Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia 1000 Dinara 1931 Circulated
Front: Queen Maria of Romania



Maria of Romania (6 January 1900 – 22 June 1961) was queen consort to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Maria was born in Gotha, Thuringia in Germany, during the reign of her maternal grandfather Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and during the Romanian reign of her granduncle King Carol I. She was known as Mignon in the family to distinguish her from her mother. Her mother was Marie of Edinburgh, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Her maternal great-grandfather was Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Maria's father was King Ferdinand I of Romania. She married Alexander I, King of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in Belgrade on 8 June 1922, and raised three sons:

* King Peter II (1923–1970)
* Prince Tomislav (1928–2000)
* Prince Andrej (1929–1990)

She became Queen Mother of Yugoslavia when, following the assassination of King Alexander in Marseille in 1934, her oldest son became Peter II of Yugoslavia, the last Yugoslav king. She moved to a farm in England and lived a relatively normal life, without royal extravagance. Maria was well educated. She spoke several languages fluently and enjoyed painting and sculpting. She also drove a car by herself[citation needed], which was very unusual at the time. She died in exile in London on 22 June 1961 and is interred at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, which adjoins Windsor Castle. Queen Maria was well loved, and respected, by the people of Yugoslavia and continues to be well thought of. She remains, in the eyes of the Serbian people, one of the greatest humanitarian patron's of the Balkan region. Streets are named in her memory, such as “Ulica kraljice Marije” or “Queen Maria Street”, and numerous schools and other organizations still carry her name.


Queen Maria with her younger sons, Tomislav and Andrej

Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia