cu , ▁a ▁Wal lach ian ▁officer . ▁Maria ' s ▁half - bro ther ▁was ▁Gr igo ire ▁G hy ka , ▁who ▁adopted ▁Mat ila ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁te en ager ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁ac quire ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Prince ▁as ▁Mat ila ▁was ▁ ▁the ▁great - grand son ▁of ▁Gr ig ore ▁Alexand ru ▁Gh ica , ▁last ▁reign ing ▁Prince ▁of ▁Mold avia ▁before ▁the ▁union ▁of ▁the ▁Dan ub ian ▁Princi pal ities . ▁However ▁much ▁of ▁G hy ka ' s ▁inherited ▁capital ▁was ▁via ▁his ▁grand m other ' s ▁Bal ş ▁family . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁boy ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁France ▁studying ▁first ▁at ▁the ▁Sales ian ▁Order ▁school ▁in ▁Paris , ▁then ▁a ▁Jes uit ▁college ▁in ▁Jersey ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁mathematics . ▁In ▁his ▁early ▁te ens ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁cad et ▁at ▁the ▁French ▁Naval ▁Academy ▁in ▁Br est , ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁generation ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁sail ing ▁ship ▁B ord a . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁French ▁Navy ▁mid ship man ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁cru ise ▁in ▁a ▁fr ig ate ▁to ▁the ▁Car ib bean . ▁In ▁later ▁years ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁É cole ▁sup érieure ▁d ' é lect ric ité ▁de ▁Paris , ▁and ▁finally ▁took ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁Law ▁at ▁the ▁ ▁Univers ité ▁Lib re ▁de ▁Bru xelles . ▁ ▁G hy ka ▁entered ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Navy ▁as ▁a ▁junior ▁officer , ▁serving ▁mainly ▁on ▁the ▁Dan ube