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The Regalia of Romania are a set of items which were used for the coronation of the kings and queens of Romania. They are currently housed in the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. The regalia consist of the Royal Crown (the so-called "Steel Crown"), the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, the Crown of Queen Maria, orbs, the Scepter of King Ferdinand I the Scepter of King Carol II, the Sword of King Carol I and the Royal Mantle. [1]
The Romanian "Steel Crown" is the crown that was used for the coronation of Romanian kings. [2] It was cast of steel from a Turkish cannon that was captured by the Romanian Army during the Siege of Plevna [3] in the Romanian War of Independence (1877-1878). King Carol I chose that the crown be made of steel, not gold, to symbolize the bravery of the Romanian soldiers. In addition to the absence of gold, the crown contains no precious stones. [4] The crown was presented to the king on May 10, 1881, during the ceremonies of his coronation and of the proclamation of Romania as a kingdom. On October 15, 1922, the crown was used for the coronation of King Carol I's nephew and successor, King Ferdinand I, as well as the coronation of Romania's last king, Michael I, on September 6, 1940. The planned September 1930 coronation of Ferdinand's son, King Carol II, who was the father of King Michael I, never occurred because of his relationship with Magda Lupescu. [5]
The Crown of Queen Elizabeth was made of gold at the Arsenalul Armatei for the occasion of the proclamation of the Kingdom and the coronation of King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth in 1881. The crown follows a medieval design similar to that of the Royal Steel Crown, and it, too, does not contain precious stones. [6]
The Crown of Queen Maria was made of gold mined from the Transylvania region of Romania. It was constructed specifically for the occasion of the coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria in 1922 at Alba-Iulia. [7] The Crown has a very original design. Rather than wearing the crown of Queen Elizabeth, Queen Maria had reportedly told her husband "I want nothing modern that another queen might have. Let mine be all medieval." The new crown was modeled on one having belonged to Milica Despina of Wallachia, the consort of a 16th-century Wallachian prince. It contains rubies, emeralds, amethyst, turquoise and opals and weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kg). Grains of wheat decorate the base of the crown topped by eight large and eight small flower ornaments connected by interlacing branches. A globe and cross sit atop the eight arches above the flower ornaments and a pendulum, supposedly copied from ancient Byzantine head ornaments, hangs from either side of the headband just above the ear, each bearing the coat of arms of Romania. From each of these pendula hang three chains, each with a cross within a gold circle at the end. [8]
The Scepter of Ferdinand I, was constructed in Alba-Iulia for the coronation of King Ferdinand I in 1922. [9] It was presented to the king on May 10, 1920 by six girls from the orphanage Radu Voda, and is inscribed "King Ferdinand I, King of the Romanians is presented this gift by his people as a reward for his worthiness and good governance of the country during the years 1916-1919". At the top are four images of peasants in national costumes representing Transylvania, Bessarabia, Bukovina and the ancient kingdom Romania. [10] The head of an eagle sits atop the scepter and symbolizes the Latin origin of the Romanians. [11]
The Scepter of Carol II was presented by Romanian Army officials to King Carol II in 1940 for the 10th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. [12] This scepter is similar to the Scepter of Ferdinand I. [13]
The Sword of King Carol I of Romania was a present to King Carol I by Ottoman Sultan Abdul-Aziz. Its blade is crafted from Damascus steel and it has a gold plated handgrip. The sheath contains 1140 jewels, including 46 diamonds. [14]
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was a principality in Southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the senior Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. The Swabian Hohenzollerns were elevated to princes in 1623. The small sovereign state with the capital city of Sigmaringen was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1850 following the abdication of its sovereign in the wake of the revolutions of 1848, then became part of the newly created Province of Hohenzollern.
Ferdinand, nicknamed Întregitorul, was King of Romania from 1914 until his death in 1927. Ferdinand was the second son of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and Infanta Antónia of Portugal, daughter of Ferdinand II of Portugal and Maria II of Portugal. His family was part of the Catholic branch of the Prussian royal family Hohenzollern.
Crown jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portraits, as they symbolize the power and continuity of the monarchy. Additions to them may be made, but since medieval times the existing items are typically passed down unchanged as they symbolize the continuity of the monarchy.
Alba Iulia is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a population of 63,536.
The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower of London which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs.
The Honours of Scotland, informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are regalia that were worn by Scottish kings and queens at their coronations. Kept in Edinburgh Castle, they date from the 15th and 16th centuries, and are the oldest surviving set of crown jewels in the British Isles.
Iuliu Maniu was a Romanian lawyer and politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the Re-Union of Transylvania with Romania.
Marie of Romania was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I.
Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign, but now the word usually refers to any type of elaborate formal dress and dress accessories.
The globus cruciger, also known as "the orb and cross", is an orb surmounted by a cross. It has been a Christian symbol of authority since the Middle Ages, used on coins, in iconography, and with a sceptre as royal regalia.
Danish Crown Regalia are the symbols of the Danish monarchy. They consist of three crowns, a Sceptre, Globus cruciger, the Sword of state and an Ampulla . The Danish Royal Regalia are kept in the treasury at Rosenborg Castle. The oldest of these is Christian III's sword of state from 1551. They further include King Christian IV's diamond; pearl- and gold-embroidered saddles; objects carved from ivory and rock-crystal; lapidary pieces of precious stones, and brooches in the form of fantastic animals.
Great Union Day is a national holiday in Romania, celebrated on 1 December, marking the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918, something that is known as the Great Union. This holiday was declared after the Romanian Revolution and commemorates the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, who declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania.
The Steel Crown of King Carol I of the Romanians was forged at the Army Arsenal in Bucharest from the steel of a cannon captured by the Romanian Army from the Ottomans during its War of Independence.
Ținutul Mureș was one of the ten ținuturi ("lands") of Romania, founded in 1938 after King Carol II initiated an institutional reform by modifying the 1923 Constitution and the law of territorial administration. It comprised most of Transylvania, and included parts of the Székely Land. Its capital was the city of Alba-Iulia. Ținutul Mureș ceased to exist following the territorial losses of Romania to Hungary and the king's abdication in 1940.
Sweden's regalia are kept deep in the vaults of the Royal Treasury, underneath the Royal Palace in Stockholm, in a museum that is open to the public. The crowns and coronets have not been worn by Swedish royalty since 1907, but they are still displayed at weddings, christenings and funerals.
The Imperial Treasury at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria contains a valuable collection of secular and ecclesiastical treasures covering over a thousand years of European history. The entrance to the treasury is at the Schweizerhof, the oldest part of the palace, which was rebuilt in the sixteenth century in the Renaissance style under Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. The Imperial Treasury is affiliated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and houses in 21 rooms a collection of rare treasures that were compiled by the Imperial House of Habsburg over the course of centuries, including the Imperial Crown, Orb, and Sceptre of Austria, and the Imperial Regalia of the Emperors and Kings of the Holy Roman Empire, including the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire.
Coronations in Europe were previously held in the monarchies of Europe. The United Kingdom is the only monarchy in Europe that still practices coronation. Current European monarchies have either replaced coronations with simpler ceremonies to mark an accession or have never practiced coronations. Most monarchies today only require a simple oath to be taken in the presence of the country's legislature.
Samoilă Mârza was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian photographer. A native of Transylvania region and a veteran of World War I, he is best known for taking the only photographs of the Great National Assembly at Alba Iulia that proclaimed the Union of Transylvania with Romania on December 1, 1918. The day is celebrated as Romania's national holiday, and, with time, Mârza's images acquired political and documentary significance.
The Coronation Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral located at 16 Mihai Viteazul Street, Alba Iulia, Romania. Built soon after and in commemoration of the Union of Transylvania with Romania, it is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Alba Iulia.
The Georgian Crown Jewels were the regalia and vestments worn by the monarchs of Georgia during the coronation ceremony and at other state functions. The last Georgian monarchs, Heraclius II and George XII, had their regalia invested, respectively in 1783 and 1798, from the Russian tsars, their official protectors. Of these royal jewels—a crown, sword, and scepter—only the latter staff survives, in the collection of the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow.
