Anne of Romania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anne of Bourbon-Parma |
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| Queen of Romania (titular) | |||||
Anne at the Romanian French Community gala in Paris, 1991
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| Born | Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma 18 September 1923 Paris, France |
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| Died | 1 August 2016 (aged 92) Morges, Vaud, Switzerland |
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| Burial | 13 August 2016 Curtea de Argeș Cathedral, Romania |
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| House | Bourbon-Parma | ||||
| Father | Prince René of Bourbon-Parma | ||||
| Mother | Princess Margaret of Denmark | ||||
Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma (born Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite; September 18, 1923 – August 1, 2016) was the wife of King Michael I of Romania. She married Michael in 1948, after he had given up his throne. Even so, she was known as Queen Anne (Romanian: Regina Ana) after their marriage.
Contents
Early Life of Princess Anne
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Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma was born on September 18, 1923, in Paris, France. She was the only daughter of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margaret of Denmark. She grew up in France with her three brothers. Her family called her Nane.
Her family spent holidays at a villa in Italy or a palace in Denmark. In 1939, her family had to leave France because of the Nazis. They traveled through Spain and Portugal before reaching the United States. Anne studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City from 1940 to 1943. She also worked as a sales assistant at Macy's department store. In 1943, she joined the French Army as a volunteer. She drove ambulances in places like Algeria, Morocco, Italy, and Germany during World War II. For her brave service, Anne received the French Croix de Guerre medal.
Meeting and Marriage
How Anne Met Michael
In November 1947, Anne met Michael I of Romania in London. Michael was there for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (who later became Queen Elizabeth II). A year before, Michael's mother had invited Anne and her family to visit Romania, but it didn't happen. Michael had seen Anne in a newsreel (a short film shown in cinemas) and asked for her picture.
Anne didn't want to go to the royal wedding with her parents. She wanted to see King Michael secretly at the train station in Paris. But her cousin, Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, convinced her to come to London. When she arrived, she went to see her parents and was unexpectedly introduced to King Michael. She was so surprised that she clicked her heels instead of curtseying, and then quickly left. Michael was charmed by her. They met again at a party and talked about his worries about the Communists taking over Romania. He nicknamed her Nan. They spent time together in London, always with a chaperone.
A few days later, Michael asked Anne to join him and his mother on a flight to Lausanne. Sixteen days after they first met, Michael proposed to Anne during a drive in Lausanne. She first said no, but after thinking about it, she said yes. Michael gave her an engagement ring, but they couldn't announce it publicly right away. Michael had to tell his government first.
Michael went back to Romania, where his prime minister told him that a wedding announcement was not a good idea. Soon after, Michael was forced to give up his throne by the Romanian Communist Party. Anne couldn't get news of Michael until he left Romania. They finally met again in Davos on January 23, 1948.
The Wedding Ceremony
Anne was a Roman Catholic, and the rules of her church (called canon law) said she needed special permission to marry someone who wasn't Catholic. Michael was Orthodox. Usually, this permission was given only if the non-Catholic person promised to raise their children as Catholics. Michael refused to make this promise because it would go against Romania's laws for its king.
Anne's mother and Michael's mother met with Pope Pius XII to ask for permission. But the Pope still said no. It's thought that the Pope remembered a past situation where a Catholic princess married an Orthodox king and didn't raise their children as Catholics. However, Anne and Michael decided to go ahead with the wedding anyway.
Anne's uncle, Xavier, Duke of Parma, spoke out against the marriage because the Pope didn't approve. He even told Anne's parents not to attend the wedding. So, Anne's maternal uncle, Prince Erik of Denmark, walked her down the aisle.
The wedding took place on June 10, 1948, in Athens, Greece, at the Royal Palace. The ceremony was led by Archbishop Damaskinos. King Paul of Greece was Michael's best man. Many royal family members attended, including Michael's mother, Helen, Queen Mother of Romania, and his aunts and cousins.
Because the Pope did not give permission, the Roman Catholic Church considered the marriage invalid. However, it was perfectly legal by all other laws. Anne and Michael later had another religious ceremony on November 9, 1966, in Monaco, which followed Roman Catholic rules.
Life as a Royal Couple
After their wedding in 1948, Anne and Michael lived in a rented house in England for four years. They worked as market gardeners and raised chickens. In 1956, they moved to Versoix, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva, where they raised their five daughters.
In 1992, they visited Romania for three days. It was Anne's first time in the country. For several years after that, Michael was not allowed to enter Romania by the government. During this time, Anne visited Romania many times to represent her husband. After 1997, there were no longer any restrictions on them visiting Romania. The government gave them access to Elisabeta Palace and they got back some of their family properties, like Săvârşin Castle and Peleş Castle.
In June 2008, Anne and Michael celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary (60 years of marriage) with three days of events in Romania. This was their biggest celebration since their wedding.
- Events included:
- A concert by the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra.
- A reception in Bucharest where Romanian government officials and diplomats congratulated them.
- A book release about their 60 years together at the National Museum of Romanian History.
- A private dinner at Peleș Castle in Sinaia.
Many important guests attended, including their daughters, grandchildren, and other royal family members from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia.
Family Life
Anne and King Michael had five daughters. All of them are married, and three have children:
- Margareta, Crown Princess of Romania (born March 26, 1949), married Radu Duda in 1996.
- Princess Elena of Romania (born November 15, 1950), has two children.
- Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (born April 1, 1985), has two children.
- Maria Alexandra Medforth-Mills (born November 7, 2020)
- Michael de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills (born April 15, 2022)
- Elisabeta-Karina de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (born January 4, 1989)
- Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (born April 1, 1985), has two children.
- Princess Irina of Romania (born February 28, 1953), has two children.
- Michael-Torsten Kreuger (born February 25, 1984), has one child.
- Kohen Kreuger (born March 28, 2012)
- Angelica-Margareta Bianca (born December 29, 1986), has two children.
- Courtney Bianca Knight (born May 31, 2007)
- Diana Knight (born 2011)
- Michael-Torsten Kreuger (born February 25, 1984), has one child.
- Princess Sophie of Romania (born October 29, 1957), has one daughter.
- Elisabeta-Maria de Roumanie Biarneix (born August 15, 1999)
- Princess Maria of Romania (born July 13, 1964).
Anne was the younger sister of Prince Jacques of Bourbon-Parma and the elder sister of Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma and Prince André of Bourbon-Parma.
Death and Legacy
Queen Anne passed away on August 1, 2016, in Morges, Switzerland, at the age of 92. Romania's President Klaus Iohannis offered his condolences, saying that Queen Anne would be remembered as a symbol of wisdom, dignity, and moral conduct. The Romanian government declared August 13, 2016, a national day of mourning. On this day, the Romanian flag flew at half-mast on all buildings, and TV and radio stations changed their programs to honor her. The President of Moldova also declared national mourning on the same day. Queen Anne's funeral was held at the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral in Romania.
Titles and Honours
Titles
- September 18, 1923 – June 10, 1948: Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma
- June 10, 1948 – August 1, 2016: Her Majesty Queen Anne of Romania
Honours
France: Recipient of the Croix de Guerre Medal 1939–1945 (a French military medal for bravery)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Dame Grand Cross of Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 2nd Class
Royal Family Honours
- House of Romania: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Carol I
- House of Romania: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
- Austrian Imperial and Royal Family: Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross, 1st Class
- Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia
See also
In Spanish: Ana de Borbón-Parma para niños
