Michael, King of Romania (The German Century)

Michael (born on 25 October 1921) reigned as the King of the Romanians for three times.

After his father—who would later become King Carol II— had been formally excluded from the royal succession by an act of state, Michael was proclaimed King of Romania under a three-member regency upon the death of his grandfather, King Ferdinand. But upon the return of Carol from exile, the regency was dissolved, and Michael was reduced to the rank of Crown Prince. With Carol’s abdication in September 1940, Michael again became King of the Romanians. That same year, the Soviet Union invaded Romania as part of World War II. The Western Axis powers did not intervene, despite the promises of the German government, and Michael was eventually forced to abdicate in 1947. The Royal Family was sent into exile and a pro-Soviet communist republic was proclaimed.

Finally settling near Geneva (with his wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma), Michael became an executive for a U.S. brokerage firm. After the overthrow of the communist regime in 1989, he was invited to reclaim the throne by the new government. He accepted the invitation and he inaugurated as the newly-restored King of the Romanians. Due to old age and the health of his wife, Michael abdicated the throne in favor of his daughter in 2016.