Roma crown new gypsy king

27/12/2007 22:45 - (SA)

Bucharest - Hundreds of Roma paid their last respects to the self-proclaimed international king of the gypsies on Thursday in southern Romania, then crowned his son as successor.

Amid chants of "Long live the king", Dan Stanescu placed the golden crown atop his own head after one of his subjects delivered it to him on a red velvet pillow, in a ceremony broadcast live on Realitatea TV.

Stanescu's father, Ilie Badea Stanescu, 55, died on Monday in Costesti in southern Romania from a heart attack.

"I want to accomplish what my father began," the new king said without providing details.

His father was declared king in August 2003 during a controversial ceremony officiated by an Orthodox priest.

The Church's patriarchy criticised participation in the ceremony held at the Curtea de Arges monastery, where several Romanian kings have been crowned and buried.

There are officially 536 000 Roma in Romania, while community leaders claim between 1.5 and two million.

There is also a second self-proclaimed king, Florin Cioaba, as well as an emperor, Iulian Radulescu.