Princely and Royal Thrones
A symbol of royal authority, thrones held a central place in the representations of power in the Romanian space
Steliu Lambru, 15.03.2026, 12:31
A symbol of royal authority, thrones held a central place in the representations of power in the Romanian space. Before 1945, they were a natural presence in the public life. After 1947, when the communist government forced King Mihai I to abdicate and proclaimed the republic, everything related to the material heritage of royalty, including the throne, was pushed to the periphery of everyday existence and mocked, as were the fundamental human rights and freedoms.
Recently, the National History Museum of Romania organised a unique exhibition in post-communist Romania, one which displays the thrones of the princes and kings of Romania. They are more than just personal chairs or armchairs, because they bear the heraldic insignia of the Romanian state and the historical principalities that constitute it. They were also used by their occupants in their legitimate capacity as monarchs in official domestic and foreign meetings.
The museum brought together six such pieces of great value. Chronologically, the first throne is that of Grigore IV Dimitrie Ghica, the first Romanian to reign in Wallachia between 1822 and 1828, after more than a century of Phanariot rulers. Experts have not been able to identify the provenance of the massive oak piece carved in an eclectic style, with elements of Italian Neo-Renaissance and Neoclassicism. The second throne is that of Prince Gheorghe Bibescu, ruler of Wallachia between 1843 and 1848. It is a piece in the Blondel style, eclectic, of Central European origin. The third and fourth thrones were used by the first prince of united Moldavia and Wallachia, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and his wife Elena Cuza, between 1859 and 1866. They were built in the Napoleon III style, also an eclectic style.
In 1881, Romania became a kingdom, and Karl and Elisabeth were crowned as its first sovereigns. In 1890, construction began on a new royal palace, and placed in the Throne Room in 1909 were the fifth and sixth thrones of today’s exhibition, those of King Karl I and Queen Elisabeth. The two pieces were made of solid wood, with a high back and decorated with the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania formed by the Romanian shield superimposed on the shield of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, a coat of arms supported by two rampant lions on laurel branches.
Cornel Ilie is the manager of the National History Museum and our guide today:
Cornel Ilie: “Worth noting are the most famous thrones, those of Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Elena Cuza, which were later used for a good period of time by Prince Karl and Princess Elisabeth. We have little information on the early history of these thrones, as we have not yet been able to find out exactly when they were made. We learn about the material from which these thrones are made and at least this way we have some clues that will take us closer to finding out details about who was behind the making of these thrones.”
Just like people, thrones have suffered the ravages of time.
Cornel Ilie: “A very interesting story is linked to the throne of Queen Elizabeth, which was sometimes mistaken for the throne of King Karl. It is true that they look very similar, the main differences have to do with the stones that adorn them. However, what I was able to clarify is the fact that the 1970s movies, ‘Haiducii lui Şaptecai’ and ‘Zestrea domniței Ralu’, do not feature this throne, but the throne of King Karl, which is now at the museum in Golești.”
Cornel Ilie also told us about the central piece in this unique exhibition.
Cornel Ilie: “We also have a spectacular throne, which I think is the most famous of all six. It is the throne that the kings of Romania used when they went to the Romanian Parliament. We see it especially in images of King Karl II from the 1930s.”
During the communist years, royal heritage items were used in the most worthless projects, and the thrones suffered the same fate. The Buftea Film Studios took advantage of the lack of consideration for heritage at that time.
Cornel Ilie: “What connects these thrones is, somehow, the communist period. It’s a small miracle that we are able see all six of them here today, because at least some of them could easily have been lost, let’s say, or destroyed. I don’t know who could imagine today that a royal throne, such as King Karl’s throne, was simply taken by the Buftea Cinema Studios, by someone there. We don’t know the full story, maybe we’ll figure it out at some point, but the throne was taken and used as a prop in movies. It’s something that seems absurd to us today, but that’s what happened. That throne was at the National Museum of Art, someone needed a prop, they went to the Museum of Art, they saw this throne and they said it would be good to take it and use it in movies.”
Today, the princely and royal thrones of Romania have regained the respect they deserve. And by their mere presence, they send a powerful message to tomorrow’s generations. (AMP)
