“Tomorrow’s world cannot exist without morals, without faith and without memory. Cynicism and cowardice must not occupy our lives”, is one of the messages that King Mihai wanted to send to the Romanians.
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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 the throne for the first time after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand and after the abdication of Charles II, marrying in 1948 Queen Anne of Romania with whom he has five daughters.
Unique images that capture moments from the King’s childhood and adolescence are presented in an impressive collection Getty Images.
Picture Getty: King Mihai the child 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 at birth the titles of Prince of Romania and Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.
Image Getty: Mihai with his grandmother, Queen Maria.
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Image Getty: 1921 – Mihai photographed playing in an Indian outfit.
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Image Getty: 1928 – The future King Michael caught on the beach in Romania.
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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.
Image Getty: 1921 – Illustration with the moment when King Mihai receives honors at the age of 5, with his mother Queen, Elena of Greece.
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Picture Getty: Michael with his father, King Charles II, and Queen Mother, Helen of Greece, October 26, 1932
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As a minor, the royal duties were performed by a regent. He was dethroned by his father after only three years; he regained the crown a decade later, after the abdication of Charles II.
Picture Getty: King Carol II and his son Michael, at the Predeal military ski championship, February 4, 1932
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In September 1939, the Second World War began, and the year 1940 marked the end of Greater Romania. On September 6, 1940, Carol II was forced by the new prime minister, General Ion Antonescu, to abdicate and leave the country, the throne returning to Mihai for the second time.
Image Getty: King Carol II with Michael at the religious service on the first day of the new year: January 1, 1932, Bucharest.
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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.
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Under the national-legionary state, then under the authoritarian regime of Antonescu, the king had no real decision-making power.
On December 30, 1947, the king was forced to sign the abdication decree. In January he went into exile.
He married Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma and settled in Versoix, Switzerland. The couple has 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.
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Image Getty: March 1948 – King Mihai of Romania – the moment of abdication.
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Image Getty: King Mihai and Queen Mother go into exile – June 1948.
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Image Getty: Michael I of Romania with Princess Anne, in France, March 1, 1948. At the time the picture was taken, the two were engaged.
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Image Getty: June 12, 1948 – Mihai of Romania marries Ana de Bourbon-Parma.
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Getty Picture: King Mihai with Queen Anne, Queen Mother, Helen of Greece, and daughters.
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Getty picture: King Mihai and Queen Anne in Paris.
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Getty Images: September 1953: King Mihai, Queen Anne and two of the royal couple’s daughters.
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