One of the most important historical figures in Romanian history, Queen Maria, is honoured in a distinct manner in the Cluj commune of Jucu. A small public square has been designed in the centre of the commune, featuring the statue of the Queen of the Great Union at its heart. The monument is surrounded by six plinths with panels detailing her life, as well as four walkways symbolizing the history of the three Romanian principalities—Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia—which were unified in 1918 to form the Kingdom of Romania. The square was developed under the initiative of Mayor Valentin Dorel Pojar, designed by Adrian Goga, and the statue was cast by master Liviu Plugărescu.
The inauguration of Queen Maria’s statue brought Romania’s elite to Jucu, led by His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania; His Grace Samuel Cristea, Vicar Bishop of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac, and Cluj; Ioan Aurel Pop, President Emeritus of the Romanian Academy for the period 2018–2026; the former Minister of European Affairs, historian Vasile Pușcaș; the Director of the ‘George Barițiu’ Institute of History of the Romanian Academy, Ioan Bolovan; the Director of the UBB CORE Centre, Leonard Horvath, lecturer at Babeș-Bolyai University; Flavius Milășan, Director of the Students’ Culture House in Cluj; and Professor Stelian Tofană from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology.
Civil authorities were represented by prominent figures such as Vákár István, Vice-President of the Cluj County Council; members of the Romanian Parliament, including MPs Remus Lăpușan and Ramona Bruynseels; county councillors; and mayors of several localities along the Someșul Mic Valley. The military authorities were represented by General Bogdan Cernat, Commander of the 4th Infantry Division ‘Gemina’, and Colonel Sebastian Clițan from the Romanian Gendarmerie. Civil society was represented by personalities such as Valentin Lungu, Vice-President of the National Alliance for the Restoration of the Monarchy; Dan Dumitrana, founder of the Transylvanian Royal Choir; Marius Pop, Chairman of the Bistrița Monarchists’ Club; Cornel Jurju, Chairman of the Cluj Monarchists’ Club; Eugen Moț, President of the Cluj Art Association; and Ionuț Coman, member of the International Academy of Saint Mauritius. The music was performed by the military brass band and the ‘Voci Transilvane’ Choir, conducted by master Adrian Corojan.
According to historian Vasile Pușcaș, a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, Queen Maria was the most significant female figure in Romanian history.
Maria was born on 29 October 1875 at Eastwell Park in the county of Kent, England. Her father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Queen Victoria of Great Britain (who also held the title of Empress of India). Her mother was Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, daughter of the Russian Emperor, Alexander II. Maria was baptised into the Anglican faith in the private chapel of Windsor Castle. For her first twelve years, Maria of Edinburgh lived primarily at Eastwell Park, with occasional stays at the family’s London residence, Clarence House. Then, in 1886, her father was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet. Consequently, Duke Alfred of Edinburgh moved to Malta with his entire family. Queen Maria would later recall in her memoirs the three delightful years spent in the beautiful Mediterranean archipelago. In 1889, her family’s destiny shifted once again. Alfred of Edinburgh’s paternal uncle, Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, passed away without direct heirs. He was succeeded in 1889 by Alfred of Edinburgh as ruler of the German duchy, and the ducal family relocated to Coburg, where Maria was confirmed in the Lutheran faith. In effect, Maria spent her teenage years in Coburg and Rosenau.
In 1891, Maria of Edinburgh met Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania. On his paternal side, he belonged to the Catholic Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen branch of the German Imperial Family, whilst on his maternal side, he was related to the Imperial Family of Brazil and the Royal Family of Portugal. The marriage between the two young people was highly favoured by their relatives, and their engagement was formally announced in the summer of 1892.
In the autumn of 1892, King Carol I of Romania, Crown Prince Ferdinand’s uncle, visited Great Britain to discuss the marriage details with Duke Alfred of Edinburgh and Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland. The austere King of Romania made an excellent impression on Queen Victoria, who invested him with the Order of the Garter, the most prestigious British order of chivalry.
As a result, the marriage between Ferdinand and Maria took place on 10 January 1893. In fact, three separate ceremonies were performed. The civil ceremony was held in the Red Saloon of Sigmaringen Castle, the Catholic ceremony took place in the town’s cathedral, and the Protestant service, conducted by a chaplain of the British Royal Navy, was held within the castle itself.
Ferdinand and Maria of Romania spent their honeymoon at one of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family residences in Bavaria, before departing by train for Romania. They were received with great enthusiasm at Predeal, and later in Bucharest, they attended an Orthodox ceremony at the New Saint Spiridon Church, where 32 young peasant couples were married alongside them. This was followed by a celebratory banquet offered to all at the Romanian Athenaeum, where the newlywed young couples received lavish gifts from the Romanian Royal Family.
Initially, relations between the young, energetic Princess Maria of Romania and the rigorous King Carol I were somewhat difficult, but they evolved positively over time. In 1896, Ferdinand and Maria moved from the Royal Palace to Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. That same year, the young princely couple attended the coronation ceremony of the last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II. In her memoirs, Maria of Romania left a detailed description of this event. From 1903 onwards, Ferdinand and Maria were granted Pelișor Castle as their summer residence. The couple had six children, though their youngest son, Prince Mircea of Romania, died of typhoid fever at the age of just three.
Following the death of King Carol I on 27 September 1914, Ferdinand I became King of Romania and Maria became Queen. Meanwhile, the First World War had broken out. For two years, Romania remained neutral, during which time intense pressure was exerted upon the Royal Family to join either the Central Powers or the Entente. Queen Maria of Romania was the primary advocate for entering the war on the side of the Entente, an event which occurred on 15 August 2016.
Initially, the Royal Romanian Army achieved limited success following its offensive into Transylvania. However, Romania’s allies failed to honour the promises made upon her entry into the war, leading to a series of painful defeats for the country. In November 1916, the Central Powers occupied Romania’s southern provinces, including the capital, Bucharest. The Royal Family, the army, the government, parliament, and the administration retreated to Moldavia. Iași became the wartime capital of the Kingdom of Romania. With great sacrifice, the Royal Romanian Army, supported by Russian troops, managed to stabilise the front in southern Moldavia. Later, reorganised with the assistance of French General Henri Berthelot and equipped with modern weaponry, the Royal Romanian Army defeated the Central Powers’ troops in battles such as Mărăști, Mărășești, and Oituz, launching a counter-offensive. However, these efforts were thwarted by the collapse of Russia, which was gripped by the Bolshevik revolution. Consequently, Romania was forced to sue for an armistice. Early in 1918, the Union of Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania took place. Meanwhile, the Central Powers attempted to impose a harsh peace on Romania, negotiated at Buftea and Bucharest. King Ferdinand I, despite facing threats of dethronement, refused to ratify this peace treaty. Thus, in November 1918, the Royal Romanian Army re-entered the war. November 1918 also saw the Union of Bukovina with Romania.
A particularly distinctive moment occurred on 1 December 1918. On that day, in Alba Iulia, the elite of the Transylvanian Romanians—led by statesman Iuliu Maniu and Greek-Catholic Bishop Iuliu Hossu—voted for the Union of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania. Simultaneously, on that very day, the Romanian Royal Family made a triumphant return to Bucharest.
The year 1919 proved to be exceptionally complicated. A Soviet regime led by Béla Kun had been established in Hungary. Both Soviet Hungary and Soviet Russia launched military operations against Romania. The Royal Romanian Army successfully defended Bessarabia against the Russian Bolsheviks, while in the west, it repelled the Hungarian offensive and initiated an operation that resulted in the dismantling of the Soviet regime in Hungary, with the Royal Romanian Army occupying Budapest. Furthermore, Romanian troops provided vital support both to the Polish army fighting Russia and to Ukrainian insurgents attempting to liberate their country from Russian occupation.
At the end of spring 1919, the Romanian Royal Family embarked on a tour of Transylvania, which turned into a genuine triumphal march. The train carrying King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria departed from Bucharest on 22 May 1919. Exactly 107 years after that moment, Prince Radu of Romania inaugurated the statue of Queen Maria in Jucu. On 27 May 1919, the Royal Family, having reached Bistrița, departed for Gherla, where they were received by Bishop Iuliu Hossu—the very man who had proclaimed the decision of Transylvania’s Union with the Kingdom of Romania to the crowds gathered at Alba Iulia. On the same day, travelling by train through Jucu, the Royal Family headed towards Cluj. Exactly 107 years later, the Romanian Royal Family—represented by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania—met in Blaj with the successor of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, His Beatitude Claudiu Lucian Pop, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, seconded by His Grace Cristian Dumitru Crișan, Auxiliary Bishop of Alba Iulia and Făgăraș.
There followed the diplomatic battle for the international recognition of the Great Union. Queen Maria of Romania travelled to Paris, where she pleaded eloquently in favour of Romania’s interests.
In 1926, another major diplomatic event took place: Queen Maria’s tour of the United States of America. Owing to her personal charisma, Queen Maria was received like an avant la lettre rock star. Immense enthusiasm swept through the crowds gathered in New York and other American cities.
A year later, however, in 1927, Queen Maria of Romania was widowed following the death of King Ferdinand I. Until her own passing in the summer of 1938, Queen Maria remained one of the most beloved public figures in Romania.
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