Queen Marie of Romania

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/98646251@N00/2829397809/)

The sidewalks on Lower Broadway in Manhattan have plaques at regular intervals, with the names of those who have been honored there with triumphal ticker-tape parades: visiting heads of state, distinguished military men, great explorers and scientists, etc. That is why Lower Broadway is nicknamed the Canyon of Heroes.

One of these plaques carries the name of Queen Marie of Romania: she visited the United States in 1928, and her triumphal parade was organized on October 18 that year.

I was proud, believe me, reading there the name of the great Queen of my country, among the names of all those great people honored by the City of New York. I was proud for my country, and I was proud for my Queen.

I found today some lines written by Queen Marie. When, as a young princess, she left her native country for Romania, her mother advised her to show respect to the ways Romanians were expressing their religious beliefs. Behind the words it was much more: the duties you should have towards the traditions, the culture, the ethos, of a country that adopts you.

It was a great lesson: the young princess was told to have the modesty only kings can have.

You are going to an Orthodox country; honor its Church and divine offices, kiss the Cross and Gospel when presented by the priest, and when you see others making the sign of the cross, do it too. And I followed the advice, though at the beginning, each time I was doing this I was feeling like dying of shyness, as I was thinking (with some good reason) that everybody's eyes were staring at me.

Mergi intr-o tara ortodoxa; sa-i cinstesti Biserica si slujbele si sa saruti crucea si Evanghelia cand ti le prezinta preotul si, cand vezi pe altii facand cruce, sa-ti faci si tu. Si eu urmai povata, cu toate ca la inceput, de cate ori faceam asta, imi venea sa mor de timiditate, crezand, cu oarecare dreptate, ca ochii tuturor sunt atintiti asupra mea.
(Regina Maria - Povestea Vietii Mele)



(Intalniri neasteptate cu Romani)