Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern

Prince Paul of Romania
Head of the House of Romania (disputed)
Period January 27, 2006 – present
Predecessor King Michael
Heir apparent Carol Ferdinand
Born (1948-08-13) 13 August 1948
Paris, France
Spouse
Lia Georgia Triff (m. 1996)
Issue Carol Ferdinand
Father Carol Lambrino
Mother Hélène Henriette Nagavitzine

Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern (born 13 August 1948), also known as Prince Paul of Romania and Paul Lambrino,[1] is the son of Carol Lambrino and Hélène Henriette Nagavitzine. His father was the elder son of King Carol II of Romania and Zizi Lambrino. Paul-Philippe claims that he and not Princess Margareta is the rightful head of the royal house of Romania.

Family and education

In 1918, the crown prince of Romania (the future King Carol II) married Zizi Lambrino. The wedding was annulled the following year because it contravened the royal house's statute—Lambrino was both a Romanian and a commoner, and the marriage took place without the consent of the king. The couple had one son, Carol Lambrino, the father of Paul Hohenzollern. In 1921, Crown Prince Carol married Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, and they had a son who became King Michael I of Romania.[2][3][4]

Born in Paris, Paul Hohenzollern attended a Jesuit school. He was thirteen years old when his father married an American woman and the family moved to London to be nearer to European royalty.[5] He started school at Gordonstoun while Charles, Prince of Wales, was attending, then moving on to Millfield.[5][6] He has worked as an art dealer and property developer.[5]

In 1996, at Cașin Church, Hohenzollern married Lia Georgia Triff, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, who had previously divorced lawyer Melvin Belli.[1][5][7] The couple have one child, Carol Ferdinand; the infant was baptised in 2010, with President Traian Băsescu taking on the role of godfather.[8]

Claim

Hohenzollern claims to be the rightful head of Romania's royal house on the grounds that Prince Carol's marriage to Zizi Lambrino, carried out in a religious ceremony in Odessa, was never annulled in an Orthodox Church, thus rendering his subsequent marriages bigamous.[5] Nevertheless, he states that he accepts Romania's republican form of government and does not wish to see the monarchy restored. He also points to a 1955 decision by a court in Lisbon recognising Carol Lambrino as King Carol II's first son and granting him full succession rights, a decision upheld in 1957 and 1963 in France and the following year in the United Kingdom. The latter ruling entitled Carol Lambrino to a British passport under the style "Prince of Hohenzollern, Prince of Romania".[4]

He filed suit in Romania in 1991 against King Michael. The case reached its conclusion in February 2012, when the High Court of Cassation and Justice extended to Romania the Lisbon court's decision recognising Carol Lambrino as the son of King Carol II.[9][10][11] The ruling has unclear implications with regard to both throne and property succession. The leadership of the royal house remains contested, while Hohenzollern's claim to 62.5% of royal property—the share of his father plus that of King Carol II's widow Elena Lupescu, which she granted to him—remains undefined and may refer either to the king's personal property or to that of the royal house, the boundary between which is not clearly drawn.[12][13][14] Hohenzollern greeted the decision "with enthusiasm and responsibility",[14] promising "many trials" to sort out inheritance issues and vowing to donate his share of Peleș Castle to the Romanian government, should he obtain it.[13] King Michael's office issued a statement saying the decision creates no dynastic rights, that only he can determine the membership of the royal house, and that no Romanian king has ever recognised or granted a title to Carol Lambrino or to his descendants.[15][16][17]

In the 2000 Romanian presidential election, Hohenzollern was an unsuccessful independent candidate.[18][19] In 2005, Hohenzollern claimed that King Michael created and ran a Nazi state between 1940 and 1944, encouraging and approving the deportation and murder of Romanian Jews; as a result, he called for Michael's execution. Writing in The Jerusalem Post, historian Jean Ancel dismissed Hohenzollern's claims and praised the wartime actions of the king and his mother, Queen Helen.[20] In 2011, when Michael broke off ties with the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to form the House of Romania, Paul objected, labelling the move "an inexplicable gesture" severing "historical and dynastic ties" to the German house.[21]

In December 2011, Hohenzollern was named "Ambassador of Romanian-Chinese Friendship" in Beijing.[22][23]

After the 2012 final verdict of the Romanian Supreme Court of Justice recognising Paul as one of King Carol II's heirs, his uncle, King Michael I, reportedly invited Paul to reconciliation talks.[24]

Notable published works

  • King Carol II - A Life of my Grandfather (1988).

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Daniel Simpson, "The King's Heir? Hum, That's Not Fully Apparent", The New York Times, 19 June 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  2. ↑ (in Romanian) Viorel Soldea, "Cum a stricat o femeie relaţiile dintre Carol al II-lea şi fratele său" ("How a Woman Destroyed the Relationship between Carol II and His Brother"), Historia, 22 December 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  3. ↑ (in Romanian) Vartan Arachelian, "Născut in zodia Satanei" ("Born in Satan's Zodiac"), Jurnalul Naţional, 22 October 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  4. 1 2 (in Romanian) Ionuţ Fantaziu, "Şocul care ar putea bulversa Casa Regală" ("The Shock That Could Overturn the Royal House"), Evenimentul Zilei, 8 November 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 (in Romanian) Horia Tabacu, Vlad Teodorescu, "ASR Prinţul Paul: 'Vom dona 62,5 % din Castelul Peleş statului român'" ("HRH Prince Paul: 'We Will Give 62.5% of Peleş Castle to the Romanian State'"), Evenimentul Zilei, 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  6. ↑ "HRH Prince Carol of Romania", The Daily Telegraph, 9 February 2006. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  7. ↑ (in Romanian) "Prinţul miliardar va avea un moştenitor" ("Billionaire Prince to Have an Heir"), Cancan, 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  8. ↑ (in Romanian) "Traian Băsescu l-a botezat pe 'moştenitorul' Carol Ferdinand. Paul de România: 'Gest istoric'" ("Traian Băsescu Baptizes 'Heir' Carol Ferdinand. Paul of Romania: 'Historic Gesture'"), Evenimentul Zilei, 22 May 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  9. ↑ (in Romanian) Florin Soican, "Prinţul Paul a câştigat procesul cu Casa Regală: din acest moment este recunoscut ca nepot al Regelui Mihai" ("Prince Paul Wins Trial with Royal House: From Now on He Is Recognized as King Michael's Nephew"), Adevărul, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  10. ↑ (in Romanian) "Prinţul Paul, recunoscut oficial ca membru al Casei Regale" ("Prince Paul, Officially Recognized as Member of the Royal House"), România Liberă, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  11. ↑ "Romania’s top court rules Prince Paul Hohenzollern is legitimate royalty", The Washington Post, 15 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012
  12. ↑ (in Romanian) Adrian Pătruşcă, "Prinţul Paul, Regele Mihai, tronul şi averea de milioane" ("Prince Paul, King Michael, the Throne and the Fortune Worth Millions"), Evenimentul Zilei, 16 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  13. 1 2 (in Romanian) Horia Tabacu, "ASR Prinţul Paul al României: 'S-a făcut dreptate pentru tata şi pentru mine'" ("HRH Prince Paul: Justice Has Been Granted to My Father and to Me"), Evenimentul Zilei, 15 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  14. 1 2 (in Romanian) Raluca Dan, Florin Marin, "Prinţul Paul are dreptul la averea regală" ("Prince Paul Wins Right to Royal Fortune"), Adevărul, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  15. ↑ "Elisabeta Palace, 14th February 2012". Familia Regala a Romanei. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  16. ↑ (in Romanian) "Casa Regală: Decizia ICCJ nu creează drept dinastic şi nu stabileşte apartenenţa la Familia Regală" ("Royal House: ICCJ Creates No Dynastic Right and Does Not Decide Membership of Royal Family"), România Liberă, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  17. ↑ "Romanian court rules Prince Paul member of Royal House of Romania", romania-insider.com, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  18. ↑ (in Romanian) "Atac la rege: îl scuză Traian Băsescu pe Mareşalul Antonescu?" ("Attack on the King: Is Traian Băsescu Excusing Marshal Antonescu"), România Liberă, 23 June 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  19. ↑ (in Romanian) Cristian Petru, "Prinţul Paul de România acuză – 'Mihai a luat cu el colecţia de tablouri El Greco'" ("Prince Paul of Romania Accuses – 'Michael Took with Him the Collection of El Greco Paintings'"), Jurnalul Naţional, 23 March 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  20. ↑ (in Romanian) Andrei Oişteanu, "Şah la Regele Mihai: Paul Lambrino tulbură relaţiile diplomatice româno-israeliene" ("Chess with King Michael: Paul Lambrino Perturbs Romania-Israel Relations"), 22, 23 June 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  21. ↑ (in Romanian) "Prinţul Paul: Ruperea legăturilor cu Casa de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen e un gest inexplicabil" ("Prince Paul: Breaking Ties with the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Is an Inexplicable Gesture"), Mediafax, 10 May 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  22. ↑ "HRH Prince Paul is honored in China, then meets President Carter"Nine O'Clock, 11 December 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012
  23. ↑ "Prince Paul has proposed to the Chinese of "Huawei" to invest in Jucu""Bursa on Line", 15 December 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012
  24. ↑ (in Romanian) Historical reconciliation in the Royal Family. King Michael invited Prince Paul to talks, Romania TV site, 4 March 2013
Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern
Romanian royalty
Preceded by
Michael		 — TITULAR —
Head of the Romanian royal family
Disputed by King Michael and Princess Margareta
27 January 2006 – present		 Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Carol Ferdinand
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