Sad news for Thame Sinaia Friendship Association

MEMBERS of the Thame and Sinaia Friendship Association were sad to learn of the death of King Michael of Romania who has passed away at the age of 96.

The late King Michael of Romania

Marius Ciortan, the founder and Chair of the TSFG, who is himself from Romania, told Thame.net: “For me, King Michael was a symbol, a great personality and a great believer in Romania restoring its democratic values and the rule of law. He defied both the brutal fascist and communist dictatorships which succeeded in Romania in the 20th Century. He was in fact, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth ll.

“I remember His Majesty visiting Bucharest in 1992, and myself – in my early ’20s at that time – being among hundreds of thousands of people waving at him hoping that one day His Majesty would regain his throne, should the will of the people say so.”

Vlad Oprea, the Mayor of Sinaia, who has visited Thame, wrote the following in the condolences book at Peles Castle December 6: “For me, as a resident of Sinaia, it was a great honour to meet in person His Majesty, King Michael of Romania, for the first time here at Peles Castle in June 2008.”

Marius recalled that during Sinaia’s Christmas Lights switch on in the evening of December 6, Vlad Oprea said: “His Majesty, King Michael is joining in Heaven those other personalities who watch over our town where they were born.”

Crown Princess Margareta’s words expressed the feelings of the Romanian people: “….A personal loss as well as a loss for the entire Nation. We mourn together, knowing that we are united in our sorrow. An example of unwavering devotion to his people, with a high sense of duty and strong principles, he wrote the most valuable page in the contemporary history of our nation. His kindness and compassion defeated all villainy of the past century. His wisdom insured the constancy of our identity, in times of serious deviation from the natural path of our State and Nation.”

You can read the Princess’s full statement here: LINK

You can read about the life of King Michael of Romania via the BBC: LINK