their union was a love match though nicholas wasn`t rich.he wasn`t to succeed his father.it wasn`t a prestigious match,greek monarchy was young and shaky. i wonder why elena`s parents couldn`t marry her off earlier.why they were unable to find their only daughter a more well-off husband and a heir to the throne.well,had she married max of baden, her husband would have abdicated in 1918. the belgians also suffered a lot together with their king who married elizabeth of bavaria though maria pavlovna planed her daughter to marrry leopold of belgium.
elena was beautiful.she was rich.she came from the romanov dyasty,she was a good catch. why on earth her mother failed in her search for a "better" husband? it seems strange to me that she didn`t seem attractive enough for european princes and dukes. though her marriage to nicholas of greece was happy i wonder why she had so many problems finding a husband.any ideas?
There is some info on it in the 2 threads on her Russian family.
Here is what GD Konstantin (KR) had to say:
24 May 1900
Iheard from Minnie about Maria Pavlovna's efforts to marry off her daughter Elena. After the failure with Max [of Baden], they are desperate to find another husband. Their choice fell on Albert of Belgium, but he did not seem particularly keen. M.P. then wrote to the Emperor, asking him to invite the King of Belgium to Peterhof for the summer, while Elena wrote to the young Empres, declaring her whole future depended on this invitation. At this point Albert of Belgium announced his engagement to a Bavarian princess, and Michen telegraphed the Emperor that there was no longer any need to invite the King.
19 June 1902
Mitia went to Krasnoe for the Ismailovsky celebrations and returned with the unexpected and joyful news of the engagement of Nicky of Greece to Elena Vladimirovna. Two years ago, when Elena caught Nicky's eye, her mother Maria Pavlovna made sure he was told not to count on Elena because, as the third son of a king, he was not a suitable match for her. Now Maria Pavlovna has had to change her mind, as her search for other suitors for her daughter has been in vain.
I had written this back in 2008:
n Camera and the Tsars I think it just states he changed his mind. The Vladimirs were NOT happy--it's embarrassing enough if it would happen today, but back then for a man to break off an engagement was considered very dishonorable and also would've reflected on the woman as somehow being 'not worth' the marriage (ridiculous I know). [I find it ironic though that Miechen threw over another man to try and snare Vladimir, though you can't argue that it was a much better match!] KR recorded in 1900 that he'd heard from Minnie about Miechen's efforts to marry of Helen and how they were 'desperate' to find her another husband. Albert of Belgium didn't seem interested. Miechen then personally wrote the Emperor asking him to invite the King of Belgium to Peterhof and Helen wrote the Empress saying her 'whole future depended' on this invitation. But Albert announced his engagement and that put an end to that. Just a few months later KR would write that Nicholas of Greece went riding with Helen and there was mutual liking but Miechen 'rebuked' her daughter for this since Nicholas should NOT expect to marry her daughter since he was neither in line for a throne nor wealthy. KR felt that 'she and Nicky..go together perfectly. I heard that Miechen dreams of marrying her daughter to the Heir, Elena's first cousin, imaginging that this would be permitted.' In fact, it would be 2 more years before their engagement would be announced. I guess that Helen pulled a 'Beatrice' on her mother and stood her ground for the man she wanted (esp. since Miechen had made sure that Nicholas was told that he basically didn't have a chance with her daughter since he wasn't a 'suitable' match). Miechen had to change her mind under her daughter's determination to marry Nicholas (god for her!) and her search for other suitors had, KR wrote, 'been in vain'. I find this romantic as it was a true love match since Nicholas really didn't have anything to offer beyond himself and Helen was the granddaughter of the Tsar and immensely wealthy. Plus, it couldn't have been easy to withstand an onslaught by MP.
They met when Queen Olga (being a Russian GDss) would visit Russia. Helen had been tossed over by Max of Baden (their engagement pictures had even been taken). Miechen was in despair and anxiously looking around for a suitable husband (she looked at the future Albert I of Belgium but he chose Elisabeth of Bavaria). Soon after KR wrote that 'Nicky went for a long ride with Elena, whom he likes, as she does him but Maria Pavlovna rebuked her daughter for this, and told Georgy [George I of Greece presumably] that Nicky could not expect to marry Elena, being neither a future King, nor having any fortune. She and Nicky, however, go together perfectly. I heard that Miechen dreams of marrying her daughter to the Heir, Elena's first cousin, imagining that this would be permitted.' This was in 1900. [I presume by the Heir they meant Misha?] Miechen stood in the way though for another 2 years until in 1902 KR was able to write of the 'unexpected and joyful news' of the engagement. 'Two years ago, when Elena caught Nicky's eye, her mother...made sure he was told not to count on Elena' because in MP's view he wasn't suitable for a GDss who was the only daughter of an immensely rich Grand Duke. Now, however, she had to give in as 'her search for other suitors...has been in vain.' So it seems like a love match--Elena and Nicky must've really wanted to marry each other to withstand Miechen!
