Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday, 20 July 2012

The first accession of King Michael


Today is the eighty-fifth anniversary of the death of King Ferdinand I of Romania at Peleş Castle near Sinaia and the first accession to the Romanian throne of his grandson, King Michael I.
There is a  biography of King Ferdinand I here.   There are some very interesting archive photographs of his life and reign here  and there are other portraits of the King from his first visit to the country as a Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and heir to his uncle King Carol I until the end of his life here.
There are also a fine series of photographs of the funeral of King Ferdinand and the accession of King Michael which can be viewed here.

The accession of the child King Michael I (Mihai), was a consequence of his father's affair with Magda Lupescu. Crown Prince Carol  had 
renounced his right to the throne on 28 December 1925 in favour of his son by Crown Princess Helen,who thus now became King in July 1927. Princess Helen divorced the exiled Carol in 1928.
 A regency, composed of the new King's uncle, Prince Nicolae, Patriarch Miron Cristea, and the country's Chief Justice (Gheorghe Buzdugan, from October 1929 on Constantin Sărăţeanu) functioned on his behalf during the years 1927–1930.  However on 6 June 1930,his father returned to the country at the invitation of politicians dissatisfied with the Regency, and on 8 June was proclaimed King Carol II by the Parliament, and designated Michael as Crown Prince with the title "Grand Voievod of Alba-Iulia". In a somewhat curious inversion of King Henry VIII's proceedings King Carol then sought to have his divorce annulled, but refused to grant his (former) wife the title of Queen - she was to be addressed as Her Majesty Helen.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Kingdom_of_Romania_-_Big_CoA.svg/208px-Kingdom_of_Romania_-_Big_CoA.svg.png
Image:Wikipedia




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