Elisabeta-Paulina-Otilia-Luisa (1843-1916), Princess of Neuwied and the first Queen of Romania, demonstrated from the first years of her life exceptional intellectual gifts and an artistic soul. Under the careful guidance of her father, Prince Hermann of Wied, a thinker, scientist and artist alike, the future sovereign enjoyed the spiritual benefits of an exceptional culture. Until 1869, the year of her marriage to Prince Carol, she divided her existence between study and charitable activities, under the demanding gaze of her mother, Maria of Nassau. She thus studied classical languages, French and English literature, philosophy, history, grammar and demonstrated an extraordinary talent in assimilating foreign languages: Italian, French, English, Swedish and Russian. At the same time, she received piano lessons from Clara Schumann and Arthur Rubinstein, learned drawing, watercolor and painting, and studied the organ and harpsichord. He perfected his culture by attending brilliant philosophy courses at prestigious universities such as Budapest and Heidelberg and his talent by deepening his painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. Continuous reading, music lessons and an early inclination towards poetry and writing, generally represented throughout his turbulent existence a lifestyle and a refuge against loneliness and personal unhappiness.
Despite the complicated political situation, the first years of her reign brought her the long-awaited balance and serenity: in 1870, Princess Mărioara was born, the only child of the princely couple, but the joy proved to be short-lived. Brutally deprived of the happiness of being a mother, Elisabeta focused her enormous energy and affection on the things that defined her generous and involved character: her exemplary devotion during the War of Independence (1877-1878), when she patronized the Red Cross service, earned her the nickname of "the mother of the wounded". "Do not complain that you suffer, for you learn to give help." recommend the future Queen in "Thoughts" True to her own statements, she founded or patronized schools, charities and hospitals, but above all she carried out a vast patronage activity: Elisabeta discovered or supported morally and financially young talents or already established artists both from Romania and abroad. Personalities such as George Enescu, Dumitru Dinicu, Nicolae Grigorescu, Elena Văcărescu, IL Caragiale, Vasile Alecsandri enjoyed the Queen's goodwill and attention in turn.
Disinterested in politics, for which she rather showed contempt, the Queen dedicated herself to music and literature evenings, which she organized regularly, first in the royal residence in Bucharest, then in the majestic setting of Peleş Castle. The castle's music halls, imbued with the spirit of German Romanticism, hosted famous personalities of the literary and musical world, such as Pierre Loti, Sarasate, Paderevski, Rejane, Eleonore Duse, Sarah Bernhardt and many others. Encouraged by Vasile Alecsadri to write, Elisabeta proved to be a prolific author of novels, essays, satires, dramatic plays, avant-garde articles, fairy tales for children, but also a talented translator of Romanian folklore and poetry. Under the literary pseudonym ,,Carmen Sylva", The Queen wins the membership of the French Academy, which awards her the prestigious prize ", in 1888Botti"for the volume of verses,,"Meditations of a Queen", but also the hearts of the Anglo-Saxons, who awarded him with special honors in 1890 the title of "...Bard of Scotland". Natively gifted with a multi-talent, the Queen transforms everything she touches into art: her elaborate embroideries are awarded at prestigious exhibitions, her illuminated manuscripts find their way to places of worship, and her paintings decorate interiors and pieces of furniture in royal residences.
The sovereign that Queen Mary calls with admiration "the dream maker" She was by turns a patroness of the arts, a distinguished man of letters, and a queen devoted to her adopted country, but also one of the most brilliant female personalities of her century.
CHARITIES PATRONIZED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH
Nicolae Iorga rightly attributed to Elizabeth the merit of being imposed from the height of the royal throne "(…) a sense of intellectuality, a respect for culture, a religion of art, a priesthood of poetry, which also elevated Romania"Along with the vast cultural activity carried out consistently for almost five decades, she was noted for her tireless involvement in creating a charity system, while also encouraging ladies from high society to play an active role in fundraising and managing philanthropic acts.
Immediately after arriving in Romania, he obtained subscriptions for the completion of the construction of the Asylum,Elena Mrs.", a project initiated by Elena Rosetti Cuza, the wife of Prince Al. I. Cuza, in 1862. The princess generously offered from her personal savings the sum of 12,000 francs for the construction of a chapel within the asylum, the cornerstone of which was laid in May 1870.
Six years later, he founded,,National Red Cross Society" from Romania, of which she is the honorary president. With the outbreak of the War of Independence, together with General Carol Davila, the inspector of the Romanian health service, she creates "Ambulance service". In parallel, field hospitals are established, and eight German military doctors work in the Principalities under the direct leadership of the sovereign. In the area of the Cotroceni Palace, two barracks for the wounded are built from Elisabeth's personal fund, which provides 36,000 francs, i.e. all her savings, and the Cotroceni Railway Station is transformed into a hospital under the coordination of Dr. Wilhelm Kremnitz.
,,Institute of the Sisters of Charity" in Bucharest, founded in 1879, from the Queen's personal income, operates in a building purchased by her under the initial command of Alexandrina Florescu and under the guidance of a committee also controlled by the sovereign. The staff recruited from among nurses or nuns work in hospitals, caring for the sick at home, the war wounded, etc. The institute accepts without reservation any kind of donations.
He also carries out extensive philanthropic activity.Queen Elizabeth Society", founded in 1893, which treats about 17,000 patients annually, distributes free medicines and monitors the condition of needy families. The responsibility lies with an administrative council made up of fifteen members, coordinated among others by Mihail Suţu, the former governor of the National Bank of Romania, but also by fifteen aristocrats designated by the Queen, whose president was Maria Poenaru, lady-in-waiting of the Palace. Gradually, the society consolidates, reaching a capital of 1,500,000 francs in 1905. Every year, the newspapers publish a report on all the activities of the Society, as well as a summary of the financial situation. The fifteen ladies undertake visits to the homes of the poor and faithfully report the situation on the ground, their entire conduct being monitored by the sovereign.
,,Queen Elizabeth Polyclinic", founded in 1895, offers free consultations to the poor, under the vigilant coordination of Mrs. Maria Boerescu and under the honorary patronage of Elisabeta, as well as "Saint Catherine's Cradle", founded and maintained by Ecaterina Cantacuzino. New societies appear, such as ,,mother", led by Mrs. Creţulescu, professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, ,,Evangelical Institute of Deaconesses” from Bucharest, which patronized a sanatorium in the capital and a school in Ploieşti, the Societies ,,Daily bread" and "Tibişoi"led by Mrs. Brăiloiu. The latter distributed clothing to children and came to the aid of families in case of illness or incapacity of the parents to work."The Benevolent Society" from Iaşi, Hospital,,ELISABETH" from Galati, the Society,,Pence", placed under the patronage of Princess Mary, led by Mrs. Perekyde, née Marghiloman, supports all the charitable works in Neuwied, initiated by Mary of Wied, the Queen's mother: the hospital, the orphanage, the Institute for the deaf-mute and the blind.
The Queen had the intelligence to understand the huge potential of the traditional Romanian culture with its craft and agricultural specifics. Amazed by the beauty of the popular costume, she adopted it without reservations and then imposed it on the royal suite in the majestic setting of the court, giving it a high social status. The Queen encouraged the development of local industry, thus contributing to the social emancipation of Romanian women. The Society,, appearedConcordia", established to favor the development of the textile industry in Romania, the Society,,Ant", chaired by Elena Cornescu, born Manu. The embroideries made here are appreciated in London and Paris by the great Fashion Houses. In 1905, in Paris, at the Marsan Pavilion, the embroidery exhibition of Anna Roth, who ran the embroidery workshop, opens. The entire French press writes eloquently about the exhibition. The exhibition is called "Carmen Sylva Embroideries". At the Segenhaus Estate, which Elisabeta inherited in 1902, she owned an important collection of embroideries signed by the same Anna Roth.
Society,,Work"established in 1885 and led by Mrs. General Fălcoianu, offers home service to ordinary women, the disabled, widows, and housewives. The society built its own headquarters from its own profits, and a house in which it housed six families of war widows. The society,,Bee"led by Eliza Brătianu, born Ştirbey, provided jobs for working-class women who had become bankrupt for various reasons. The society,,The weaver"founded in 1905 and personally led by the Queen, encourages silkworm culture in Romania. The first home of the blind colony "The bright hearth" It was founded in 1906, a vast project that would later be abandoned due to lack of funds.
As for the city of Sinaia, where she first set foot in 1871, Elizabeth's charitable intentions were successfully realized here as well: in 1882, a school was established at the Sinaia Monastery, whose teachers were her own ladies-in-waiting, and in 1899, she inaugurated the second primary school in the city, which operated in the hamlet of Izvor until 1905. Within the Peleş complex, the Queen founded "Art and Craft Workshops", where some of the valuable pieces of furniture from the first phase of the castle's construction (1875-1883) were made. Thanks to the sovereign's initiative, Romania participated in the Universal Exhibition in Paris, in 1867, 1889 and 1900 with various traditional items, with embroideries, tapestries and folk costumes. In 1912, the Queen organized the exhibition in Berlin,,Women in arts and crafts", with positive echoes in the Western press.
