Opened 19 December 1937 Inaugurated 19 December 1937 | Completed 1936 Construction started 1930 | |
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Address 26 Kiseleff RoadSector 1 Client Princess Elisabeth of Romania Architectural styles Brâncovenesc style, Moorish architecture Similar Săvârșin Castle, Peleș Castle, Cotroceni Palace, Pelișor, Palace of the Parliament | ||
King michael i at prince radu 50th anniversary elisabeta palace bucarest
Elisabeta Palace (Romanian: Palatul Elisabeta) is a palace on Kiseleff Road, Bucharest, built in 1936, is the official residence in Romania of the Romanian Royal Family where Crown Princess Margareta and her husband Prince Radu currently reside.
Contents
- King michael i at prince radu 50th anniversary elisabeta palace bucarest
- Map of Palatul Elisabeta Intrarea RomC3A2neC899ti BucureC899ti 014192 Romania
- 1992 0722 return to the elisabeta palace late afternoon bucharest romania
- History
- References
Map of Palatul Elisabeta, Intrarea Rom%C3%A2ne%C8%99ti, Bucure%C8%99ti 014192, Romania
The Palace was designed in 1930 by the architect Marcu and built in 1936 for Princess Elisabeth, the daughter of the late King Ferdinand I and wife Queen Marie and also aunt of King Michael who was forced to abdicate on December 30, 1947.
In 2001 the Romanian Senate passed a bill in which states that the Palace would be of use only by the former Royal Family. Since then members of the Royal Family have been living there; foreign Heads of State, royalty and politicians are received there as well as Romanian political, cultural, economic and academic figures when special events are conducted.
1992 0722 return to the elisabeta palace late afternoon bucharest romania
History
In July 1935 Princess Elisabeth former Queen Consort of Greece divorced her second cousin, the deposed King George II of Greece. After her divorce she moved to Romania where she stayed at Banloc Castle.
In 1930 the plans for Elisabeta Palace were made by Romanian architect Duiliu Marcu who had designed Victoria Palace as well as many other buildings but all building plans were brought to a halt in the early 30's due to the Great Depression. Construction finally started in 1936 with the edifice inaugurated in December 1937.
For Elisabeth, the Palace was the achievement of a long elusive dream, heightened during the dearth years spent in Greece. In her memoirs she wrote: "Perhaps the only thing that I really want is a house of my own something that I can call mine. It has always been my greatest longing since the age of 17. My house to create, to improve, to make perfect and love, offering hospitality to and rejoicing with all those who would love it too. I think the possession of a house would really make me happy. I lived on that hope when I came back to Romania".
The Palace was the official residence of Princess Elisabeth until 1944 where King Michael I performed his Coup and overthrew the Nazi-supporting Government. After the coup he left Cotroceni Palace, the official royal residence of the King of the Romanians and moved into Elisabeta Palace with his mother to be directly in the centre of the capital; Princess Elisabeth had moved to Copăceni Castle.
On the evening of 30 December 1947, with the Palace surrounded by troops from the Tudor Vladimirescu Division, an army unit completely loyal to the Communists, King Michael was held at gunpoint to sign a forced pre-typed instrument of abdication.
Following King Michael's abdication and throughout the period of the "Socialist Republic of Romania", the Palace fell into disuse until 2001 when the former Royal Family returned to Romania after nearly five decades of exile and were given official use of the Palace by a bill signed by Traian Băsescu, 4th President of Romania and approved by the Romanian Senate.