site.btaElisabeta Palace in Bucharest Opens to Visitors Until September 7
Elisabeta Palace, the official residence of Romania's royal family in the capital, is now open to visitors with guided tours available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until September 7.
Built in just one year, the palace was originally the private residence of Princess Elisabeta, the eldest daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie. Later, King Michael I took up residence in the palace. In one of the upstairs rooms, he was forced to sign his abdication on December 30, 1947.
Since 1997, Elisabeta Palace has served as the royal family's official residence in Bucharest. Today it is the working residence of Margareta Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and she carries out most of her public duties from it.
Between 2001 and today, the palace has hosted hundreds of meetings with prominent figures from Romanian political, cultural, economic, diplomatic, and academic circles, as well as with international dignitaries. It has also been the venue for numerous radio and television programmes, dinners dedicated to various regions, associations, and initiatives, and visits from members of European royal families.
The most recent special guest at the residence was King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, according to the guestbook and autograph collection displayed in one of the palace halls.
Two griffins guard the staircase leading to a marble hall. “They symbolize courage and strength, and protect the royal family from evil spirits,” a palace guide told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). Visitors can also see dresses worn by Princess Margareta, the grand dining hall, where the table is set as if for a royal dinner. Contrary to what’s often portrayed in movies and TV series, the seating arrangement follows the French style, with the most distinguished guests seated in the centre to encourage social interaction. The porcelain is Rosenthal, brought from the UK on the Orient Express. A wooden door leads to the kitchen, above which icons are displayed to bless the food before serving.
In King Michael's study, visitors can see the chair he used during the coronation of King George VI of the United Kingdom. A portrait of King Michael drawn only with the colours of the Romanian flag can be seen in the White Salon. A wooden table on which the act of Romania’s independence was signed in 1877 sits nearby.
Residents and visitors of Bucharest who choose to explore the palace also have the opportunity to see a collection of traditional folk costumes worn by Queen Marie and Queen Helen, military uniforms of King Michael, royal decorations and medals, and portraits of Romanian monarchs from various generations.
Guests can stroll through the palace gardens, where trees have been planted by royalty and heads of state since 2001. A special stamp collection illustrating key historical moments and portraying King Michael’s passion for automobiles and engineering can be seen as well. Proof to this passion is the retro LaSalle Series 39-50 car, manufactured in 1939, which is on display in the palace garden.
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