Nicholas Medforth-Mills
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Michael de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (born 1 April 1985), since 1 April 2010 styled as Prince Nicholas of Romania, is one of the designated heirs to the defunct
throne of Romania
according to the new family statute enacted in 2007. He is the eldest child and only son of Princess Elena of Romania
and the late Robin Medforth-Mills
.
, a commuter town
near Geneva
, Switzerland. The family moved to England sometime after Nicholas' birth, and his younger sister, Elisabeta Karina was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Nicholas attended Shiplake College
in Henley-on-Thames
.
, announced for Nicholas the title Prince of Romania with the style
of "Royal Highness", which came into effect on Nicholas' 25th birthday, 1 April 2010. By virtue of his new title, he has become a member of the former Romanian Royal Family
.
On the same occasion, King Michael, citing EU legislation and the values of the Romanian society, signed a new Statute of the Royal House, called Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania, apparently to entail
his heritage and that of his predecessors, and also in an attempt to replace the 1884 Statute. By this new statute, considered by some Romanian commentators as an undemocratic act of only symbolic importance in the absence of its approval by the Parliament, there is a new line of succession to the defunct throne of Romania, in which Nicholas is in the third place, after his aunt
and mother
. Whilst otherwise, according to the last democratically enacted royal Constitution of Romania, dated 1923, which was based on Salic law
, Nicholas would be barred from the throne (see "Line of succession to the Romanian throne
"). On the same occasion, King Michael also asked the Romanian Parliament that, should it consider restoring the monarchy, it should also abolish the salic law of succession.
According to the new Statute, Nicholas became a member of the Royal Family, part of the broader Royal House, on 1 April 2010. He is a dynast and a member of the Romanian Royal House. As Nicholas' aunt, Princess Margareta of Romania
is childless, it is most likely that upon the deaths of his grandfather, aunt, and mother, Nicholas would succeed as the future Head of the Romanian Royal House and pretender to the throne.
According to designations of King Michael, the Headship of the Royal House entails governance over the foundations of the family, tenure of the estates and residences of the House, as well as sovereignty over the House orders of chivalry, among other things.
As a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover
, he is also 90th in the line of succession to the British Throne.
On 29 February 2008, Nicholas Medforth-Mills declared in an interview with the Romanian daily newspaper Cotidianul
that if the Romanian people asked him to become a King, he wouldn't refuse. The Romanian press referred to him as "Prince Nicholas," even before he actually held the title.
theater gala and in the work visits throughout the country of his uncle, the former Special Representative of the Government, HRH Prince Radu of Romania.
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
throne of Romania
Romanian Royal Family
The current Romanian royal family , an integral part of the larger royal house of Romania, consists of the family of King Michael I of Romania who bear a royal title...
according to the new family statute enacted in 2007. He is the eldest child and only son of Princess Elena of Romania
Princess Elena of Romania
-Titles and styles:* 15 November 1950–present: Her Royal Highness, Princess Elena of Romania, Princess of Hohenzollern-Ancestry:-External links:* *...
and the late Robin Medforth-Mills
Robin Medforth-Mills
Leslie Robin Medforth-Mills was a professor and former UN official.-Family:Medforth-Mills was the son of Cyril Mills and Nora Medforth...
.
Early life
Nicholas was born in MeyrinMeyrin
Meyrin is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It is the city located nearest to the CERN particle physics laboratory.Meyrin was originally a small agricultural village until the 1950s, when construction of CERN began just to the north...
, a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
near Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland. The family moved to England sometime after Nicholas' birth, and his younger sister, Elisabeta Karina was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Nicholas attended Shiplake College
Shiplake College
Shiplake College is an independent school in Shiplake, by the River Thames just outside Henley-on-Thames, England. The school, with just over 350 pupils, admits day boys from 11-18 and boarding boys from 13-18. Day and boarding girls join the College in the Sixth Form.The College offers small class...
in Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
.
Prince of Romania
On 30 December 2007 Nicholas' maternal grandfather, Michael I of RomaniaMichael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
, announced for Nicholas the title Prince of Romania with the style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
of "Royal Highness", which came into effect on Nicholas' 25th birthday, 1 April 2010. By virtue of his new title, he has become a member of the former Romanian Royal Family
Romanian Royal Family
The current Romanian royal family , an integral part of the larger royal house of Romania, consists of the family of King Michael I of Romania who bear a royal title...
.
On the same occasion, King Michael, citing EU legislation and the values of the Romanian society, signed a new Statute of the Royal House, called Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania, apparently to entail
Entail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
his heritage and that of his predecessors, and also in an attempt to replace the 1884 Statute. By this new statute, considered by some Romanian commentators as an undemocratic act of only symbolic importance in the absence of its approval by the Parliament, there is a new line of succession to the defunct throne of Romania, in which Nicholas is in the third place, after his aunt
Princess Margarita of Romania
Princess Margarita of Romania , also styled as Crown Princess of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, former Princess of Hohenzollern, is the eldest daughter of Michael I , King of Romania , former Prince of Hohenzollern, and of his wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma...
and mother
Princess Elena of Romania
-Titles and styles:* 15 November 1950–present: Her Royal Highness, Princess Elena of Romania, Princess of Hohenzollern-Ancestry:-External links:* *...
. Whilst otherwise, according to the last democratically enacted royal Constitution of Romania, dated 1923, which was based on Salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
, Nicholas would be barred from the throne (see "Line of succession to the Romanian throne
Line of succession to the Romanian throne
The succession order to the throne of Romania depends on the interpretation of the applicable laws, either the Romanian kingdom's last democratic constitution, that of 1923, or the new Statute of the Royal House of Romania, named Fundamental Rules of the Romanian Royal House, privately enacted by...
"). On the same occasion, King Michael also asked the Romanian Parliament that, should it consider restoring the monarchy, it should also abolish the salic law of succession.
According to the new Statute, Nicholas became a member of the Royal Family, part of the broader Royal House, on 1 April 2010. He is a dynast and a member of the Romanian Royal House. As Nicholas' aunt, Princess Margareta of Romania
Princess Margarita of Romania
Princess Margarita of Romania , also styled as Crown Princess of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, former Princess of Hohenzollern, is the eldest daughter of Michael I , King of Romania , former Prince of Hohenzollern, and of his wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma...
is childless, it is most likely that upon the deaths of his grandfather, aunt, and mother, Nicholas would succeed as the future Head of the Romanian Royal House and pretender to the throne.
According to designations of King Michael, the Headship of the Royal House entails governance over the foundations of the family, tenure of the estates and residences of the House, as well as sovereignty over the House orders of chivalry, among other things.
As a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of the Palatinate was an heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later the crown of Great Britain. She was declared heiress presumptive by the Act of Settlement 1701...
, he is also 90th in the line of succession to the British Throne.
On 29 February 2008, Nicholas Medforth-Mills declared in an interview with the Romanian daily newspaper Cotidianul
Cotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
that if the Romanian people asked him to become a King, he wouldn't refuse. The Romanian press referred to him as "Prince Nicholas," even before he actually held the title.
Activity
Beginning in 2008, Nicholas is more and more present in the public life of Romania, taking part, for instance, at the 2008 UNITERUNITER
UNITER or Uniter is a Romanian organization, created as a professional association of theater employees...
theater gala and in the work visits throughout the country of his uncle, the former Special Representative of the Government, HRH Prince Radu of Romania.
Titles and styles
- 1 April 1985 – present: Nicholas Michael de Roumanie Medforth-Mills
- 1 April 2010 – present: His Royal Highness Prince Nicholas of Romania