Monday, January 9, 2012

King George V angered by Cousin Marie

Embed from Getty Images 

 January 9, 1926

The Chicago Daily Tribune has learned that King George V has "received a special report on the renunciation of the Roumanian throne by former Crown Prince Carol, about which the British monarch has been much annoyed."

George V is said to be annoyed, not because Carol is a cousin, but "because he feels such incidents are injurious to the monarchical idea."

The Tribune has learned that the British sovereign "blames King Ferdinand and Queen Marie for allowing the matter to go so far."   In conversation with his own aides, the King has used "the strongest language, calling the Roumanian king a 'dodderer,' and making uncomplimentary references to Queen Marie, whose claim to be an English woman is much resented in court and official circles in England."

[This makes no sense as Queen Marie was a British princess birth and King George's first cousin.]

The report sent to King George indicates that Carol's renunciation was not "voluntary but was forced and was due not to domestic troubles but entirely to political."     According to this report, Carol was opposed to the regime headed by the Bratiano brothers, one of whom is the prime minister and the other is the finance minister.

Their government is said to be "signalized by the worst forms of graft, corruption, and oppression."  Carol was said to be involved with "organizing a party" to replace the brothers.

He would have thrown out the Bratianos as soon as he came to the throne, which "might have occurred at any time" due to King Ferdinand's poor health.   Queen Marie supports the Bratianos, and she is described in the report as the real ruler of Romania.  She was "persuaded" to get rid of "her eldest son, putting her infant grandson in his place."  This would allow the Bratianos and Queen Marie  to dominate the Roumanian government "for many years to come."

In order to carry out their wishes, "it was necessary to find a pretext and the pretext was found" in Carol's friendship with Elena Lupescu, described as a member of "one of the leading Jewish families of Roumania."

[Note:  Elena's father converted to Roman Catholicism, and Elena was baptized as an infant in the Roman Catholic faith.]

Anti-semitism is rampant in Roumania and there is concern that "there might be a Jewish queen if Carol was allowed to succeed to the throne."

This was the argument that was placed before Ferdinand, who "finally agreed to the demand of his wife and premier" that his eldest son must be removed from the succession.

The Tribune is also reporting that in Roumania that Carol remains very popular, and if King Ferdinand has "an early death a popular movement to recall carol and enthrone him is likely."

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