Elena Văcărescu, or Hélène Vacaresco (September 21, 1864 in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

– February 17, 1947 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

), was a Romanian- French aristocrat writer, twice a laureate of the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

Life

Through her father, Ioan Văcărescu, she descended from a long line of

boyars A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russian nobility, Russia), Boyars of Moldavia and Wallach ...

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

(the Văcărescu family ), including Ienăchiță Văcărescu, the poet who wrote the first

Romanian grammar Standard Romanian (i.e. the '' Daco-Romanian'' language within Eastern Romance) shares largely the same grammar and most of the vocabulary and phonological processes with the other three surviving varieties of Eastern Romance, namely Aromanian, ...

. She was also a granddaughter of Romanian poet

Iancu Văcărescu Iancu Văcărescu (1786–1863) was a Romanians, Romanian Wallachian boyar and poet, member of the Văcărescu family. Biography The son of Alecu Văcărescu, descending from a long line of Wallachia, Wallachian Intellectual, men of letters &md ...

. Through her mother, Eufrosina Fălcoianu, she descended from the Fălcoianu family, a prominent clan in the times of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...

. She spent most of her youth on the Văcărescu estate near

Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște'') is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița (river), Ialomița River. Târgoviște was ...

. Elena first got acquainted with

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

through her English governess, Miss Allan. She also studied

French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...

in Paris, where she met

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

, whom she later mentioned in her memoirs. She attended courses of philosophy, aesthetics and history and also studied poetry under the guidance of Sully Prudhomme. Another influence on her early life was the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, known in Romania as the

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

; the country declared independence from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and joined the camp of

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

. Elena's father fought in the war; the experience influenced her first book, which was published in 1886. The meeting that changed her life was that with

Elisabeth of Wied Elisabeth of Wied (Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise; 29 December 18432 March 1916) was the first Queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage ...

, Queen of Romania. The wife of

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Carol I Carol I or Charles I of Romania (born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; 20 April 1839 – ), was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as ...

, she invited her to the palace in 1888. Interested in Văcărescu's literary achievements, Elisabeth became much more interested in the person of the poet. Having not yet recovered from the death of her only daughter in 1874, Elisabeth transferred all her maternal love to Elena. In 1889, the lack of heirs to the Romanian throne made Carol adopt his nephew Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, whose loneliness in a strange country made him close to Elena, fall in love with her, and eventually express the desire to marry her. However, according to the 1866 Constitution of Romania, the heir to the throne was not allowed to marry a Romanian. The result of the affair was that Elisabeth, who had encouraged the romance, was exiled to

Neuwied Neuwied (, ) is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the Neuwied (district), District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt ...

for two years, Elena was exiled to Paris for life, and Ferdinand was sent off in search of a new bride, which he eventually found in

Marie of Edinburgh Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last queen of Romania from 10 October 1914 to 20 July 1927 as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Marie was born into the British royal fa ...

. Văcărescu was the Substitute Delegate to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

from 1921 to 1924. She was a permanent delegate from 1925 to 1926. She was again a Substitute Delegate to the League of Nations from 1926 to 1938. She was the only woman to serve with the rank of ambassador (permanent delegate) in the history of the League of Nations. In 1925, she was welcomed as a foreign honorary member of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

. She translated into French, works of

Romanian poets The following is a list of famous or notable Romanian language poets grouped by period of activity (years link to corresponding "earin poetry" articles): The beginnings * Gheorghe Asachi (1788–1869) * Vasile Cârlova (1809–1832) * Dos ...

such as

Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...

Lucian Blaga Lucian Blaga (; 9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanians, Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist. He is considered one of the greatest philosophers and poets of Romania, and a prominent philosopher of the twenti ...

Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian far-right politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Biography Early life Octavian Goga was born on 1 April 1881 in the village of Rășinari, on the northern sl ...

, George Topîrceanu, Ion Minulescu, and Ion Vinea. Just before her death, Văcărescu was a member of the Romanian delegation, headed by Gheorghe Tătărescu, to the Paris Peace Conference, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She is interred in the Văcărescu family crypt in the Bellu Cemetery, in Bucharest.

Published books

Original poetry

*''Chants d'Aurore'' (1886) *''L'âme sereine'' (1896) *''Lueurs et Flammes'' (1903) *''Le Jardin passioné'' (1908) *''La Dormeuse éveillée'' (1914)

Folklore themes interpreted

*Le Rhapsode de la Dâmboviţa (1889) *''Nuits d'Orient'' (1907) *''Dans l'or du soir'' (1927)

Novels

*''Amor vincit'' (1908) *''Le Sortilege'' (1911)

Memoirs

*''Memorial sur le mode mineur'' (1945) *''Le Roman de ma vie''

Theatre

*''Stana'' (1904) *''Pe urma dragostei''

Gallery

File:Hélène Vacaresco.jpg File:Hélène Vacaresco 1936.jpg File:Madame Elena Vacarescu MET DP102542.jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vacarescu, Elena 1864 births 1947 deaths Permanent representatives of Romania to the League of Nations Romanian dramatists and playwrights Romanian memoirists Romanian novelists Romanian translators Romanian women poets Romanian women novelists Romanian writers in French Romanian–French translators Romanian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference of 1946 Elena Writers from Bucharest Romanian emigrants to France Mistresses of Romanian royalty French women memoirists Romanian women dramatists and playwrights Burials at Bellu Cemetery 19th-century Romanian poets 20th-century Romanian poets 20th-century translators 20th-century Romanian women politicians 19th-century French women writers 20th-century French women writers Romanian women diplomats 19th-century Romanian women writers 20th-century Romanian women writers 19th-century translators Romanian women ambassadors People from the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia