RUMANIA: Carol’s Crown

Exiled Carol von Hohenzollern returned suddenly by airplane to Bucharest last week and Parliament in extraordinary session proclaimed him King Carol II.

Thus far the life of His Majesty since early youth has been a series of exclusively amorous escapades. Yet today these are of less than no importance to his people. They showed their feelings last week by a frenzied all-night demonstration of relief and joy. Rumania, like the Biblical father of the prodigal son, seemed to say: “This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. . . . Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it; and let us eat and be merry!”

Silver Spoon. In Germany’s drowsy Munich last week Carol stepped off the Paris express, taxied to the flying field. He was still officially “M. Carol Caraiman,” for he renounced even his family name of Hohenzollern when he abdicated as Crown Prince (TIME, Jan. n, 1926). His father King Ferdinand was then alive. His mother Queen Marie had yet to make her U. S. tour. Not until venerable King Ferdinand died 17 months later was Carol’s bonny five-year-old son proclaimed King Mihai (TIME, Aug. 1, 1927). As he waited at the bleak Munich airdrome last week Carol talked earnestly with two members of Prime Minister Juliu Maniu’s Cabinet who had flown up from Rumania to meet him. He was making no clandestine return, attempting no coup. He was welcome.

Out of Gas. With a multi-motored roar Carol & friends left Munich with Air Capt. Cristescu of the Rumanian Army at the controls of the big airplane. Across Austria, across the Danube (blue from the air) and across Hungary they flew to Arad, in Rumania. Here Capt. Cristescu replenished his tanks with gasoline and Carol strolled about in mufti, unrecognized.

The first scheduled stop was made at Cluj in Transylvania. In a general’s uniform “M. Caraiman” tested out popular sentiment, was “well though not wildly cheered. It was announced that Carol “insisted” upon flying “on to Bucharest,” although this would be “dangerous” as “darkness” was approaching. At this point the building up of legend, which surrounds every King and is part of his royal armor, began.

At 10:30 p. m., the drone of the big plane was heard above Bucharest airdrome, by then brilliantly floodlighted. An army corps and the Prime Minister were at hand. To be ready for all emergencies Bucharest had been placed under what amounted to martial law with General Cenrik Cihoski temporarily appointed Governor of the Capital. Amid much obsequious bowing the Hohenzollern entered a limousine, was driven swiftly to Cotroceni Palace.

“Darling King-Boy!” The rest is and must be legend. It was given out that Carol rushed into the great vaulted hall crying, “Where is my son?”

“He is asleep, Your Majesty, upstairs.”

Very likely the father did spring up the stairs “three at a time” as announced, but his reputed first words to Mihai have an odd sound: “My darling little King-boy!”

When Prince Nicholas entered the palace, the brothers rushed weeping into each other’s arms. Like a plummet at this point Boy King Mihai dropped out of the legend, for he was not to be king any more. Romantic interest was transferred to Carol’s triumphant passage through streets jammed with madly cheering citizens to the barracks of his old bodyguard.

At 1 a. m. Carol’s regiment, the 1st Hussars, fired a royal salute to him who was still “M. Caraiman.” Legend had it that he spent the rest of the night drinking and gambling with Prince Nicholas and brother officers—this being the sort of conduct expected and approved by Rumanians in the case of an officer, gentleman or King of spirit.

“Carol is King!” Next morning planes wrote “Carol” in the sky as the Lowe chamber met, every deputy in a dress suit. In orthodox Catholic fashion they voted that Carol never renounced his rights, that Mihai has never been King, that since July 20, 1927 the King of Rumania has been “Carol II.” This blanket annulment, wiping out the events of three years, was passed by 310 “Yesses” over the “No” of Liberal Leader Vintila Brati-anu while his 39 Liberal henchmen abstained. Chamber and Senate then met together as the National Assembly, and at 2:40 p. m. by a vote of 486 to 1 proclaimed the fact that Carol is King.

Meanwhile at 2 p. m., Carol, in the uniform of a General of Aviation, had set out with Prince Nicholas from Cotroceni palace. Wildly cheering throngs delayed him. It was 3:15 when he entered Parliament, ushered by Speaker St. Ciceo Pop, greeted by one vast roar of cheering as boiled-shirted deputies and senators leaped to their feet. To take his royal oath Carol faced not the speaker’s table, for that had been removed, but a blazing altar of the orthodox church.

Patriarch Miron Cristea drew nigh, his snowy hair surmounted by a Byzantine crown of massy gold, his right hand grasping the apostolic staff. Carol will not be crowned until next autumn. In a firm voice he read his Kingly oath, kissed the cross extended by the crowned patriarch, and, with tears on his cheeks spoke thus: “In keeping with the words of the gospel, I do not wish death to those who sinned against me, but I rejoice over every one who returns to the fold from which he never should have strayed. . . .

“The shades of the great King Carol [his granduncle] and Ferdinand the Faithful [his father] stand over me today, and the soul of my well-beloved father rejoices at seeing realized his last wish and most ardent desire. The example which my predecessors have given me of their infinite love for their country and defense of its interests will be followed to the full by me. . . .

“At last I can return to my dear son, whom I will protect with all the love of a father and whom I will bring up to love his Fatherland.”

Frenzied plaudits stirred by these words lasted 15 minutes. His Majesty then marched out through a double row of officers to lay a wreath above the Unknown Soldier.

Grand Voevod. Almost forgotten amid these transports was a clause in the law of annulment pointing out that Mihai has never been king, observing that he has been and is Crown Prince, and creating him with a spacious gesture Grand Voevod of Alba Julia.

This excessively ancient title, now revived, recalls that a “leader of an army” was once a voevod (pronounced vo-ye-vod). In vain last week-Professor Nicolae lorga, once Carol’s tutor, warned Parliament that the title came straight out of a Viennese operetta. Unmoved, the deputies and senators rested on their labors, some pointing out that “Grand Voevod” could be translated “Grand Duke.”

“Now is the Time!” That even Carol was caught unaware by the events which shaped his return last week was revealed at Paris by his aide Captain Paul Dimitrescu who accompanied him to Munich. The captain said that Carol, responding to a telegram from his mother Dowager Queen Marie, had packed up to go and meet her for a “family council” at Sigmaringen in Germany, home of Carol’s cousin Prince Friedrich, “head of the Catholic branch of the House of Hohenzollern.”

This impromptu council was to decide what should be done about Prince Nicholas, who had told Queen Marie in Bucharest that he was going to resign as one of the three regents of Rumania in order to marry a commoner, one Mme. Sayeanu. This would leave the Rumanian royal family without a representative on the regency council which was then reigning in behalf of boy King Mihai. Greatly agitated, with tears streaming down her face, the Dowager Queen left Bucharest, saying, “I am going to the Passion Play at Oberammergau.”

No sooner was she gone than her son Nicholas telegraphed his brother Carol:

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOUR RETURN,” adding in most urgent terms that leaders of the Government, or Peasant Party and other prominent politicians had just signified and pledged support.

Instantly changing his plans without informing his mother, Carol flew to his throne. Marie, poor dowager, when told as her train reached Vienna of his triumph, was almost prostrated, made confused and contradictory statements, took refuge at Oberammergau from the storm of events.

Her Majesty well knows that King Carol knows that she helped to procure his exile, siding against him and with “her Disraeli” the late, great Prime Minister of Rumania Ion Bratianu (TIME, Jan. 18, 1926, et seg.). Naturally in Bucharest last week Ion’s brother Vintila voted against proclamation of Carol as King (see above), but paradoxically Ion’s son George Bratianu sided with Carol. After the vote George sought to call on his uncle Vintila who shouted wrathfully: “I am disgusted to see the son of Ion Bratianu acting as an errand boy for Carol. Get out of my house!”

At Oberammergau, between acts of the Passion Play, Queen Marie told correspondents she had congratulated Carol by wire, that he had replied “with affection” and that she would soon return to Bucharest.

“Prime Minister for a Day.” Three lightning-change cabinets governed Rumania last week. The No. 1 Prime Minister, Juliu Maniu who brought Carol back, resigned as a matter of good form because he had been appointed by King Mihai who was now about to vanish. No. 2 was M. Mironescu who had been No. I’s Foreign Minister and became “Prime Minister for a day” until Carol’s popularity seemed assured. No. 3 was No. 1 over again, namely Juliu Maniu, who resumed the Prime Ministry with a clear conscience since he was appointed by Carol II, the “rightful King” under the law of annulment.

Carol and Women. Morally the new king is a mere cad, not to be dignified by such romantic terms as “scoundrel” or “Don Juan.” With the same irresponsible infatuation which Nicholas showed last week, Carol defied his parents in 1918 and married one Zizi Lambrino, but after she had born him a son he yielded to King Ferdinand’s wish that this “morganatic union” be annulled.

Up to last week “Mr. Carol Caraiman” was living in France with one Magda Lupescu, henna:haired daughter of a Jewish junkman, periodically disturbed by the clamors of Zizi, who once introduced her son and his by stealth into his library. “Papa, papa!” cried the boy. “Come home with us! We love you papa!” (TIME, Feb. 7, 1927).

In Bucharest perhaps the only person who received Carol coldly last week was Princess Helen of Greece and Rumania whom he married March 10, 1921 and who bore Mihai the following Oct. 25. Their marriage was dissolved during Carol’s exile, but the Ministry of Justice conveniently discovered last week a flaw which will permit annulment of the divorce. Stubbornly however Mihai’s proud and much flouted mother refused to be reconciled with King Carol last week though rumors flew that she was weakening, yielding to the lure of becoming herself a queen.