Editing Michael I of Romania (section)

===Engagement===
In November 1947, Michael I met a distant relative, [[Anne of Romania|Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma]] who was visiting London for the [[wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh]].<ref name="curley">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOJwAAAAIAAJ&q=historical+order | title=Monarchs-in-Waiting | publisher=Dodd, Mead & Co. | author= Walter Curley | author-link= Walter Curley | year=1973 | location=Cornwall, NY | page= 77 | isbn=0-396-06840-5}}</ref> In fact, a year previously [[Helen of Greece and Denmark|Queen Helen, The Queen Mother]] had invited Anne, her mother, and brothers for a visit to [[Bucharest]], but the plan did not come off.<ref name="erhj">{{cite journal|last=Eilers-Koenig|first=Marlene|title=The Marriage of King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania|journal=European Royal History Journal|volume=11.3|issue=LXIII|pages=3–10|publisher=Arturo E. Beeche|year=2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, King Michael I had glimpsed Princess Anne in a [[newsreel]] and requested a photograph from the film footage.<ref name="erhj"/>

She did not want to accompany her parents to London for the royal wedding as she wished to avoid meeting Michael I in official surroundings. Instead, she planned to stay behind, go alone to the Paris railway station and, pretending to be a passerby in the crowd, privately observe the king as his entourage escorted him to his London-bound train.<ref name="erhj"/> However, at the last moment she was persuaded by her first cousin, [[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Prince Jean, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg]], to come to London, where he planned to host a party. Upon arrival in London, she stopped by [[Claridge's]] to see her parents, and found herself being introduced unexpectedly to King Michael I. Abashed to the point of confusion, she [[salute|clicked her heels]] instead of [[curtsey]]ing, and fled in embarrassment. Charmed, the king saw her again the night of the wedding at the Luxembourg embassy ''soirée'', confided in her some of his concerns about the Communist takeover of Romania and fears for his mother's safety, and nicknamed her ''Nan''.<ref name="erhj"/> They saw each other several times thereafter on outings in London, always [[chaperone (social)|chaperoned]] by her mother or brother.

A few days later, she accepted an invitation to accompany Michael and his mother when he piloted a [[Beechcraft]] aeroplane to take his aunt [[Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta]], back home to [[Lausanne]].<ref name="erhj"/> Sixteen days after meeting, Michael proposed to Anne while the couple were out on a drive in Lausanne. She initially declined, but later accepted after taking long walks and drives with him.<ref name=":0" /> Although Michael gave her an engagement ring a few days later, he felt obliged to refrain from a public announcement until he informed his government, despite the fact that the press besieged them in anticipation.<ref name="erhj"/>

Michael I returned to [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], where he was told by the prime minister that a wedding announcement was not "opportune". Yet within days it was used as the government's public explanation for Michael's sudden "[[abdication]]", when in fact the king was [[deposition (politics)|deposed]] by the [[Romanian Communist Party|Communists]] on 30 December.<ref name="erhj"/> Princess Anne was unable to get further news of King Michael I until he left the country. They finally reunited in [[Davos]] on 23 January 1948.<ref name="erhj"/>