CAROL’S “MYSTERY MAN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1048, 12 August 1930, Page 14

CAROL’S “MYSTERY MAN”

HOST TO PRINCE WHILE INENGLAND A ROMANTIC FIGURE The “mystery man” of events that led to the coup d’etat that placed Carol on the Rumanian throne, lives in Godstone, England, deep in the Surrey woods in a rambling, straggling estate galled Oakhurst Court. Carol spent part of his exile there receiving mysterious visitors and idling away his time waiting for political events to shape themselves fbr his return to Rumania. During all those eventful times his ever faithful shadow, host, protector and major domo was one Barbu Jonescu, wealth*', suave, mysterious.

When Carol was asked by the Government to leave England he was followed to Belgium by Jonescu, who spent much of his time with the then royal exile.

What may or may not be significant is the fact that the late King Ferdinand once decorated Jonescu with the Order of the Crown of Rumania. Yet Jonescu’s first appearance in England was as a waiter in a restaurant.

Jonescu went to England about the middle of 1915 from Paris. He took a job as a waiter in a West End restaurant serving Rumanian coffee, although he obviously was of a higher station in life.

Clad in a gorgeous silk costume consisting of a blue robe, jacket and sash embroidered with an elaborate floral design, he soon became known as “Barbu” to the ultra-fashionable society people, politicians and army officers who frequented the restaurant. He was on friendly terms with many of them.

After 15 months in the restaurant he let it be known that he really was an engineer by profession, and he soon was placed in charge of a special department in a British ammunition factor*'. His next move was to marry a beautiful Belgian woman and take up residence at Oakhurst Court. Then Prince Carol came to spend some of his exile in the silent house there in the woods. Other mysterious visitors came, too, and among them Madame Lupescu. Most of the visitors went as mysteriously as they came.

Then when Carol went to Belgium. Jonescu dropped out of sight for a while. But he had just returned to England from Belgium when Carol flew from Belgium to Rumania and his throne. Now Jonescu is dropping out of sight again, but he says he is in constant touch with Rumania and royal circles. Who is he and what is his connection with the Rumanian Government? His smiling answer to this question was:

“I am a close friend of the King: my connection with the Government is purely unofficial.”