Ferdinand (Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad; 24 August 1865 – 20 July 1927), nicknamed Întregitorul ("the Unifier"), was King of Romania from 1914 until his death in 1927. Ferdinand was the second son of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and Infanta Antónia of Portugal, daughter of Ferdinand II of Portugal and Maria II of Portugal. His family was part of the Catholic branch of the Prussian royal family Hohenzollern. In 1889, Ferdinand became Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Romania, following the renunciation of his father (in 1880) and older brother, William (in 1886), to the rights of succession to the royal crown of Romania. From the moment he settled in Romania, he continued his military career, gaining a series of honorary commands and being promoted to the rank of corps general. He married in 1893 Princess Maria Alexandra Victoria, later known as Queen Marie of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Emperor Alexander II and daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia.  Read more..

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On October 15, 1922, in Alba Iulia, one of the most important symbolic moments in the history of Romania took place. King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie are indeed crowned king and queen of all Romanians. The city of Alba Iulia was chosen because of its double symbolic importance for the history of the Romanians. Former capital of the kingdom of Michael the Brave, it is also here that the unification of all the historical Romanian provinces was proclaimed on December 1, 1918. Made possible by the victory of the Entente (the alliance between the Russian Empire, France and Great Britain), joined by Romania in 1916, this union of December 1, 1918 brought together Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Transylvania. As a result, all Romanians were united under the scepter of the Royal House of Romania, and the newly unified Romania became the largest country in Central and Southeastern Europe.. Read more..