Britain’s King Charles III on Friday publicly spoke of his love for Romania in a heart-warming speech made less than a month since he was crowned king.
The occasion was a reception hosted by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the start of a 5-day private visit to Romania where the king is expected to unwind and recharge his batteries after his May 6 coronation.
While Romanians have always been proud__ and somewhat intrigued_ by the the former Prince Charles interest in their country, this time he returned as king. And this time, he opened his heart to them.
The timing was right. The visit was his first trip abroad since being crowned, and marked the 25th anniversary of his first visit to Romania which at the time wasn’t a member of the EU or NATO and was finally breaking free of the shackles of communism.
“I have come to love Romania – your culture and art, your heritage and history, your sweeping landscapes and priceless biodiversity, this “tara de glorii, tara de dor”, if I may paraphrase your national poet, Mihai Eminescu,” the 74-year-old king said.
The guests_which included archbishops, the prime minister, ambassadors, Olympic athletes and military _ broke out in spontaneous applause.
“Throughout all these years, I have had the joy of being able to travel widely across the country and to meet Romanians from many walks of life. This has afforded me the opportunity to witness, at first hand, the extraordinary development which has taken place and which is, I must say, a testament to your innovation, energy and resilience, “ the king extolled.
“I have met and been most impressed by a new generation of young, enterprising and resourceful Romanians who are meeting the challenges of the modern world, working with flair in all areas from technology and eco-tourism, and environmental protection to the production of environmentally-friendly building materials and techniques.
He talked about his own personal ties including his late father Prince Phillip’s holidays to pre-communist Romania, where he frolicked with cousin King Mihai in the Black Sea sands.
“I can scarcely believe that twenty-five years have gone by since my first visit to this most remarkable country, although even before I came here I felt a deep connection to Romania.”
“Your own much-loved Queen Marie was, as you well know, the first cousin of my great-grandfather King George V, while Queen Mary, my great-grandmother – whom I remember well – was descended from Countess Claudia Rhedey with links that go back deep into Romania’s history, and of course my father was a first cousin of King Mihai and cherished memories of their playing together as children here. So, if I may say so, I have always felt rather at home in Romania!”
Charles told how he had been “inspired by the many people I have met who have tirelessly worked for others. From FARA, whose efforts to support young people in the most difficult circumstances I first encountered in the early 1990ss – and moved me to become their Patron twenty-three years ago – to, more recently, Associata Monumentum, whose work to train craftspeople and architects across Romania has been supported by The Prince’s Foundation.”
“It is so impressive to see how many young volunteers work every year with such love and dedication, and attention to detail, with their ‘Ambulance for Historic Monuments’ to help preserve Romania’s wonderfully diverse architectural inheritance.”
President Klaus Iohannis appeared delighted, occasionally flashing one of his 100-watt smiles during the king’s speech.
“We are honoured that the first visit abroad since Your Majesty’s coronation takes place in our country. For Romanians, this is an extremely important message, that Your Majesty’s bond with these lands remains as strong as ever, even after having assumed your new responsibilities,” the president said.
There were concerns that when Charles became king, he would be too busy to visit Romania where he owns properties in Transylvania. The visit is seen as a rare piece of good news in a summer of a teachers’ strike and the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine.
Iohannis thanked Charles for giving Romanians a feel-good vibe.
“You have reminded them how precious traditions, customs and crafts passed down from generations are. They do not lose their value in the era of speed and technology, on the contrary.
The president also expressed gratitude for political and military ties, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are celebrating 20 years since the launch of the Bilateral Strategic Partnership, on which occasion the renewed Joint Declaration was signed, paving the way for intensified cooperation between our countries. The military and security dimension is an essential pillar of the Strategic Partnership, all the more relevant in the current geopolitical context.”
But the day was more about Charles declaration of love for Romania.
When “ I came to Romania all those years ago because I felt deeply for what so many Romanians had been through since the Second World War and how you had suffered so much.
“I particularly wanted to remind the world of everything that has always made Romania such a special country. Today, we need no reminding.”
“More and more Britons visit Romania every year, and over a million Romanians play a crucially important part in British life. Our bonds of friendship are as strong today as they have ever been in our long histories, and I look forward to seeing them playing my part in seeing them strengthen even further in the future.”
