Domnitor

Principe Domnitor of the United Principalities
Princely Coat of arms
Carol I
Details
Style	His Royal Highness
First monarch	Alexander John I
Last monarch	Carol I
Formation	5 February 1862
Abolition	15 March 1881
Appointer	Hereditary

Prince Domnitor, in full Principe Domnitor (Romanian pl. Principi Domnitori) was the official title of the ruler of Romania between 1862 and 1881. It was usually translated as "prince regnant" in English and most other languages, and less often as "grand duke". "Domnitor" is an adjective derived from the Romanian word "domn" (lord or ruler) and, in turn, from the Latin "Dominus". The title Domn had been in use since the Middle Ages and it is also the Romanian equivalent to the Slavic Hospodar. Moldavian and Wallachian rulers had used this term for their title of authority as the head of state, while "voievod" represented the military rank as the head of the army.

The title acquired an officially recognized meaning after Moldavia and Wallachia united to form the Romanian United Principalities under Alexander John I, who had become the ruler of both states since 1859. Alexander John abdicated in 1866 and was succeeded by Carol I, who promulgated the first constitution who officially used the name Romania for the country. He held the title until 1881. When Romania was proclaimed a kingdom in March 1881, Carol became its first king.

Timeline of the lifespans of Domnitors

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of Domnitors of Romania. The domnitors are listed in order of office.

<timeline>Define $width=1100

Define $warning = 1290 # $width - 110 Define $height = 270 # 43x20 + 160

Define $start = 1808 Define $end = 1916

ImageSize = width:$width height:$height PlotArea = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60 Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1

Colors =

    id:bg              value:white
    id:lightline       value:rgb(0.9, 0.9, 0.9)
    id:lighttext       value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5)
    id:BEFOREPOTUS     value:rgb(0.81, 0.73, 0.31) Legend: Life_Before_Office
    id:POTUS           value:rgb(0.31, 0.39, 0.81) Legend: Domnitor_of_Romania
    id:ACTINGPOTUS     value:rgb(0.81, 0.01, 0.01) Legend: Acting
    id:AFTERPOTUS      value:rgb(0.81, 0.73, 0.11) Legend: Life_After_Office
    id:PRINCIPOTUS     value:green Legend: Prince_of_Moldavia_and_of_Wallachia
    id:KINGDOM         value:rgb(0.80, 0.80, 0.80) Legend: King_of_Romania
    id:NAME            value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05) 
    id:ACTINGNAME      value:rgb(0.99, 0.00, 0.00)

BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:1 start:$start ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1810

Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar

PlotData=

 bar:1 width:18
   color:BEFOREPOTUS align:center fontsize:M
   from:1820 till:1859 shift:(-30,$dy) textcolor:NAME align:left text:Alexandru Ioan I
   color:PRINCIPOTUS
   from:1859 till:1862
   color:POTUS
   from:1862 till:1866.15
   color:AFTERPOTUS
   from:1866.15 till:1874

 bar:2 width:18
   color:BEFOREPOTUS align:left fontsize:M
   from:1823 till:1866.15 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:ACTINGNAME align:left text:Lascăr Catargiu
   color:ACTINGPOTUS
   from:1866.15 till:1866.3
   color:AFTERPOTUS
   from:1866.3 till:1900

 bar:3 width:18
   color:BEFOREPOTUS align:left fontsize:M
   from:1810 till:1866.15 shift:(65,$dy) textcolor:ACTINGNAME text:Nicolae Golescu
   color:ACTINGPOTUS 
   from:1866.15 till:1866.3
   color:AFTERPOTUS
   from:1866.3 till:1877

 bar:4 width:18
   color:BEFOREPOTUS align:left fontsize:M
   from:1835 till:1866.15 shift:(-60,$dy) textcolor:ACTINGNAME text:Nicolae Haralambie
   color:ACTINGPOTUS
   from:1866.15 till:1866.3
   color:AFTERPOTUS
   from:1866.3 till:1909

 bar:5 width:18
   color:BEFOREPOTUS align:left fontsize:M
   from:1839 till:1866.3 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Carol I
   color:POTUS
   from:1866.3 till:1882
   color:KINGDOM
   from:1882 till:1914

TextData =

  pos:(480,$height)
  fontsize:L
  textcolor:black

text:"Lifespan of each Romanian Domnitor"</timeline>

See also

• King of the Romanians
• List of rulers of Moldavia
• List of rulers of Wallachia
• List of heads of state of Romania