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Carol Eitel Frederick Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen I

1839 – 1914

About

Romanian Royalty. He was the Prince of Romania from 1866 to 1881 and king of Romania from 1881 to 1914. Born Karl Eitel Friedrich, Prinz Von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, he was the first independent modern king of Romania. After having his childhood and education in Germany, he served as an officer in the Prussian army in 1864 during the war with Denmark. His ties with Germany would later cause problems with the Romanians as World War I approached. He became king after the Russians defeated the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish War and Romania declared its independence. He was recognized as a brave military hero. In 1869 he married the princess Elizabeth of Wied, who later gained fame as the poetess Carmen Sylva. The couple only had one daughter, Maria, who died at the age of three. Although he improved the economic development of the country, he did not solve the many problems of the rural population, including basic food and shelter. For this reason, there was a rebellion of the peasants i