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Helen of Greece and Denmark

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Elena of Greece and Denmark (1896-1982)
Queen Mother of Romania
SpouseCarol II of Romania
IssueMichael I
HouseHouse of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
FatherConstantine I of Greece
MotherSophia of Prussia

Princess Elena (Helen) of Greece and Denmark was born on May 2, 1896 in Athens, the third child of King Constantine I of Greece and of his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia.

Helen had three brothers each of whom reigned as kings of Greece - George II, Alexander, and Paul - and two sisters, Irene and Katherine.

On March 10, 1921 Helen married Crown Prince Carol of Romania, at Athens. Seven and a half months later their only child was born, Michael, King of Romania. Palace officials announced that Michael was born premature; the fact that he weighed nine pounds at birth fueled speculation that Helen had become pregnant before the wedding. Helen and Carol were divorced in 1928.

For her efforts as Queen Mother of Romania to rescue Romanian Jews during World War II, she was awarded the status of Righteous Among the Nations. [1]

Helen died at the age of 86 on November 28, 1982 in Lausanne, Switzerland where she had established her residence after exile.

References

  1. ^ Martin Gilbert, The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust (Owl Books, 2003), 240. ISBN 0805062610.
Styles of
Queen Elena (as consort)
Reference styleHer Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleMa'am