Our King, Mihai 1st, Is Dead

We once had a King, but he was chased away by the communists, betrayed by everyone of his kind - or, so I perceived it from our history books. I grew up during communism, learning that the King was bad, that he left with a whole train full of gold and jewelry. They taught us the King was bad, because he 'sucked his subjects' blood' - that was the communists' favorite expression for incriminating the rich, including kings. They said the people should rule, not the King. But, in the end, they were worse than the King, because they decided everything for us and against us - worse is that it is still happening!
King Mihai 1st - the English are calling him Michael - was a very young king, in his 20s, back in 1947, when he had to abdicate. But, before that, he took a historical decision, turning arms against the Germans. The communists taught us they did it and, if it weren't for them, we would have been under German occupation.
We now find out what had really happened, although it's hard to believe everything they say it happened, once being lied.
Historians say the King left with only a few clothes and that he had to work for sustaining his family. He and Queen Anne had to grow chicken in their yard. The King had to work as a pilot, for his five girls.
They all lived in Switzerland and I knew he was there, somewhere, although it didn't interest me much - life here was hard enough to keep me preoccupied with my family.
Yet, I had the chance to learn about the King and his ancestors and not only from our history books. Like all kids in school, I visited the Peles Castle in Sinaia town, which is the symbol for the royal family, which once ruled our country. I was very impressed by the beauty of the castle itself, but also of the richness I saw inside and of the cleanness aswell - that's why they gave us all cloth slippers, to pull over our shoes, when entering the palace. The Peles Castle was built by King Carol the 1st and it had remained all kings property, until the communists came. But that wasn't the only castile the kings had in our country.
A few years back, I had the chance to visit Baltchic - a small town on the Bulgarian seashore. This resort is famous for Queen Mary's palace and gardens - our Queen Mary (Regina Maria), who was King Mihai's grandmother. She was very important for our country, because she loved it very much and wanted Romania to be among all great countries in the world. I hadn't known much about her work, but I had heard something about her castle at Baltchic. So, when I had the chance to visit it, I was more than happy. I knew that Baltchic was ours - meaning, it was a Romanian land - but it was lost after WWII, to Bulgaria. By the time Queen Mary built this castle and her gardens, Baltchic was Romanian land and  Queen Mary wanted it to be her secret place. I was very impressed, especially of the gardens, that's why I even wrote this article about it.
When the Revolution in 1989 started on December 16th, me and my husband were listening to Free Europe radio channel - a forbidden radio channel at that time - to find out what was happening at Timisoara, since our TV channels weren't broadcasting anything about the subject. We had heard that people were killed there, so we were very angry and worried. That is when we heard the King speaking and asking for peaceful measures. His tone wasn't aggressive, but calm and tender. It impressed me, yet things were that bad that the King's speech didn't matter much, except for making us pull together and be proud to be Romanians. I remember I was taught to be proud of my country and, as a child, I was proud. But that flew away fast, a few years later, when we had no power, no heat nor hot water in our apartments, for hours, and I had two small children to take care of.. I couldn't be proud of a country which didn't provide the minimum things I needed!
And this is how I grew old, always dreaming to immigrate to a better country and trying where ever I had the chance - not many chances though, hardly any hope of escape.
King Mihai 1st came back into our lives after 1989, when he came to visit Romania - once, his kingdom -  and, after several requests for the Romanian visa, he finally succeeded. I was amazed to see so many people greeting him and wishing that he would come back on his throne. That would have been bad - I thought - wouldn't it? I was still confused, but I get it now!
The authorities response to the King's requests for visa left me with a bitter taste. On his first a attempts to come to Romania, he was chased away from the airport, hunted on the highway and sent back to Switzerland. I found myself wondering why did Iliescu (our first president after 1989) order such things, against an old man, even if he was our former king? What harm could he do? Now I know that Iliescu was afraid of King Mihai, because he knew that many people loved him . Those were ex-soldiers from WWII, some in the King's army, their wives, children and grandchildren. Anyone who had a grandfather who had known the King, knew how humane the King was with his people. And then the communist came...and people started to be embarassed and ashamed for being Romanians. Instead of being with our heads up, with a winner's mentality, people in Romania stood with their heads down - for 50 years - feeling defeated. This is how the communist rulers thought we should be, so they could dominate us. It's only normal to ask myself how would have been our life if the King had ruled Romania, for all these years.
Finally, president Constantinescu made justice for our King and gave him the Romanian citizenship - which was taken from him when he was chased away, back in 1947. They returned him all the properties he had inherited from his ancestors, such as several palaces - which the communists confiscated from King Mihai 1st. Peles Castle is one of those properties.
And when he finally achieved the right to come and go from Romania at his will, he died.
King Mihai 1st died in Switzerland, but he wished to be buried in his country, Romania, at Curtea de Arges, where all his ancestors are buried.
I saw many sad people, for that reason, and I wondered why was that - was the King's death, really, that sad for them? I suppose it was, but I couldn't feel that sad, yet I pitted him, for his sad faith.
But then, I saw the burial ceremony on TV, with the king set on a cannon layer and walked throughout the city of Bucharest, with military honors, soldiers carrying his coffin, which was covered with the royalty flag.
I was amazed of how many people were on the streets, throwing flowers at the King's coffin. The burial ceremony was a royal one and very impressive.
King Mihai's body was taken to the Royal Palace in Bucharest, where thousands of people came to pay their respect and condoleances.

After that, the coffin was put on a cannon layer and walked through Bucharest, on its way to the Metropolitan Church.

 

 

According to our orthodox tradition, the King was brought at the Metropolitan Church, for a funeral service. Then, the coffin was walked through Bucharest, on its way to the Baneasa Royal Station (near Miorita Fountain).

 

 

 

 

 

It was put in the Royal Train, by which it travelled to Curtea de Arges, for the burial ceremony.

 

 

 

King Mihai was buried into the Royal Cathedral, next to all his ancestors, including his late wife, Queen Ana.

 

 

 

I saw all the ceremony and stood there, in front of the TV, in silent, but tears flew down from my eyes. Unexpectedly, I felt sad and impressed, but also grieved for our King. The burial ceremony made me think more about him and his sad destiny as a king.
Thousands of Romanians felt the same, but even more, because they were out there, on the streets, all over the city, on the King's way to his grave.

Farewell, your Majesty!