Royal funeral for Romania's uncrowned Queen Anne by Nick Thorpe BBC News Eastern Europe correspondent
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37064327
A royal funeral takes place in central Romania on Saturday for a queen who was never crowned and never served and yet still commands full state honours...
Why such affection for an uncrowned queen?
...It seems hard to believe that democratic Romania is going to so much trouble over a royal family that was only created in 1866, after the end of Ottoman rule, and then forced into exile in 1947.
Anne barely spoke Romanian, preferring her native French, and in a sense could hardly be called a queen, as she married the king after he lost his throne.
The answers lie in the extraordinary popularity of the royal couple among Romanians, and the careful diplomacy of the former king, queen, and their daughters since they were allowed back to Romania.
Although there is little prospect of restoration of the monarchy, polls suggest the royal family is the most trusted institution in Romania.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37064327
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