Two days later, on April 29, Colonel von Rauch returned from Berlin with the royal answer to Prince Charles Anthony's second memorial, which contained a repetition of the King's objections to the acceptance of the offer, and still more to the fait accompli, which was so warmly urged from Paris. The "Memorial Diplomatique" of the 28th contained this suggestive phrase: "... l'initiative de la France n'a pour object que les faits à accomplir!"
Prince Charles Anthony received M. Bratianu and Dr. Davila on May 1 at Düsseldorf. They came to announce the arrival of the deputation with the verification of the plébiscite, and to inquire whether or no Prince Charles intended to decline their offer definitely. It was then decided to telegraph in cipher to Bucharest that the Prince had decided to accept the offer, but only on condition that the King should give his consent.
In answer to a telegram from Prince Charles Anthony, the King of Prussia begged him to come to Berlin to discuss the question of the fait accompli. The result of the interview was that the King agreed to refrain from influencing the decision of Prince Charles directly and to permit the fait accompli to "take place." The Prince was to resign his commission as a Prussian officer after passing the Prussian frontier.
On the receipt of this news from Berlin, the Prince at once sent for MM. Balaceanu and Bratianu, and on their arrival informed them that he was prepared to set out for Roumania without delay. The question then arose as to which route was to be taken, since Prussia might declare war any day with Austria, whilst a sea journey viâ Marseilles or Genoa risked a possible detention at Constantinople. The Prince eventually decided on the shortest route, viâ Vienna-Basiasch; but this plan had to be reconsidered, as owing to an indiscretion the proposed itinerary became public.
The long expected mobilisation order of the Prussian Army was signed by the King on May 9, and Prince Charles in consequence received an order from his colonel to rejoin his regiment at once, from which, however, he was exempted by the six weeks' leave granted by the King himself. Balaceanu urged the Prince by letter not to delay his departure, and reiterated his entreaties on behalf of the Roumanian people, who were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their chosen ruler.
The last day at home was Friday, May 11, 1866, and with it came the inevitable anguish of parting with his dearly loved parents. Repressing the emotions which might otherwise have betrayed the pregnant measure he had undertaken, Prince Charles, clad for the last time in the uniform of the Prussian Dragoons, rode down the avenue towards Benrath Castle, where his eldest brother resided and awaited him. Upon arriving there, he exchanged his uniform for mufti and proceeded to the station with his sister, Princess Marie, who accompanied him for the first few hours of his journey, and at Bonn the Prince joined Councillor von Werner, with whom the momentous journey was to be undertaken. Zurich was reached at two o'clock in the afternoon, when the travellers broke their journey for the first time in order to arrange the difficult question of passports. Von Werner telegraphed to a Swiss official, whom Prince Charles Anthony had already asked about the passes, to arrange a meeting at St. Gallen, but as the official was not at home at the time, a delay of twenty-four hours occurred, which Prince Charles spent in writing to the Emperors of Russia and France and the Sultan of Turkey.
Baron von Mayenfisch and Lieutenant Linche, a Roumanian staff officer, who both joined the party in Zurich, set out independently, the former for Munich, the latter for Basiasch on the Danube. The Prince and Von Werner occupied themselves with erasing the marking of the Prince's linen and reducing the quantity of his baggage to indispensable limits. The following day (May 14) found the Prince and his companion at St. Gallen, where a passport was obtained for the former under the name of "Karl Hettingen," travelling on business to Odessa, and at the Prince's request a note was made on this document of the fact that Herr Hettingen wore spectacles. The acquisition of these passports, however, and the fact of his travelling second-class, were not alone sufficient to overcome all further difficulties and dangers, for on reaching Salzburg, on the Austro-Bavarian frontier, on the 16th, a customs official gruffly demanded the Prince's name, and he to his horror found that he had forgotten it. Luckily Von Werner, with great presence of mind, flung himself into the breach by insisting on paying duty for some cigars, and so diverted the intruder's attention, whilst the Prince refreshed his peccant memory with a glimpse at his passport. But this was not all, for scarcely had this little manœuvre been successfully carried out than several officers of the "King of Belgium's" Regiment, with whom the Prince had served in 1864 in Denmark, entered the waiting-room and caused him no little misgiving lest he should be recognised. Here fortune, however, again favoured him, and all passed off well, the travellers continuing their journey as far as Vienna, which they found crowded with troops. Pressburg, Pest, Szegedin and Temesvar found them still caged in the dismal squalor of a dirty second-class carriage, and suffering much discomfort from an icy wind which chilled them to the bone. The tedious railway journey at length ended at Basiasch, from whence they were to proceed down stream by steamer. The mobilisation of the Austrian troops had, however, completely disorganised the river service, and a most unwelcome delay of two days took place at this unsavoury spot.
Joan Bratianu arrived from Paris in time to accompany his future sovereign upon the last stage of his journey, but, as strict secrecy was still imperative, he was compelled to treat the Prince as a stranger. The Roumanian frontier was reached at last, and the boat lay alongside the quay of Turnu Severin. As the Prince was about to hurry on shore, the master of the steamboat stopped him to inquire why he should land here when he wanted to go to Odessa. The Prince replied that he only intended to spend a few minutes on shore, and then hurried forward. As soon as he touched Roumanian soil, Bratianu, hat in hand, requested his Prince to step into one of the carriages waiting there. And as he did so he heard the captain's voice exclaim: "By God, that must be the Prince of Hohenzollern!"
After the despatch of a couple of telegrams to the Lieutenance Princière and the Government, the Prince and Bratianu set out for the capital in a carriage drawn by eight horses at a hand gallop, which never slackened its headlong pace throughout the ice-cold, misty night. At four o'clock they reached the river Jiu, but lost some time there, as the ferry was not in working order. At Krajowa, where the news of his arrival had brought together an enormous and enthusiastic multitude, a right royal welcome awaited the new Prince, and, escorted by two sections of Dorobanz Cavalry (Militia hussars), he reached the prettily decorated town of Slatina at noon, where a halt of a couple of hours was made before proceeding to Piteschti. En route the Prince overtook the 2nd Line Regiment marching on Bucharest, and was greeted by them with enthusiastic cheers. A numerous escort of cavaliers, amongst them Dr. Davila, met the Prince outside Piteschti, where yet another most enthusiastic reception was accorded him. General Golesku and Jon Ghika, the President of the Ministry, were presented to the Prince, who expressed his pleasure at greeting the first members of the Government. The night was passed at Goleschti, where the Prince entered upon his duties by signing a decree pardoning the Metropolitan of Moldavia for his share in the Separatist riots of April 15. Prince Charles rose early the following morning to make all necessary arrangements for his triumphal entry into the capital, where the inhabitants were waiting impatiently to do him honour. The keys of the town were presented by the Burgomaster, who also addressed a speech to the new ruler. The procession then passed along the streets lined by soldiers of the Line and National Guard, until they reached a house outside which a guard of honour was posted. "What house is that?" asked the Prince in the innocence of his heart. "That is the Palace," replied General Golesku with embarrassment. Prince Charles thought he had misunderstood him, and asked: "Where is the Palace?" The General, still more embarrassed, pointed in silence to the one-storeyed building.
At length the procession halted at the Metropolie, the Cathedral of Bucharest, where the venerable Metropolitan received the Prince and tendered him the Cross and Bible to kiss. After hearing the Te Deum, the Prince, with his suite, proceeded to the Chamber, which stands exactly opposite the Metropolie. Here he took the oath to keep the laws, maintain the rights, and preserve the integrity of Roumania.—"Jur de a pazi legile Romaniei, d'a mentine drepturile sale si integritateā teritoriului!"[8] Then, after replying in French to the address of the President of the Chamber, Prince Charles repaired with his suite to the Palace to refresh himself after the exertions of the day. The rooms, though small, proved to have been tastefully furnished by Parisian upholsterers during the government of Prince Kusa, but the view from the windows was primitive indeed; on the one side stood an insignificant guardhouse, whilst the other offered the national spectacle of a gipsy encampment with its herd of swine wallowing in the gutters of the main road—it could hardly be called a street. Such were the surroundings amongst which the adventurous Hohenzollern Prince commenced his new career!