Author Topic: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family  (Read 342360 times)

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Dimitri

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Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« on: April 22, 2004, 10:56:28 AM »
Sorry i really did not know where to put this, but it may belong here as her family was german and their family name was Hohenzollern.

What happened to princess Ileana?
I know that she married an Austrian Archduke and later divorced him and became a nun, but what was her life like in between that?

In `Imperial palaces of Russia`, she is shown hugging Alexis and seems very taken with him.

Janet Whitcomb

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2004, 12:21:12 PM »
Hi Dimitri--

My mother has in her bookcase an autobiography written by Ileana; at the moment the title escapes me.  If someone else has the book they may wish to mention the title; if not, I'll get back to you with the title and publication date within the week.

I remember reading that during the brief 1914 visit of NAOTMAA to Constanza, Ilena took Alexei under her wing, so to speak, but that he and her slightly older brother Nicholas got into some mischief, playing a few little boy spitting pranks.

Ilena was probably the child that pleased her mother the most.  She did marry and have a big family, then eventually was divorced and took the veil, living at a convent which is, as I recall, on the east coast of the United States.


Janet Whitcomb

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2004, 06:53:53 PM »
This is just off the top of my head--no books immediately by my side to reference--but Marie of Romania (a daughter of Prince Alfred of England, and therefore one of Queen Victoria's many grandchildren) was married to Ferdinand, and during the course of their marriage six children were born.  The eldest, Prince Carol, was at one point considered a match for Grand Duchess Olga of Russia.  The next son, Nicholas, was in fact named for Tsar Nicholas--Marie had always been fond of her cousin Nicky--and I will try to find a bit more information about him, his morganatic marriage, etc.  (Unless someone beats me to it!)  ;) The youngest child, Mircea, who is sitting on Grand Duchess Olga's lap in a photograph taken when the Romanovs visited the Romanian royal family in 1914, died in early 1915 when he was about three years of age.  

The story of Marie of Romania's sons and daughters could fill several books . . . and actually has.  I like Hannah Pakula's biography of Marie, and of course Marie's own works of autobiography.  There are others, too, but--as I said--I'm away from my library at the present!   :P

Thierry

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2004, 06:00:18 AM »
Quote
My mother has in her bookcase an autobiography written by Ileana; at the moment the title escapes me.  If someone else has the book they may wish to mention the title; if not, I'll get back to you with the title and publication date within the week.


The title is : I Live Again.

If I remember well, both Ileana and Elisabeth (Queen Marie's daughters) most sympathized with the Reds after their nephew's abdictation. Queen Marie has not been very lucky with her children...

Offline LisaDavidson

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2004, 09:51:55 PM »
Ileana also had another marriage after Archduke Anton - to Dr. Stephen Issarescu.  At any rate, much of her family now lives here in the United States - the American Hapsburgs.

I recall reading somewhere that Alexis promised Illeana that he would come back for her some day. Since he didn't she knew he was dead - in spite of rumors about his alleged survival to the contrary.

Janet Whitcomb

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2004, 12:26:17 AM »
The younger children apparently had a lot of fun during that visit . . . I remember seeing a series of photos that Life magazine (I believe) published, showing Ileana grinning while visiting on board the Standart. But for OTMA the trip to Constanza was a serious threat to their union; they didn't want to even consider Romania as a home, and their faces reflect their anxiety.  Plus, as he soon enough proved, Prince Carol was lousy husband material!  

Dimitri

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2004, 10:10:36 AM »
Do you think that if the Russian throne had survived ww1, that Alexis may have married Ileana? its a nice idea but we will never know

Offline Ilana

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2004, 09:21:20 PM »
I had the impression (with no facts to back it up :-*) that Ileana had a crush on Alexei.  The picture of them together is adorable.
So long and thanks for all the fish

Janet Whitcomb

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2004, 10:20:57 PM »
I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ileana had a little-girl crush on Alexei. After all, he was an extremely handsome little boy, especially in that sailor suit!

But I think she was rather dismayed when Alexei and her older brother Nicky, rather than paying attention to her, decided to do some male bonding and spit grape seeds into the punch bowl.

Ladies, haven't we all experienced at least one or two relationships like that?  :P

Offline Ilana

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2004, 11:16:32 AM »
Cute!  :)
So long and thanks for all the fish

Pravoslavnaya

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2004, 06:26:00 PM »
Hi Ilana!

I would not want you to have only a mischievous-boy image of Alexei when it comes to Princess Ileana.  She wrote in her memoirs that the Tsarevich proposed to her in a fashion, saying, 'Someday I will come back and marry you!'

The charming Alexei could never return, as Lisa writes.  While in 1981 he and his family were recognized as Holy Royal Martyrs, Princess Ileana had progressed towards saintliness in another fashion, ending her days as Mother Alexandra in a Pennsylvania convent.  She wrote at least two items on spiritual subjects:  one on the Jesus Prayer and another on 'The Holy Angels'.  She was also an excellent artist.  
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Pravoslavnaya »

Offline Ilana

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2004, 12:25:46 PM »
I did know that Ileana had become a nun.  Thanks for all the info.
So long and thanks for all the fish

Offline Guinastasia

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2004, 06:00:01 PM »
I live in Pittsburgh, and Ileana is buried in Ellwood City, not too far from here.  
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Offline LisaDavidson

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2004, 03:29:06 PM »
Of course, we will never know if a wedding between Alexis and Ileana would have ever happened. However, several royal courtships started when the couple were very young. Nicholas & Alexandra along with Elizabeth & Philip come to mind.

Perhaps it's the romantic in my soul, but I would think that both families would have been pleased with a relatively early marriage between those two.

Offline Guinastasia

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Re: Princess Ileana of Romania,her life and family
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2004, 05:42:42 PM »
They were both Orthodox, so that would have been a plus, I would imagine.

I think they would have made a cute couple.  

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.