Queen Anne of Romania
Encyclopedia
Queen Anne of Romania is the wife of the former King Michael I of Romania
.
She is a niece of Empress Zita of Austria and a great niece of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.
, France
, the daughter of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma
and Princess Margrethe of Denmark
. With her three brothers she spent her childhood in France. In 1939 her family fled from the Nazis
and escaped to Spain. From there they went on to Portugal and then to the United States.
She attended the Parson's School of Design
in New York
from 1940 to 1943. She also worked as a sales-person at Macy's
department store. In 1943 she volunteered for military service in the French Army. She served in Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Luxembourg and Germany, driving ambulances, and received the French Croix de guerre
.
for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
) to Prince Philip of Greece
, Michael's cousin and childhood playmate. In fact, a year previously Queen Mother Elena had invited Anne, her mother, and brothers for a visit to Bucharest
, but the plan did not come off. Meanwhile, Michael had glimpsed Anne in a newsreel
and requested a photograph from the film footage.
She did not want to have to accompany her parents to London for the royal wedding so as to avoid meeting King Michael in official surroundings. Instead, she planned to stay behind, go alone to the Paris railway station and, pretending to be a passerby in the crowd, privately observe the king as his entourage escorted him to his London-bound train. However, at the last moment she was persuaded by her cousin, Jean of Luxembourg
to come to London, where he planned to host a party. Upon arrival, she stopped by Claridge's
to pay respects to her parents, and found herself being introduced unexpectedly to King Michael. Abashed to the point of confusion, she clicked her heels
instead of curtsey
ing, and fled in embarrassment. Charmed, the king saw her again the night of the wedding at the Luxembourg embassy soirée, confided in her some of his concerns about the Communist takeover of Romania and fears for his mother's safety, and nicknamed her Nan. They saw each other several times thereafter on outings in London, always chaperoned by her mother or brother.
A few days later, she accepted an invitation to accompany Michael and his mother when he piloted a Beechcraft
aeroplane to take his aunt, the Duchess of Aosta
, back home to Lausanne
. Sixteen days after meeting, Michael proposed to Anne while the couple were out on a drive in Lausanne. She accepted and, although Michael gave her an engagement ring
a few days later, he felt obliged to refrain from a public announcement until he informed his government, despite the fact that the press besieged them in anticipation.
Michael returned to Romania
, where he was told by the prime minister that a wedding announcement was not "opportune". Yet within days it was used as the government's public explanation for Michael's sudden "abdication
", when in fact the king was deposed
by the Communists
on 30 December. Anne was unable to get further news of Michael until he was deported
. But they finally rendez-voused in Davos
on 23 January 1948.
, Anne was bound by the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church
, which required that she receive a dispensation
to marry a non-Catholic Christian (Michael is Orthodox
). At the time, such a dispensation was normally only given if the non-Roman Catholic partner promised to allow the children of the marriage to be raised as Roman Catholics. Michael refused to make this promise since it would have violated Romania's monarchical constitution, and would be likely to have a detrimental impact upon any possible restoration. The Holy See
(which handled the matter directly since Michael was a member of a reigning dynasty) refused to grant the dispensation unless Michael made the required promise.
Queen Helen and the Duchess of Aosta (an Orthodox married to a Catholic Prince) met with the fiancée's parents in Paris, where the two families resolved to take their case to the Vatican
in person. In early March, the couple's mothers met with Pope Pius XII who, despite the entreaties of the former Queen Regent and the fact that Princess Margrethe of Bourbon-Parma
pounded her fist on the table in anger, refused permission for Anne to marry Michael.
It has been surmised that the Pope's refusal was, in part, motivated by the fact that when Princess Giovanna of Savoy
wed King Boris III of Bulgaria
in 1930, the couple had undertaken to raise their future children as Roman Catholics, but had baptized
them in the Orthodox faith in deference to Bulgaria's state religion. However, Michael declined to make a promise he could not keep politically, while Anne's mother was herself the daughter of a mixed marriage between a Catholic Princess (Marie d'Orléans) and a Protestant (Prince Valdemar of Denmark
), who had abided by their pre ne temere
compromise
to raise their sons as Protestant and their daughter, Margrethe, as Catholic.
The engaged couple resolved to proceed. Anne's paternal uncle, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma
, issued a statement objecting to any marriage conducted against the will of the Pope and the bride's family. It was he, not the Pontiff
, who forbade Anne's parents to attend the wedding. Michael's spokesman declared on 9 June that the parents had been asked and had given their consent, and that the bride's family would be represented at the nuptials by her maternal uncle, Prince Eric of Denmark, who was to give the bride away.
The wedding was held in Athens, in the throne room
of the Royal Palace, where the ceremony was performed by Archbishop
Damaskinos, and King Paul of the Hellenes
served as koumbaros. Michael's father, ex-King Carol II of Romania
, and his sisters, Princesses Ileana
and Elisabeta were notified, but not invited. One of the bridesmaid
s was Sofia of Greece
, a princess who would later convert to Catholicism to marry Juan Carlos of Spain, later becoming Queen Consort of Spain.
As no papal dispensation was given for the marriage, when it was celebrated according to the rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church
on 10 June 1948 in Athens, Greece, it was deemed invalid by the Roman Catholic Church. But the couple would eventually wed again, on 9 November 1966 at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Charles in Monaco
, thus fulfilling obligations to both faiths.
For further details about the princesses: see (http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Roumanian_Royal_Family.htm#6.1212).
After their marriage, Anne and Michael lived first at Villa Sparta, the home of Michael's mother outside Florence, Italy. In 1949 they moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, and in 1951 to England
, where they lived at Bramshill House, Hampshire
, and later at Ayot St Lawrence
, Hertfordshire
. In 1955 they returned to Switzerland and settled in Versoix
near Geneva
.
was put at their disposal by the government, and they recuperated from the state some proprieties among which are Săvârşin Castle
and Peleş Castle
.
Queen Anne and King Michael celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary
in June 2008 with a series of public events in Romania, including a reception at the Athenee Palace Hilton Hotel in Bucharest, a performance by Romania's National Philharmonic Orchestra, and a formal dinner at Sinaia
. Attendees included ex-King Constantine II of the Hellenes
and his wife Queen Anne-Marie, née Princess of Denmark, ex-King Simeon of Bulgaria
and his queen, Margarita of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia
, Aimone, Duke of Aosta, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
, Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, née Princess of Luxembourg
, Prince Philip of Bourbon-Parma, Queen Sofia of Spain (Anne's attendant at the original wedding), as well as the couple's two eldest daughters and a couple of their grandchildren.
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
.
She is a niece of Empress Zita of Austria and a great niece of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.
Early life
Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the daughter of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma
Prince René of Bourbon-Parma
Prince René of Bourbon-Parma was the seventh surviving son of Robert I, Duke of Parma, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal...
and Princess Margrethe of Denmark
Princess Margrethe of Denmark
Princess Margaret of Denmark was a princess of Denmark and Iceland by birth and a princess of Bourbon-Parma as the wife of Prince René of Parma.Her parents were Prince Valdemar of Denmark, youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and...
. With her three brothers she spent her childhood in France. In 1939 her family fled from the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and escaped to Spain. From there they went on to Portugal and then to the United States.
She attended the Parson's School of Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from 1940 to 1943. She also worked as a sales-person at Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
department store. In 1943 she volunteered for military service in the French Army. She served in Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Luxembourg and Germany, driving ambulances, and received the French Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
.
Engagement
In November 1947 Anne met King Michael I of Romania who was visiting LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
) to Prince Philip of Greece
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, Michael's cousin and childhood playmate. In fact, a year previously Queen Mother Elena had invited Anne, her mother, and brothers for a visit to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, but the plan did not come off. Meanwhile, Michael had glimpsed Anne in a newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
and requested a photograph from the film footage.
She did not want to have to accompany her parents to London for the royal wedding so as to avoid meeting King Michael in official surroundings. Instead, she planned to stay behind, go alone to the Paris railway station and, pretending to be a passerby in the crowd, privately observe the king as his entourage escorted him to his London-bound train. However, at the last moment she was persuaded by her cousin, Jean of Luxembourg
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg ruled Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000. He is the father of the current ruler, Grand Duke Henri, and the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma...
to come to London, where he planned to host a party. Upon arrival, she stopped by Claridge's
Claridge's
Claridge's is a luxury hotel in Mayfair, central London. It is located at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street.-History:Claridge's is a traditional grand hotel. Its extensive and old connections with royalty have led to it being referred to as an "extension to Buckingham Palace"...
to pay respects to her parents, and found herself being introduced unexpectedly to King Michael. Abashed to the point of confusion, she clicked her heels
Salute
A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with armed forces, but other organizations and civil people also use salutes.-Military salutes:...
instead of curtsey
Curtsey
A curtsey is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures...
ing, and fled in embarrassment. Charmed, the king saw her again the night of the wedding at the Luxembourg embassy soirée, confided in her some of his concerns about the Communist takeover of Romania and fears for his mother's safety, and nicknamed her Nan. They saw each other several times thereafter on outings in London, always chaperoned by her mother or brother.
A few days later, she accepted an invitation to accompany Michael and his mother when he piloted a Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
aeroplane to take his aunt, the Duchess of Aosta
Irene of Greece, Duchess of Aosta
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark was the fifth child and second daughter of Constantine I of Greece and his wife, the former Princess Sophie of Prussia.-Family and early life:...
, back home to Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. Sixteen days after meeting, Michael proposed to Anne while the couple were out on a drive in Lausanne. She accepted and, although Michael gave her an engagement ring
Engagement ring
An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...
a few days later, he felt obliged to refrain from a public announcement until he informed his government, despite the fact that the press besieged them in anticipation.
Michael returned to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, where he was told by the prime minister that a wedding announcement was not "opportune". Yet within days it was used as the government's public explanation for Michael's sudden "abdication
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
", when in fact the king was deposed
Deposition (politics)
Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication...
by the Communists
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
on 30 December. Anne was unable to get further news of Michael until he was deported
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
. But they finally rendez-voused in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
on 23 January 1948.
Wedding
As a BourbonHouse of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, Anne was bound by the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, which required that she receive a dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
to marry a non-Catholic Christian (Michael is Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
). At the time, such a dispensation was normally only given if the non-Roman Catholic partner promised to allow the children of the marriage to be raised as Roman Catholics. Michael refused to make this promise since it would have violated Romania's monarchical constitution, and would be likely to have a detrimental impact upon any possible restoration. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(which handled the matter directly since Michael was a member of a reigning dynasty) refused to grant the dispensation unless Michael made the required promise.
Queen Helen and the Duchess of Aosta (an Orthodox married to a Catholic Prince) met with the fiancée's parents in Paris, where the two families resolved to take their case to the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
in person. In early March, the couple's mothers met with Pope Pius XII who, despite the entreaties of the former Queen Regent and the fact that Princess Margrethe of Bourbon-Parma
Princess Margrethe of Denmark
Princess Margaret of Denmark was a princess of Denmark and Iceland by birth and a princess of Bourbon-Parma as the wife of Prince René of Parma.Her parents were Prince Valdemar of Denmark, youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and...
pounded her fist on the table in anger, refused permission for Anne to marry Michael.
It has been surmised that the Pope's refusal was, in part, motivated by the fact that when Princess Giovanna of Savoy
Giovanna of Italy
Joanna of Italy was the last Tsaritsa of Bulgaria.-Childhood:Giovanna was born in Rome, the third daughter and fourth child of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Queen Elena, former Princess of Montenegro...
wed King Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
in 1930, the couple had undertaken to raise their future children as Roman Catholics, but had baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
them in the Orthodox faith in deference to Bulgaria's state religion. However, Michael declined to make a promise he could not keep politically, while Anne's mother was herself the daughter of a mixed marriage between a Catholic Princess (Marie d'Orléans) and a Protestant (Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark, GCTE was a member of the Danish Royal Family, the youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Luise of Hesse-Kassel...
), who had abided by their pre ne temere
Ne Temere
Ne Temere was a decree of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council regulating the canon law of the Church about marriage for practising Roman Catholics....
compromise
Compromise
To compromise is to make a deal where one person gives up part of his or her demand.In arguments, compromise is a concept of finding agreement through communication, through a mutual acceptance of terms—often involving variations from an original goal or desire.Extremism is often considered as...
to raise their sons as Protestant and their daughter, Margrethe, as Catholic.
The engaged couple resolved to proceed. Anne's paternal uncle, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma
Xavier, Duke of Parma
Xavier, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, known before 1974 as Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma was the head of the ducal House of Bourbon-Parma, pretender to the defunct throne of Parma, and Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain under the name Javier I.-Early life:Xavier...
, issued a statement objecting to any marriage conducted against the will of the Pope and the bride's family. It was he, not the Pontiff
Pontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the principal college of priests . The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".-Etymology:The English term derives...
, who forbade Anne's parents to attend the wedding. Michael's spokesman declared on 9 June that the parents had been asked and had given their consent, and that the bride's family would be represented at the nuptials by her maternal uncle, Prince Eric of Denmark, who was to give the bride away.
The wedding was held in Athens, in the throne room
Throne room
A throne room is the room, often rather a hall, in the official residence of the crown, either a palace or a fortified castle, where the throne of a senior figure is set up with elaborate pomp— usually raised, often with steps, and under a canopy, both of which are part of the original notion of...
of the Royal Palace, where the ceremony was performed by Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Damaskinos, and King Paul of the Hellenes
Paul of Greece
Paul reigned as King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.-Family and early life:Paul was born in Athens, the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. He was trained as a naval officer....
served as koumbaros. Michael's father, ex-King Carol II of Romania
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
, and his sisters, Princesses Ileana
Princess Ileana of Romania
Princess Ileana of Romania was the youngest daughter of Ferdinand I of Romania, King of the Romanians, and his consort Queen Marie of Romania. She was born Her Royal Highness Ileana, Princess of Romania, Princess of Hohenzollern...
and Elisabeta were notified, but not invited. One of the bridesmaid
Bridesmaid
The bridesmaids are members of the bride's wedding party in a wedding. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony...
s was Sofia of Greece
Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
, a princess who would later convert to Catholicism to marry Juan Carlos of Spain, later becoming Queen Consort of Spain.
As no papal dispensation was given for the marriage, when it was celebrated according to the rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
on 10 June 1948 in Athens, Greece, it was deemed invalid by the Roman Catholic Church. But the couple would eventually wed again, on 9 November 1966 at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Charles in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, thus fulfilling obligations to both faiths.
Life and family
Anne is by tradition known as Her Majesty Queen Anne of Romania, although she married Michael after the loss of his throne. Anne and Michael have five daughters:- Princess Margarita of RomaniaPrincess Margarita of RomaniaPrincess Margarita of Romania , also styled as Crown Princess of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, former Princess of Hohenzollern, is the eldest daughter of Michael I , King of Romania , former Prince of Hohenzollern, and of his wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma...
(born 1949); married Radu Duda, later Prince of Hohenzollern-Veringen - Princess Elena of RomaniaPrincess Elena of Romania-Titles and styles:* 15 November 1950–present: Her Royal Highness, Princess Elena of Romania, Princess of Hohenzollern-Ancestry:-External links:* *...
(born 1950); married firstly, and later divorced from Robin Medforth-MillsRobin Medforth-MillsLeslie Robin Medforth-Mills was a professor and former UN official.-Family:Medforth-Mills was the son of Cyril Mills and Nora Medforth...
; married, secondly, to Alexander Phillips Nixon McAteer - Princess Irina of RomaniaPrincess Irina of RomaniaPrincess Irina of Romania is the third daughter of the former King of Romania, Michael I of Romania and his wife Queen Anne of Romania.-Marriage:...
(born 1953); married John Kreuger (divorced, 2003) - Princess Sophie of RomaniaPrincess Sophie of RomaniaPrincess Sophie of Romania , also known as Princess Sofia , is the fourth daughter of King Michael I of Romania and Queen Anne...
(born 1957); married Alain Michel Léonce Biarneix de Laufenborg (divorced, 2002) - Princess Maria of RomaniaPrincess Maria of RomaniaPrincess Maria of Romania is the youngest daughter and fifth child of Michael I , King of Romania, and his wife Queen Anne.-Marriage:...
(born 1964); married Kazimierz Wiesław Mystkowski (divorced, 2003)
For further details about the princesses: see (http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Roumanian_Royal_Family.htm#6.1212).
After their marriage, Anne and Michael lived first at Villa Sparta, the home of Michael's mother outside Florence, Italy. In 1949 they moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, and in 1951 to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where they lived at Bramshill House, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and later at Ayot St Lawrence
Ayot St Lawrence
Ayot St Lawrence is a small village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, between Harpenden and Welwyn. There are several other Ayots in the area, including Ayot Green and Ayot St Peter....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. In 1955 they returned to Switzerland and settled in Versoix
Versoix
Versoix is a municipality in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, which sits on the right bank of Lac Léman. It is the last town of the Canton of Geneva on the road northeast towards Lausanne, before the Canton of Vaud starts. It is a train stop on the SBB-CFF-FFS railway line running between...
near Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
In Romania
In 1992 Anne and Michael visited Romania for three days; it was Anne's first visit to the country. From 1993 to 1997, despite repeated attempts, Michael was refused entry to Romania by the hostile crypto-Communist Romanian government. During these years Anne visited the country a number of times representing her husband. Since 1997, there have been no restrictions on Anne and Michael's entry into Romania. Elisabeta PalaceElisabeta Palace
The Palace of Elisabeta , in Bucharest, Romania, is currently the stately home of King Michael I of Romania.The palace was designed in 1930 by the architect Marcu and built in 1936 for Princess Elisabeta, the former queen of Greece and sister of King Carol II...
was put at their disposal by the government, and they recuperated from the state some proprieties among which are Săvârşin Castle
Săvârşin Castle
The Royal castle of Săvârşin, near Arad, Transylvania, is the country seat of King Michael I of Romania. While the castle was seized from the Royal Family by Communist authorities, in 2000, a Romanian court ordered that the building be restored to King Michael I.-See also:*Romanian Royal...
and Peleş Castle
Peles Castle
Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914...
.
Queen Anne and King Michael celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary
Wedding anniversary
-Official recognition:In the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that...
in June 2008 with a series of public events in Romania, including a reception at the Athenee Palace Hilton Hotel in Bucharest, a performance by Romania's National Philharmonic Orchestra, and a formal dinner at Sinaia
Sinaia
Sinaia is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built; the monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai...
. Attendees included ex-King Constantine II of the Hellenes
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
and his wife Queen Anne-Marie, née Princess of Denmark, ex-King Simeon of Bulgaria
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Simeon Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II or Simeon II of Bulgaria is an important political and royal figure in Bulgaria...
and his queen, Margarita of Bulgaria, Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia
Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia
Alexander II Karadjordjevic, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia , is the former crown prince of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the head of the House of Karadjordjevic. Alexander is the only child of former King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark...
, Aimone, Duke of Aosta, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza , is the 24th Duke of Braganza and a pretender to the throne of Portugal.-Birth and education:...
, Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, née Princess of Luxembourg
Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria
Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria , is the oldest daughter and the first child of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, and the wife of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria...
, Prince Philip of Bourbon-Parma, Queen Sofia of Spain (Anne's attendant at the original wedding), as well as the couple's two eldest daughters and a couple of their grandchildren.