Queen Maria’s Palace in Constanța will undergo a massive restoration. Funds for the restoration of the 1920s-era palace will come from the government’s 2024 budget reserve and financing by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB).
The Royal Palace of Mamaia (Kara Dalga, “The Black Wave”) was built by Queen Maria from 1924-1926 using her own drawings and the detailed plans of Italian architect Mario Stoppa. The palace originally had 35 rooms, as well as service quarters. The building, also referred to as the Royal Palace in Mamaia, once contained fabulous tapestries and other heirlooms, including an impressive watercolor collection owned by Empress Maria of Russia, wife of Tsar Alexandru II and the grandmother of Queen Maria.
King Ferdinand, Queen Maria, King Mihai, Queen Mother Elena. Queen Sofia of Greece and her son, the future Kind Paul (1947-1964) lived in this opulent residence over time. Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II also spent time at the palace during the summer.
During the communist period, the building was used as a restaurant and club for foreign tourists, then in 2003, it was privatized. Over the past few decades the beautiful palace was neglected and lay almost in ruin. Romanian state won back ownership of the historic monument in 2022, in a court case.