King George II & Queen Elizabeth (nee Romania)

[Kalafrana]

So both families in a difficult position, but the Rumanians' situation had settled down a bit, unlike the Greeks, who were still very much in the midst of crisis. With all this going on it seems a bit small-minded to be fretting about jewellery. Maybe in the immediate aftermath of Alexander's death and Constantine's shaky restoration, Sophie just had other things on her mind. Or maybe she had doubts about the marriage being a success.

Ann

[Eric_Lowe]

The truth of the matter was Queen Sophie did not like Elisabetta one bit and didn't help her with her new family.  Elisabetta wrote that the only person who was kind to her was "Sitta" (Helen of Greece). The fact that Sophie failed to give her daughter-in-law even a brooch or a ring proved that she was stingy and selfish beyond doubt. I think Elisabetta's later resentment to the Greek Royal Family has some basis in the cold treatment she got from Sophie and her in-laws. They never gave her a chance from day one.

[Kalafrana]

 
'The truth of the matter was Queen Sophie did not like Elisabetta one bit and didn't help her with her new family.'

Perhaps it wasn't surprising that Sophie didn't like Elizabeth. According to biographies of the playwright Terence Rattigan, Elizabeth became pregnant by Rattigan's diplomat father, and had an abortion (see Oxford DNB entry for Terence Rattigan). I haven't managed to pin down a date as yet, but if this happened at the time Rattigan pere was required to resign from the Diplomatic Service in 1922, she was already married to George but not married for very long, and if earlier, before she was married and presumably before they were engaged.

Ann

[Eric_Lowe]

Don't think it happened after they were married. From Elisabetta's letters one sees a young woman trying hard to fit in with a family of strangers. Also Elisabetta never gave George any illusion about her marrying him. In fact she refused him many times before she finally said yes. Queen Sophie strikes me as being quite judgmental and unbending. Her own marriage was far from perfect (King Constantine did have female companions/mistresses  through out his marriage to Sophie). And according to one researcher Sophie did tore a page from Missy's book and had an affair. The result was rumored to be Princess Katherine, her youngest child. Who was her to judge Elisabetta ?

[grandduchessella]

At that time, Marie of Romania was not good financial condition too. During WWI, Bucharest was captured by German. Bolsheviks deprived of Romanians gold and all crown jewels and never return it. Marie had lost almost all her jewelry.(including her dowry and her father's wedding presents! Marie was so devastated)
Marie said that "Not the smallest tiniest little atom of anything. Sophy has all her jewels, I lost all mine, yet we have made tremendous efforts to send her daughter a beautiful diadem." I don't think Marie was small-minded.

It was in 1921 when George and Elizabeth married. Marie was in a very good position and was, in fact, buying up a good amount of jewelry, including Romanov jewels, to help replenish the ones she had lost in the Russian Revolution. She bought quite a few from her sister Victoria Melita.

[grandduchessella]

Don't think it happened after they were married. From Elisabetta's letters one sees a young woman trying hard to fit in with a family of strangers. Also Elisabetta never gave George any illusion about her marrying him. In fact she refused him many times before she finally said yes. Queen Sophie strikes me as being quite judgmental and unbending. Her own marriage was far from perfect (King Constantine did have female companions/mistresses  through out his marriage to Sophie). And according to one researcher Sophie did tore a page from Missy's book and had an affair. The result was rumored to be Princess Katherine, her youngest child. Who was her to judge Elisabetta ?

Re Katherine: It's strange--I always thought she looked just like Constantine. Photos of him when he was older greatly resemble her.  Opinions may vary.

As for Elizabeth's affair, Marlene (who certainly knows of her QV descendants) wrote this on her blog:

"Rattigan was forced to resign from the Diplomatic Service 1922  due to his relationship with Princess Elizabeth of Romania, the eldest daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie.  Rattigan and Princess Elizabeth had an intimate affair that had resulted in an unwanted pregnancy.  The Princess, who was about to marry the exiled King George II of the Hellenes,  underwent an abortion. "

http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/07/princess-elizabeth-of-romania-and-frank.html

[Kalafrana]

So the affair with Frank Rattigan must have happened in 1919-20, though it was 1922 before the scandal caught up with Rattigan.


Eric
If you're claiming that Sophie also had an affair which produced a child, than you will need to specify your source.

Ann

[Janet Ashton]

Re Katherine: It's strange--I always thought she looked just like Constantine. Photos of him when he was older greatly resemble her.  Opinions may vary.

I've always thought she looked like a dark-haired version of Queen Sophie. She had the snub nose and slightly receding chin of Empress Frederick's three younger daughters, I think. Irene looked like Constantine - the long, strong face.

[grandduchessella]

Here's more from an online article:

"Frank Rattigan’s career—and the family’s comfortable life—was abruptly curtailed by his profligate ways. He was a gambler and a serial philanderer who made the fatal mistake of wooing Princess Elizabeth of Romania, soon to be the Queen of Greece. Amid rumors of an unwanted pregnancy and abortion, Rattigan was forced to resign and the family moved from their posh digs to a far lesser perch in a fourth-floor walk-up apartment. They were far from penury, what with family money and a modest pension, but they surely were in disgrace, and it was a reversal of fortune that deeply affected young Rattigan, particularly his relationship with his father. The enmity between them was never quite resolved, and found itself expressed in frequent fictive disguises throughout his career."

PS

Not to get too off-topic, but it's these kind of photos of older Tino which always make me notice the resemblance--perhaps the eyes seem more deep-set then when he was young?

   

[Kalafrana]

Yes, the chin is similar.

Ann

[Kalafrana]

If Elizabeth's affair with FRank Rattigan happened shortly before the engagement to George, and Sophie found out about it, but too late to back out, it's unsurprising that she was a bit frosty towards this hussy that had snared her boy!

Ann

[Eric_Lowe]

I don't think Sophie need any reason to dislike Elisabetta, she did not like Missy's family. She objected to the Karol/Helen match too.

Queen Sophie's affair was noted in a Spanish book about Queen Sophia of Spain's family.

[Kalafrana]

Just because someone is a relation, it doesn't mean you have to like her.

Ann

[Robert_Hall]

So true Ann. I think most families have them. I do not like any of my relations, have not had any contact with them for over 40 years. And, we are half Greek.

[Eric_Lowe]

But if someone took the trouble of wanting to know your daughter (Missy to Helen), the least you can do is to return the favor. That is why I don't have much sympathy for Queen Sophie, even though she suffered much in life, she did not gave a break to others. Elisabetta deserves better.