The Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta of Romania, said on Thursday evening that 'Romania has changed greatly' over the past 35 years, expressing her satisfaction that the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation 'has also been part of this change'.

'This is an important moment for us, because this year marks 35 years of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, and we can be proud of what we have managed to achieve during these years. We have witnessed a Romania that has changed enormously, more than enormously, and we are proud that we have been part of this transformation. And we shall continue into the future. Many of you have been with us from the very beginning, while others joined along the way, and you continue to care and contribute. I thank you for everything you have done, for everything you have donated and invested in the vision of this foundation. You know very well, perhaps better than I do, how much 35 years means. It is a lifetime,' Her Majesty said during the evening dedicated to the Royal Foundation at Elisabeta Palace.

The Custodian of the Crown stated that she had learned from Queen Mother Elena 'what life in Romania truly means' and highlighted the importance of the intergenerational projects developed by the foundation.

'Princess Sofia and I had Queen Mother Elena, who taught us what life here in Romania means, because we had not lived here. (...) There was this spirit that inspired us to establish our projects, and we succeeded. Thank you for this evening, and congratulations for everything you have accomplished in your lives,' Margareta added.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Mugurel Margarit, underlined that through its work, the foundation 'tries to transform unhappy destinies into happy ones'.

'I can proudly tell you that only last year we managed to change the lives of 9,742 young people, children and elderly, and to have a positive impact on another 39,000 people. Behind the 9,742 beneficiaries of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation are just as many stories - stories of children, young people and senior citizens - stories which, through our programmes that bring together the younger generation and the experienced generation, we are trying to turn into success stories. We strive to transform unhappy destinies into happy ones, to bring lives that are in deficit into lives that are flourishing. We strive to transform a poor child, raised by a single mother and struggling with behavioural and educational difficulties, into a child who is now studying Law. We strive to transform a woman who is lonely and isolated into an active person who is useful to others and who has built a new circle of friends. We strive to take a young person full of talent and potential, but completely deprived of hope for their future development, and help them become an ambassador for Romania on the world's great stages and in major art galleries,' said Margarit.

He went on to emphasise that 'behind the figures, there are always people'.

'But ultimately, I believe the essence lies in the way a ten-year-old child, sad and burdened by the worries of a family - worries no child of that age should carry - is welcomed into the Generations Centre, surrounded by love and care, and supported by my colleagues and senior volunteers with homework assistance, psychological support and emotional development, and helped to reach his/her true potential. I believe that is the essence of our programmes,' Margarit said.

Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, together with her father, Michael I of Romania, established the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation in the first months of 1990, under the name Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation.

With branches in six countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Romania - the foundation initially provided charitable, social, medical and educational support to disadvantaged groups in Romania during the 1990s.

The foundation is now stronger and more respected than ever, and its projects are regarded as a model of vision, civic spirit and social responsibility, the Royal Household underlined. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)