The Romanian Cultural Institute in London marks the Romanian Monarchy Day with a talk by passionate researcher Dr Lia Chisacof on the controversial personality of King Carol II of Romania.
The lecture dedicated to King Carol II of Romania is intended as a contribution based on lesser-known information. It begins with a highly objective analysis of Romanian realities in the fourth decade of the twentieth century. Avoiding defamatory elements, the king’s personality is reconstructed from opinions about him expressed by his contemporaries, not those living in Romania. These include members of various European Royal Families and British diplomats. The focus will then turn to his domestic reforms and his international relations. The lecture will also present the literary image of this crowned head.
Lia Chisacof is a researcher at the Institute for South-East European Studies of the Romanian Academy. A graduate of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, English Department, and a speaker of Modern Greek, she has specialised in the study of eighteenth-century Romania, to which she has made significant contributions supported by editions of previously unpublished texts concerning literature and the development of the sciences. In recent years, she has focused on overlooked aspects of the complex Romanian–British relations, which she documents primarily in archives in the United Kingdom.
Carol II of Romania (1893–1953) was King of Romania between 1930 and 1940, a controversial figure in the country’s history. He was born on 15 October 1893, the son of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie. He led a tumultuous personal life, initially renouncing his rights to the throne because of his relationship with Elena Lupescu, which caused a scandal. In 1930, he returned to the country. He proclaimed himself king, deposing his minor son, Michael I. During his reign, he attempted to consolidate royal power, and in 1938, he established a royal dictatorship, abolishing political parties. His rule was marked by political instability and significant territorial losses in 1940 (Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, and Northern Transylvania). In the same year, he was forced to abdicate in favour of Michael I and left the country. He died in exile in Portugal on 4 April 1953.
Free entry.
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