In 2026, 160 years will have passed since the arrival in Romania of King Carol I of Romania, the founding of the Dynasty, and the promulgation of the 1866 Constitution.
In this context, Romfilatelia and the Romanian Post are joining the royal celebrations with a postage stamp issue dedicated to the theme The Royal Dynasty of Romania. Events.
The issue, consisting of four postage stamps, a perforated souvenir sheet, a First Day Cover, a set of four maxicards, and a philatelic folder containing special products in a limited run printing, will enter into circulation on Friday, May 8th, 2026.
In 2026, 160 years will have passed since the arrival in Romania of King Carol I of Romania, the founding of the Dynasty, and the promulgation of the 1866 Constitution.
The legacy of the four sovereigns constitutes the foundation of our modern identity. Under the reign of Carol I of Romania, State Independence and the country’s international prestige were secured, and the constitutional and institutional foundations of modern Romania – later proclaimed a Kingdom – were laid.
His successor, King Ferdinand I, fulfilled the ideal of national unity through the act of 1918 and consolidated the state through essential reforms, such as universal suffrage and agrarian reform.
Romania’s development continued under King Carol II, a period marked by unprecedented economic growth and cultural flourishing, which transformed Bucharest into the symbolic centre of Eastern Europe.
In the grim years of World War II, King Michael I took decisive action on August 23rd, 1944, when no one else had the courage to do so, thereby contributing to the preservation of statehood and the mitigation of the conflict’s consequences.
In exile, King Michael remained the voice of his people’s dignity in the face of communist oppression, becoming after 1990 a symbol of national reconciliation and the main guarantor of Romania’s path toward NATO and the European Union.
The centrality of this history is celebrated each year on May 10th, a day with threefold significance: the arrival of King Carol I, Independence Day, and the Proclamation of the Kingdom. The highlight of these celebrations is marked annually by the Garden Party at Elisabeta Palace, where thousands of Romanians gather to honour tradition and continuity.
As this 160-year journey comes to a close, the mission is responsibly carried forward by His Majesty the Custodian of the Crown, who continues the tradition of public service through actions that strengthen the country’s prestige.
The current activity of the Royal Family involves a monumental effort in terms of representation and solidarity, with the royal couple undertaking over 18,500 public engagements, meetings with heads of state, and official visits abroad.
Royal diplomacy has been marked by historic moments, such as the resumption of the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception in the Throne Room and investiture ceremonies honouring distinguished individuals and institutions. The international recognition enjoyed by Her Majesty is complemented by a strong connection with the academic and cultural spheres, as Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and Doctor Honoris Causa of several prestigious universities. The involvement of the Royal Family is also expressed today through its 46 high patronages.
After 160 years, the Royal Family remains a benchmark of stability and an expression of the historical continuity of the Romanian state.One of the postage stamps with a face value of Lei 16 reproduces the photograph depicting King Ferdinand the Unifier and Queen Marie, at the end of World War I and on the eve of the Great Union of 1918.
One of the postage stamps with a face value of Lei 6 features King Carol II and Queen Mother Helen, photographed before their wedding in March 1921.
The second postage stamp, with a face value of Lei 6 depicts the wedding of King Michael I and Queen Anne in Athens, a photograph dated June 10th, 1948.
The second postage stamp, with a face value of Lei 16, features Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu on their wedding day, September 21st, 1996, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The souvenir sheet of the issue depicts the Act of Proclamation of the Kingdom; the photograph shows King Carol I and Queen Elisabeta in the year of their coronation as sovereigns of the Kingdom of Romania, 1881.
The First Day Cover depicts ‘The Coronation Ceremony of King Carol I, May 10th, 1881’.
We would like to extend our thanks to the representatives of the House of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and to the National Archives of Romania for the documentary support provided in the development of this postage stamp issue.
