Queen Marie of Edinburgh’s interest in the Bahá’í Faith, marked today by the centenary of her first published Open Letter, reflects her broader pursuit of spiritual freedom and her commitment to fostering understanding among cultures and religions.
She was known for her openness to the Bahá’í principles of peace, unity, and spiritual renewal, becoming one of the first European monarchs to engage with and embrace the faith. Queen Marie adopted the Bahá’í Faith in the 1920s, inspired by a book given to her by the Bahá’í teacher Martha Root.
Later, invited by the North American Newspaper Alliance to contribute articles for publication, Queen Marie of Romania chose to write about the Bahá’í teachings and to recommend them to her wide readership. Her first Open Letter appeared in Toronto Daily Star on May 4, 1926—exactly one hundred years ago.
A BOOK OF LOVE
A woman brought me the other day a Book. I spell it with a capital letter because it is a glorious Book of love and goodness, strength and beauty.
She gave it to me because she had learned I was in grief and sadness and wanted to help . . . She put it into my hands saying: ‘You seem to live up to His teachings.' And when I opened the Book I saw it was the word of Abdu'l-Baha, prophet of love and kindness, and of his father the great teacher of international good-will and understanding -- of a religion which links all creeds.
Their writings are a great cry toward peace, reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissension about rites and dogmas. It is a religion based upon the inner spirit of God, upon that great, not-to-be-overcome verity that God is love, meaning just that. It teaches that all hatreds, intrigues, suspicion, evil words, all aggressive patriotism even, are outside the one essential law of God, and that special beliefs are but surface things whereas the heart that beats with divine love knows no tribe nor race.
It is a wondrous Message that the Baha'u'llah and his son Abdu'l-Baha have given us. They have not set it up aggressively knowing that the germ of eternal truth which lies at its core cannot but take root and spread.
There is only one great verity in it: Love, the mainspring of every energy, tolerance towards each other, desire of understanding each other, knowing each other, helping each other, forgiving each other.
It is Christ's Message taken up anew in the same words almost, but adapted to the thousand years and more difference that lies between the year one and today. No man could fail to be better because of this Book.
I commend it to you all. If ever the name of Baha'u'llah or Abdu'l-Baha comes to your attention, do not put their writings from you. Search out their Books, and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words and lessons sink into your hearts as they have into mine.
One's busy day may seem too full for religion. Or one may have a religion that satisfies. But the teachings of these gentle, wise and kindly men are compatible with all religion, and with no religion.
Seek them, and be the happier.
By Marie,
Queen of Romania
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1. Toronto Daily Star, 4 May 1926; part of this article is quoted in Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, p. 245
