Romanian Postage Stamp Day - Queen Marie Of Romania

Romanian Postage Stamp Day is celebrated on the 15th of July, according to Law No. 62/2024. This date marks the appearance of the first Romanian postage stamp, ‘Capul de bour’ (The Bull’s Head), printed in Iași on July 15th, 1858, under the auspices of the Royal Post Office of the Principality of Moldavia. Along with other national symbols, the postage stamp has become a symbol of Romania’s social, political, economic and cultural activity. Over time, it has promoted Romanian personalities, events and achievements both domestically and internationally. Thus, the Romanian postage stamp has established itself as a valuable landmark of the national cultural and spiritual heritage.

This year’s special philatelic product, issued to mark Romanian Postage Stamp Day, is dedicated to the only crowned Queen of Greater Romania, as 150 years have passed since her birth.

Romfilatelia introduces into circulation on Tuesday, July 15th, of this year the philatelic issue Romanian Postage Stamp Day. Queen Marie of Romania. The issue includes a postage stamp, an imperforated souvenir sheet, and a First Day Cover, along with a special folder released in a limited edition.

Maria Alexandra Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, was born on October 29th, 1875 at Eastwell Park, Kent, United Kingdom. Her father, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, was the second son of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and her mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Romanova, was the daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Arrangements dictated by the status of royal houses led to the engagement in 1892, when Maria was 17 years old, between the future King Ferdinand I and the beautiful princess. The wedding took place on January 10th, 1893 in Sigmaringen, with none other than the German Emperor Wilhelm II himself witnessing the union.

In Romania, before becoming Queen in 1914, Maria became the mother of six children: Carol (1893), Elisabeta (1894), Maria (1900), Nicolae (1903), Ileana (1909), and Mircea (1913). Speaking about them, the Queen said: ‘My children were the central point of my life. The women of my race are passionate mothers, and we cannot imagine a world without children’.

As sovereign, Queen Marie won the hearts of all Romanians through her natural grace, elegance, and intelligence, through her devotion and kindness – but above all, through her love for her country. She always knew how to stand out, to be appreciated and cherished. She had a particular admiration for the traditional folk costume, which she often wore at public ceremonies and during her travels across the country.

Her active presence on the battles front in Moldavia (1917–1918), as well as the souvereign's direct involvement in field hospitals to care for the wounded, earned her two names known even beyond the country’s borders: ‘The Soldier Queen’ and ‘The Mother of the Wounded’. Her role in the making of Greater Romania is defined by a prominent politician of the time, Constantin Argetoianu, as follows: ‘...she embodied the highest aspirations of the Romanian conscience. Through the way she influenced Romania’s entry into the war in 1916, and again in 1918 – when it was almost solely thanks to her that King Ferdinand I did not ratify the disastrous peace of Bucharest – the Queen established herself as founder of Greater Romania and as one of the greatest figures in our national history’.

The Queen passed away on July 18th, 1938 at Pelișor Castle. She left us with the beautiful words written in her will: ‘beautiful country that I dreamed of as whole, whose fate I shared for so many years, whose ancestral dream I too dreamed, and was granted the grace to see fulfilled. May you be forever bountiful, may you be great and full of honour, may you forever stand proudly among other nations, may you be respected, loved, and understood’.

The postage stamp (with the face value of Lei 14), souvenir sheet (the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 30) and the First Day Cover feature portraits of Princess Marie before she became Queen (1914). Along side the portrait, the souvenir sheet also includes the royal face, rhe monogram and Queen Marie’s signature (the special block from the philarelic folder contains the same elements printed in gold foiling).

The components of the philatelic issue serve as an illustration of the personality of a Queen who gave us lessons in sacrifice, courage, patriotism, diplomacy, and the honouring of the founders of nation and country.

By scanning the QR code on the minisheet with stamps, you will discover the story behind the issue Romanian Postage Stamp Day. Queen Marie of Romania.

The philatelic folder, created into a limited run printing of 216 copies, is equipped with the special anniversary block of two imperforated stamps of the issue Romanian Postage Stamp Day. Queen Marie of Romania, with Queen Marie’s signature and monogram printed in gold foiling and a maxicard. The philatelic block is numbered from 001 to 216.

Romfilatelia thanks the representatives of the Romanian Academy Library, the Romanian National Archives, the Peleș National Museum and the Iași City Hall for their documentary support granted in the development of this postage stamps issue.