On Wednesday evening, Her Majesty the Crown Custodian and the Prince Consort were received at Windsor Castle by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in a private meeting
Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Her Majesty Margareta, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu began a public visit to the UK on Wednesday.
During the first part of the day, the royal couple visited the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), photo; they were accompanied by Romania’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Laura Popescu, Master of the Royal Household Andrew Popper, Chancellor of Her Majesty’s House Traian Sarca, and the Crown Custodian’s Chief of Staff Liana Greavu.
The royal couple were greeted by Lieutenant General Sir George Norton, Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, and Major-General Stephen McMahon, after which the Crown Custodian and Prince Radu engaged in a dialogue with RCDS students on current European and Euro-Atlantic topics.
In Romania, NATO and the EU are two highly regarded organizations, and over 80 percent of the country’s population would not see the country otherwise but as a member of the two organizations, Prince Radu emphasized in his speech, pointing out that “pro-Western values have always been in the fiber of the Romanian nation.”
His Highness highlighted the role of the Royal Family in the development and promotion of Romania’s stability, bringing to mind the personality of King Michael and the sovereign’s ties with London.
“We are an active Royal Family in a country that, from a constitutional point of view, is a republic. In Romania, the head of the state is the elected President. Nowhere else in Europe or elsewhere in the world is there a Royal Family so prominently active and at the forefront of public life as in Romania. And this needs to be explained, because this is in fact the key to the question why we are here today (…). The way we see things is very original because, first of all, we are not carrying out a four-year term. Secondly, we are not politically appointed. And thirdly, what we do adds to the efforts of the Romanian and European institutions, it does not run counter to them and does not overlap with them in any way,” Prince Radu explained to this year’s RCDS students.
In a different thread, the Prince Consort opined that the degradation of competencies is one of the reasons why situations such as the current global health crisis are increasingly difficult to overcome.
In February 2017, the Royal College of Defence Studies received the visit of the Royal Family of Romania, and in May the following year the members of the College visited the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest.
The Royal College of Defence Studies is part of the UK Defence Academy and is the institution’s most advanced form of education. It was founded in 1927 by Winston Churchill, under the name of Imperial Defence College, and functioned like this until 1971 when it took its current name.
Every year, a number of 90-100 personalities are admitted to the RCDS course which lasts one year and is intended for senior members of the military, the diplomatic corps, civil servants and officials in important positions in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and other countries. The course focuses on high-level political, diplomatic, security, social and economic issues that are subject to government decisions both at national level and within the international community. The topics are analyzed in the light of their implications in terms of strategy and leadership. Participation in the RCDS course is by invitation only.
Next, Prince Radu was the guest of the British Paralympic Association, where he met with the organization’s president and CEO, Mike Sharrock. Also on Wednesday, the Crown Custodian and Prince Radu met with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Vincent Thomas Keaveny, at his residence, Mansion House. Vincent Thomas Keaveny is the 693rd Lord Mayor of London. Romania’s ambassador in London, Laura Popescu, also attended.
The connection between the royal family of Romania and the Lord Mayor of London has a long tradition that starts in 1874 with King Carol I and Queen Elisabeta being the guests of the Lord Mayor, who offered them an official dinner at the Guildhall. King Mihai met with three successive Lords Mayor of London in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was also awarded the honorary title of ‘Freeman of the City of London’. Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu met with the Lord Mayors in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017 at Mansion House and Guildhall.
On Wednesday evening, Her Majesty the Crown Custodian and the Prince Consort were received at Windsor Castle by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in a private meeting.
Romanian embassy in London hosts unveiling ceremony of bust of King Mihai I
Romanian embassy in London hosted on Thursday the unveiling ceremony of the bust of King Mihai I, in the presence of her Majesty Margareta, the Crown Custodian, and his Royal Highness Prince Radu, who are on a public visit to the United Kingdom.
The unveiling of the bust of King Mihai I, made by visual artist Valentin Tanase and erected in the courtyard of the Romanian embassy, was made by the Crown Custodian and by Romania’s ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Laura Popescu, on the day the late sovereign makes exactly 100 years and one month since birth.
Approximately 50 guests were present at the ceremony, among which the chairman of the Royal Council, Andrew Popper, Romania’s consul general in Manchester, Andreea Berechet, the honorary consuls of Romania to the United Kingdom, representatives of ICR (Romanian Cultural Institute) London, members of the Romanian community and the executive director of the Canary Wharf Group, Sir George Iacobescu, who is born in Romania.
During her speech, the Romanian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Laura Popescu, saluted the figure of King Mihai and highlighted the strong bond between him and the British Royal Family, an important contribution in consolidating relations between Bucharest and London.
“King Mihai was simply exceptional. His strength, his dignity, his moral fiber, his devotion towards his people left a huge mark and inspiration upon several generations of Romanians, which cannot be quantified. The Royal House of Romania has such strong ties with the British Royal Family – and King Mihai is a reminder of this. He was the great grand-nephew of Queen Victoria and the nephew of King Maria of Romania, who was born in the British Royal Family in Kent,” ambassador Laura Popescu said.
“I am very happy that her Majesty Margareta, the Crown Custodian of Romania, and his Royal Highness Prince Radu are present today to mark this truly memorable moment,” the Romanian diplomat added.
Mihai I, king of Romania between the years 1927-1930 and 1940-1947, was born on October 25, 1921, in central Sinaia, as the son of Prince Carol and Elena, princess of Greece. The sovereign was a third cousin with her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain.
By Agerpres correspondent in London
Photo: www.romaniaregala.ro
