The current Romanian royal family (of Romania, formerly named of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen), an integral part of the larger royal house of Romania,[1] consists of the family of former King Michael of Romania who bear a royal title (i.e. Royal Highnesses). There is also an illegitimate non-royal branch which descends from Michael's older half-brother Carol Mircea Hohenzollern (also known as "Carol Mircea Grigore of Romania", al României in Romanian, on his amended Romanian birth certificate[2]), whose members have never been recognised as part of the royal family by King Ferdinand, King Carol II or by King Michael. The former king, former queen and their five daughters renounced publicly any claim to the defunct titles Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern.
Family of Michael [edit]
- HM King Michael
HM Queen Anne
- HRH Crown Princess Margarita, born on (1949-03-26) 26 March 1949 (age 64)
HRH Prince Radu, born on (1960-06-07) 7 June 1960 (age 52)
- HRH Princess Helena (Elena), born on (1950-11-15) 15 November 1950 (age 62)
Alexander Philips Nixon McAteer, born on (1964-10-22) 22 October 1964 (age 48)
- HRH Prince Nicholas, born on (1985-04-01) 1 April 1985 (age 28)
- Karina de Roumanie Medforth-Mills, born on (1989-01-04) 4 January 1989 (age 24)
- HRH Princess Irina, born on (1953-02-28) 28 February 1953 (age 60)
John Wesley Walker, born on (1945-12-30) 30 December 1945 (age 67)
- Michael de Roumanie Kreuger, born on (1985-02-25) 25 February 1985 (age 28)
- Angelica de Roumanie Kreuger, born on (1986-12-29) 29 December 1986 (age 26)
Richard Robert Knight
- Countney Bianca Knight, born on (2007-05-31) 31 May 2007 (age 5)
- HRH Princess Sophie, born on (1957-10-29) 29 October 1957 (age 55)
- Elisabeth-Maria Biarneix, born on (1999-08-15) 15 August 1999 (age 13)
The children of Princess Elena, Princess Irina, and Princess Sophie have no rights to the Romanian throne according to both the defunct royal Constitution of 1923 and the defunct Law of the Statute of the Romanian royal house dated 1884. On December 30, 2007 in a private ceremony,[3][4] King Michael signed into effect a new such Statute, [5] an act with eminently symbolic importance in the absence of its approval by the Parliament[6][7] requested by Michael himself, in an attempt to replace the old 1884 Law of the Statute. Through the new Statute called Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania,[1] Michael decreed his grandchildren into the line of succession to the throne and to the headship of the Royal House and explicitly banned any other foreign prince belonging to any other royal or princely house from succeeding. On the same occasion he asked the Romanian Parliament to change the Salic law should it consider restoring the monarchy (see "Line of succession to the Romanian throne"). Through the same act, Michael also designated Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills as a future member of the Royal Family and future "Prince of Romania" with a "Royal Highness" style effective either on his 25th birthday, April 1, 2010, or upon Michael's death, whichever occurs sooner. Children or consorts of the members of the royal family of Romania who do not bear a Royal title, are not recognized as members of the Royal Family according to the new rules, but only as members of the larger family of King Michael I and of the Royal House.
Family of Carol Mircea Hohenzollern [edit]
Carol Mircea was the illegitimate son of King Carol II of Romania and his first wife Zizi Lambrino. Carol Mircea was born after the annulment of his parents marriage. In denial of the fact that both King Ferdinand and King Carol II refused to recognise his legitimacy, he went to court many years after the collapse of the monarchy to change matters. He won court cases in Portugal, France and Romania recognising him as a legitimate son of Carol II, even though this was clearly not the case. The family's pretentons to royal titles and membership of the Royal Family were not recognised by King Ferdinand or King Carol II. This continues to be the case under King Michael I of Romania. No foreign court recognises them as being royal. Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern opposes King Michael's decision to break ties with the House of Hohenzollern.[8] His opinions though are only those of a private and non-Romanian, German citizen.
- Paul-Philippe of Romania (born 1948), son of Carol Mircea Hohenzollern.
- Lia-Georgia Hohenzollern (née Triff) (born 1949), wife of Paul
- Carol Ferdinand al Romanai (born 2010), son of Paul
- Alexander Hohenzollern (born 1961), son of Carol Mircea Hohenzollern
Deceased members of the royal family [edit]
Family tree [edit]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania, The Romanian royal family website as retrieved on January 13, 2008
- ^ "General" Evenimentul Zilei
- ^ (Romanian) "Princess Margarita, heiress to the throne of Romania," Evenimentul Zilei, December 30, 2007
- ^ (Romanian) Communique, December 30, 2007 – The Press Bureau of His Majesty King Michael I, Elisabeta Palace, The Romanian Royal Family website as of December 30, 2007
- ^ (Romanian) "A Dynastical Constitution," Romania libera, January 9, 2008
- ^ (Romanian) "The King and Margarita – On The "Day of the Republic" The King Designated His Successor", Jurnalul National daily
- ^ (Romanian) "The Actor Duda in The Role of A Lifetime: Prince Consort of Romania," Cotidianul, January 3, 2008
- ^ "King Michael Breaks Ties With Hohenzollerns". theroyaluniverse.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
External links [edit]
