35 years ago, Margareta and Sofia from Romania set foot on Romanian soil for the first time. The day after the historic return of the royal family to the country, the two daughters of King Michael I undertook their first actions in favor of the Romanian people. This January 18, 2025, Margareta of Romania, her husband Radu and her sister Sofia, celebrated the 35th anniversary of the return of the royal family from Romania but also the 35th anniversary of the Royal Margareta of Romania Foundation, by honoring young talents.
Read also: The unifying Christmas speech of Margareta from Romania on public television
35 years of service to the Romanian population
Rebellions against the communist regime culminated in the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu on December 25, 1989. A few days later, Romania’s royal family returned home, ending 42 years of exile. On January 18, 1990, Margareta and Sofia from Romania, 41 years old and 33 years old at the time, arrived from Geneva on a Swiss Air plane. The eldest daughter and the fourth of the five daughters of King Michael I were the first members of the royal family to set foot on Romanian soil.
January 18 is also symbolically the date of the start of the charitable commitment of the royal family in Romania. As soon as they arrived in Romania, Margareta and her sister understood the urgency and the duty that the royal family had towards the population.
This January 18, 2025, Margareta of Romania, who became Guardian of the Crown since the death of King Michael I in December 2017, was accompanied by her husband, Prince Consort Radu, and her sister, Princess Sofia, to celebrate the 35th anniversary from the Royal Margareta Foundation of Romania to the National Art Museum. The foundation was created in 1990 with King Michael I to contribute to positive change in the lives of the most vulnerable Romanians, such as the elderly, abandoned children and families in difficulty. The foundation also works to support young talents.
Read also: The royal family of Romania pays homage to King Michael I in Curtea de Argeș
Exhibition of young talents for the 35th anniversary of the Royal Margareta Foundation of Romania
The celebration of this anniversary took place at the National Art Museum, a highly symbolic place. Bucharest’s most important art museum occupies an imposing building that was once the royal palace, the official workplace of the kings of Romania. The royal family inaugurated the Talent 35 exhibition this Saturday, installed on the occasion of the foundation’s anniversary.
- For the first time, 52 young artists were selected to exhibit their works in this exceptional place. The artists are young talents who have benefited from the support of a foundation program. Mugurel Mărgărit, executive director of the royal foundation, gave a speech at the inauguration, as well as the director of the National Art Museum and the curator of the exhibition.
In total, 72 works are on display in the Kretzulescu rooms of the National Museum of Art until February 23, 2025. The foundation’s Young Talents program supports and promotes talented young artists from low-income families who cannot develop their talent due to lack of equipment. The project is aimed at children and young people aged 14 to 24, who study throughout the year in art and music schools and universities across the country.
In the evening, the anniversary celebrations continued at the Romanian Athenaeum where the concert titled “Talent 35” was presented to the public and the royal family.
The concert was performed by the Royal Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tiberiu Soare, accompanied by the Ascendis Choir. Participating in the concert were soprano Georgiana Dumitru, mezzo-soprano Adelina Cociobanu, tenor Andrei Petre and baritone Sergiu Garabajii. Prince Radu gave a speech before the concert.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
