The Royal Hunts
Alongside gathering and fishing, hunting was one of humanity’s fundamental means of securing food for oneself and the community.
Steliu Lambru, 04.05.2026, 14:00
Hunting also carried a magical‑religious dimension, served as a marker of belonging to an elite, and functioned as a symbol of authority embodied by a nobleman or a sovereign.
The four kings of Romania—Carol I, Ferdinand I, Carol II, and Michael I—were also hunters. They organized hunting as an institution, enacted laws, and gathered entourages around themselves. Hunting became an occasion for diplomatic meetings and the promotion of social causes, as well as for lobbying. It also served as a means of sponsoring and advancing science and, over time, became part of sports and recreation. Through hunting, Romanian monarchs placed their country on the European map of the era.
The history of the Romanian monarchy, of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty—later known as the House of Romania—begins in 1866, with the arrival of Prince Carol in Bucharest. He was the founder of nearly everything that exists in Romania today, including hunting. Historian Narcis-Dorin Ion has been researching the history of the Romanian monarchy for over two decades and has shown that the first Romanian king differed from his successors in terms of his relationship to hunting: “All the kings of Romania were hunters, starting with the first king, Carol I, who was immediately registered, in the first year of his reign, in the first hunting association in Bucharest. The prince was quickly registered among the boyars, aristocrats, and businessmen who had already formed the association in 1866. They even recorded the scores Carol I achieved while hunting. He wasn’t a great hunter, nor was he particularly passionate about this hobby, this sport. But, for reasons of diplomacy, of life at the Royal Court, and of visits by European royalty, he had to go through with this ritual as well.”
Under the subsequent rulers, hunting in Romania developed systematically. Narcis-Dorin Ion: “As for Ferdinand I, Carol II, and Michael I, we can clearly say—as evidenced by all the documents—that they were great hunters, they were passionate about it, and they also developed the field of hunting in Romania. This passion, however, also required organization; it wasn’t just a matter of going hunting without prior preparation. Hunting associations emerged, and legislation was enacted, originating with Ferdinand I, continuing through the reign of Carol II, and inspired by French models. This legislation survived into the communist era, and we have inherited it to this day.”
Like any human activity, hunting also needs an infrastructure. Narcis-Dorin Ion. Track: “Out of this necessity arose the establishment of extensive royal hunting domains. Such domains existed in Banat, including Casa Verde in Timișoara and the estate at Șarlota, as well as the large domain at Gurghiu in Mureș and the residence at Lăpușna, also in Mureș. Some of these territories were inherited from the Hungarian aristocracy, while others were newly created, such as those at Gherghița, Periș, Drăgănești, and Scroviștea— the latter also belonging to Periș, near Bucharest. These domains were scientifically managed, received annual budgets, and were developed with the goal of increasing game populations. Of the twelve domains, six or seven had abundant wildlife and were organized accordingly.”
Contrary to popular belief, hunting was not—and is not—merely the act of shooting animals. Narcis Dorin Ion explains: ”The situation of the game was reported monthly. Authorities knew precisely the size of each animal population, from eagles to badgers, as well as the number of wolf, bear, and wild boar families. They monitored the presence of predators, recorded incidents of poaching, and systematically sent all this information to the Royal Hunting Administration. After 1945, the Soviet occupation troops inflicted severe damage on the Royal Hunting Domains. Documents from the period contain numerous accounts and complaints describing these events. At Periș and in the Banat domains, the retreating Russian forces devastated the local fauna, leaving the areas heavily depleted.”
Documents are indispensable for historians seeking to understand the past, and the reconstruction of the complex system of royal hunting in Romania relies entirely on the careful study of these sources. Narcis-Dorin Ion. Track: “The archival documents reveal detailed information about the rifles used by the kings during hunts—their brands, their origins, the number of shots fired, and the ways in which the game was handled afterward. Some of the game was sold, while other portions were distributed for charitable, social, or similar purposes. The documents also include menus from the hunting feasts that traditionally concluded these events. Given the status of the guests, the meals were anything but ordinary. We have printed menus, lists of the drinks served, and records of what was offered both to the participants and to those who assisted with the hunt. It was an entire ceremonial procession.”
Royal hunts played an important role in Romania, but they came to an end in 1947, the year the monarchy was forced out by the communist regime. The new workers’ elites continued to practice hunting extensively, yet without generating the same social benefits or fulfilling the same functions that had characterized the royal tradition. (EE/MI)
