Royal Profile: Queen Anne of Romania

Queen Anne of Romania was born Princess Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite of Bourbon-Parma  on 18 September 1923 as the only daughter of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margaret of Denmark {Source}. She had two brothers, several sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews  {Source}:

1. Prince Jacques Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1922-1964)
1. Birgitte von Holstein-Ledreborg, Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg (m. 1947)
1. Prince Philippe of Bourbon-Parma (1949)
1. Annette Smith (1955, m. 1977)
1. Prince Jacques Carl Christian Marie of Bourbon-Parma 1986)
2. Prince Joseph Axel Alain Erik Marie of Bourbon-Parma (1989)
2. Princess Lorraine Charlotte of Bourbon-Parma (1951)
3. Prince Alain Jean of Bourbon-Parma (1955)
1.  Inge-Birgitte Vedel Andersen (m. 2001)
2. Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (1926) 
1. Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel  (m. 1951, div 1966)
1. Princess Inès Marie Josephe Marguerite Yolande Tatiana of Bourbon-Parma (1952-1981)
   1. Marie Mélodie de Bourbon (1977, grandfather adopted in 1982). 
2. Prince Erik Marie Joseph René Michael Pierre of Bourbon-Parma ( 1953)
1. Countess Lydia af Holstein-Ledreborg (1955, m. 1980)
   1. Princess Antonia Monique Charlotte Marie of Bourbon-Parma (1981)
   2. Princess Marie Gabrielle Yolande Camilla Philippine of Bourbon-Parma (1982)
   3. Princess Alexia Thérèse Sybille Eric Charles Marie of Bourbon-Parma (1985)
   4. Prince Michel Knud John Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma (1989)
   5. Prince Henri Luitpold Antoine Victor Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma (1991)
3. Princess Sybil Marie Josephine Anne Victorie of Bourbon-Parma (1954)
1. Craig Richards (m. 1997)
4. Princess Victoire Maria Pia Josephe Philippe Isaure of Bourbon-Parma (1957-2001)
1. Baron Ernst von Gecmen-Waldek (1943, m. 1977-div 1988)
1. Baroness Tatiana von Gecmen-Waldek (1974)
1. Michael Berger-Sandhofer (m. 1995)
2. Baron Vincent Nicholas von Gecmen-Waldek (1981)
2. Carlos Ernesto Rodriguez (m. 1993)
5. Prince Charles-Emmanuel Marie Joseph Jacques Hely of Bourbon-Parma (1961)
1. Constance de Ravinel (1971, m. 1991)
   1. Prince Amaury Yves Michel Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma (1991)
   2. Princess Charlotte Alexe Yolande Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma (1993)
   3. Princess Elizabeth Flore Angélique Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parma (1996)
   4. Princess Zita Angélique Inès Marie Joseph of Bourbon-Parme (1999) 
2. Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (m. 2003)
3. Prince André of Bourbon-Parma (1928-2011)
1. Marina Gacry (m. 1960)
1. Princess Tania Sophie of Bourbon-Parma (1961) 
1. Gilbert Jacques Marcel Bécaud (m. 1988)
   1. Marguerite Bécaud (1993)
   2. Héléna Bécaud (1998)
   3. Dagmar Bécaud (2004)
2. Princess Astrid of Bourbon-Parma (1964)
3. Prince Axel of Bourbon-Parma (1967
1.  Raphael de Montagnon (m. 1996)
1. Prince Côme of Bourbon-Parma (1997)
2. Princess Alice of Bourbon-Parma ( 2000)
3. Princess Cure of Bourbon-Parma (2004)

She was named for her royal aunts and great grandmother {Source}:

• Anne: her paternal aunt via marriage,  Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria
• Antoinette: for her paternal grandmother, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal
• Françoise: for her maternal  great grandmother, Princess Françoise d'Orléans
• Charlotte: for her great x2 grandmother, Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark 
•  Zita: her paternal aunt, Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma
• Marguerite : French form of her mother's name, Margaret.

She was nicknamed Nane (Nan in English) {Source}.

She primarily grew up in France{Source}. During a financial crisis in the Bourbon-Parma family, she resided in Italy with her family and had an Italian governess{Source}. She also spent time in the United States{Source}. When she turned sixteen, she began courses at a school of fine arts while working at Macy's department store in New York City{Source}. In 1941, she began courses at Parsons School of Art, studying science trade promotion, completing the degree in 1942{Source}. During her time at Parsons, she worked as a saleswoman at Bloomingdale's Department Store{Source}.

In 1942, she asked for her mother's permission to enlist in the anti-Nazi war, to which her mother agreed as her father and brothers were all already enrolled in various military units {Source}. During the war, she was stationed in Africa, then Europe and Germany in the French Army{Source}. In 1943, she joined the Free French Forces, working in Morrocco as a nurse{Source}. Towards the end of the war, she was stationed in Germany{Source}.

She grew up riding her bicycle and fishing {Source}. When she was 12 years old, she took fencing lessons{Source}. She was also passionate about cars, particularly Jeeps{Source}. She also had a passion for fashion{Source}.

Her love story with King Mihai I began long before she even knew it....he saw her during footage of news reports of the war in 1943{Source}. The Royal pair met for the first time in 1947, during the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh{Source}. Just sixteen days after meeting, the royal pair was engaged{Source}. They were married on 10 June 1948, and have five daughters, several current and former sons-in-law, two grandsons, three granddaughters, two grandchildren-in-law, and three great grandchildren, who are  {Source}:

1. Crown Princess Margareta (1949), 
1. Prince Radu Duda (m. 1996)
2. Princess Elena (1950)
1. Mr. Nicholas  Metford-Mills de Roumaine (1985)
2. Miss Elisabeta-Karina Metford-Mills (1989)
3. Princess Irina, Mrs. Walker (1953)
1. Mr. Michael Torsten Kreuger de Roumaine (1984)
1. Mrs. Tara Littlfield Kreuger de Roumaine (m 2011)
1. Master Kohen Kreuger de Roumaine (born 2012)
2. Mrs. Angelica-Margaretta Kreuger de Roumaine (1986)
1. Richard Robert Knight (m 2009)
1. Miss Courtney Kreuger de Roumaine (2007)
2. Miss Diana Kreuger de Roumaine(born 2011)
4. Princess Sofia (1957)
1. Miss Elisabeth-Maria de Roumanie Biarneix(1998)
5. Princess Maria (born 1964)

She and her husband gave their daughters a stable home in exile, in Switzerland{Source}. They also resided in England from 1950-1956{Source}. In 1956, the family returned to Switzerland, where they remained until 1976{Source}. 

In 1945, after the war had ended she returned to civilian life, where she was awarded the French honor of Croix de Guerre by the French Republic and advanced to lieutenant in the French Army{Source}. While in England in the 1950s, Queen Anne worked as a carpenter in a woodshop, often selling items as craft fairs{Source}. During their time in Switzerland, the royal couple bonded over repairs and restorations of Jeeps{Source}. In addition to her adventures in Frencing, cyciling, and fishing, she was also an avid horseback ridder, gymnast and swimmer{Source}. She was also a passionate hunter, often joining her Luxembourger, German or Belgian cousins on hunts{Source}. She was also a playwright, in 1960 she and King Mihai wrote  a play titled The Choice  about a struggle between capital and communist systems and the role in faith, and it was published in Romanish{Source}. She was also a talented painter, Elisabeta Palace was often exhibiting her works{Source}. She was a dog lover-she and her husband had two chihuahuas, Bianco and Bambi{Source}.

Funeral information is as follows{Source}:

August 9:
15:15 local time: Her body will arrive at Otopeni Airport and be transported to Peles Castle

17:00 local time: her body will lay in repose in the Hall of Honor of the Peles Castle


August 10:

Program officials to visit condolences to Peles Castle, on Wednesday, August 10, 2016, is as follows:

- Time 10-12: Representatives of the diplomatic corps, the European Union, NATO and International Organizations.

- Time 12-14: Representatives of state institutions.

- Time 14-16: Presidential Institution, the Moldovan Presidency, members of the Romanian Government and of the Government, members of the Romanian Parliament and the Parliament of Moldova.

- Time 16-18: Representatives of the Romanian Academy and Academy State Moldovan Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the other institutions of the Faith.

18:30 local time: the repose in the Hall of Honor of the Peles Castle ends. That evening, her body will be transported to Royal Palace Throne Room in Calea Victoriei. Ceremony will be private, no public or media access.

August 11-12:

8AM-22 local time: Her body will lay in state at the Throne Room of the Royal Palace, where public will be allowed to view and leave flowers. ADmission is free, media access is allowed.

August 13:

10:55 local time Coffin will be placed on a bier in the Royal Palace Square, a religious ceremony will take place there.

Public access is free and open to the public. Media is also permitted.

11:30 local time: coffin will be placed in a mortuary van and funeral procession will proceed from Royal Palace Square - Magheru - Romana Square - Victoria Square - Aviatorilor - Charles de Gaulle Square - Arc de Triomphe. From the Arch de Triomphe, the tour will continue to Curtea de Arges, Mogosoaia, Buftea, Titu, Gaesti, Topoloveni, Pitesti, Arges.

15:00 local time: Funeral service of Queen Anne will take place at New Cathedral of Curtea de Arges. Burial will be private with the Romanin Royal Family and other royal families in attendance. he public will have access only to the Archdiocese Park gateway in Curtea de Arges. The media will have access to the New Cathedral of Curtea de Arges.

The ceremony will take place in two parts: 15.00-15.50 hours in front of New Cathedral; 15.50-16.10 hour, religious burial ceremony in New Cathedral.