Sculptures of King Michael and Queen Mother Helen of Romania

King Michael.

In the Museo Pietro Canonica at the Villa Borghese in Rome, there are two sculptures of a mother and a son, a queen mother and a king. Both likenesses were created in marble by Italian artist Pietro Canonica (1869-1959). The sculptures depict King Michael I of Romania and his beloved mother Queen Helen of Romania. 

Queen Mother Helen.

To learn more, please visit the website of the museum:

Museo Pietro Canonica a Villa Borghese

The Diamond Wedding Anniversary of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain

Juan Carlos and Sofía.

Today marks sixty years since the marriage of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark. The couple were twice on 14 May 1962: firstly in a Roman Catholic ceremony held at 10am in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, and secondly in a Greek Orthodox ceremony held at noon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The Gotha turned out in full force with the Greek and Spanish royal families to witness the union of the man and woman who would in 1975 become the King and Queen of Spain.

Princess Sophia arrives in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius on the arm of her father, King Pavlos of Greece, and followed by her eight bridesmaids.

The Count and Countess of Barcelona witness the marriage of their son and daughter-in-law.

The couple at the altar.

Sophia puts the wedding band on Juan Carlos's hand.

Juan Carlos places the wedding ring on Sophia's hand.

The Prince and Princess depart the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius.

The Prince and Princess greet the crowds lining the streets of Athens on their way to the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia in the Metropolitan Cathedral. Behind them are Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark and Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, who married in Athens two years later.

The couple during the crowning ceremony. Behind them one sees the Duke of Calabria, King Paul of Greece, and Prince Christian of Hannover.

Juan Carlos and Sophia depart the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (obscured), Queen Frederica of Greece on the arm of the Count of Barcelona, behind them is Queen Mother Helen of Romania, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Queen Ingrid of Denmark (obscured), and King Olav of Norway.

A Ruritanian Idea from the 1990s: King Edward of Estonia

Prince Edward in 1994.

Photo (c) Heptagon/Shutterstock.

In July 1994, the Estonian Royalist Party (Eesti Rojalistlik Partei / ERP) sent a letter to Buckingham Palace requesting that Prince Edward, the youngest child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, accept their invitation to become King of Estonia. At the time, the party had 8% of the seats in the Estonian Parliament. Estonia had gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The man behind this eccentric request was Kalle Kulbok, the head of the Royalist Party. In an interview, Mr Kulbok stated: "A British royal on the throne of Estonia would link us closely with Britain, a democracy we would like to emulate. It above all would be a great protection against future Russian attempts to conquer us again." The Estonian would-be-kingmaker went on to elucidate the virtues of Prince Edward that would endear the royal to the people of Estonia: "Estonians admire youth, which is free of Soviet corruption. Prince Edward is young and we are a very young nation ruled by a very young government. We like Prince Edward's artistic interests, which fit very well with Estonia's. I can also promise that Estonian newspapers are a lot nicer and more respectful than the English media." As it turns out, Kalle Kulbok had confided his dreams of a Kingdom of Estonia to the well-known historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore. Mr Kulbok entrusted the letter of the Royalist Party to Mr Sebag-Montefiore to be delivered to Buckingham Palace, which the latter kindly (and likely with a large dose of amusement) did.

When reports of this letter emerged, a spokesperson of the Estonian Embassy to the UK offered some clarification to the British people: "Estonians think very kindly of your royal family. But the Estonian Royalist Party is our equivalent of your raving loony party. They do not represent the government in any way." A Buckingham Palace spokesperson anonymously confided: "It is a charming but unlikely idea."

Romanian Royals Remember King Michael on 100th Anniversary of His Birth

Crown Princess Helen and the newborn Prince Michael of Romania. Photo from HM King Michael I of Romania: A Tribute.

Queen Sophie of Greece and her grandson Prince Michael. Photo from HM King Michael I of Romania: A Tribute.

Queen Marie of Romania and her grandson Prince Michael. Photo from HM King Michael I of Romania: A Tribute.

Crown Prince Carol and Crown Princess Helen of Romania with their son Prince Michael. Photo from HM King Michael I of Romania: A Tribute.

On Monday, 25 October, the family of King Michael of Romania commemorated the centenary since His Majesty's birth in 1921. Michael was the only child of King Carol II of Romania and Queen Mother Helen of Romania (born Princess of Greece and Denmark). In 1948, King Michael married Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma. The king and queen had five daughters: Princess Margarita, Princess Helen, Princess Irina, Princess Sophie, and Princess Marie. Queen Anne of Romania died in 2016; King Michael died in 2017. The king and queen are buried at Curtea de Argeș.

Nicholas and Alina of Romania participate in the memorial of King Michael's birth at Curtea de Argeș.

Photo (c) Nicolae al Romaniei.

Nicholas and Alina-Maria of Romania. Photo (c) Nicolae al Romaniei.

Nicholas visits the graves of King Carol I and Queen Elisabeta of Romania. Photo (c) Nicolae al Romaniei.

The graves of King Michael I and Queen Anne of Romania. Photo (c) Nicolae al Romaniei.

The king's grandson, Nicholas, and his wife, Alina-Maria, attended a memorial service at Curtea de Argeș, where King Michael and Queen Anne are buried together with the Romanian monarchs who preceded them. The following statement was released by Nicholas:

On this day of double meaning, in which we mark one hundred years since the birth of King Mihai I, as well as the Romanian Army Day, I participated with my wife Alina-Maria de Roumanie at a memorial officiated by Archbishop Calinic in the Archbishopric Cathedral at Curtea of Argeș in memory of my grandfather and the heroes of this nation, reminding us of the sacrifice, devotion and courage demonstrated in the defense of the integrity of our country.

The date of October 25 marks the full release of Romanian territory from the occupation of the troops of Hungary. General Gheorghe Avramescu won the final victory at Carei, dedicating it to King Mihai on the occasion of his twenty-third birthday on 25 October 1944.

Our thoughts will always be directed towards my grandfather, the youngest king in the history of Romania and the last monarch of the country, just as we will be eternally grateful to the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the country, fighting for freedom and justice. May God rest them in peace!

The statue of His Majesty King Michael of Romania, Sinaia. Photo (c) PPE/RoyalblogNL Hans Jacobs.

Margarita, Custodian of the Crown, in front of the statue of her father King Michael.

Photo (c) PPE/RoyalblogNL Hans Jacobs.

Princess Elena of Romania at the unveiling of the statue of her father. Photo (c) PPE/RoyalblogNL Hans Jacobs.

Princess Sofia of Romania at the unveiling of the statue of her father. Photo (c) PPE/RoyalblogNL Hans Jacobs.

Princess Maria of Romania at the unveiling of the statue of her father. Photo (c) PPE/RoyalblogNL Hans Jacobs.

In Sinaia, a statue of King Michael was unveiled in the presence of most of his children. This event was attended by four of the king's five daughters: Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, with her husband Prince Radu; Princess Helen (mother of Nicholas); Princess Sophie; and Princess Marie. They also visited an exhibition at the National Bank of Romania, where a special commemorative coin was presented. For more information and pictures of this event, you can visit this link: Centenarul nașterii Regelui Mihai I.

May the memory of His Majesty be a blessing.