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Paul Philippe of Romania

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Paul Philippe of Romania (Romanian: Paul-Philippe al României; born 13 August 1948), also known as Prince Paul of Romania, Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern[1][2] and Paul Lambrino,[3] is the son of Carol Lambrino and Hélène Henriette Nagavitzine. His father was the elder son of King Carol II of Romania and Zizi Lambrino. Paul-Philippe claims that he, and not Margareta of Romania, is the rightful head of the royal house of Romania.

Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern
Hohenzollern in 2007
Head of the House of Romania
(disputed)
Period27 January 2006 – present
PredecessorKing Michael
Heir apparentCarol Ferdinand
Born (1948-08-13) 13 August 1948 (age 76)
Paris, France
Spouse
Lia Georgia Triff
​
(m. 1996)​
IssueCarol Ferdinand
FatherCarol Lambrino
MotherLéna Pastor
Websiteprintulpaulderomania.ro
princepaulofromania.com

In 2020 he was convicted, along with several other businessmen, including Remus Truică, for influence peddling, money laundering and complicated bribery cases between the years of 2006 and 2013. He became an internationally wanted fugitive until his arrest in 2022.[4][5][6]

Family and education

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In 1918, the crown prince of Romania (the future King Carol II) married Zizi Lambrino. The wedding was annulled the following year because it contravened the royal house's statute. Although Lambrino was from a Phanariot Greek, former Byzantine noble family (Rangabe-Lambrino),[7] and her father Constantin Lambrino, was a general in the Romanian army, she was still considered a commoner. The marriage took place without the consent of the king. The couple had one son, Carol Lambrino, the father of Paul Hohenzollern. In 1921, Crown Prince Carol married Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, and they had a son who became King Michael I of Romania.[8][9][10]

Born in Paris,[11] Paul Hohenzollern attended a Jesuit school. He was thirteen years old when his father married an American woman and the family moved to London to be nearer to European royalty.[12] He started school at Gordonstoun while Charles, Prince of Wales, was attending, then moving on to Millfield.[12][13] He has worked as an art dealer and property developer.[12]

In 1996, at Cașin Church, Hohenzollern married Lia Georgia Triff, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, who had previously divorced lawyer Melvin Belli.[3][12][14] The couple have one child, Carol Ferdinand; the infant was baptised in 2010, with President Traian Băsescu taking on the role of godfather.[15]

Criminal conviction

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On 17 December 2020, the High Court of Cassation and Justice sentenced him to 3 years and 4 months of prison, in the Băneasa Farm trial.[16][17][18]

On the evening of the charge, police visited his home in Bucharest, however, according to his wife, Lia, he was in Portugal. The police arrived at his house at 8:30 p.m. The American-born Lia did not speak to the press.[16] Bucharest Police were in the process of obtaining a European arrest warrant and released a statement: "Regarding the person sentenced to imprisonment, given that he was not found at home, the prosecution procedure begins. The activity of obtaining the European arrest warrant and implicitly of the international pursuit is starting."[16]

He was arrested in France in June 2022,[19] and released pending an extradition trial.[20] In late November 2023, the Paris Court of Appeal denied the request for extradition, labeling it politically motivated.[21][22]

After being arrested in Malta, as of April 2024 the Maltese authorities judge his extradition to Romania.[23] In first instance, his extradition was denied, but this has been appealed by the prosecution, and a retrial has been ordered.[24][25][26] As of July 2024 he has been granted bail till the trial ends.[27] He is not allowed to leave the country, and has to report to the Police daily.[27] The Romanian Justice Department sends a delegation to Malta for pleading for his extradition.[28] The extradition demand was rejected, due to Romanian prisons being severely overcrowded.[29]

Succession claim

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Hohenzollern claims to be the rightful head of Romania's royal house on the grounds that Prince Carol's marriage to Zizi Lambrino, carried out in a religious ceremony in Odessa, was never annulled in an Orthodox Church, thus rendering his subsequent marriages bigamous.[12] Nevertheless, he states that he accepts Romania's republican form of government and does not wish to see the monarchy restored. He also points to a 1955 decision by a court in Lisbon recognising Carol Lambrino as King Carol II's first son and granting him full succession rights, a decision upheld in 1957 and 1963 in France and the following year in the United Kingdom. The latter ruling entitled Carol Lambrino to a British passport under the name "Prince of Hohenzollern, Prince of Romania".[10]

He filed suit in Romania in 1991 against King Michael I. The case reached its conclusion in February 2012, when the High Court of Cassation and Justice extended to Romania the Lisbon court's decision recognising Carol Lambrino as the son of King Carol II.[30][31][32] The ruling has unclear implications with regard to both throne and property succession. The leadership of the royal house remains contested, while Hohenzollern's claim to 62.5% of royal property—the share of his father plus that of King Carol II's widow Elena Lupescu, which she granted to him—remains undefined and may refer either to the king's personal property or to that of the royal house, the boundary between which is not clearly drawn.[33][34][35] Hohenzollern greeted the decision "with enthusiasm and responsibility",[35] promising "many trials" to sort out inheritance issues and vowing to donate his share of Peleș Castle to the Romanian government, should he obtain it.[34] King Michael's office issued a statement saying the decision creates no dynastic rights, that only he can determine the membership of the royal house, and that no Romanian king has ever recognised or granted a title to Carol Lambrino or to his descendants.[36][37][38]

In the 2000 Romanian presidential election, Hohenzollern was an unsuccessful independent candidate.[39][40] In 2005, Hohenzollern claimed that King Michael created and ran a Nazi state between 1940 and 1944, encouraging and approving the deportation and murder of Romanian Jews; as a result, he called for Michael's execution. Writing in The Jerusalem Post, historian Jean Ancel dismissed Hohenzollern's claims and praised the wartime actions of the king and his mother, Queen Helen.[41] In 2011, when Michael broke off ties with the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to form the House of Romania, Paul objected, labelling the move "an inexplicable gesture" severing "historical and dynastic ties" to the German house.[42]

In December 2011, Hohenzollern was named "Ambassador of Romanian-Chinese Friendship" in Beijing.[43][44]

After the 2012 final verdict of the Romanian Supreme Court of Justice recognising Paul as one of King Carol II's heirs, his uncle, King Michael I, reportedly invited Paul to reconciliation talks.[45]

In Romanian law dynastic rights, titles of nobility and the institution of the Royal House do not exist.[46]

Notable published works

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  • King Carol II: A Life of my Grandfather. London: Methuen. 1988. ISBN 0413165701.

Electoral history

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Presidential elections

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Election Affiliation First round Second round
Votes Percentage Position Votes Percentage Position
2000 Party of National Reconciliation 55,238
0.5%
  10th 

Notes

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  1. ^ "Roemeense prins veroordeeld tot gevangenisstraf, maar is onvindbaar". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Which Prince Is Headed to Rehab?". Vanity Fair. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Daniel Simpson, "The King's Heir? Hum, That's Not Fully Apparent", The New York Times, 19 June 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  4. ^ "AL ROMANIEI PAUL PHILIPPE". Poliția Română. 26 January 2021. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  5. ^ Brandabura, Edi (20 December 2020). "Paul de România, Steinmetz, Siberstein şi Ignatenko, daţi în urmărire internaţională". Stirileprotv.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  6. ^ Buciu, Laura (18 December 2020). "Prinţul Paul al României a fost pus pe lista persoanelor urmărite de poliţie. Surse: Prinţul Paul ar fi fugit în Portugalia". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  7. ^ ""Curierul National article on Rangabe-Lambrino family", Curierul National newspaper, 13 February 2003". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  8. ^ (in Romanian) Viorel Soldea, "Cum a stricat o femeie relaţiile dintre Carol al II-lea şi fratele său" ("How a Woman Destroyed the Relationship between Carol II and His Brother"), Historia, 22 December 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  9. ^ (in Romanian) Vartan Arachelian, "Născut in zodia Satanei" ("Born in Satan's Zodiac"), Jurnalul Naţional, 22 October 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  10. ^ a b (in Romanian) Ionuț Fantaziu, "Şocul care ar putea bulversa Casa Regală" ("The Shock That Could Overturn the Royal House"), Evenimentul Zilei, 8 November 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  11. ^ Eilers, Marlene A. (1987). Queen Victoria's descendants. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co. p. 189. ISBN 0-8063-1202-5. OCLC 17370791.
  12. ^ a b c d e (in Romanian) Horia Tabacu, Vlad Teodorescu, "ASR Prinţul Paul: 'Vom dona 62,5 % din Castelul Peleş statului român'" ("HRH Prince Paul: 'We Will Give 62.5% of Peleş Castle to the Romanian State'"), Evenimentul Zilei, 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  13. ^ "HRH Prince Carol of Romania", The Daily Telegraph, 9 February 2006. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  14. ^ (in Romanian) "Prinţul miliardar va avea un moştenitor" ("Billionaire Prince to Have an Heir"), Cancan, 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  15. ^ (in Romanian) "Traian Băsescu l-a botezat pe 'moştenitorul' Carol Ferdinand. Paul de România: 'Gest istoric'" ("Traian Băsescu Baptizes 'Heir' Carol Ferdinand. Paul of Romania: 'Historic Gesture'"), Evenimentul Zilei, 22 May 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  16. ^ a b c Popescu, Ana; Ionescu, Alin (17 December 2020). "BREAKING Verdict final în dosarul Ferma Băneasa: Remus Truică – 7 ani, Benjamin Steinmetz și Tal Silberstein – câte 5 ani, Paul al României – 3,4 ani, toți cu executare/ Dan Andronic – 3 ani cu suspendare" [BREAKING Final verdict in the Băneasa Farm trial: Remus Truică – 7 years, Benjamin Steinmetz and Tal Silberstein – 5 years, each, Paul of Romania – 3.4 years, all with enforcement/ Dan Andronic – 3 years with suspension]. G4Media (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  17. ^ Pirv, Cosmin (17 December 2020). "Condamnări definitive în dosarul fermei Băneasa. Ce pedeapsă a primit Remus Truică". Mediafax (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  18. ^ de Natal, Frederic. "Le prince Paul-Philippe de Hohenzollern condamné à la prison ferme". Monarchies et Dynasties du monde (in French). Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  19. ^ Dudescu, Denisa (27 June 2022). "Prinţul Paul al României a fost prins la Paris. E condamnat la 3 ani și 4 luni de închisoare în dosarul Ferma Băneasa". Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  20. ^ Oanță, Ovidiu (15 September 2022). "După aproape trei luni de închisoare în Franța, prințul Paul al României a fost eliberat". Stirileprotv.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Franța refuză să îl extrădeze pe fugarul Paul de România, condamnat la închisoare în dosarul Ferma Băneasa și dat în urmărire de trei ani". HotNews.ro (in Romanian). 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  22. ^ Par Le Parisien avec AFP Le 29 novembre 2023 à 15h50 (29 November 2023). "La justice française refuse d'extrader un descendant d'un des derniers rois de Roumanie". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 November 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Bancăș, Loredana (29 April 2024). "Prințul Paul al României a fost prins de polițiști într-un resort din Malta. România va cere extrădarea acestuia". Digi24 (in Romanian). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Maltese court admits prosecutor's office appeal, orders retrial of fugitive Paul-Philippe of Romania's surrender". ACTMedia. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  25. ^ "The surrender of the fugitive Paul of Romania will be retried in Malta, Alina Gorghiu announces. He remains in custody". Ground News. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  26. ^ Coman, Ioana (10 June 2024). "Predarea fugarului Paul al României se va rejudeca în Malta, anunță Alina Gorghiu. Acesta rămâne în arest". Digi24 (in Romanian). Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  27. ^ a b Balzan, Jurgen (8 July 2024). "'Prince' granted bail in Malta amid Romania extradition request". Newsbook. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  28. ^ Starcevic, Seb (10 July 2024). "Fugitive Romanian prince triggers legal storm on sun-kissed island". POLITICO. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  29. ^ Georgescu, Andrei (12 August 2024). "decizie a instanței in Malta / Ministrul Justiției: O hotărâre revoltătoare, premierul să reacționeze". HotNews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  30. ^ (in Romanian) Florin Soican, "Prinţul Paul a câştigat procesul cu Casa Regală: din acest moment este recunoscut ca nepot al Regelui Mihai" ("Prince Paul Wins Trial with Royal House: From Now on He Is Recognized as King Michael's Nephew"), Adevărul, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  31. ^ (in Romanian) "Prinţul Paul, recunoscut oficial ca membru al Casei Regale" ("Prince Paul, Officially Recognized as Member of the Royal House"), România Liberă, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  32. ^ "Romania’s top court rules Prince Paul Hohenzollern is legitimate royalty"[dead link‍], The Washington Post, 15 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012
  33. ^ (in Romanian) Adrian Pătruşcă, "Prinţul Paul, Regele Mihai, tronul şi averea de milioane" ("Prince Paul, King Michael, the Throne and the Fortune Worth Millions"), Evenimentul Zilei, 16 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  34. ^ a b (in Romanian) Horia Tabacu, "ASR Prinţul Paul al României: 'S-a făcut dreptate pentru tata şi pentru mine'" ("HRH Prince Paul: Justice Has Been Granted to My Father and to Me"), Evenimentul Zilei, 15 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  35. ^ a b (in Romanian) Raluca Dan, Florin Marin, "Prinţul Paul are dreptul la averea regală" ("Prince Paul Wins Right to Royal Fortune"), Adevărul, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  36. ^ "Elisabeta Palace, 14th February 2012". Familia Regala a Romanei. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  37. ^ (in Romanian) "Casa Regală: Decizia ICCJ nu creează drept dinastic şi nu stabileşte apartenenţa la Familia Regală" ("Royal House: ICCJ Creates No Dynastic Right and Does Not Decide Membership of Royal Family"), România Liberă, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  38. ^ "Romanian court rules Prince Paul member of Royal House of Romania" Archived 9 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine, romania-insider.com, 14 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012
  39. ^ (in Romanian) "Atac la rege: îl scuză Traian Băsescu pe Mareşalul Antonescu?" ("Attack on the King: Is Traian Băsescu Excusing Marshal Antonescu"), România Liberă, 23 June 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  40. ^ (in Romanian) Cristian Petru, "Prinţul Paul de România acuză – 'Mihai a luat cu el colecţia de tablouri El Greco'" ("Prince Paul of Romania Accuses – 'Michael Took with Him the Collection of El Greco Paintings'"), Jurnalul Naţional, 23 March 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  41. ^ (in Romanian) Andrei Oişteanu, "Şah la Regele Mihai: Paul Lambrino tulbură relaţiile diplomatice româno-israeliene" ("Chess with King Michael: Paul Lambrino Perturbs Romania-Israel Relations") Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, 22, 23 June 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  42. ^ (in Romanian) "Prinţul Paul: Ruperea legăturilor cu Casa de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen e un gest inexplicabil" ("Prince Paul: Breaking Ties with the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Is an Inexplicable Gesture"), Mediafax, 10 May 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012
  43. ^ "HRH Prince Paul is honored in China, then meets President Carter"Nine O'Clock, 11 December 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012
  44. ^ "Prince Paul has proposed to the Chinese of "Huawei" to invest in Jucu""Bursa on Line", 15 December 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012
  45. ^ (in Romanian) Historical reconciliation in the Royal Family. King Michael invited Prince Paul to talks, Romania TV site, 4 March 2013
  46. ^ "Cristi Danileț, judecător CSM, reacție în urma celor văzute astăzi la TV". DCNews (in Romanian). 10 August 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
Paul Philippe of Romania
Romanian royalty
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Head of the Romanian royal family
Disputed by King Michael (2006–17) and
Margareta of Romania (since 2017)
27 January 2006 – present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Carol Ferdinand
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