King Michael I has been brought to Romania; funeral to take place on Saturday

The coffin carrying King Michael I has been brought to Romania on Wednesday morning from Switzerland. The Spartan military plane that transported the coffin was redesigned specifically for this purpose, and landed at Henri Coanda Airport at 11 am.

Members of the Royal Family, representatives of the Government, of the Romanian Army and of His Majesty’s House were also on the military plane.

Crown Princess Margaret, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, members of the Royal Family, and representatives of the Romanian Presidency, the Government, the Parliament, the Army and the Orthodox Church all waited for the coffin to arrive at Henri Coanda Airport, where a military ceremony will take place.

King Michael’s coffin will be taken to the Peles Castle in Sinaia, where it will remain for a few hours. Later, it will be brought to Bucharest and placed in the Throne Room of the Regal Palace, and remain there until Saturday, December 16, the day of the King’s funeral.

The funeral will take place at the new Episcopal Cathedral in Curtea de Arges, and the coffin will be transported from Bucharest Baneasa Station by the Regal Train.

The Patriarchate has announced that during the religious ceremonies surrounding the funeral of King Michael I, there will be three occasions on which the bells of cathedrals, monasteries and churches across the country will all chime at the same time: on Wednesday, December 13, 11 am, when the coffin will arrive at Henri Coanda Airport; on Saturday, December 16, 12:30 pm, at the beginning of the funeral service; and on Saturday at 6:30 pm, at the beginning of the burial service in Curtea de Arges.

The complete and detailed programme for the funeral of King Michael I can be found on the Royal Family’s website.