POLITICS - November 9th 2004

King Mihai welcomed yesterday, at the Queen Elisabeta Pallace, all the people that wanted to congratulate him with the occasion of the Mihail and Gavriil Archangels’ Day. After that the former king took part in the lunch that President Ion Iliescu, together with knights of the "Mihai Viteazul" Order, offered at Cotroceni. By MONICA IORDACHE

For two hours, King Mihai welcomed his guests at Queen Elisabeta Pallace. Approximately 300 people came to congratulate the former king with the occasion of the Mihail and Gavriil Archangels’ Day. Most of them were old people, but youngsters came as well, and they overwhelmed King Mihai I and Queen Ana with their flower bouquets. His favourite present were the books: " Nicolae Titulescu’s "Memories", Nicolae Baciu’s "Yalta and Romania’s Crucify" and Marshal’s Alexandru Averescu "Daily Notes from the War". In addition there were photo albums of the royal family, as well as a doll dressed in a national costume. For the guests meeting the King has been something extraordinary, but the host was touched, too. King Mihai said he has always felt good among Romanians, and the welcoming on his name day has been and will be a good opportunity for this to happen. "Romanians love His Majesty and His Majesty loves the Romanians as well", concluded the representative of the Royal Court Secretariat. Constanta Iorga. Cultural and political VIPs were absent from the Queen Elisabeta Palace, with the exception of plastic artists Sorin Ilfoveanu and Stefan Catila, who wanted to express their regards personally.

LUNCH. After that King Mihai I and Queen Ana took part in a lunch offered in Cotroceni by President Ion Iliescu for the knights of the "Mihai Viteazul" Order. The Chief of the State evoked the Second World War and the merits of the knights of the "Mihai Viteazul" Orde