who was a Prince of Hohen-zollern-Sigmaringen and second son of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, was born at Sigmaringen in August, 1865. He served as an officer in the Foot Guards at Potsdam, and then studied at Tubingen and Gottingen Universities. When he was 24, the question of succession to the throne of Rumania, then held by his uncle Carol, came up. His eldest brother Wilhelm, the present Prince of Hohenzollern, was first thought of, but he declined and the throne was then accepted by Ferdinand. In March, 1889, he was created Prince of Rumania by Act of Parliament, and soon afterwards made a State entry into Bucharest, where he joined the Rumanian Army. In June, 1893, he married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Marie, born in 1875, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and niece of King Edward .VII.; and Ferdinand succeeded to the throne.

The King and Queen had five children. Prince Carol, born on October 3, 1893, was trained in the Ist. Foot Guards at Potsdam for some time before the war, during which he served in the Rumanian Army. On March. 10, 19921, he married Princess Helena of Greece, a daughter of the late King Constantine 1., and Sofie, sister of Kaiser Wilhelm 11. They have a son, Prince Michael, born on October 25, 1921, who now succeeds to the Throne. The eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, born in 1894, married on February 27, 1921, the then Crown Prince George of Greece, who became King and was later compelled to abdicate. The second daughter, Princess Marie, born in 1899, married on June 8, 1922, Alexander 1., King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The other children are Prince Nicholas, born in 1903, and Princess Ileana born in 1908.