LATE KING FERDINAND

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1927, Page 1

LATE KING FERDINAND

LINKS WITH BRITAIN

Ferdinand Victor Albert. King of Rumania, who was a Prince of Holien-zollern-Sigmnringen and second son of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollorn, was horn at- Sigmaringen in August, 1865. He served as an officer in the Foot Guards at Potsdam, and then studied at Tubingen and Gottingen Universities. When he was 24, the question of succession to the throne of Rumania, then hei'd by Ids uncle Carol, came up. His eldest brother Wilhelm, the present Prince of Holienzollern, was first thought of, hut he declined and the throne was then accepted by Ferdinand. In A [arch, 1889, he was created Prince of Rumania by Act of Parliament. and soon afterwards made a State entry into Bucharest, where he joined the Rumanian Army. In .Tone, 1.893. he married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Cohurg and Gotha, Princess Afario, horn in 1873, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and niece of King Edward VIT. The Prince and Princess succeeded in. making themselves very, popular in Rumanian society, thanks largely to tho social gifts of the Princess. During his uncle’s lifetime Ferdinand kept aloof from politics. King Carol died on October 14th, 1914, after the Crown Council, ignoring the conditions of the alliance with the Central' Powers, had on the outbreak of war decided that Rumania should remain neutral; and Ferdinand succeeded to the throne.

()„ August 27th, 1911), the Rumanian Government declared war on AustriaHungary. A German declaration of war on Rumania followed, and the Central Powers conquered the country. After the collapse of Russian came the peace of Bucharest with Hie Central Powers on A fay 7th. 11)17. on the basis of which the occupation of the country continued. The King, who. after the fall of Bucharest had gone to Jassy, remained there with his Court and the Rumanian (lovo rnmeut until the collapse of tho Central Powers rendered possible his return to Bucharest and also the great extension of Rumania through the inclusion of Transylvania. the Bnvokinn, and Bessarabia. King Ferdinand, in fact, enjoyed the personal triumph of an entry into Budapest on August dth, 1919. The enlargement of the country was celebrated by the coronation of Ferdinand as King ol Greater Rumania at Alba Julia f'Karlsbtirg), Transylvania, on October 15th, 1922.

The King and Queen have five children. Prince Carol, horn on October 3rd. 1893, was trained in the Ist Foot Guards at Potsdam for some time before the war. during which he served in the Rumanian Army. On March 10th, 1021. he married Princess Helena of Greece, a daughter of the late King Constantino 1., and Sofia sister of Kaiser Wilhelm 11. They have a son. Pi ■inco Alichael. horn on October 25th, 1921.

The eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth. horn in 1891. married on February 27th. 1921. the then Crown Prince George' of who been me King and was later compeli'ed to abdicate. The second daughter, Princess .M arie, horn in 1899. married on June Htli. 1922, Alexander 1., King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

The other children are Prince Nicholas. horn in 1903, and Princess Tleana horn in 1908.