Carol's offers to have his Free Romania committee recognized as a government-in-exile was hindered by his unpopularity in his own homeland with many British and American diplomats arguing that supporting the former king was likely to increase public support for General Antonescu. Beyond that, there was a rival Free Romania committee headed by Viorel Tilea based in London that wanted to have nothing to do with Carol's committee in Mexico City. Virgil Tilea had as a university student in the 1930s supported the Iron Guard. Unusually for a Romanian in this period, Tilea was an Anglophile rather a Francophile, and had attended Cambridge University as an exchange student. Tilea's time in Britain changed his political views as he later stated that seeing many different types of people living in harmony in Britain made him realize that it was not necessary for one ethnic group to dominate all the others as Codreanu had proclaimed, leading him to break with Iron Guard. When General Antonescu was sworn in as prime minister as the new "National Legionary State", Tilea resigned as Romanian minister in London in protest at the appointment. Later in 1940, Tilea formed his Free Romania committee in London that attracted support from a number of Romanians who fled the Antonescu regime into exile.
carol's offers to have his free romania committee recognized as a government-in-exile was hindered by his unpopularity in his own homeland with many british and american diplomats arguing that supporting the former king was likely to increase public support for general antonescu beyond that there was a rival free romania committee headed by viorel tilea based in london that wanted to have nothing to do with carol's committee in mexico city virgil tilea had as a university student in the 1930s supported the iron guard unusually for a romanian in this period tilea was an anglophile rather a francophile and had attended cambridge university as an exchange student tilea's time in britain changed his political views as he later stated that seeing many different types of people living in harmony in britain made him realize that it was not necessary for one ethnic group to dominate all the others as codreanu had proclaimed leading him to break with iron guard when general antonescu was sworn in as prime minister as the new "national legionary state" tilea resigned as romanian minister in london in protest at the appointment later in 1940 tilea formed his free romania committee in london that attracted support from a number of romanians who fled the antonescu regime into exile