Carol II of Romania vs Duleep Singh

Carol II became King of Romania on June 8, 1930, after returning from exile. He had renounced his rights to the throne in 1925, but his son Michael's regency was overthrown, and Carol was invited back by a political faction.

Carol II abolished the constitution and established a royal dictatorship on February 10, 1938. He banned all political parties, created the National Renaissance Front as the sole legal party, and concentrated power in his own hands, aiming to counter the rise of the Iron Guard.

Under pressure from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Carol II accepted the Second Vienna Award on August 30, 1940, ceding Northern Transylvania to Hungary. This territorial loss caused widespread outrage and severely weakened his regime.

On September 6, 1940, Carol II was forced to abdicate by General Ion Antonescu, who took power with support from the Iron Guard. Carol fled Romania, spending the rest of his life in exile in Portugal, Mexico, and Brazil.

Duleep Singh, as a child Maharaja, signed the Treaty of Lahore under British pressure. The treaty ceded Kashmir, Hazara, and other territories to the British, and reduced the Sikh Empire to a British protectorate.

Duleep Singh was exiled to England by the British East India Company after the annexation of Punjab. He was placed under the guardianship of Sir John Login, converted to Christianity, and became a ward of the British Crown.

Duleep Singh reconverted to Sikhism in a ceremony in England, rejecting Christianity. This act was a personal rebellion against his British guardians and a reassertion of his Sikh identity, though he remained in exile.

Duleep Singh attempted to return to India to reclaim his throne, but was arrested by the British in Aden. He was prevented from entering India and forced to return to England, ending his hopes of restoration.