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The Royal Family has resumed the tradition of welcoming carol singers to the Savarsin Castle, in the western Arad County where they spend their winter holidays, after last year the custom could not be respected due to the pandemic and the distancing measures.
On Friday, at the Savarsin Castle were received the local drummers, but also dozens of locals, who caroled her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, and Prince Radu. There were about a hundred people, less than in the years before the pandemic, when carol singers from all over the country were received for several days in a row. This time, it was decided to receive local carol singers, keeping the distance measures.
"As every year, we are once again next to the community. It's true, in a smaller setting, because there's a lot of suffering. Every holiday illustrates that moment, but this was not a great year. We want to respect people's feelings and there are things we do every year. Her Majesty really wanted the packages for people in precarious situations to reach them, then the gifts for our collaborators in Bucharest and here. The drummers, of course, are closing the series of public visits to the castle. Unfortunately, this year many carol singers from the cities, such as Cluj, Chisinau (Republic of Moldova), Craiova or Satu Mare, could not come, but we hope that next year will be better," Prince Radu told journalists.
He added that the preparations for the Royal Christmas were made in a more discreet setting, and the fir tree was adorned more simply than in other years.
According to custom, the Royal Family carried gift packages to the most needy locals, being distributed about 300 packages. On Friday, Prince Radu participated in this action. The tradition dates back to the 1940s, when Queen Mother Elena and King Mihai I spent the end of the year in Savarsin. The custom was continued by King Mihai I and Queen Anne between 2001 and 2014.
The Custodian of the Crown, Her Majesty Margareta, and Prince Radu are in Savarsin on Christmas and New Year's Eve, and the royal family's public program will be a small one, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AGERPRES.
