From 1859 to 1866, the Prince (styled Domnitor after 1862) of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, used the Golescu Mansion as his official residence.

[1][2][3] After gaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War, Romania was proclaimed a kingdom in 1881, with the mansion now serving as Royal Palace.

[1][2][3] As the Golescu mansion was neither large enough nor had it the appropriate spaces for official duties, it was enlarged by a new wing, which included the main state rooms such as the throne hall.

[1][2][3] Until 24 August 1944, a villa, called Casa Nouă ("The New House"), existed behind the Royal Palace, on the site occupied nowadays by the Sala Palatului concert hall.

[4][5] The following day, a retaliation bombardment performed by the German Luftwaffe completely destroyed Casa Nouă and seriously affected the Royal Palace.

[1][2][3][4] On 24 August 1944, the day after King Mihai and his alles removed the government led by Ion Antonescu from power, the Royal Palace was severely damaged by the bombing of the German Luftwaffe aviation, which occurred as reprisal.

[6] After its anti-Communist Revolution of 1989, Romania remained under a republican government and the former Royal Palace continued to host the National Museum of Art.

[2][3] During the events in December 1989, with violent armed confrontations on the streets, the palace was again seriously damaged and partially burnt, the art works of the National Museum inside it being put at great risk.

[4] Then, a newly installed government under Victor Ciorbea abolished the Communist decree which banned the King's Romanian citizenship, effectively allowing him to regain ID documents and free pass throughout the country.

[4] In August 2016, the coffin of Anne, King Michael's spouse, was laid in the Throne Hall for two days, before her burial in Curtea de Argeș, with thousands of Romanians paying homages.