King of Romania consort of Ferdinand I Queen Marie

Born Princess Marie of Edinburgh in 1875, she was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the daughter of Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. In 1893 she married Ferdinand, heir to the Romanian throne, and later became queen consort when he became King Ferdinand I in 1914.

During the First World War, she became deeply admired in Romania for visiting hospitals and supporting wounded soldiers, earning a lasting reputation for courage and public service. She also played an important public role in the years that followed, especially around the creation of Greater Romania and the country’s diplomatic visibility after the war.

Marie was more than a royal symbol: she was also a prolific writer of memoirs, stories, and reflections that helped preserve her voice for later generations. She died in 1938, but she remains one of the best-known figures in modern Romanian history.