The photo-documentary exhibition "A Prince of the Crown of Romania, Nicolae", marking the 120th anniversary of the birth of the second son of King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria, opened on Friday in the Cerchez Hall of the Cotroceni National Museum.
"The exhibition that the Cotroceni National Museum proposes to us can be seen as an invitation to discover and learn in depth about the life of Prince Nicolae of Romania, about his childhood and career, but also about the challenges and changes that took place during which he became a central figure in the social and political landscape," the state secretary in the Ministry of Culture Diana Baciuna said, Agerpres reports.
In her turn, the scientific director of the Cotroceni Museum, Dr. Stefania Dinu, reviewed the exhibition project that evokes relevant aspects of the biography of Prince Nicholae of Romania (born in 1903, died in Madrid, Spain, in 1978), from moments of childhood in the Royal Family to his political role as a member of the Regency, as well as important activities carried out in the country and during the period of exile.
"So, we present to you the story of Prince Nicholae, 'a fairytale prince', whom we would now call very 'cool'. He was a dandy, he liked speed, he loved cars, he was an aviator, he loved sports. And the fact that tomorrow marks 120 years since his birth gave us this opportunity to bring him back into public attention," Dinu said.
The historian expressed hope that the bones of Prince Nicholae of Romania will be brought "as soon as possible to the country", given his desire to return to the homeland.
The opening of the exhibition, whose host was the managing director of the Cotroceni National Museum, Ana Maria-Ludatser, was opened by a musical moment supported by the student of the Dinu Lipatti National College of Arts Saviana Rusu (soprano), who, accompanied on the piano by the guidance teacher Andrei Sefan Racu, performed the Triumphal March of the Romanian Aviation, dedicated to Prince Nicolae.
The photo-documentary panels located in the Cerchez Hall show the birth and childhood of Prince Nicolae of Romania (1903 - 1918), his school years at the British Eton College (1919 - 1921), the activity in the British Royal Navy (1923 - 1926), the visit of Queen Maria in the United States of America (1926), the passion for motoring, the death of King Ferdinand I (July 1927), the activity of the Regency, the presence at official events in the period 1927 - 1930, the establishment and activity of the Regency (July 1927 - June 1930), the Restoration (1930 - 1940).
The relationship between King Carol II and Prince Nicolae (1930 - 1937), the exclusion from the Royal Family (April 1937), the prince's passion for aviation and sports, the morganatic marriage (1931), the activity in exile (1937 - 1945), the activity in exile according to the documents from the CNSAS archive (1945 - 1960).
The exhibition brings together paintings of Prince Nicolae from the heritage of the Peles National Museum and the King Ferdinand National Military Museum and from private collections, as well as objects that belonged to him, such as the Certificate of Aptitude (Airman's Certificate) and the leather helmet worn by him.
The exhibition can be visited until September 17.
The AGERPRES National News Agency is media partner of the event.
According to the Cotroceni National Museum, after the death of King Ferdinand I and the renunciation by Carol of the title of crown prince, Prince Nicolae of Romania held the position of a member of the Regency, a position in which he carried out various activities of a political nature, representing the country on behalf of King Mihai I, who was 6 years old.
With the restoration of King Carol II, Nicolae was appointed inspector of the Army, Navy and Aeronautics, during which he had his official residence at the Cotroceni Palace.
He was passionate about aviation, motoring and sports, being present at car races and sports competitions in the country and abroad.
Also, during the exile period, he had an important political activity, financing and patronizing various cultural institutions, but being permanently supervised by the special information services in the years 1937-1945 and, later, by the Foreign Intelligence Service of the communist regime.
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