His Royal Highness Prince Radu said on Friday that in a bridge over time, Romania owes its present-day achievements as a respected NATO and EU member to King Ferdinand and Queen Marie.

'If we were to evoke them, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie would like, if they were among us, to hear us talk about Romania's present-day achievements, which we owe to them, more than a century on. If they hadn't done what they did, at the beginning of the 20th century, we would not be a respected NATO and EU nation today. We would not be today, together with Poland, the key EU countries on the Eastern flank. We would not have had such an imposing and respected stature as we do, if they hadn't built so minutely for the several decades of their public tenure, such a remarkably coherent era,' Prince Radu told the tribute symposium 'Marie, a Queen in the Service of the Country and its Army', held in the Marble Hall of the Palace of the National Military Club in Bucharest.

Organized by the 'Queen Marie' National Association Honoring the Heroes Memory, the event brought together academics, researchers and historians, in a dialogue dedicated to the evocation and tribute to the memory of Queen Marie of Romania, the protector and spiritual patron of the heroic legacy preservation movement, on the celebration of her 150th birthday.

Prince Radu pointed out that 'the Republic of Moldova would never have been able to fulfill the requirements of the European Union, if it were not for the period of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie in Bessarabia, which, although short, is even to this day an inexhaustible source of dignity, of aspiration for freedoms, democracy and a more dignified life'.

'There is no doubt that Romania would not be what it is today without their and their predecessor Carol I's service, who, for almost five decades, has written, together with the Romanian army, almost every day of the nation's existence and made it what it is today. They did this so well and so thoroughly, that the five decades of communism - if you think and look deep into our souls - have almost disappeared, showing that no evil, no matter how deep it is, can linger for good, if the foundation is well laid. The foundation of our home, of our institutions, of our nation, of our souls,' the Prince remarked.

Chief of the Defense Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad, highlighted in his speech 'Queen Marie's exemplary significance for the national conscience'.

'It is a significance we are all bound, compelled and honored to keep alive and pass on, because this is much more important. In this spirit, let me remind you that the 2025 class of high school, post-high school and university military education bore the honorary name 'Queen Marie - 150'. Thus, 3,000 young people linked one of the defining landmarks of their lives to a name with deep resonance in the history of Romania. On graduation day, I told them that they were symbolically entrusted with a compelling legacy. For the Romanian army of the last century, Queen Marie was not only the Unifying Queen, but also the Mother of the Wounded and the Soldier Queen. I also told them that the queen remains a living historical presence, embodying dignity, loyalty and complete dedication to the country, values intrinsic to the military profession. In our national pantheon, alongside the voivodes who guided the destiny of the Romanians, the great ladies of this nation have their place of honor,' the general emphasized.

He showed that all Romanian military personnel have the obligation to remain faithful to the values the Unifying Queen has served.

'King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie stand out among the chapters dedicated to the great Royal Family, with their names inextricably linked to the accomplishment of the Greater Union and the consolidation of the Modern Romanian State. I believe that this year's 3,000 military education graduates have the moral duty to carry on in their families, units and communities the memory and honor of belonging to the 'Queen Marie - 150' class. At the same time, I believe that all Romanian military personnel have the moral, patriotic and professional obligation to remain faithful to the values the Unifying Queen has served and, in general, they are bound to remain close to national history,' added General Gheorghita Vlad.

Queen Marie's personality was evoked by the president of the 'Queen Marie' National Association Honoring the Heroes Memory, Lt. General (retd) Corneliu Postu, who opened the symposium; Associate Professor Dr. Florin Bichir, Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Security and Defense of the 'Carol I' National Defense University - with the speech 'Queen Marie in an International Context'; Colonel (retd) Professor Dr. Petre Otu, Honorary President of the Romanian Military History Committee - with 'Queen Marie and the Romanian Officer Corps in the First World War'; Colonel (retd) Dr. Ilie Schipor, Vice-President of the National Association Cult of Heroes - 'Queen Marie and the Romanian Treasure Evacuated to Moscow'; Dr. Adrian-Silvan Ionescu, director of the 'George Oprescu' Institute of Art History - with 'Queen Marie's Visit to the USA'; and Prof. Eugen Petrescu, president of the Valcea County Branch of the 'Queen Marie' National Association Honoring the Heroes Memory - with 'Fine Art Works Dedicated to Queen Marie in the Period 2009-2025'.

The event included a thematic exhibition and a documentary film, which illustrated important moments in the life and work of 'the most prominent queen of Romania', as characterized by the historian Florin Constantiniu.

The event is part of the cultural-tribute project '150 Years since the Birth of Queen Marie of Romania', initiated and carried out by the 'Queen Marie' National Association Honoring the Heroes Memory. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)