The Coronation of 1922

On October 15th, 1922, Romanians witnessed an unexpected event, an event with a strong impact in the mind of every Romanian, who had seen the years of the First World War: the coronation of Romania's sovereigns, King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie in Alba Iulia. The kingdom of Greater Romania, took shape in the wake of WWI, being the result of an incommensurable sacrifice of human and material resources, as well as superhuman diplomatic efforts. Following that huge price in human lives and material resources, the new Romania became the country where any citizen could freely develop their personality and contribute to the general happiness and wellbeing.  The publications of the time abounded in details on the organization of the aforementioned event. First off they published the special venue, the city of Alba Iulia, where in 1600 Wallachian prince Michael the Brave entered in front of his army, an event considered by historians the first political union of the Romanian principalities. 

          Then there was the religious service and the emotions caused by the coronation, the rituals going on and the leading personalities attending the event. The press also wrote about the political rivalries which didn't cease to exist even during this event. The Liberal government led by Ion I.C. Brătianu staged the entire coronation, which was boycotted by the political opposition. At the same time, publications wrote about the Pope's disapproval of a Catholic king who was to be crowned in an Orthodox church. However, these were all minor elements and the coronation went on as planned, because there was nothing to hinder that major event in the life of a nation.

In the following minutes historian Ioan Scurtu is going to help us understand how that moment was perceived by the main participants in the event, the king and the queen. According to Ioan Scurtu the two very different personalities of the king and his wife became very visible on that occasion.

          Ioan Scurtu:" King Ferdinand was less active and didn't love public appearances, but he eventually accepted the coronation protocol just like he did during the Crown Council in 1916 when he announced he had to go against his will and accept Romania's joining the war as the Council had asked. Queen Marie had a more active role in politics unlike Queen Elizabeth, who wasn't allowed by her husband, King Carol I, to get involved in Romania's political life. Ferdinand believed that it was the sovereigns' right to coronation for their major contribution to the 1918 union of the Romanian principalities. And that was also visible in the crowns of the two royal figures. Ferdinand took over the steel crown of his predecessor, king Carol, which had three precious stones added, representing Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania. Queen Marie decided that the crown she took over from Queen Elizabeth was too modest, so she ordered one made up of gold adorned with a lot of jewels, which was weighing more than two kilograms."   

The extremely strong personality of Queen Marie became very visible during the coronation, but that strong personality was actually completing that of her husband. Here is historian Ioan Scurtu at the microphone.

Ioan Scurtu:" The central figure in the programme of the Coronation Committee was of course King Ferdinand. Queen Marie tried all the time to be close to the king, she wouldn't be overshadowed although she hadn't had the king's contribution to the union. In her diary she wrote about a difficult moment for her when she had to kneel before the king to have the crown placed on her head. However, the king helped her to stand up and kissed her forehead. The king placed the crown on his head like Napoleon Bonaparte."

The general happiness and the feeling of victory at the end of 1918 persisted right until the coronation. Here is historian Ioan Scurtu again.

 Ioan Scurtu:" The king was himself, he behaved in his style. After the war, an armistice was signed and high officials, including the clergy had to come to Bucharest those days. The queen was very happy and told him 'Nando, do you realize you have become the king of all Romanians, you're a great man, a historic personality?' But the king had only a laconic reply 'It was God's will!' As if he hadn't made such an extraordinary contribution to that union. They were so different from each other, like I said, different personalities, but what was important was the fact that they stayed together and everyone saw the event as the coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie."

The coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie on October 15th 1922 was a triumph for an entire nation, which paid a huge price and the sacrifice they made at that time will never be forgotten by the generations to come.

(bill)