Princess Elena of Romania (born 15 November 1950) is the second eldest daughter of

King Michael I Michael I ( ro, Mihai I ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last King of Romania, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced abdication on 30 December 1947. Shortly after Michael's ...

and

Queen Anne of Romania Princess Anne Antoinette Françoise Charlotte Zita Marguerite of Bourbon-Parma (18 September 1923 – 1 August 2016) was the wife of King Michael I of Romania. Michael abdicated the throne in 1947, and he and Anne married the next year. Nonethel ...

. Elena would have been first in the line of succession to the former Romanian throne and headship of the

House of Romania The Romanian royal family ( ro, Familia regală a României) was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Romania, a constitutional monarchy in Central and Eastern Europe, Central-Eastern Europe. The kingdom existed from 1881, when Carol I of Romania ...

has her elder sister Margareta passed away without issue in the future.

Early life

Birth

Elena was born on 15 November 1950 at Clinique de Montchoisi in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

, Switzerland as the second daughter of King Michael I and Queen Anne. She was baptised in the Orthodox faith; her godmothers were her paternal grandmother Helen, Queen Mother of Romania (who was also her namesake) and also Queen Mary of the United Kingdom.

Childhood

Elena spent her childhood at her family homes in

, Switzerland, and in the United Kingdom at Ayot House, St Lawrence,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

; during holidays she and her sisters spent time with their grandmother, Helen, Queen Mother in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, Italy at Villa Sparta and in Denmark with

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

and Prince René. She and her sisters were told "fascinating tales of a homeland they couldn't visit" by their father.

Education

Elena received her primary education in Switzerland and her secondary at Effingham House in Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex; she was fond of sports during her school years, playing on goal defence in the netball team.

Careers

In the mid 1970s Elena taught handicapped children for a short period of time in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and after her leave she began a two-year course in art restoration; following the end of her course she worked in an art restoration firm in London.

Activities

In the 1980s Elena along with her first husband

Robin Medforth-Mills Leslie Robin Medforth-Mills (8 December 1942 – 2 February 2002) was a British professor of Geography at the University of Durham and a United Nations official. Family Medforth-Mills was the son of Cyril Mills (1908-1989) and Nora Medforth (1909 ...

started a project to train 45 handicapped Ethiopian refugees in printing, bookbinding and leatherwork. In 1982 Elena founded an

International school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

in Gezira,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. In 1990 along with Elena’s first husband, the then- Lord Mayor of

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

, Terry Cooney, and Harry Charrington was a founder-member of the North-East Relief Fund for Romania, which helped victims of the Ceausescu regime. On 26 June 2011, Elena and her second husband Alexander Nixon visited the

Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, or QE as it is commonly known, is a sixth form college on Vane Terrace in Darlington, County Durham, England. It educates nearly 2000 students from Darlington and the surrounding areas with students coming fro ...

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, England to present awards to students who went to Romania for voluntary work and helping to build and repair housing in

Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...

, a project based around the Roma community. On 3 October 2011, Elena attended the 100th commemorative anniversary of the historic Western travels of

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian language, Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later C ...

in London, as a great granddaughter of Queen Marie who had converted to the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

, Elena spoke of how her great grandmother's Baháʼí legacy has inspired her to help those of need. On 25 April 2012, for the Diamond Jubilee festivities of Queen Elizabeth II, Elena and her second husband inaugurated Royal teas: the UK's only Royal Tea room in

Stanhope, County Durham Stanhope is a market town and civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It lies on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley, in the north-east of Weardale. The main A689 road over the Penni ...

. Following the inauguration, on 19 May Elena along with

, Crown Princess Margareta, her brother-in-law Prince Radu, her husband Alexander Nixon and her son

Prince Nicholas Nicholas Teo () is a Malaysian Chinese singer under Good Tengz Entertainment Sdn Bhd. (Malaysia) Career Pre debut Before returning to Malaysia, Nicholas was studying in Taiwan, where he won the Best Singer in a competition among all the Tai ...

attended a Military parade at

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for many ...

and a Garden party at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

hosted by

Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

and

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...

. Elena also annually attends the Guildhall banquet of the

Guild of Freemen of the City of London The Guild of Freemen of the City of London is an association of those who hold the Freedom of the City of London. Membership of the Guild is open to all freemen, regardless of whether they are also members of a City livery company.

and the delegation of the Two Sicilian Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George in

In Romania

After 50 years of exile of the

Romanian royal family The Romanian royal family ( ro, Familia regală a României) was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Romania, a constitutional monarchy in Central-Eastern Europe. The kingdom existed from 1881, when Carol I of Romania was proclaimed king, until ...

from Romania, in 1990 Elena's sisters Crown Princess Margareta and Princess Sophie visited Romania for the first time following the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...

and overthrow of the Communist dictator

Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...

in December 1989, she along with the royal family were involved to help the Romanians. Elena's first official appearance in Romania was on 19 April 1992 on Easter Day along with former King Michael I, his wife

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

, her first husband

, and her son Nicholas, where they were met with hundreds of thousands of supporters; Elena and her son Nicholas famously waved the Royal Flag from a balcony in Revolution Square. She came again on Christmas Day of 1997 when the entire

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

entered Romania for the first time after 50 years of exile. Since her first visit Elena occasionally visited Romania for family gatherings and for occasions such as: the 60th birthday celebration of Crown Princess Margareta and the 90th birthday celebrations of King Michael I. However, since 2013 Elena has increased her activities in Romania by attending investiture ceremonies, presenting awards, book launches and Christmas gatherings. Elena was present at the Lying in State of

in December 2017 and Queen Anne in August 2016 (held firstly at

Peles Castle Peles may refer to: * Keren Peles Keren Peles Toor ( he, קרן פלס טור; born March 11, 1979) is an Israeli singer-songwriter, poet and pianist. Music career Peles graduated from the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. In 2005, s ...

, and then in the Throne Room of the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

in both cases), at their public funerals in Bucharest and at their burials in

Curtea de Argeș Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...

. Elena currently spends her time between

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

with her second husband Alexander and her daughter Elisabeta-Karina at her estate in

Easington, County Durham Easington, also known as Easington Village, is a village and civil parish in eastern County Durham, England. It is located at the junction of the A182 and B1283, leading north-west to Hetton-le-Hole and south east to Horden. It is near the ...

and in Romania at

Elisabeta Palace Elisabeta Palace () is a palace on Kiseleff Road in Bucharest, Romania. Built in 1936, it is the official residence in Romania of Margareta of Romania, her husband Prince Radu, and her sister Princess Maria. The Palace was designed in 1930 ...

Marriages

First marriage

On 20 July 1983, Elena married

(1942–2002) in a civil ceremony at

Durham, England Durham ( , locally ), is a cathedral city and civil parish on the River Wear, County Durham, England. It is an administrative centre of the County Durham District, which is a successor to the historic County Palatine of Durham (which is dif ...

. On 24 September 1983, they married in a royal ceremony at a

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

church in

, Switzerland. The wedding party included

, his cousin former

King Constantine II of Greece Constantine II ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Βʹ, ''Konstantínos II''; 2 June 1940) reigned as the last King of Greece, from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Constantine is the only son of King Paul an ...

and his wife Queen Anne-Marie, who all served as '' Koumbaros''; bridesmaids included her youngest sister Princess Maria, her second cousins

Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark ( el, Αλεξία; born 10 July 1965) is a Greek princess and educator. She is the eldest child of Constantine II and Anne-Marie of Denmark, who were King and Queen of Greece from 1964 until the abolition ...

and Princess Mafalda of Savoy; and also Fabiola Fruchaud. Elena and Robin had two children. * ''Nicholas'' Michael de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (b. La Tour Hospital,

Meyrin Meyrin () is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The main site of CERN, the European particle physics research organisation, is in Meyrin. Meyrin was originally a small agricultural village until the 1950s, when construction of ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, Switzerland 1 April 1985), formerly HRH Prince Nicholas of Romania. He married Alina Maria Binder, a Romanian journalist, in a civil ceremony on 6 October 2017 in

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...

. On 30 September 2018 the couple married religiously at Saint Elijah Church in

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after t ...

, and the party took place at

Sinaia Casino · The Sinaia Casino ( ro, Cazinoul Sinaia) is located in "Dimitrie Ghica" park, Sinaia, Romania and was built at the initiative of King Carol I of Romania. Construction began in 1912 and was finished a year later. The work was supervised by archi ...

. * Elisabeta ''Karina'' de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (b.

Princess Mary Maternity Hospital The Princess Mary Maternity Hospital was a health facility in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. It is a Grade II listed building. History The hospital has its origins in the Lying-in Hospital established in Rosemary Lane in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1 ...

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...

, England, 4 January 1989), goddaughter of the novelist

Catherine Cookson Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (''née'' McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile i ...

and Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown. 2nd in line to the defunct throne after her mother. The family lived at Flass Hall,

Esh Winning Esh Winning is a village, and location of a former colliery, in County Durham, England. It is situated in the Deerness Valley to the west of Durham. The village was founded by the Pease family in the 1850s to service a new mine on the Esh Estate ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

. They were divorced on 28 November 1991 after 8 years of marriage.

Second marriage

Elena was remarried on 14 August 1998 in a civil ceremony at

Peterlee Peterlee is a town in County Durham, England. It lies between Sunderland to the north, Hartlepool to the south, the Durham Coast to the east and Durham to the west. It gained town status in 1948 under the New Towns Act 1946. The act also cre ...

to Alexander Philips Nixon McAteer (born 22 October 1964). The marriage was private and was attended by the Romanian royal family, the groom's mother, and close friends. The groom was given the style ''His Excellency Domnul'' Alexander McAteer. Alexander changed his surname to Nixon. He is a Knight of the

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (SMOCG) ( it, Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio, es, Sagrada Orden Militar Constantiniana de San Jorge), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order ...

, and holds a number of Romanian decorations. He has consistently refused to take any royal title. Elena and Alexander married religiously at the

Coronation Cathedral, Alba Iulia The Coronation Cathedral ( ro, Catedrala Încoronării), dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral located at 16 Mihai Viteazul Street, Alba Iulia, Romania. Built soon after and in ...

, on 11 September 2013, privately.

Honours

National

: Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Carol I *

: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown *

: Knight of the Royal Decoration of the Custodian of the Crown, Special Class

Foreign honours

* Two Sicilian Royal Family: Recipient of the Sacred Military Constantinian Meritorious Medal of Saint George, Special Class * Two Sicilian Royal Family:Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Francis I The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' it, Reale Ordine di Francesco I) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (u ...

(29 July 2012) * Montenegrin Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Prince Danilo I, Special Class

Ancestry

References

External links

Official website of the Romanian royal family

Official blog of the Romanian royal family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elena of Romania, Princess 1950 births Living people House of Romania Romanian princesses Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church People from Lausanne People from Esh Winning Daughters of kings