In a quiet corner of the capital, just steps away from Grădina Icoanei, rises a sober yet elegant red-brick building that seems transported from a London neighborhood: the Anglican Church “The Church of the Resurrection.” The only Anglican place of worship in Bucharest, it bears a history closely tied to the spirituality of Queen Marie, one of the most beloved figures of modern Romania.

Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the church has a story that blends British diplomacy, royal nostalgia, and the faith of the English community in Bucharest. From the very first glance, its neo-Gothic architecture, designed by architect Victor Ștefănescu, conveys the discipline and sobriety typical of British religious edifices. It is a special place, infused with the spirit of an era when Romania and England crossed destinies through the life of a cosmopolitan queen.

Queen Marie and her bond with the faith of her childhood

Born Maria Alexandra Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the future Queen of Romania was raised in the Protestant tradition, as the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Although she converted to Orthodoxy after marrying Ferdinand of Hohenzollern, Marie never forgot her roots or her bond with Anglicanism.

For her, the religion of childhood remained an emotional and spiritual anchor. In her private faith, Queen Marie found a balance between the Eastern traditions she had adopted and the British sobriety she came from. Out of this need for continuity and her desire to offer Bucharest’s British community a place of worship, the Anglican Church was born.

Her support was decisive: Marie launched fundraising campaigns and personally contributed to the construction. Once she became queen, she continued to consider the church an intimate sanctuary, a place where she could reflect and feel closer to her British roots.

An Anglican church in the heart of Bucharest

The idea of the church emerged in 1900, when Sir John Kennedy, the British ambassador to Bucharest, obtained a plot of land near Grădina Icoanei free of charge. The location was ideal: quiet, secluded, yet accessible to a small British community made up of diplomats, governesses, and a few converts brought by Anglican missionaries.

Architect Victor Ștefănescu chose a Victorian neo-Gothic style faithful to British tradition. The red-brick building, simple and austere in its details, took shape with Princess Marie’s moral and material support. Construction was completed in 1914, but the outbreak of World War I delayed its official inauguration. Only in 1920 were the faithful able to gather for the first liturgy.

The moment carried deep emotion: during the service, the chalice gifted by Queen Marie was used. This sacred object, still used in communion today, remains one of the church’s most treasured relics.

An identity landmark for the British community

In the early 20th century, Bucharest’s British community was small but close-knit. For its members, the church was not only a place of worship, but also a space for gathering and cultural identity. Here, language, traditions, and British values were preserved, and services held in English provided a sense of belonging and continuity.

For Queen Marie, however, the church was even more. It was the bridge between two worlds she carried in her heart: Orthodox Romania and Anglican England. In moments of trial, she found here the peace she needed. The church was not only a gift to the British community but also a place deeply personal to the queen herself.

The trials of World War II

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the fate of the church was jeopardized. In 1940, Romania aligned with the Axis powers, and official ties with Britain were severed. In this context, Romanian authorities ordered the closure of the Anglican Church.

But the building was not left to ruin. A humble woman named Marie, the church’s caretaker, continued to come daily for four years to clean, protect the furniture, and keep the memory of the place alive. Without pay or official recognition, she became the silent guardian of the sanctuary.

Her sacrifice was only acknowledged in the 1980s, when the Archbishop of Canterbury awarded her the Cross of St. Augustine, the Anglican Church’s highest distinction.

Reopening and spiritual revival

In 1944, thanks to British diplomatic efforts and the perseverance of the local community, the church reopened its doors. Once again, the Anglican Church became a place of prayer and reconciliation.

Today, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese in Europe and the Archdeaconry for Central Europe, based in Vienna. Although the land remains the property of Britain, the church is open to all who seek a place of peace and reflection.

Its sober, elegant interior—with discreet stained glass windows and carved wooden furniture—still preserves the atmosphere of the early 20th century. At every liturgy, Queen Marie’s chalice continues to be used, recalling the queen’s spiritual bond with this sanctuary.

Queen Marie, protector of the holy place

Queen Marie remains central to the story of the Anglican Church. She was not only its patron but also a symbol of openness between cultures and faiths.

She succeeded in blending British and Romanian values, the Anglicanism of her childhood with the Orthodoxy of her maturity. Her support for the Anglican Church was not a simple nostalgic gesture, but proof of her deep belief in dialogue between cultures and religions.

Through this building, Queen Marie raised a spiritual bridge between Romania and England. She gave the British community a place of worship but also left Romania a lesson in tolerance and harmony.

Today, the Anglican Church in Bucharest is more than a historical monument or architectural landmark. It is a place of living memory, where past and present meet through rituals, traditions, and sacred objects.

Queen Marie’s chalice, still used for communion, is not only a liturgical vessel but also a relic of symbolic value. It connects generations of believers, constantly reminding them of the sovereign who knew how to love and understand two worlds.

Thus, the church remains a sanctuary of peace, history, and faith, a space where Bucharest residents and foreign visitors alike can find a moment of silence and reflection.

A spiritual bridge between Orthodoxy and Anglicanism

The Anglican Church “The Church of the Resurrection” is more than just a place of worship. It is a symbolic bridge between Romania and England, between Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, between Queen Marie’s childhood faith and her duty as Romania’s Orthodox queen.

Born out of love, nostalgia, and faith, the church near Grădina Icoanei continues to serve as a spiritual and cultural landmark. Through the chalice she gifted, Queen Marie remains present even today, offering communion to generations of faithful and keeping alive the bond between two worlds.

A place of silence but also of story, the Anglican Church breathes history and faith, just as Queen Marie intended, making it “her church”—a sanctuary of memory and reconciliation between worlds.