Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark
| Helen of Greece and Denmark | |
|---|---|
| Queen Mother of Romania | |
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| Born |
2 May 1896 Athens, Greece |
| Died | 28 November 1982 (aged 86) Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Burial | 2 December 1982 Cemetery of Bois-de-Vaux, Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Spouse | Carol II of Romania (m. 1921; div. 1928) |
| Issue | Michael I of Romania |
| House | Glücksburg |
| Father | Constantine I of Greece |
| Mother | Sophia of Prussia |
| Religion | Orthodox Church |
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Styles of Helen, Queen Mother of Romania |
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|---|---|
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| Reference style | Her Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark (Greek: Ελένη; 2 May 1896 – 28 November 1982), was a Queen Mother of Romania during the reign of her son King Michael (1940–1947). She was noted for her humanitarian efforts to save Romanian Jews during World War II, which led to her being awarded with the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations in 1993.
Daughter of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife Sophia of Prussia, Princess Helen spent her childhood in Greece, Great Britain and Germany. The outbreak of World War I and the overthrow of her father by the Allies in 1917 permanently marked her and also separated her from her favorite brother, the young Alexander I of Greece. Exiled in Switzerland along with most members of the royal family, Helen then spent several months caring for her father, plagued by disease and depression. In 1920, the Princess met Carol, Crown Prince of Romania, who quickly asked her hand in marriage. Despite the bad reputation of the prince, Helen accepted and moved to Romania, where she soon gave birth to their only son, Prince Michael, in 1921.
The situation of her family, however, continued to worry Helen, who made several trips abroad to visit her parents when they did not simply reside with her in Bucharest. In doing this, she distanced herself from her husband, whose multiple affairs ended when he fell in love with Magda Lupescu in 1924. Finally, in 1925, Prince Carol abandoned his wife and renounced the throne in order to live openly with his mistress. Distraught, Helen tried to persuade her husband to return to her but eventually she accepted the divorce in 1928. In the meanwhile, Helen was proclaimed "Princess Mother of Romania" (1926) and her son Michael ascended to the throne under the regency of his uncle Prince Nicholas (1927). However, the political situation in Romania was complicated and Carol took advantage of the increased instability to return to Bucharest in 1930 and be acclaimed as king. Soon, the new ruler forced his ex-wife into exile and only authorized her to see their son two months per year.
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