After a short stay in Munich, where he met Prince Hohenlohe Schillingfürst [the present German Chancellor], Prince Charles rejoined his parents on September 16, after a separation of more than three years. The peace and quiet of home life, however, was interrupted the very next day by the arrival of a delegate of the Spanish Cortes, Don Eusebio di Salazar, who came to offer the Hereditary Prince the Crown of Spain. The idea was by no means new, for several papers had, in October 1868, mentioned the Prince Leopold as a likely candidate on the ground that he was not only a Catholic and the son-in-law of the King of Portugal, but the very opposite of his "amiable brother, the Roumanian Prince Carol, by the Grace of Bratianu." There was no lack of candidates for the vacant throne. Napoleon favoured the aspirations of the Prince of Asturia, the Empress Eugénie those of Don Carlos, and the Spanish Ambassador in Paris those of the Duke of Genoa. Don Salazar mentioned that the eyes of the Spanish nation had first turned towards Prince Charles, who had shown such courage and talent in a similar position. The Hereditary Prince declared that he would only consider the offer if he was elected unanimously and without rivals.
On September 28 Prince Charles left the Weinburg for Baden, where he was to meet the Prussian Royal Family. The Crown Prince urged him to lay aside all other views, and to seek the hand of Princess Elisabeth of Wied, whom he knew intimately, as one who would bring the same devotion to the duties of her position as the Prince himself. He concluded by offering to arrange a meeting, as if by chance, at Darmstadt on the 13th, to which proposal Prince Charles at once assented.
In the meantime, the Prince paid a promised visit to the French Emperor, whom he found much altered in personal appearance since the last time he had seen him in 1863. Napoleon received him with great cordiality and presented him with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. Prince Charles was commissioned to inform King William of the peaceful intentions of France, and of the Emperor's sincere wish to remain on the best terms with Prussia. Napoleon declared that no one could understand the difficulties of Prince Charles's position better than he, for to rule a Latin race was no easy matter. On hearing of the projected marriage, Napoleon expressed his satisfaction, and added with emphasis: "The German princesses are so well brought up!"
As the interview with Princess Elisabeth was to take place at Cologne instead of Darmstadt, Prince Charles set out for the former city on October 12. The meeting took place at the Flora, where the Dowager Princess of Wied was dining with her daughter before proceeding to Madame Schumann's concert. Prince Charles and Princess Elisabeth, who had already met once or twice before in Berlin society, walked a little ahead of the remainder of the party, talking over old times in Berlin. Before the promenade came to an end, Prince Charles had fallen sincerely in love with Princess Elisabeth, and was resolved to risk all, and to ask for her hand. A private interview with her mother the Princess of Wied was arranged, and resulted in the Princess consenting to ascertain her daughter's wishes. After a long quarter of an hour the answer "Yes" was brought to the Prince, who at once hastened to receive the reply from the lips of the young Princess herself. Affairs of State of an urgent nature, however, prevented the Prince from obeying the dictates of his heart and remaining in the company of his betrothed.
After an absence of forty-eight hours Prince Charles returned from Paris to Neuwied, where the betrothal was celebrated on October 15, 1869. An enormous number of congratulatory telegrams were received by the young couple, including messages from the King and Crown Prince of Prussia and the Emperor Napoleon. The general impression created by Prince Charles's choice was extremely favourable, as an alliance with a reigning House would have evoked much jealousy and intrigue. As the marriage was purely one of inclination this danger was avoided; and the political neutrality of Roumania was by no means affected.
Affairs of State demanded the speedy return of the Prince to the land of his adoption, and the wedding-day was fixed for November 15. A numerous and distinguished company, including the Queen of Prussia, accompanied by the Grand Duchess of Baden, attended the ceremony at Neuwied, which was first celebrated in the Roman Catholic Chapel and afterwards according to the rites of the Protestant Church. The text of the sermon was aptly chosen, as alluding to the difficulties and troubles which were to be encountered in the far-off Eastern country: "Whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
Only a few days remained before the stern call of duty summoned the happy pair to their life-work in Roumania. The journey to the Princess's new home in Bucharest was commenced on November 18. After a short stay in Vienna the travellers reached Roumanian territory on the 22nd. Every town through which they passed was profusely decorated, and the enthusiasm of the Roumanian nation appeared to surpass even that with which they had welcomed Prince Charles on his accession. A hundred and one guns announced the arrival of the Prince and Princess in Bucharest, and the town had put on all its finery in honour of the occasion. After a Te Deum had been celebrated by the venerable Metropolitan Niphon, fifty happy couples who had been married at the cost of the State defiled past their Highnesses.
The following day deputations from all parts of the country were received in the throne-room, when the Princess wore for the first time the diamond coronet presented by the people of Bucharest.
Princess Elisabeth at once commenced to take an active share in her husband's labours, and visited with him the various charitable and educational establishments in the capital. The innate generosity and liberality of the Prince had, however, made such inroads upon his purse, that many of their cherished designs had to be abandoned for the time being for lack of funds. At this moment, however, the most prominent members of the Chamber were on the point of introducing a measure granting the Princess a yearly sum of £12,000, but Prince Charles declined to accept this offer until the financial situation of Roumania had improved. The Opposition at once seized the opportunity of representing such a proposal as a "robbery," and their organs vied with each other in the most violent and unworthy attacks on the Prince and Princess. Some even lowered themselves so far as to send the grossest of these attacks to the Princess in registered letters! The violent scenes and the obstruction in the Chamber left the Budget unvoted, and again placed the Ministry in a most unenviable position, from which they were only released by their resignation in February 1870.