Queen Elizabeth II was paid homage in Viscri
A moment of silence was held in Viscri, the heart of Transylvania, where people paid homage to the former Queen Elizabeth ll
Corina Cristea, 19.09.2022, 13:50
We find ourselves in the candlelight in a village in
the heart of Transylvania reflecting to the life of Queen Elizabeth II,
British ambassador to Romania, Andrew Noble said on Sunday night at the Blue House
in Viscri belonging to the former Prince of Wales.
The Queen was a global presence for 70 years. Even
though the Queen has never visited Romania, I can tell you that the Queen was
very familiar with what was happening in our country during these 32 years of
freedom. I talked to the Queen about Romania and it meant a lot to her not
least because it was an important place to King Charles, HE Andrew Noble said.
This simple house in Viscri is a small token of the
connection between the British and Romanian royal families, as well as between
our peoples and countries. It will play an important role in the future as
well, to remind us of what unites us. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a
particularly sad moment for the people of the United Kingdom, for the people of
the countries where the Queen was also head of state, the Commonwealth
countries and the other countries where we didn’t expect it to have this huge
impact. We think of the service she did for all of us, about the debt she felt
towards us, the common people, the ordinary people, and I don’t think this
memory will fade quickly, especially in this garden, in this house we will feel
the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and especially the presence of King Charles
III, Ambassador Noble also says.
Since his first visit to Transylvania in 1997, Prince
Charles, now King of the United Kingdom has every year visited this region
abounding in medieval buildings. In late 20th century, the
descendants of the Saxon settlers brought here in the 12th century by
the Hungarian kings to put an end to the Mongol and Turkish invasions, migrated
in large numbers to Germany leaving behind hundreds of fortified churches and
medieval houses. The former Prince Charles has contributed to the preservation
of these buildings at the same time getting involved in the preservation and
documentation of the wildlife in Transylvania, which is unique in Europe.
By means of his own foundation and through cooperation
with other organizations, hundreds of craftsmen have been trained to keep the
traditional trades in the area alive. The present monarch has also launched a
series of initiatives to support he local farmers and animal breeders in the
area as well as the orphan children in various areas of Romania.
The connection between the two royal families, of
Romania and Britain, is a special one – the grandmother of Queen Marie of
Romania was Queen Victoria of Britain. Mihai I, the former King of Romania who
died in 2017, was 3rd cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and also cousin
to Prince Consort Philip.
(bill)