Prince Nicholas of Romania
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Prince Nicholas | |
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Peleş Castle, Sinaia, Kingdom of Romania | |
Died | 9 July 1978 Madrid, Spain | (aged 74)
Burial | The New Archbishopric and Royal Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș[1] |
Spouses | Ioana Dumitrescu-Doletti
(m. 1931; died 1963)Thereza Lisboa Figueira de Mello
(m. 1967) |
Marie of Edinburgh |
Prince Nicholas of Romania (Romanian: Principele Nicolae al României; 5 August 1903 – 9 June 1978), later known as Prince Nicholas of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the fourth child and second son of King Ferdinand I of Romania and his wife Queen Marie.
In 1927 after the death of his father, Nicholas was appointed as one of the three regents for his minor nephew King Michael I. His position as regent ended in 1930 with the return of his older brother Prince Carol to Romania to take over as King of Romania.
In later 1930, he was stripped of his titles and privileges and exiled from the Royal Court, due to King Carol II's disapproval of his marriage. On 10 July 1942, after the removal of King Carol II from the throne, during King Michael's second reign, Nicholas was given by the king the title of Nicholas of Hohenzollern — of the house to which he belonged.[2]
He died in exile on 9 July 1978 in Madrid, Spain.
Early life
Nicholas was born on 5 August 1903 in
In her memoirs, his mother wrote: "He was exceedingly independent, and always funny. He never could be still for a second ; he was for ever “up and doing.” Although far from good or obedient, he had a way of getting people to do what he wanted. Wherever Nicky went, he went to rule and order about, not because he was imperious and aggressive, but because he was funny. His funniness was of the good-humoured, irresistible kind which amuses even the dullest. Even as a tiny tot, his repartees were so comic that, instead of receiving the scolding he deserved he roused instead fun and laughter. Comically sly, he always had his own way, breaking down every defence or restriction."[4] He had a long nose, piercing blue eyes and silvery hair. His mother recalled him often tugging his sister Mignon's hair.
Biography
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2022) |
Nicholas was the younger brother of
Although unofficially referred to as "the first-ranking regent", Nicholas resented having to abandon his naval career and had no interest in politics. He tried to continue his father's cooperation with the National Liberals (PNL), and to contain the opposition of the National Peasants' Party (PNŢ) to the regency by appointing a national government under Ion I. C. Brătianu. Refused by Brătianu, he witnessed a change in Carol's stance in mid-1927, when the latter argued that he had been forced to give up his throne. The cooperation between Carol and the PNŢ was successfully neutralized by the PNL, but Brătianu's death in 1927 restored contacts and increased the appeal of the PNŢ. By then, the regency was widely perceived as consisting of figureheads, and, after Constantin Sărăţeanu (an appointee of PNŢ leader Iuliu Maniu) succeeded the deceased Buzdugan in 1929, it was believed to be torn apart by contrasting political ambitions. According to Nicolae Iorga, Miron Cristea himself had said:[citation needed]
"The Regency does not work because it has no head. The Prince smokes his cigarettes, Sărăţeanu looks through his books, and I, as a priest, can only try to reconcile."
Nicholas was at first delighted when
However, the cordial relations between Nicholas and Carol were short-lived. Nicholas wanted to marry Ioana Dumitrescu-Doletti, a divorced woman belonging to a
Nicholas was married twice. His first marriage took place in
The Prince also took an interest in
Archives
Prince Nicholas's personal papers (including family correspondence and photographs) are preserved in the "Nicolas, Prince of Romania Papers" collection in the Hoover Institution Archives (Stanford, California, USA).[6] There is also correspondence of Prince Nicholas preserved in the "Mother Alexandra Papers" collection, also in the Hoover Institution Archives (Stanford, California, USA).[7]
Honours
National
- Kingdom of Romania: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Carol I - Revoked
- Kingdom of Romania: Knight of the Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class
- Kingdom of Romania: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania - Revoked
- Order of the Crown- Revoked
- Order of Faithful Service- Revoked
- House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen: Knight Grand Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern
- Romania: Air marshal Badge of the Romanian Air Force - Post Revoked
Foreign
- Czechoslovakia: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion
- France: Knight Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight Grand Cross in Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Poland: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- Yugoslavian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- Great Cross of the Order of St Alexander (Grand Necklace) (1934)[8]
- Honorary Military Rank and other awards
- United Kingdom: Honorary Lieutenant Badge of British Royal Navy
- Romania: 1'st President of the Romanian kennel club
Ancestry
Ancestors of Prince Nicholas of Romania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- ^ Repatrierea Principelui Regent Nicolae
- ^ Royal Decision nr. 1 from 7 July 1942, published in "Monitorul Oficial al României", part I, nr. 156 from 8 July 1942,p. 5594
- ^ Marie, Queen of Romania (1933). The Story of My Life. C. Scribner’s sons. p. 517. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Marie, Queen (1934). The story of my life [by] Marie, queen of Romania. State Library of Pennsylvania. C. Scribner’s sons. p. 517.
- ^ "No. 33154". The London Gazette. 23 April 1926. p. 2778.
- ^ "Nicolas, Prince of Romania Papers". Hoover Institution Library & Archives. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Mother Alexandra Papers". Hoover Institution Library & Archives. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BASA-3K-2-123-244-Recipients_of_the_Bulgarian_Order_of_Saint_Alexander,_1912-1935.JPG [bare URL image file]
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (May 2016) |
- Young Nicholas as seen by an American visitor
- "Speed-Fiend Nicholas", in Time Magazine, 1929
- Prince Nicholas photo archive