Carol I

The German prince who led Romania to independence and made it a kingdom.

Life

German prince

Carol came from the German house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and was elected Prince of Romania in 1866 after Cuza was overthrown.

War of Independence

In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 he personally commanded the Romanian army, distinguishing himself in the Siege of Plevna; Romania declared independence, which the Berlin Conference recognized the following year. In 1881 Romania became a kingdom, and he was crowned its first king.

First king

He reigned for nearly half a century, building railways and a great bridge over the Danube and promoting modernization; he died in 1914.

Legacy

Carol I was Romania's longest-reigning monarch, and Peleș Castle, which he built, is one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

Did you know? His heir was his nephew Ferdinand, because his only daughter died in early childhood.

Key dates

• 1866Elected prince
• 1877Joins the Russo-Turkish War; Romania declares independence
• 1881Crowned king
• 1895Danube bridge completed
• 1914Died