“The world of tomorrow cannot exist without morals, without faith and without memory. Cynicism and cowardice should not occupy our lives”, is one of the messages that King Mihai wanted to send to the Romanians.
Michael I is the last king of Romania and one of the few living heads of state during World War II.
King Mihai I of Romania ascended to the throne for the first time after the death of his grandfather Fernando and after the abdication of Charles II, marrying Queen Anne of Romania in 1948 with whom he had five daughters.
Unique images that capture moments from the King’s childhood and adolescence are presented in an impressive collection Fake images.
Picture Getty: the boy Mihai and his mother, Queen Elena
King Mihai ruled twice, between July 20, 1927 and June 8, 1930, and between September 6, 1940 and December 30, 1947.
Son of Crown Prince Carol, Michael inherited the titles of Prince of Romania and Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen at birth.
Image Getty: Mihai with his grandmother, Queen Maria.
Image Getty: 1921 – Mihai photographed playing in an Indian costume.
Image Getty: 1928 – The future King Michael trapped on the beach in Romania.
Mihai became king of Romania for the first time in 1927, after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand. His father had abdicated in December 1925 and remained abroad.
Getty Image: 1921 – Illustration showing King Mihai being honored at the age of 5, along with his mother, Queen Elena of Greece.
Picture Getty: Michael with his father, King Charles II and the queen mother, Helena of Greece, October 26, 1932
As a minor, royal duties were performed by a regent. He was dethroned by his father after only three years; it recovered the crown a decade later, after the abdication of Carlos II.
Picture Getty: King Carol II and his son Michael, at the Predeal military ski championship, February 4, 1932
In September 1939, World War II began and the year 1940 marked the end of Greater Romania. On September 6, 1940, Carlos II was forced by the new prime minister, General Ion Antonescu, to abdicate and leave the country, returning the throne to Miguel for the second time.
Getty Image: King Carol II with Michael at church service on the first day of the new year: January 1, 1932, Bucharest.
Image Getty: King Mihai of Romania present at the parade of military troops in Bucharest, immediately after Romania’s accession to the Tripartite Pact / Axis Pact.
Under the national-legionary state, then under the authoritarian Antonescu regime, the king had no real power of decision.
On December 30, 1947, the king was forced to sign the decree of abdication. In January he went into exile.
He married Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma and settled in Versoix, Switzerland. The couple have five daughters, princesses Margareta, Elena, Irina, Sofia and Maria.
Image Getty: Michael with King Charles II and Adolf Hitler, at Hitler’s residence in Obersalzberg, 1938.
Image Getty: March 1948 – King Mihai of Romania – the time of abdication.
Image Getty: King Mihai and the Queen Mother go into exile in June 1948.
Getty Image: Michael I of Romania with Princess Anne in France, March 1, 1948. At the time the picture was taken, the two were engaged.
Getty Image: June 12, 1948 – Mihai of Romania marries Ana de Bourbon-Parma.
Getty Picture: King Mihai with Queen Anne, the Queen Mother, Helen of Greece and daughters.
Image Getty: King Mihai and Queen Anne in Paris.
Getty Images: September 1953 – King Mihai, Queen Anne and two of the royal couple’s daughters.
