A ROYAL VISIT: KING CAROL I TO PLEVNA (1902)
A ROYAL VISIT: KING CAROL I TO PLEVNA (1902)

Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of the 20th century, royal visits were events that aroused the curiosity of journalists and diplomats, fuelling the imagination of those seeking to gain a glimpse behind the scenes of power. A well-informed monarch, Carol I of Romania prided himself on being a role model for the kings and princes of the Balkans. Although his royal palace was open to princely, royal or even imperial figures, his visits south of the Danube were a rarity. His reluctance to return the visits of monarchs from the Balkan states who had visited him in Sinaia or Bucharest would give rise to diplomatic comments and royal displeasure. A notable exception was his sole visit to Bulgaria in October 1902, which took place in a special context linked to the 25th anniversary of Romania’s independence, on the battlefields of Grivitsa and Plevna. It was a visit that took many people by surprise, given the strained relations between Romania and Bulgaria.

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