Portrait of Prince Nicholas in 1923 |
Marie of Romania and her son Prince Nicholas (copyright ajv private collection) |
Prince Nicholas (1903-1978) was the second son of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania.
King Ferdinand's first son, Carol, renounced his rights of succession in 1925, so when Ferdinand died in 1927 he was succeeded as king by Carol's five year old son, Michael. Because of Micahel's youth, a regency council had to be formed, and Prince Nicholas was forced to abandon his career in the British navy in order to return home to serve on the council.
Nicholas resented having to abandon his naval career, and had no interest in politics. He was therefore at first delighted when Carol returned home to Romania in June 1930, becoming King Carol II and thus putting an end to the regency arrangement.
However, the cordial relations between Nicholas and Carol were short-lived. Nicholas wanted to marry a divorced woman but was aware that it might be embarrassing for Carol to have to authorize such a marriage. Carol himself suggested that the couple should marry without first seeking his consent (even though members of the royal family were required to obtain the king's consent before marrying). Carol had intimated that in these circumstances he would accept the marriage as a fait accompli, but after the wedding Carol promptly used it as an excuse to deprive Nicholas of his royal privleges and to exile him from Romania for a time.
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