Friday, February 26, 2010

Michael to come to the US

february 26, 1948

Former King Michael of Roumania will be visiting the United States in March, and his visit may "turn into a house hunting expedition," the Chicago Tribune reports. The dispatch is based on reports in "court circles."
Michael and his mother, Queen Helen, will be spending several weeks in the United States in what is described as an "exploratory trip." If all goes well, he will return to the States later with his new wife, Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma.
The wedding is expected to take place in the summer in Copenhagen. Anne's mother, Princess Margrethe, was born a princess of Denmark.
Members of the British Royal Family "had a chance to get a first class fill-in on the romance" between Michael and Anne after the arrival in London of Anne's first cousin, Prince Georg of Denmark, 28, who was Anne's "greatest admirer" until last November when Anne was introduced to Michael, who was in London to attend the wedding of Princess Elizabeth's wedding.
Prince Georg was also a guest at the wedding. Upon his return, he asked King Frederik to "relieve him of duty about the castle as a lieutenant in the royal life guards." The King agreed, and Prince Georg is now in London as a military attache at the Danish Embassy.
The "long faced" Danish prince arrived in London by train, and was apparently "scowling over rumors" that he was renewing a friendship with Princess Margaret Rose.

5 comments:

Bea said...

Marlene, did none of Michael's relatives try to help him? I have read the articles you have put up on him after he was kicked out of Romania, execept for his romance with Anne, his plight during this time sounds sad.

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Yes. Anne's family certainly, Prince Michel and later Prince Michel and Princess Maria Pia. They lived in the UK for several years, and Queen Elizabeth II was willing to provide a home for them, but Michael, being proud, and Anne moved to Switzerland. Money was limited as he and Helen got out with very little. The Greek royal family certainly helped out with the wedding as Anne's parents could not come because of the Pope. Friends helped out with boarding school fees for the princesses, for example. Have you read Anne's memoirs?

Bea said...

I didn't know Anne had a memoirs. I have read mostly about Michael's aunt Ileana. The others post you have put up on them, staying at a hotel and Michael abdicating at gunpoint, made me interested. Bea

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Anne of Romania, a War, an Exile, a Life published by the Romanian Cultural Foundation in Romania. In English and in Romanian. There are also bios of Michael by Arthur Gould Lee and Ivan Porter, as well as at least on in French.

Bea said...

Thanks Marlene for the info on the books, I just got the one on Michael by Porter. Bea