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Home , Grand Cross, King of Romania

ROYAL ROMANIAN OF THE CROWN (ORDINUL COROANA ROMANIEI)

Charles H. Pankey and Dragos Baldescu

The Order of the Crown was one of the first orders instituted 2. If a member of the Order died, troops would be by the country of after it became an independent dispatched to his residence or at the church to honor state. The Order was instituted by Royal Decree No. 1244 him as follows: on May 10, 1881~. a) A battalion with music for Grand Cross class. After the abdication of Prince Cuza, Carol, the second son b) A company with music for Grand Officer of Prince Charles Anthony of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen class; (1848-85), was offered and accepted the position of Prince c) A company for class; of Romania. Once Romania was self-proclaimed an d) A platoon for and Officer classes. independent state, Carol I (Prince 1866-1881, King 1881- 3. The troops would present their weapons for a Grand 1914) instituted the Order of the Crown in five grades: Cross decedent and keep their weapons on their Knight, Officer, Commander, Grand Officer and Grand shoulders for Grand Officers. Cross. The Order of the Crown was created was to mark 4. At the funeral of a member, the Order of the the proclamation of the . Queen deceased would be placed on his coffin. Elizabeth of Romania was invested with the Order of the Crown with diamonds in 1881. On November 3, 1906, a new regulation replaced the one from 1885, as follows: Incorporated within the official bulletin was the discussion in Parliament concerning creation of the Order. The 1. A complicated system of paperwork was created to arguments in Parliament against the Order were: the Order; 2. There was no limit of members; 1. Romania already had too many (five); 3. Except in special cases, awards were made on May 2. A commemorative should be issued, not an 10th of each year; Order; 4. Princes from the Royal family received the Grand 3. The importance of the Order of the Star would be Cross of the Order when they were 18 years old; diminished by the Order of the Crown; and 5. Foreigners could be awarded the Order only after 4. A citizen should do services for the country of their government was consulted; however, Orders Romania because their heart told them to, not to could be awarded without any consultation if the receive awards. King awarded them proprio motu without any Decree being published; There was no initial clear-cut distinction between the 6. Foreign diplomats in Romania could be awarded Romanian Order of the Star and the new Order of the the Order only after a minimum of two (2) years in Crown. The regulation of the Order of the Crown and the country; official bulletin of May 26, 1881, stated that there had to 7. The cases containing the Order were made from be a progression from the Knight class to the Grand Cross wood covered with leather; of three years in between each class, with the exception of 8. There were detailed rules for wearing the Order as going from Grand Officer to Grand Cross, which required follows: five years. Notwithstanding the above, there was an a) Military recipients were required to wear the exception that any class could be awarded during war for Order according to military regulations, "exceptional services." The benefits for members were the which regulations were not included in the same as for the Order of the Star. Decree; b) Only the highest Class could be worn; On August 10, 1885, a new regulation for the Order was c) Knight and Officer Class were worn on the published replacing the one from 1881. It was stipulated left side of the chest; that the Order of the Crown was to reward services to the d) People in military or civilian uniform had State of Romania. The regulation also stated as follows: to wear it at the same height with the first button under the ; Soldiers had to salute with their rifle on their e) Civilian Commander Class lawyers and shoulder when they encountered people wearing the judges wore it under the tie, Commanders Knight and Officer class and had to present arms in uniform wore it under the collar, when encountering people wearing higher classes priests wore it between the cross and the of the Order; englopion;

2 f) The Grand Officer breast star was worn also Other portions of the regulation were: on the left side of the chest, lower than the Knight/Officer class; 1. No one could order private-made pieces as g) Civilians wore the Grand Cross from replacements without asking for permission; the right shoulder to the left leg, at the top 2. The first class awarded was the Knight class. If of the vest (at official ceremonies) and under the awarded person already had the Knight class the vest (unofficial ceremonies); h) Priests wore the Grand Cross at the neck (not of the Order of the Star, he could receive the across the shoulder as the others), the sash Officer class of the Order of the Crown (except could not cover the engolpion, the engolpion special cases andproprio motu awards); had to be between the priest’s cross (to the 3. : Officer of the Order of the right) and the Order’s cross (to the left); Crown is equal with the Knight of the Order of i) Women wore the Grand Cross sash attached the Star, Commander of Order of the Crown is with jewelry pins at the shoulder and waist, again equal with Knight of Order of the Star, women also wore the cross on the left Grand Officer of Grand Cross is equal with shoulder; Commander of Order of the Star and the Order j) The grades of Commander, Grand Officer and Grand Cross were considered ceremonial of Carol I, Grand Cross of Order of the Crown is and could only be worn in ceremonial equal with Grand Officer of Order of the Star but clothes; inferior to Grand Officer of the Order of Carol k) At unofficial ceremonies or in casual I; situations, civilians could wear a bow made 4. Lower ranks were required to salute higher ranks from the instead of the Order (for of the Orders; the Knight class) and rosettes (of 10 ram) 5. Military honors for dead civilian members of the made from the ribbon (for the other classes). Order were: equivalent with the rank of army Rosettes were worn at the first buttonhole 2nd Lieutenant for , of Lieutenant for under the collar; Officers, of Captain for Commanders, of Major 1) At ceremonies attended by foreign heads of states, the members could wear any awards for Grand Officer and of Colonel for Grand from the respective state but not from any Cross; other state. If they didn’t have such foreign 6. Kings and princes didn’t receive award awards, they could wear one of the national certificates; orders; 7. Award certificates for Grand Cross and Grand m) Miniatures could be worn only at unofficial Officer were hand-signed by the king; ceremonies and priests could not wear the 8. The families of foreigners (except kings and sash of the Order during religious services princes) had to return the Orders after their death, performed during Holy Week (Easter keeping only the award certificates; Week). 9. Members could be excluded from the Order by a n) Orders of precedence in wear: special Council of Honor. Members could also i) Medal bars and frock bars could be worn on a single row. If one had more had more be excluded for the same offenses whereby one than one neck award, he wore them on the would lose their Romanian citizenship; top of the other, the one closest to the neck 10. This regulation also includes the papers that had being the highest one; to be completed for award proposals. ii) If one had more than one breast star, he wore them as a triangle (for three), in a A 1916 decree was promulgated introducing the ribbon rhombohedral form (for fore’) or on two rows of the Military Virtue Medal for Orders of the Crown (for more than four); awarded for bravery. The ribbon was red moir~ with iii) If one had more than one Grand Cross, light blue outer stripes. A 1918 decree was promulgated he could wear only the highest-ranked one. 9. Punishments were introduced for wearing the Order regulating awards of the Order of the Crown during without being a member and it was considered a wartime. serious offense. The first type of the Order was in the shape of a dark red enameled Maltese cross with the royal cipher of Carol I After being awarded the Order, each member was between the arms. The arms were edged in white enamel expected to ask for a Royal audience, to express their and rimmed in silver or gold gilt. The cipher of Carol I gratitude. If the king couldn’t grant the requested was between each arm. On the obverse there is a center audience, the new member had to thank him in a letter. medallion edged in a white enamel band within which is

Vol. 59, No. 1 3 the inscription PRINNOIINSINE (By Ourselves) and the Knight and Officer insignia are distinguished not only by date 14 MARTIE 1881 (the date of the founding) is printed the addition of a 25-27mm. on the Officer ribbon but in gold gilt separated by on+ gold star between the 14, also by the Officer insignia being gold-gilt and the Knight MARTIE, and 1881. Contained within the is a dark insignia being silver-gilt (Figure 3). red enameled circle containing a crown (Figure 1). On the reverse, the center medallion is again surrounded by a white Appointments to the Order and promotions within the enamel band within which the inscription 1866 * 1877 * Order were made following a specific criteria to reward 1881 (dates of Carol I as Prince, independence of Romania, meritorious civil and military service to the State. establishment of Kingdom of Romania, respectively) is Decorations were awarded one class or grade a year printed in gold gilt. depending upon the number of vacancies in such class or

Figure 1: Three examples of the obverse of the Order of the Crown Type I in the grade of Commander.

Contained within the ring is a dark red enameled circle grade. The proposals were submitted to the Chancery of containing the inscription IO.MAIU (Figure 2). The 10th Orders. Posthumous awards were allowed. of May has special significance for Romania as Carol I was crowned the first King of Romania on May 10, 1881. The Order of the Crown was headed by a Great Master who The ribbon consisted of bright blue moir~ with two silver was the King assisted by a , the foreign minister colored stripes on the edges. The Order had different and an honor council generally made up of four members insignia for military consisting of two crossed swords appointed by the King. Any controversies conceming the between the insignia and crown. The peace medal was Orders were settled by the Chancery who also kept the issued without such swords. The peace medal was part of register of the Order and issued certificates. the original High Decree and the swords were authorized later in December, 1919.

Figure 2: Three examples of the reverse of the Order of the Crown Type I in the grade of Commander.

4 JOMSA