Ernest Urdărianu

Ernest Urdărianu (1897–1985), (largely known as "Urdăreanu", but this is incorrect[1]) was the Minister of the Court during the reign of King Carol II of Romania (1930–1940).

[3][4][5][6] Following the abdication of the King in 1940, Urdăreanu left the country together with him and Madame Lupescu to seek asylum and he stayed with them for the rest of his life.

Urdăreanu came in 1931 into the service of the King as an aide at the palace,[4] advocated by Romania's Minister in London, Nicolae Titulescu, who allegedly was a relative of his.

[3] This camarilla, partly Jewish (Auschnitt, Blank and Lupescu), attracted much hatred in Romania because of its members' decadent lifestyle and of their corruption.

Urdăreanu owed his strong position not to any special skills or capacities, but to the unlimited trust of the King and of Madame Lupescu.

[15] At the beginning of 1940 Urdăreanu also acted as a representative of the King to reach a settlement with the Fascist Iron Guard.

[16][17][18] As the King's man Urdăreanu had a seat on the boards of numerous companies in which Carol II had financial interests.

[3] It is generally believed that Urdăreanu was helping the King to transfer large sums of money out of the country and to foreign banks, and that he did not neglect his own financial benefit in the process.

[14][6] After a brief stay in Portugal, King Carol II, Lupescu and Urdăreanu sought asylum further, first in Cuba, afterwards in Mexico and Brazil.