They do very much come across that way, as cold and distant, to everyone who follows them closely, but that isn't the whole picture of who they are indeed. It is however how they appear, and that is an image they must work on, sans the aging. That one is natural for us all, but the added factor that has for the Custodian and Prince Radu, is that they are ageing without heirs. That's the unsustainable situation going forward.
Nobody had any less affection for the late King Baudoin and Queen Fabiola because they were childless, frankly, the knowledge of their struggle made them much more endearing. However, it wasn't a danger for the monarchy as an institution, so long as they was a clear line of succession and nothing to worry about.
That's the future for H.M the Custodian as well, my sense is that people feel affection towards her to a larger extent today, as her public profile is on the rise in Romania, but the question at the back of everyones mind when the question of the monarchy is raised, is: If you assume the throne, ma'am, what comes thereafter?