“Oh! doubt not and fear not, my Fatherland,
My sword shall protect thee and shield thee,
Though the cannon-roar of the hostile band
Should summon thy sons to yield thee.
Press onward to battle, for freedom’s our aim,
King Carol is with us, he leads us to fame!
The Danube she loves us, she bears us along
To the battlefield’s daring and danger,
And the billows they murmur, ‘Ye heroes, be strong,
And drive out the Mussulman stranger.’
Press onward to battle, for freedom’s our aim,
King Carol is with us, he leads us to fame!
Then doubt not, and fear not, my Fatherland,
For my strong right arm shall save thee;
I’ll first cross my brow, and then, sword in hand,
I’ll shatter the chains that enslave thee.
Press onward to battle, for freedom’s our aim,
King Carol will lead us to vict’ry and fame.”
The 20th of October was a great day for free Roumania. The Princess
writes:--“What a year has ended! At first I had sufficient courage to
sustain all, and inspired all with my confidence. It was a difficult
position for a woman alone, I can assure you. I forgot my anxiety in
the amount of work I had to get through. Let us thank God that Charles
has returned, for now I can creep back slowly into my nutshell, and
return to my flowers, my birds, my books, and my papers. I think it is
an anomaly and a misfortune when a woman is induced by circumstances
to take part in public life. But there were many bright spots in this
difficult time. God will surely help us, and a lasting peace will take
away the anxiety which is gnawing at our hearts, and this important
time will belong to the future, in which sorrow and suffering is
modified, and the great results that are won thereby will be brought
out into strong relief. Charles is truly wonderful! I often compare
him to William the Silent or to King Charles on his sea voyage. The
bitterest experiences only make him colder and calmer. He shrugs his
shoulders and forgives every ingratitude. That all misunderstand him in
no way disconcerts him. When he is dead they will lament and call him
‘a wise Prince.’”
When the war was over, the wives of all the officers of the Roumanian
army presented the “Mother of their Country” with a marble statue. In
this the Princess is represented in the costume of a Sister of Charity
as she kneels before a wounded soldier, reaching him a refreshing
draught. The recollection of what the Princess accomplished during this
war, by giving up herself and all her strength to the work, and by her
wonderful talent for organisation, will dwell with many feelings of
deep gratitude in the hearts of her people, and one generation will
tell another of her noble and self-sacrificing deeds.
In 1879 Princess Elizabeth had been in Scheveningen with her mother,
and had returned strengthened and refreshed to her country. In the next
year (1880) the princely pair went to Segenhaus and Amsterdam together.
Many relations also came to visit them at Bucharest and Sinaia, amongst
others Prince William of Wied, and Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, with
his two sons, Ferdinand and Charles. In September 1881 the Princess
of Hohenzollern (mother of Prince Charles of Roumania) travelled to
Roumania for the first time, and was received with great joy by the
people. “It is too delightful,” writes the Princess, “to have such an
angel of a mother in her. She is always surrounded by an atmosphere
of harmony and tenderness which is quite fascinating. The monks in
Sinaia, when she arrived there, were very anxious to know which place
should be given to her at table, and when they were told ‘the place of
honour,’ they joyfully exclaimed--‘That is what King Solomon did when
his mother came to him; he seated her on his throne, knelt down before
her and kissed her hand. Our King Charles does the same, whom may God
bless and preserve to a long life!’ Is this not prettier than many a
village tale!” On the 12th of December 1880 the Princess continues--“A
very touching scene was enacted lately. The Ministers came to thank
us for having settled the question of succession. Bratiano read his
speech with tears in his eyes, after which I gave him my hand, and he
said--‘Etre brave dans un moment d’enthousiasme c’est beau, mais être
brave à froid c’est de l’héroisme!’”
On the 24th of March 1881 Roumania was declared a kingdom by Act of
Parliament. Demeter Stourdza, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote
to the Princess of Wied--“A happy fate indeed guides Roumania, for the
most complicated affairs turn out to be for her good. This so constant
shining of our lucky star quite frightens me. A sense of duty, a love
of duty, and a strict performance of one’s duty, must keep it bright,
and prevent it from fading before us. On the 22nd of May the whole
country is to do homage to its sovereign, and a kingly crown, with a
battle-axe which has been made out of a cannon taken at Plevna, are to
be presented to the Prince, as a symbol of the great events of the war
and his newly-acquired position.” Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern had
come to Bucharest with his two sons, Ferdinand and Charles, to take
part in this festive occasion.
The evening before the day of this ceremonial salvoes of artillery had
been fired. Multitudes of people streamed into the town to see the
coronation, forming a motley crowd. The two crowns had been taken to
the cathedral with much pomp and ceremony. There they were received
by the metropolitans, bishops, and minor clergy, who were chanting
solemnly, and placed on tables draped with red before the sacred
images. At the close of a short service these insignia of royalty were
respectfully kissed by the minister and the clergy. They were then
covered with the glorious monuments of the siege of Plevna. These
were four flags of the Roumanian army which were torn to shreds and
decorated with the highest orders of the country. These emblems of
royalty remained in the Metropolia all night, whilst a guard of honour
kept watch around them.
Early in the morning of the 22nd of May 1881, the little girls from the
Asyle Hélène, adorned with flowers, advanced in long rows through the
park of Cotroceni and sang a morning hymn before the castle. It seemed
a happy omen to the Queen that the first words of love which reached
her on this memorable day resounded from her little favourites as she
awoke. At eight o’clock in the morning already the houses and tiers of
seats erected in the town were filled with people, who crowded every
available space on the somewhat long way to the cathedral, and were all
anxious to see the sights.
According to the programme the procession to the coronation was to
be short. It started at eleven o’clock, and was opened by a regiment
of Dorobanzes, whose bands were playing. They formed the Landwehr of
Roumania, and were the most popular of the troops, being all tried
and experienced men, richly adorned with orders and medals. On their
heads they wear the traditional fur cap of the warrior Michel, which is
adorned with the feathers of turkeys, herons, and pheasants. These were
followed by a company of gendarmes and a squadron of hussars, and then
came the standard-bearers of all the colours of the army, with a golden
Roman eagle surmounting them. Enthusiastic cheering and the waving of
hats and handkerchiefs greeted the King as he appears mounted on his
charger and surrounded by his brilliant staff. The energy of a firm
character appears in his strongly marked features.
After this came the State carriage of the Queen. It was harnessed à la
Daumont, and drawn by eight black horses, their harness adorned with
feathers, and ridden by jockeys who wore the colours of the country. A
large basket of flowers stood on the box of the carriage, as well as
on the seat behind, and on the steps. Four footmen in State liveries
marched on each side of the carriage, and in front were two outriders
whose horses bore feathers of three colours. The slight form of the
Queen, clad in magnificent coronation robes, appeared poetic as that of
a fairy in this carriage draped with red and filled to overflowing with
flowers. Beside her sat the hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern, and the
two young Princes opposite. At sight of her the hundreds of thousands
of spectators burst into loud shouts of joy, which were carried on like
echoes from balcony to balcony. Branches of fir, the symbols of respect
and hospitality, and flowers sparkling with golden powder, were thrown
to the Queen from the windows, and white doves adorned with flowers
were set free by their owners, and fluttered over the Queen, who was
radiant with beauty and grace. Many of these reached their destination,
the beautiful carriage, to which they clung like messengers of peace.
All the magnificence and the sumptuous furnishings of this romantic
procession was concentrated at the foot of the Metropolitan Hill,
from whence the royal pair, followed by their suites, proceeded on
foot along the avenue, where a scarlet carpet was laid to the church.
The representatives of three thousand country parishes, with their
pennons, had arranged themselves in closely packed rows on each side
of the carriage. Dressed in their original national costume, these
made a brilliant background to the imposing picture. A large stand in
the shape of a horse-shoe had been erected in front of the principal
entrance to the church, which had long before the arrival of their
Majesties been filled with the nobility and gentry of Roumania. In
the middle of this stand stood the royal tent, to which a carpeted
staircase led.
The royal pair, with the Prince of Hohenzollern, had taken their
places. Then the religious ceremony began, and was celebrated with all
the pomp of the orthodox Greek Church. During the singing four generals
carried the two crowns from the interior of the church to the royal
tent, where they were consecrated, and their Majesties received the
holy water. The close of this solemn occasion was the signing of the
document which Demeter Bratiano laid before their Majesties. Afterwards
the deed was signed by Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, and the Minister
Bratiano, who acted as witnesses of the weighty affair of state which
had just been concluded. Thundering salvoes of artillery announced that
this historic ceremony was concluded. The return of their Majesties
was like a triumphal procession. Quantities of flowers were showered
upon them, and the waving of handkerchiefs reminded one of a swarm of
butterflies, which seemed to follow the procession. Endless rows of
carriages containing the guests and the diplomatic corps followed the
principal actors in the scene, all returning to the Palace at about
three o’clock.
Many groups of peasant women from Plojest and Campulung had stationed
themselves amongst the people who crowded into the open space before
the grand entrance to the Palace. They are the cream of the district
of the Carpathians. On this occasion they insisted on being noticed
by the Queen, for it was widely known that her Majesty delighted in
the national costume of the country, and the women were proud to show
themselves to her in their richest dress, the ornaments of which
sparkled in the sun like thousands of little plates of glass.
Half an hour later the immense procession bearing the two crowns to
the Palace advanced in almost unending length. The veterans of 1848
and those that had been wounded in the last war marched first, whilst
the ten thousand members of the deputations of the peasants formed the
rearguard. The doors of the vast throne-room had been opened wide,
and sixty standard-bearers, with the flags and banners of the army,
were ranged around it. The sounds of the triumphal march were heard
from afar, and the crowns, borne by four generals, and accompanied by
a solemn procession of the chief officers of State, were placed at
the foot of the throne. At half-past two the royal pair appeared, and
were solemnly conducted to the throne by the Senate and the Members
of Parliament. On their left stood Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern; on
their right, his sons. Prince Demeter Ghica addressed their Majesties,
and presented the iron crown to the King, whilst Rossetti, the
President of the Houses of Parliament, advanced towards the Queen, and
kneeling before her, offered her a golden crown, with the following
words--“In your Majesty the nation sees itself most gloriously
represented.” Then the King began an eloquent speech whilst lifting
up the crown and bearing it aloft over his people as though he were
blessing them. He spoke of the steady progress of Roumania and of her
brave army, and closed with the words--“The love and confidence of
the nation, whose happiness and increasing power is my all absorbing
thought and that of the Queen, was and ever will be our most precious
diadem.” At these words from their King, the vast concourse assembled
gave vent to their feelings of love and enthusiasm by an irresistible
outburst of shouts of applause.
The deputations of peasants now passed before the throne. These honest
men were visibly affected, and many among them wiped a tear from his
eye with his rough hand. Most of them threw themselves at the feet of
their Majesties, and did homage to them, kissing the steps of their
throne. With touching simplicity and much difficulty others threw
addresses of congratulation out of their pockets, coat-sleeves, and
pocket-books, depositing them at the feet of the royal pair; whilst
others brought branches of fir-trees which they had gathered in their
native mountains and anxiously preserved during their long journey.
Later in the day, the whole concourse of the country people were
encamped before the town, where a banquet with music awaited them, the
enjoyment of which was heightened by the presence and affable manners
of the King. There was a brilliant illumination in the evening. The
peasants were enchanted “to see the sun at night,” as they expressed
themselves! And the Court with its guests found it difficult to wend
its way through the elated crowds.
Notwithstanding her delicate health the Queen had borne the fatigues
of that day tolerably. She says--“We spoke with eight hundred people
on that day, from eleven o’clock till half-past four, and at half-past
eight we were again ‘sous les armes!’ Then came a procession of
torches, and a drive round the town to see the illuminations. At
last I could not bow any more, but only wave with my handkerchief.
Fortunately they had stopped the cheering, as I could stand it no
longer. This enormous and now silent crowd, which greeted us and
nodded and waved in the most demonstrative manner, and the stamping
of those feet and hoofs which one did not see, made a most weird and
charming impression. Yes, from morning to night, the 22nd of May was
a beautiful day!” Seldom has a day been marked with so much fervour
and unaffected devotion as this day on which the people of Roumania
came in such crowds to do homage to their King! This day has become
a day of national rejoicing for the Roumanians. On the 22nd of May
1866 Prince Charles of Roumania first entered Bucharest. Eleven years
later, on the 22nd of May 1877, Roumania was declared independent. And
on the 22nd of May 1881 the first King of Roumania was crowned. These
three historically important events make clear to us in a few words the
gradual development of this young kingdom.
Thus Roumania had not alone gained her independence by means of the
war and its brilliant results, but had been incorporated as a kingdom
amongst the European States. A strictly constitutional monarch is
the emblem of the banner which Prince Charles upholds at his distant
post. The object of his life is to strengthen his country within and
without, and to further its political and social development. Future
generations only will be able to understand and acknowledge to its full
extent all that he has done for Roumania.
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