The schedule for the funeral of Queen Anne of Romania
On Tuesday, 9 August 2016, at 3:15 p.m., Queen Anne’s coffin will arrive at Otopeni Airport, whence it will be conveyed by hearse to Castle Peleș. The event will take place in the presence of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess Margareta and the Royal Family, representatives of the Romanian State, and members of the Household of His Majesty the King. The press will have access to the ceremony. Members of the public will not have access.
From 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 August 2016 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 10 August, the Queen’s coffin will rest in the Hall of Honour at Castle Peleș. During this interval, the Custodian of the Crown and the Royal Family will be in Sinaia. The timetable for officials visiting Castle Peleș on Thursday, 10 August 2016 to convey their condolences is as follows:
- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, the European Union, N.A.T.O., and international organisations
- 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Representatives of institutions of the Romanian State
- 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: The Presidency, members of the Romanian Government and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, Members of the Romanian Parliament and the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
- 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Representatives of the Romanian Academy and the State Academy of the Republic of Moldova, the Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and other religious institutions
Access to Castle Peleș will be on the basis of the lists communicated in advance to the Royal Protocol by the aforementioned institutions.
The press and members of the public will not have access to the Hall of Honour while the coffin is resting at the Sinaia Royal Estate.
On the evening of 10 August 2016, the Queen’s coffin will be taken from Castle Peleș to the Throne Room of the Royal Palace (Calea Victoriei, nos. 49-53). The ceremony will be private. The press and members of the public will not have access.
Between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday, 11 August and Friday, 12 August 2016, all those who wish to lay flowers and to say a prayer at the catafalque of Queen Anne will have access to the Throne Room of the Royal Palace. Entry will be free of charge. The press will also have access.
Those coming to the Royal Palace to pay their last respects to Queen Anne are asked to abide by the following rules:
They should be dressed appropriately, in dark colours
They should not be carrying shopping bags, other kinds of bags, or bulky luggage of any kind
They should not be accompanied by children below the age of seven or be wheeling pushchairs
They should not use cameras or mobile telephones or any other electronic devices. Out of respect for the solemnity of the occasion, it will be forbidden to film or take photographs
They should have their identity cards with them
Members of the public will not be allowed to lay flowers at the catafalque personally. Flowers shall be laid in the garden in front of the Royal Palace or on the pavement in front of the Palace railings. The staff of the Household of His Majesty will be on hand to advise the public.
Those coming to the catafalque are asked not to bring books, letters, postcards, stamps, documents or photographs with them. These may be sent by post to the Elisabeta Palace after the event.
It is strictly forbidden to smoke or to use mobile telephones within the precincts of the Royal Palace.
A first-aid post will be in service during the period of access to the Royal Palace.
At 10:55 a.m. on Saturday, 13 August 2016, Queen Anne’s coffin will be laid on a catafalque in Royal Palace Square, in front of the Palace. A religious ceremony will be held. The public will have free access to Royal Palace Square, within specially marked out areas. The press will also have free access.
At 11:30 a.m., the coffin will be placed inside the hearse.
Between 11:35 a.m. and 12 p.m., the funeral cortege will travel at low speed along the following route: Royal Palace Square – Magheru Boulevard – Romană Square – Victoriei Square – Aviatorilor Boulevard – Charles de Gaulle Square – Triumphal Arch. The cortege will not stop at the Triumphal Arch, but rather it will continue its journey, at normal speed, to Curtea de Argeș, between 12 p.m. and 14.45 p.m., taking the following route: Triumphal Arch – Mogoșoaia – Buftea – Titu – Găești – Topoloveni – Pitești – Curtea de Argeș. The cortege will not make any stops during this journey, but will slow down when passing through towns and villages.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, 13 August 2016 Queen Anne’s funeral service will be officiated in the narthex of the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral. The funeral will be private, attended by the Royal Family of Romania and members of foreign royal families. The public will not be allowed past the front gates of the Park of the Curtea de Argeș Archbishopric.
The ceremony will unfold in two parts: 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. in front of the New Cathedral; 3:50 p.m. to 4:10 p.m., the burial service inside the New Cathedral.
For further details, please contact the Royal Secretariat and the Press Office of His Majesty the King.
The press will have access at Otopeni Airport, to the Throne Room of the Royal Palace (on Thursday and Friday, at the hours mentioned above), to the Royal Palace on Calea Victoriei, and in front of the New Cathedral at Curtea de Argeș.
The press will not have access to Castle Peleș. The press will not be allowed inside the New Cathedral, either before or during the funeral ceremony. The New Cathedral will be closed to visitors during the seven days following the funeral.
Books of condolence are open from today at Castle Peleș, the Royal Palace (Calea Victoriei), and the Elisabeta Palace. The public will be able to sign the books of condolence for forty days after the date of the decease.
Messages of condolence may also be left online, at the following address: http://www.familiaregala.ro/mesaje
Given your closeness to the family - as well as your research - will you be attending?
ReplyDeletecan't take the time off.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI'm Romanian and I wonder if this state funeral is what the late princess would have wanted. It seems to me that her funeral will be more grandiose than that of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and I find this a bit too much, considering that Romania is a Republic and most people are not monarchists. Also, as she was a devout Catholic, it seems strange that she will be given an Orthodox funeral and will be buried in an Orthodox church.
What really bothers me is the long list of no-nos which are spelled out for those who wish to pay their respects. Is this usual? I don't remember reading anything like this in regard to other royal funerals. It seems to me a very impolite thing to do, to say the least. It's as if the royal family can't trust "the peasants" to behave properly so they have to spell out everything to them. Even if I had planned to go, reading this list would be enough to make me stay away.
I'll be grateful if you could clarify this for me. Thank you.
Alix
Do you think they will lay the golden crown of Queen Elisabeth (or the more flamboyant one of Queen Marie) upon her coffin during the viewing in the throne room? I don't know what the protocol is for an uncrowned queen, but it would be a lovely gesture provided the museum allows the crown to be released.
ReplyDeleteAlix, Kings Carol I and Ferdinand were also Roman Catholic. In this day and age, far too many people don't know what to do. It would not be a surprise if people tried to do Selfies. I also think the government may have made recommendations as well and provided guidance, as this is the first royal funeral in more than 78 years or so. There are also security measures and it is not unusual to see requests for no bags, etc. When people were standing in line to pay their respects for Ronald reagan at the US Capitol, there was a list of things you could not bring in .. and cell phones had to be handed into security - you got a claim check and picked it up, along with other things, such as a bag, on the way out. None of these things are unreasonable and quite normal. When the late Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, died, she had a Church of England funeral even though she was Greek Orthodox. John, unlikely.
ReplyDelete