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Queen Marie of Romania (1875–1938), the country’s last Queen, who was remembered as a charismatic diplomat that used her elite royal connections to secure the borders of "Greater Romania" after World War I. Born a British and Russian princess and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she married Crown Prince Ferdinand in 1893.
Queen Marie famously traveled to America in early Autumn of 1926. Invited by her friend, railway tycoon Sam Hill, she went on a spectacular 44-day travel. While the trip did not last long, due to the unfortunate ill-health of her husband, King Ferdinand, she managed to tour America while offering support to the communities and cultures of the land. She utilized her popularity to gain recognition and cultural visibility for the under-represented Native American tribes. She not only wished to learn about exterior cultural values and traditions, but to also to share her own. Queen Marie wanted to donate artwork symbolizing her culture to thank America for its humanitarian aid to Romania during World War I. In 1926, she traveled to the U.S. to dedicate the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington state to Hill. She brought 15 crates containing over 100 objects to establish the museum's foundation, aiming to share Romanian culture while promoting international trade and diplomatic ties. Some of the artifacts brought were Romanian folk art, Orthodox icons, and Royal Artifacts. All of these items can be found neatly displayed in the Maryhill Museum of Art, where her beautiful treasures and personal designs tell the story of her rich intellectual curiosity for understanding and supporting cultural minorities and exemplifying her own. Queen Marie’s passion was thoroughly directed by her genuine kindness toward allied nations, care for underrepresented tribal communities, and overall love and rich understanding of cultural representation and the importance of such.
As it comes to the 100 year anniversary of Marie’s voyage from Romania to the USA, Maryhill museum celebrates this special occasion and her significant contributions to Columbia Gorge cultural life with a series of events on a special day, September 19, 2026 .
text by Alex Zigoneanu
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