VIZITA SUVERANILOR ROMÂNIEI MARI ÎN FRANȚA (9 - 12 APRILIE 1924)
Authors:   Muzeul Național Cotroceni, DINU Ștefania 
Published: August 2024

The article is dedicated to the anniversary, in the year 2024, of the 100th anniversary of the European tour that King Ferdinand and Queen Marie carried out in France, Great Britain, Belgium and Switzerland, representing all types of government known in democratic Europe: constitutional monarchy, semi-presidential republic and state confederation.
After the Great Union of 1918, and its international recognition following the Paris Peace Conference, Romania pursued, externally, the preservation of the defensive system of alliances, the preservation of proximity to France and Great Britain in order to defend the status-quo territorially.
The visit of the Romanian royal family to France began on April 9, 1924, in Alsace, with a minute’s silence at the graves of Romanian soldiers who died in captivity and were buried in the Val-du-Patre cemetery near Soulzmatt. The next stop was Strasbourg, where the royal family and the suite visited the second cemetery outside the city, attended a grand breakfast hosted by General Berthelot and the High Commissioner General of the city of Strasbourg, after which they visited the old town, the cathedral and other monuments. King Ferdinand and Queen Marie also attended a great reception at the University, where the rector presented the King with a medal commemorating the passage through Strasbourg, and the Queen the title of „Doctor Honoris Causa” of the University of Strasbourg.
On April 10, 1924, the sovereigns arrived in Paris where they were welcomed by President Alexandre Millerand and his wife, Raymond Poincaré - the president of the Council of Ministers, by members of the government and representatives of other French institutions. The first ceremony in honor of the Romanian sovereigns took place at the Hotel de Ville, organized by the Paris City Hall, where speeches were made: by the president of the Municipal Council, followed by King Ferdinand's response. After the reception, King Ferdinand met with representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, after which, together with the Queen, they attended a dinner party, followed by a musical evening, given by President Millerand at the Elysée Palace.
In the afternoon of April 11, 1924, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie were invited to visit the Bourget airfield, after which in the evening a dinner party was held at the Romanian Legation, offered by the King to the president of the French Republic.
Saturday, April 12, 1924, was the last day of the official visit of the sovereigns of Romania to Paris. Accompanied by the presidential family, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie attended a meeting of the Academy of Fine Arts, and at the end of the day, the president of the Council of Ministers – Raymond Poincaré and his wife offered a dinner in honor of the sovereigns.
During the day of 13 April 1924, the sovereigns went to Fontainebleau where they were greeted by the civil and military authorities, after which they took part in a dinner and then visited the château. At 7:00 p.m., Queen Marie was driven to the train station to depart for Nice, and King Ferdinand returned to Paris, where he would stay for a few more days.
The official visit of the sovereigns of Romania to France enjoyed great success and attention from the French press, but also in Romania. The newspapers „Universul” and „Adevărul” reported the main moments of the visit, the speeches of the two heads of state and commented on it, the first of the European tour of the royal family, in the spring of 1924.