Prince Radu of Romania (born Radu Duda on 7 June 1960, formerly known as Prince Radu of Hohenzollern-Veringen from 1999 to 2007) is the husband of Margareta of Romania, who is the head of the House of Romania and a disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne. On 1 January 1999, he was given the name, not title,“Radu Duda’s title of Hohenzollern is a farce”, Nine O'Clock, 12 June 2009 "Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern: „Radu Duda's Hohenzollern title is a farce“ , Cotidianul, 10 June 2009 of "Prince of Hohenzollern-Veringen" by Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern, the head of the Sigmaringen branch of the Hohenzollern family. He has also called himself "Radu Hohenzollern-Veringen-Duda". "The Actor Duda in The Role of A Lifetime: Prince Consort of Romania," Cotidianul, 3 January 20082005 "Income Statement," filled out in Romanian by Hohenzollern Veringen Duda, Radu 2005 "Interest Statement," filled out in Romanian by Hohenzollern Veringen Duda, Radu "Income Statement", Prime-Minister's Chancellery Website as of 14 July 2006 "Public Letter to The SRI Director", Romanian Imprisonment Watch, Visby, Sweden, 17 September 2004 Since 2007, when he had his legal name changed from "Radu Duda" to "Radu al României Duda", Radu no longer uses the name of Hohenzollern. Prince Radu: There is no presidential candidate named Hohenzollern, Cotidianul, 11 June 2009 The Fundamental Rules of the Romanian Royal Family,Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania , The Romanian Royal Family website. Retrieved 8 January 2007 proclaimed by former King Michael I on 30 December 2007, gave Radu the title of "Prince of Romania", with the style of "Royal Highness", which King Michael had given him earlier on 5 January 2005. Prince Radu , Prince Radu's website as of 12 September 2008
On 16 August 1989 at Bucharest, Radu Duda married Viorica Tanta Begnescu; this marriage was dissolved by divorce on 12 November 1992. Manach, D. (2014). La Descendance de Louis-Philippe 1er, Roi Des Francais, Editions Christian, p. 58. ISBN 2847665749 In 1996 (24 July, civilly; 21 September, religiously), he married Princess Margareta, eldest daughter of King Michael I of Romania and Queen Anne.
As spouse of Princess Margareta, Radu often accompanies his wife, sometimes solo, to support social projects and promote the Romanian economy. "10 May – Sad Destiny, Memorable Date" , Dilema Veche, 12 May 2006 He is also the patron and a member of numerous Romanian charities and organisations.
Early life Radu was born in Iași, Socialist Republic of Romania, the elder of the two children of Professor Dr. René Corneliu Duda and his wife, Dr. Gabriela Eugenia Duda née Constandache. His only brother is Professor Gabriel Dan Duda.
Education and work Radu graduated from the Costache Negruzzi High School in Iași in 1979, and from the University of Drama and Film in Bucharest in 1984, and had over twenty years of artistic activity in Romania as well as in other European countries, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. He was the artistic director of the first art therapy project for abandoned children in Romanian orphanages. The project, started in 1993, was developed in eight cities over six years. In 1994, while working as an art therapist in orphanages, he met Princess Margareta, when she was touring the programmes of her Princess Margareta Foundation. On 24 July 1996, Margareta married Duda in a civil wedding at Versoix. On 21 September 1996 they were married religiously in Lausanne, and on 1 January 1999 he was granted the title "Radu, Prince of Hohenzollern-Veringen". "The Prime Minister proposed Radu Duda a seat as a Senator of the Democrat Social Party (ruling party in Romania)" dated 6 August 2004 from MEDIAFAX AGENCY
In 2002, he graduated from the National College of Defence of Romania, and the George C. Marshall College, Garmisch, Germany. In August 2004 he participated in the two-week Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.Passed House Resolution R . In.gov. Retrieved 29 November 2011.HKS Executive Education. Ksgexecprogram.harvard.edu. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
In September 2002, he was appointed as Special Representative of the Romanian Government for Integration, Co-operation and Sustainable Development. He is also Patron of the British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Board of Directors of "House of NATO" Association in Bucharest, and Honorary Member of the Senate of "Aurel Vlaicu" University of Arad and of the University of Oradea, Romania.
Prince Radu is the author of several books: Dincolo de mască (Bucharest: Unitext, 1997), L'Âme du masque (Brussels, 1998), Război, un exil, o viață (Bucharest, 2000; translated into English as Anne of Romania: A War, an Exile, a Life, Bucharest: Romanian Cultural Foundation, 2002), Michael of Romania: A Tribute (San Francisco and Bucharest, 2001), Kildine (Bucharest, 2003; a translation into Romanian of the fairy-tales book of Queen Marie of the Romanians), Seven (Bucharest: Nemira, 2003), The Royal Family of Romania (Bucharest: Humanitas, 2004), Persona (Bucharest: Nemira, 2006), The Elisabeta Palace (Bucharest: Humanitas, 2006).
Prince Radu's lectures address topics related to Romania's integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, defense, and security, geopolitics and diplomacy, culture, economics, and education. He has equally spoken out about the issue of ethnic minorities, in particular about the Romani minority, an important issue for Romania and South Eastern Europe today,Prince Radu next to the Roma leader and parliamentarian Mădălin Voicu and EU representative Jonathan Scheele at a piano concert, 15 May 2006 (foto). Foto.rompres.ro (15 May 2006). Retrieved 29 November 2011.Prince Radu on his lectures about the Roma minority in "When Royalty Meets Diplomacy", Prague Magazine, February 2005 through conferences in Romania and around Europe, in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Finland, etc. His activity report "2005 Annual Report and 2002–2004 Retrospective""Annual Report 2005", Prince Radu website, as of 6 December 2006 is available in English and Romanian on his official website.
Prince Radu currently serves on the Board of Advisors to the Global Panel Foundation, an NGO that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world.
Initiatives
Europe of Regions
Radu initiated a project to promote Romania's major interests and to strengthen Romania's bilateral relations. Its aims are to encourage and promote economic, cultural, and educational partnerships between Romanian regions and different European regions, as well as to raise awareness about Romania through meetings, conferences, and lectures. It will involve Prince Radu visiting up to four different regions a year, meeting local businessmen, political and local administration leaders, university teachers and students, Romanian communities and the press. Regions covered so far are the Italian regions of Tuscany and Sicily (provinces of Palermo, Caltanisetta, Enna, and Catania), the French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Aquitaine (Pays Beaumontois). The Europe of Regions initiative will continue with visits to the Lands of Germany, to Spain, and further regions of France and Italy. Balcani Cooperazione . Balcanicooperazione.it. Retrieved 29 November 2011.Comunicati stampa – Università degli Studi di Catania . Unict.it (20 September 2006). Retrieved 29 November 2011.cstampa – moduli – Provincia Regionale di Catania Stiri pe scurt: ZIUA. Mclink.it. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
The Friendship Tour
The Friendship Tour is a similar initiative created to promote Romania's major interests, mainly in the United States of America, aiming to encourage, promote, and support Romanian partnerships in the economic, educational, and cultural domains. Visits are planned to 3–4 states each year to meet local businessmen and women, politicians, and local administration, university teachers and students, as well as the Romanian diaspora. The aim is also to raise awareness about Romania's potential and to strengthen bilateral relations. The Friendship Tour kicked off with a ten-day visit to the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Massachusetts, during which Prince Radu met with governors, mayors, state congressmen, professors, students, businessmen, journalists, and American citizens of Romanian origin. The Friendship Tour II and The Friendship Tour III plan to reach five other USA states.Prince stops in South Bend. South Bend Tribune (26 December 1991). Retrieved 29 November 2011.
Personality
In an interview for Observator Plus, Prince Radu talked frankly about himself. He says that during communism he had lived in an amoral world that lacked role models and where it was difficult to have principles. He discovered the latter only when he met King Michael, when he realized that "life can be marked, here and there, by principles."
Controversies
Corruption accusations
BAE Systems,"Blair hit by Saudi 'bribery' threat," The Sunday Times, 19 November 2006 one of the donors to Princess Margareta's charity, and its representatives, have been involved in a corruption scandal regarding the purchase by the Romanian Government of two decommissioned UK Royal Navy frigates refurbished by BAE, for which an alleged £7 million bribe was paid."Bribery inquiry may force £7m refund to Romania," The Guardian, 15 June 2006. Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2011. Some of this money, it is also alleged, "ended up in the pockets of the royal family of Hohenzollern". "Mulberry Juice" , Gandul, 21 June 2006 The Gardianul newspaper, "BAE Royal Sponsor", Gardianul, 16 June 2006 noting that both Margarita and Radu, as Special Representative of the Government, had met a number of times formally or informally with the BAE Systems representatives before and after the signing of the governmental contract, inquired whether the royal family was involved in any lobbying on behalf of the company. In an official communique sent to the newspaper, Radu denied any such lobbying activities, stating that as patron of the British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce in which BAE Systems is a member, he met with this as well as other British companies' representatives.
Securitate informer
Radu has been the target of press attacks "Troubles at The Castle" , Banateanul, 3 May 2006 for having been an informer for Communist Romania's dreaded"Securitate Ghosts Haunt Romanian Politics," Balkan Insight, 30 June 2006"Having or Not Having Collaborated with the Securitate" Radio Romania International , 4.06.2007 Securitate, the secret police, during Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship.
Căminul românesc magazine from Geneva "Franck: A Securitate Man in The Royal House", Adevarul, 13 October 2006 published an article by Nicolette (Nicoleta) Franck, a journalist close to King Michael, about whom she wrote many books.La Roumanie dans l'Engrenage. Nicolette Franck. Paris and Brussels: Elsevier Sequoia, 1977, 269 pp. – review by Foreign Affairs, April 1978 . Foreignaffairs.org (1 April 1978). Retrieved 29 November 2011. The article alleged that Radu Duda was a Securitate agent infiltrated in the Royal House so as to compromise it, on orders from Ion Iliescu, the former high ranking Communist who served as President of Romania and was, allegedly, a friend of Radu's father, also a former high ranking Communist. No proof of these allegations was offered.