Zizi Lambrino
Encyclopedia
Joanna Marie Valentina "Zizi" Lambrino (3 October 1898 in Roman
, Romania
- 11 March 1953 in Paris
, France
) was the first wife of King Carol II of Romania
. They had one son.
and Queen Marie of Romania, in Iaşi
, Romania, in 1918, during World War I
. The Romanian court had adjourned from Bucharest
to Iaşi to keep its distance from a German
invasion. Journalist A.L. Easterman would later write that "Carol fell violently in love and was at no pains to dissemble it," despite the obvious disapproval of the royal court for his bestowing his affections on a commoner.
Their union was opposed by his parents, but Carol "smuggled" her across the Russian frontier and they married in the Cathedral Church of Odessa
, Ukraine
on 31 August 1918, in contravention of royal law. The marriage was morganatic
: that is, it was understood that any child of the union would have no claim on the throne of Romania or any other royal honors.
Carol's parents were furious. The king ordered him kept seventy-five days in close confinement in Bistriţa Monastery
. Prime Minister Ion I. C. Brătianu
practically accused him of treason. Carol threatened to abdicate
his right of royal succession and, indeed, when the Romanian Supreme Court ruled the marriage unconstitutional and illegal, and annulled it, in 1919, he signed documents of abdication.
However, as Easterman describes it, "intriguers... cunningly... [threw] other young and attractive women in his view and society" and eventually "corroded his relations with his wife..."
King Carol and Zizi Lambrino had one son, Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino
(8 August 1920 – 27 January 2006). Carol and the Romanian government continued to pay Lambrino's maintenance and that of her son in their French
exile.
She died in Paris
, France
on 11 March 1953.
(1913-1916), Carol's youngest brother, who had died four years previous to the former's birth, but he would later be known as "Carol" rather than "Mircea." Mircea/Carol married three times, firstly (1944-1950) to Helene Nagavitzine; they had one son, Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern. He next married Jeanne Williams (1960-1977); they had one son, Ion Nicolas George Alexander Hohenzollern (born 1961 in Dorset
, England
). He married his third wife, Antonia Colville, in 1984 and they remained married until he died in 2006.
In response to a suit by her grandson Paul, a Romanian Court determined in 1996 that her marriage was legal. This places a shadow over the status of Carol II's son, the former King Michael of Romania, because if Carol's morganatic marriage to Zizi Lambrino was never properly ended, that could invalidate his later royal marriage to Elena of Greece, Michael's mother. ChivalricOrders.org, however, sees this shadow as very slight: "The legality of the annulment of the marriage was not only unchallenged at the time, but significantly, after eventually becoming King, Carol II did not attempt to undo this act nor declare his son Mircea legitimate. Neither did he ever name Mircea as his heir..."; further, "the annulment" although contested by Carol at the time was "... eventually acknowledged by Carol II himself who remarried twice."
Roman, Romania
Roman is a mid-sized city, having the title of municipality, located in the central part of Moldavia, a traditional region of Romania. It is located 46 km east of Piatra Neamţ, in the Neamţ County at the confluence of Siret and Moldova rivers....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
- 11 March 1953 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was the first wife of King Carol II of Romania
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
. They had one son.
Life
The daughter of Colonel later General Constantin Lambrino and Euphrosine Alcaz, Lambrino met the Hohenzollern prince Carol, son of King Ferdinand I of RomaniaFerdinand I of Romania
Ferdinand was the King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death.-Early life:Born in Sigmaringen in southwestern Germany, the Roman Catholic Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern, was a son of Leopold, Prince of...
and Queen Marie of Romania, in Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Romania, in 1918, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Romanian court had adjourned from Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
to Iaşi to keep its distance from a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
invasion. Journalist A.L. Easterman would later write that "Carol fell violently in love and was at no pains to dissemble it," despite the obvious disapproval of the royal court for his bestowing his affections on a commoner.
Their union was opposed by his parents, but Carol "smuggled" her across the Russian frontier and they married in the Cathedral Church of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on 31 August 1918, in contravention of royal law. The marriage was morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
: that is, it was understood that any child of the union would have no claim on the throne of Romania or any other royal honors.
Carol's parents were furious. The king ordered him kept seventy-five days in close confinement in Bistriţa Monastery
Bistrita Monastery
The Bistriţa Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located 8 km west of Piatra Neamţ. It was dedicated in 1402 by Romanian Voivode Alexandru cel Bun whose remains are buried here....
. Prime Minister Ion I. C. Brătianu
Ion I. C. Bratianu
Ion I. C. Brătianu was a Romanian politician, leader of the National Liberal Party , the Prime Minister of Romania for five terms, and Foreign Minister on several occasions; he was the eldest son of statesman and PNL leader Ion Brătianu, the brother of Vintilă and Dinu Brătianu, and the father of...
practically accused him of treason. Carol threatened to abdicate
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
his right of royal succession and, indeed, when the Romanian Supreme Court ruled the marriage unconstitutional and illegal, and annulled it, in 1919, he signed documents of abdication.
However, as Easterman describes it, "intriguers... cunningly... [threw] other young and attractive women in his view and society" and eventually "corroded his relations with his wife..."
King Carol and Zizi Lambrino had one son, Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino
Carol Lambrino
Mircea Grigore Carol Hohenzollern , also known as Mircea Grigore Carol al României according to his amended Romanian birth certificate or as Carol Lambrino according to his original Romanian birth certificate, self-styled HRH Prince Carol of Romania, was the eldest son of King Carol II of Romania, a...
(8 August 1920 – 27 January 2006). Carol and the Romanian government continued to pay Lambrino's maintenance and that of her son in their French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
exile.
She died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 11 March 1953.
Descendants
Her son, Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino, was named in memory of Prince Mircea of RomaniaPrince Mircea of Romania
Prince Mircea of Romania .Mircea was the third son and youngest child of Queen Marie and King Ferdinand of Romania...
(1913-1916), Carol's youngest brother, who had died four years previous to the former's birth, but he would later be known as "Carol" rather than "Mircea." Mircea/Carol married three times, firstly (1944-1950) to Helene Nagavitzine; they had one son, Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern. He next married Jeanne Williams (1960-1977); they had one son, Ion Nicolas George Alexander Hohenzollern (born 1961 in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
). He married his third wife, Antonia Colville, in 1984 and they remained married until he died in 2006.
In response to a suit by her grandson Paul, a Romanian Court determined in 1996 that her marriage was legal. This places a shadow over the status of Carol II's son, the former King Michael of Romania, because if Carol's morganatic marriage to Zizi Lambrino was never properly ended, that could invalidate his later royal marriage to Elena of Greece, Michael's mother. ChivalricOrders.org, however, sees this shadow as very slight: "The legality of the annulment of the marriage was not only unchallenged at the time, but significantly, after eventually becoming King, Carol II did not attempt to undo this act nor declare his son Mircea legitimate. Neither did he ever name Mircea as his heir..."; further, "the annulment" although contested by Carol at the time was "... eventually acknowledged by Carol II himself who remarried twice."