A privately commissioned monumental statue of Romania's Queen Maria (years of reign 1914 - 1927) was unveiled on Saturday in Alba Iulia, near the Union Hall, in a ceremony attended by Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Margareta, her spouse Prince Radu, Princess Sofia, Patriarch Daniel, high Orthodox clergy, and several hundred people, told Agerpres.
The unveiling of the statue was followed by the Royal Anthem sung by the "Armonia" Choir.
A creation of sculptor Mircea Rusu, the statue was commissioned by a group of private persons, including Romania's former Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar and hotel owner Mohammad Murad. A plaque on the statue's pedestal lists some of the other sponsors of the artwork: Matei Miko, Daniel Metz, Ioan Popa, families Alexandru Nicolici and Dan Nicolici, Alexandra Lazar, Septimius Cosmin Suciu, Iuliu Chiorean, Alexandru Rotaru, Calin Iacob Tataru, Ion Bercu and Victor Florean.
The statue was temporarily placed next to the Union Hall, but it will be later moved to another location within the city's Vauban fortress.
The unveiling of the statue is part of a string of events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria's coronation in Alba Iulia as sovereigns of Greater Romania.
The busts of the King and Queen have been placed as early as in 2008 in front of Alba Iulia's Reunification Cathedral, where the coronation ceremony took place.
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