Queen Elena of Romania / Helen of Greece-Romania

[Eric_Lowe]

Are they newspaper copies. ?   They looked really grainy. Thanks for sharing it with us. 

[KarlandZita]

Perfect Greeck Statue's profile of Princess Helen :




Princess Helen arriving in Bucharest with her husband Carol :

[KarlandZita]

During a meeting family about 1922, Princess Helen is on second row, behind the Queen Marie of Romania, near her two sisters-in-law Elizabeta of Greece and Marie of Yugoslavia :



Another beautiful portrait of Helen, as Crown Princess of Romania :

[Laura_]

very nice pics thanks for posting!!  Helen was such a great lady 

BTW, Queen Marie's Hat is very nice    

[SSKENDER]

By know most of us know about Helen's marriage with Carol.

But anyone know if she had any other marriage prospects?

For instance:  The Duke of Windsor was only two years older than her and I wonder if anyone in the family thought about setting them up in the old-fashioned style ( I know that the Duke of W had a penchant for married women,e tc, etc, etc.), or maybe this wasn't even thought of b/c of the relationship btwn the government of Greece & the UK after King Tino's overthrown?

Regards

[grandduchessella]

Princess Helen was mentioned frequently in British and American papers (maybe others but those are the only ones I can read  ) as a bride for David. From the time he became marriageable, just about every princess (even Catholic ones) was mentioned at some time, though. He was a bachelor for so long, eventually Helen's younger sisters and cousins became candidates as the previous ones married off or fell out of contention.

[Eric_Lowe]

Well...I don't think so. The family was pariah during WWI. It was after the War that Helen's prospect improved. However Missy by then had her eye on Helen already. I think Irene had more of a choice. She had been engaged to a Prince of Shaumburg-Lippe, then briefly Prince Nicholas of Romania, and much later married Airome, Duke of Spoleto.  

[grandduchessella]

Maybe up in heaven since she was long-deceased by the time Katherine married.

You might not think that Helen's name was mentioned as a bride but it was published in many newspapers and magazines. I don't think she was seriously considered by the royal family themselves but she was definitely one of those named in the papers. By the time the 1930s rolled around, one magazine had her much-younger sister Katherine on the list--also Princess Eugenie of Greece.

As a side note, Irene's first engagement (to the Schaumburg-Lippe prince) was another potential 'descendants of CIX match' since the Prince's late mother was Princess Louise of Denmark--eldest daughter of Frederick VIII and 'Aunt Swan'. The engagment was broken in 1929.

[Eric_Lowe]

I agree that she may be paired off in the papers, but nothing really come out of those (Like Princess Caroline of Monaco for Prince Charles and Princess Madelaine of Sweden for Prince William) Only Missy's interest into Helen was genuine. So I can understand why Helen wanted to fly off the nest fast. 

[KarlandZita]

She was always the peace-maker in the family...although she could be stubborn at times. 

I think that Helen acted above all according to her conscience. Thus, during the World War II, she went against to be able it established while protecting from the minorities persecuted like the Jews. Then, later, she supported her son in his will to reverse the dictatorial power of the General Antonescu and thus made it possible Romania to fight, although tardily, at the side of the Allied.

[KarlandZita]

Early formal portrait of Crown Princess Helen of Romania wearing pearls and her favourite greeck key tiara :

[KarlandZita]

Early formal portrait of Crown Princess Helen of Romania wearing pearls and her favourite greeck key tiara :

This diadem that Helen very often carried had been offered to her by her mother-in-law Marie of Romania at the time of her marriage with prince Carol in 1921.

Previously, it had belonged to the Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Russia which, after the First World War, needing liquidities, had sold it to her sister.

[KarlandZita]

Yes...Ducky always loved that piece. Missy paid full price for it. 

The same Tiara but carried by the Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Russia before the war :

[grandduchessella]

[Eric_Lowe]

Miss Woff You mean Magda ?