Queen Marie of Romania

Queen Marie of Romania was born Princess Marie of England on October 29, 1875. She was the daughter of Queen Victoria's son Albert and his wife Marie who was the daughter of Czar Alexander II of Russia. She spent much of her early life in England, but her father was a navy man so she moved from England to Malta and then to Germany when she was young. She spent much of her time growing up with her brothers and sisters as well as her many cousins. When she was a teenager her cousin, the future King George V of England visited her in Malta. During these visits they fell in love and wanted to marry. However their mothers did not like this idea. Shortly after nixing the idea of her nephew being her son-in law Marie's mother decided to set Marie up with Grand Duke Ferdinand, the heir to the King of Romania. Shortly after the marriage they moved to Romania where they lived in a castle with Ferdinand's Uncle King Carol I. Shortly after this Marie became pregnant later giving birth to future King Carol II. This led to Marie giving birth to six little princes and princesses some of which where not the children of Ferdinand and several of whom would marry the children of Marie's cousin Sophie, Queen of Greece. Marie's life in Romania was not an easy on. She did not always get along with Ferdinand and his Uncle and Ferdinand's Aunt Elisabeth (or Carmen Sylvia) treated Marie with contempt by taking away her children. To make her life more bearable Marie would frequently leave Romania, going to Germany to visit her mother and sisters, or Russia to visit her cousins the Czar and Czarina Nicholas and Alexandra. She did this numerous times, but twice she did this because she was pregnant with children that were not Ferdinand's.

Things where not easier once Ferdinand became King in October of 1914. World War One had started in Europe and it was an awful time for her and her family spread from Spain to Russia. After the war was not easy either with her son and then grandson on the throne.