Coffin of last prince of Moldavia laid at Bucharest National Opera

A ceremony for the laying of the coffin containing the earthly remains of Grigore Alexandru Ghica (1807–1857), the last Prince of Moldavia and one of the key figures in the modernization of the Romanian Principalities, will take place on Sunday, starting at 9:30 a.m., in the foyer of the Bucharest National Opera.

The event is part of a broader program of official and commemorative ceremonies organized between November 8–12, marking the repatriation of the ruler 168 years after his passing, according to a statement released Friday by the National Opera of Bucharest (ONB), CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

At the funeral reception ceremony will be present Daniel Jinga, the ONB manager, representatives of the Romanian Gendarmerie—an institution founded during Ghica’s reign—and members of the Ghica Family, including Mihai Ghica, a direct descendant of the ruler.

The event is open to the public, and those who wish to pay their respects may visit the coffin in the Opera foyer throughout Sunday.

On the same day, a documentary exhibition dedicated to Ghica’s reign will open in the same space, featuring a selection of historical documents, archive images, and video materials highlighting his key contributions to the building of the modern Romanian state—from the founding of the Romanian Gendarmerie (1850) to the social and legislative reforms that set Moldavia irreversibly on the path toward modernity.

The remains of Prince Grigore Alexandru Ghica will be brought to Romania on Friday, from the cemetery of Le Mée-sur-Seine, France, following a religious ceremony attended by family representatives, Romania’s Ambassador to Paris, Ioana Bivolaru, General André Petillot, Deputy Director General of the French Gendarmerie, and officials from the Romanian Gendarmerie.

The Romanian ceremonies, including official moments with military honors and moments of silence, will take place in several locations in Bucharest, Focșani, and Iași, the city where the ruler will be reburied.

The event is organized by the Romanian Gendarmerie and the Ghica Family, in partnership with the National Opera of Bucharest, Iași City Hall, Vrancea County Council, Focșani City Hall, Romanian Television, TAROM, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with support from the Embassy of Romania in Paris.

Ruler of Moldavia between 1849 and 1856, Grigore Alexandru Ghica was one of the most visionary figures of the 19th century, paving the way for the Union of the Principalities and promoting essential modern values: freedom, social justice, and dignity.

He supported bold reforms, from the emancipation of the Roma population and the abolition of censorship to the development of public services and the introduction of a model of governance inspired by major European democracies.

His repatriation is not only a symbolic act of restoration but also a gesture of national gratitude toward a leader who laid the foundations of the modern Romanian state.