Polis: Revista de Stiinte Politice (Mar 2023)
Oaspeți regali la nunta Principesei Elisabeta (20 noiembrie 1947) și prestigiul monarhiei britanice
Abstract
Royal weddings and funerals, rather than coronations, are usual moments of gathering for the monarchs. This is because no other monarch can be present when another sovereign is crowned, while no such restriction exists when one future or reigning monarch is married is buried. On 20 November 1947, Princess Elizabeth, heir presumptive to the British Throne, married Philip Mountbatten. The groom, born as a Prince in the Royal Family of Greece, first cousin to King Paul of Greece, was forced to renounce his former titles and religion, becoming a British subject. The list of royal wedding guests, compared to previous events, can give us an insight on the world monarchies’ state of affairs at that time. A special attention is given to the presence of King Michael of Romania, the last monarch on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain, who used this occasion for political discussions regarding the situation of the Soviet-occupied Romania, hoping to receive any kind of advice. On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth II, being crowned on 2 June 1953. Our paper will close with observations regarding the unanimous presence of European monarchs at Queen Elizabeth II’s state funerals on 19 September 2022.
