Funeral of King Michael I of Romania

Tens of thousands of people paid their respects to Romania’s former King Michael I who died on December 5 in Switzerland at the age of 96, and whose funeral, attended by European royals at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, took place on Saturday, 16 December.

Representatives of several European and international royal families came to Romania to attend the funeral: Charles, Prince of Wales, representing the British Royal Family, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Spain's former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, were among those present at the funeral service held on Saturday by Patriarch Daniel, the Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the former Royal Palace in Bucharest (currently hosting Romania’s National Art Museum), where Michael's body had been lying in state for the three days of national mourning.

Other royals who joined President Klaus Iohannis and other Romanian high officials at the funeral included Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium and Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

King Michael’s coffin was carried on the railway line between Bucharest and Curtea de Argeș, that was built by his ancestor, King Carol I. Crowds waited for hours to pay their respects.

King Michael I of Romania ruled during the World War II. He withdrew from public life in March 2016, when the Royal House announced he had been diagnosed with skin cancer and leukemia.

Romania’s last monarch has been buried on Saturday evening at Curtea de Argeș, in the Royal necropolis, besides his wife, Queen Anne, who died last year.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei