Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (29 January 1882 – 13 March 1957), sometimes known as Helen, Helena, Helene, Ellen, Yelena, Hélène, or Eleni, was the only daughter and youngest child of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and

Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, later Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna "Miechen" of Russia ( Russian: Мари́я Па́вловна; 14 May Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._2_May.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"tit ...

. Her husband was

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark ( el, Νικόλαος; 22 January 1872 – 8 February 1938), of the Glücksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg, was the fourth child and third son of King George I of Greece, and of Queen Olga. He was kn ...

and they were both first cousins of

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...

. She was also first cousin of

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. S ...

and

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 December 1879 – 28 December 1952) was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as well Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X. She was the paternal grandmother of the current rei ...

Queen consort of Denmark This list of Danish consorts includes each queen consort (wife of a reigning king) and each prince consort (husband of a reigning queen). Due to unions (personal and real), the queens of 1380–1814 (effectively from 1406) were also queens of No ...

and the grandmother of

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Edward were first cousins through their fathers, King George VI, and Prince George, Duke ...

, Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and

Prince Michael of Kent Prince Michael of Kent, (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British royal family, who is 51st in the line of succession to the British throne as of September 2022. Queen Elizabeth II and Michael were firs ...

Early life

Elena and her three surviving older brothers,

Kirill Kirill is a male given name, deriving from the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos) which in turn derives from Greek κύριος (kyrios) "lord". There are many variant forms of the name: Cyril, Cyrill, Kyrill, Kiryl, Kirillos, Kyryl, Kiril, Ky ...

, Boris, and

Andrei Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: *Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman *A ...

, had an English nanny and spoke English as their first language. The young Elena had a temper and was sometimes out of control. At four years old, she posed for the artist Henry Jones Thaddeus. She grabbed a paper knife and threatened her nurse, who hid behind Thaddeus. "The little lady then transferred her attentions to me, her black eyes ablaze with fury," recalled Thaddeus.Zeepvat, p. 90 Elena, raised by a mother who was highly conscious of her social status, was also considered snobbish by some. "Poor little thing, I feel sorry for her," wrote her mother's social rival, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, "for she is really quite sweet, but vain and pretty grandiose."

Marriage and children

She was engaged to

Prince Max of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (''Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm''; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929),Almanach de Gotha. ''Haus Baden (Maison de Bade)''. Justus Perthes, Gotha, 1944, p. 18, (French). also known as Max von Baden, was a Ger ...

, but Max backed out of the engagement. Elena's mother was furious and society gossiped about Elena's difficulty in finding a husband. At one point in 1899, the seventeen-year-old Elena was reputedly engaged to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, however this came to nothing as he fell in love with Countess Sophie Chotek.

, the third son of

George I of Greece George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination in 1913. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen, and seemed destined for ...

, first proposed in 1900, but Elena's mother was reluctant to allow her daughter to marry a younger son with no real fortune or prospects of inheriting a throne. She finally agreed to let Elena marry Nicholas, who was Elena's second cousin through his mother

Olga Constantinovna of Russia Olga Constantinovna of Russia ( el, Όλγα; 18 June 1926) was queen consort of Greece as the wife of King George I. She was briefly the regent of Greece in 1920. A member of the Romanov dynasty, she was the oldest daughter of Grand Duke Co ...

and her father Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, in 1902 after it became clear that no other offers were on the horizon.Zeepvat, p. 99 The couple married on 29 August 1902 in

Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo ( rus, Ца́рское Село́, p=ˈtsarskəɪ sʲɪˈlo, a=Ru_Tsarskoye_Selo.ogg, "Tsar's Village") was the town containing a former residence of the Russian imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the c ...

, Russia. Like many imperial weddings, it was a grand affair, and was attended by the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

and Empress of Russia, the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and Queen of the Hellenes, among other royals and nobility of Russia. Elena's "grand manner" irritated some people at court. According to the British diplomat

Francis Elliot Sir Francis Edmund Hugh Elliot (24 March 1851 – 20 January 1940) was a British diplomat who was envoy to Greece for 14 years. Early life Francis Elliot was the only son of Sir Henry Elliot, also a diplomat, and grandson of the 2nd Earl ...

, there was an incident between Elena and her sister-in-law

Princess Marie Bonaparte Princess Marie Bonaparte (2 July 1882 – 21 September 1962), known as Princess George of Greece and Denmark upon her marriage, was a French author and psychoanalyst, closely linked with Sigmund Freud. Her wealth contributed to the popularity o ...

: Allegedly, Elena refused to greet Marie and "drew back her skirts as if not to be touched by her." Elena thought that Marie was beneath her, because her grandfather operated the Monte Carlo Casino. Elena looked down on another sister-in-law

Princess Alice of Battenberg Princess Alice of Battenberg (Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie; 25 February 1885 – 5 December 1969) was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, and the paternal grandmother of King Charles III ...

because of the latter's morganatic blood. The Dowager Empress wrote that Elena "has a very brusque and arrogant tone that can shock people." Prince and Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark had three daughters: *

Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark ( el, Όλγα; 11 June 1903 – 16 October 1997) was a Greek princess who became princess of Yugoslavia as the wife of Prince Paul, Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Princess Olga was a daughter of P ...

(1903–1997); married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia (1893-1976) in 1923 and had issue: ** Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (1924–2016); married firstly to Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (b. 1934) from 1955 to 1967 and had issue; married secondly to Princess Barbara of

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...

(b. 1942) in 1973 and had issue. **

Prince Nikola of Yugoslavia Prince Nikola of Yugoslavia (29 June 1928 – 12 April 1954), also known in Britain as Prince Nicholas and in Serbia as Nikola Karađorđević ( sr-cyr, Никола Карађорђевић), was the younger son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia by ...

(1928–1954); did not marry and had no issue. **

Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia ( sr, italic=yes, Jelisaveta Karađorđević / Јелисавета Карађорђевић; born 7 April 1936) is a member of the royal House of Karađorđević, a human rights activist and a former presidential ...

(b. 1936); married firstly to Howard Oxenberg (1919-2010) from 1961 to 1966 and had issue; married secondly to

Neil Balfour Neil is a masculine name of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. ...

(b. 1944) from 1969 to 1978 and had issue; married thirdly to Manuel Ulloa Elías (1922-1992) in 1987, no issue. *

Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark (; 24 May 1904 – 11 January 1955) was the middle daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Early life Princess Elizabeth was born on 24 May 1904 at the Tatoi P ...

(1904–1955); married Carl Theodor, Count of Törring-Jettenbach (1900-1967)in 1934 and had issue: **Hans Veit, Count of Törring-Jettenbach (b. 1935); married Princess Henriette of

Hohenlohe-Bartenstein Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a German principality of the House of Hohenlohe, located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Bartenstein. Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a partition of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and was raised from a co ...

(b. 1938) in 1964 and had issue. **Countess Helene of Törring-Jettenbach (b. 1937); married

Archduke Ferdinand Karl Max of Austria Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

(1918-2004) in 1956 and had issue. *

Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (27 August 1968), born Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark ( el, Μαρίνα), was a Greek princess by birth and a British princess by marriage. She was a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark a ...

(1906–1968); married

Prince George, Duke of Kent Prince George, Duke of Kent, (George Edward Alexander Edmund; 20 December 1902 – 25 August 1942) was a member of the British royal family, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and Geo ...

(1902-1942) in 1934 and had issue: **

(b. 1935); married Katharine Worsley (b. 1933) in 1961 and had issue. **

Princess Alexandra of Kent Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Alexandra were first cousins through their fathers, King George V ...

(b. 1936); married The Hon. Sir

Angus Ogilvy Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy (14 September 1928 – 26 December 2004) was a British businessman. He is best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Ogilvy is also remembered for his role in a bu ...

(1928-2004) in 1963 and had issue. **

(b. 1942); married

Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz Princess Michael of Kent (born Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945) is a member of the British royal family of German, Austrian, Czech and Hungarian descent. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, ...

(b. 1945) in 1978 and had issue. Grand Duchess Elena suffered from ill health after the birth of Princess Marina, which caused her husband anguish. According to her niece, Princess Sophie of Greece, Grand Duchess Elena's priorities, throughout her life, remained as follows: “God first, the Grand Dukes of Russia then and finally everything else.” Thus, the Grand Duchess and her husband, Prince Nicholas, visited Russia annually to visit their relatives.

Life in exile

Elena Vladimirovna of Russia princess of Greece

The family was later affected by the turmoil of the

Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

and the subsequent turmoil in Greece, which became a republic and resulted in the family living in France for a time. While living in France Grand Duchess Elena became deeply involved in charity work for Russian exiles, particularly children. Short of money due to their exile from Greece and the loss of their Russian income, Prince Nicholas and his family lived in reduced, but elegant, circumstances. Grand Duchess Elena's fabulous jewel collection, as well as Prince Nicholas' own artwork, were their sources of income.

Princess Olga of Greece Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark ( el, Όλγα; 11 June 1903 – 16 October 1997) was a Kingdom of Greece, Greek princess who became princess of Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia as the wife of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Prince Paul, Regent ...

married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia;

Princess Elizabeth of Greece Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

married Count Karl Theodor zu Toerring-Jettenbach, son of Duchess Sophie in Bavaria and scion of an old and rich Bavarian

mediatized Mediatization or mediatisation may refer to: * German mediatisation German mediatisation (; german: deutsche Mediatisierung) was the major territorial restructuring that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany and the surrounding region by ...

family; and Princess Marina of Greece married the

in November 1934. Grand Duchess Elena became a widow early in 1938, as Prince Nicholas suffered a heart attack and died suddenly. She remained in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, dying there in 1957. She bequeathed her personal library to the Anavryta School.

Ancestry

References

Sources

Charlotte Zeepvat Charlotte M. Zeepvat is an author and historian of European royal history. She has written five books published by Sutton Publishing, including biographies of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and the Romanov Imperial Family. An avid collector of ori ...

, ''The Camera and the Tsars: A Romanov Family Album,'' Sutton Publishing, 2004, {{DEFAULTSORT:Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Grand Duchess 1882 births 1957 deaths Royalty from Saint Petersburg People from Tsarskoselsky Uyezd House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov Russian exiles House of Glücksburg (Greece) Russian grand duchesses Russian philanthropists White Russian emigrants to Greece 19th-century people from the Russian Empire 20th-century Russian people 19th-century women from the Russian Empire 20th-century Russian women Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Greece Burials at Tatoi Palace Royal Cemetery