Alexandru II

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Alexandru II
Portrait Alexandru ii muntenia.jpg
Title: King of Muntenia
Predecessor: Alexandru I
Successor: Mihai I
Birth: July 18, 1864
Birth: August 2, 1913
Profession: Royalty, Soldier, Lawyer, Poet, amateur architect
Political Party: none
Relgious Affiliation: Romanian Orthodox
Family Alexandru I (father), Elena (mother), Sofia (wife), Mihai (brother)

Alexandru II or "Alexandru Dimitrie Cuza" (1864-1913) was the second King of Muntenia, the only surviving son of the first King of that country. Almost certainly what today would be called "manic depressive" or suffering from "bipolar syndrome," he tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide three times (a fact kept secret for many years after his death). Yet he was also given to extreme bursts of energy, working long hours on a multitude of projects. In his youth he was a handsome man and considered something of a ladies' man (his relationships with women were usually tempestuous).

Heir to his father's throne at age 15, Alexandru Dimitrie enjoyed intense popularity with the Muntenian people at the start of his reign. Rumors of drunkenness, womanizing and insanity were at first ignored. In 1885 he was crowned in a lavish ceremony that created a decades-long debt for the relatively new kingdom. In 1889 he married Sofia Florea-Doneascu (1867-1950), the daughter of a prominent Oltenian boyar whose cousin later became the first Prince of Oltenia. The marriage was not a happy one, as Alexandru had several mistresses. Over time, he also lost his good looks, becoming grossly overweight. In later years he vacillated between wearing elaborate suits and uniforms, and donning old, patched up clothing unsuitable for public.

He died just before the start of the First Great War. Conspiracy theorists have sometimes claimed this was his fourth suicide attempt, while most historians agree his death was due to the official reason--a heart attack.

Preceded by:
Alexandru I
Flag muntenia royal5.jpg
King of Muntenia
1879-1913
Succeeded by:
'Mihai I'