View source for Helen of Greece and Denmark

{{Short description| Queen Mother of Romania}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Helen of Greece and Denmark
| title        = Queen Mother of Romania
| image        = Helen, Queen Mother of Romania.jpg
| image_size   = 
| caption      = Photograph by Bassano, 1934
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Carol, Crown Prince of Romania]]<br />(later Carol II)|1921|1928|reason=div}}
| issue        = [[Michael I of Romania]]
| house        = [[House of Glücksburg|Glücksburg]]<!--Do not add a royal house or dynasty unless you have an official source. People are born into dynasties of ruling families. Whether or not a person is confirmed to belong to a dynasty by marriage requires a source that proves that fact. -->
| father       = [[Constantine I of Greece]]
| mother       = [[Sophia of Prussia]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1896|5|2|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Old Royal Palace]],
[[Athens]], [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1982|11|28|1896|5|2|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Lausanne]], Switzerland
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery]], [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]] (1982)<br />The New Archbishopric and Royal Cathedral in [[Curtea de Argeș]], [[Romania]] (2019)
| religion     = [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]
}}
{{House of Glücksburg (Greece)|constantine1}}
{{infobox hrhstyles||royal name=Helen, Queen Mother of Romania |image=[[File:Kingdom of Romania - Big CoA.svg|centre|60px]]
|dipstyle=[[Majesty|Her Majesty]]|offstyle=Your Majesty}}
'''Helen of Greece and Denmark''' ({{langx|el|Ελένη}}, <small>[[Romanization|romanized]]</small>: ''Eléni''; {{Langx|ro|Elena}}; 2 May 1896 – 28 November 1982) was the [[queen mother]] of Romania during the reign of her son [[Michael I of Romania|King Michael I]] (1940–1947). Her humanitarian efforts to save [[Romanians|Romanian]] [[Jews]] during [[World War II]], led to her being awarded by the [[State of Israel]] with the [[honorific]] of ''[[Righteous Among the Nations]]'' in 1993.

Daughter of [[King Constantine I of Greece]] and his wife, Princess [[Sophia of Prussia]], Helen spent her childhood in [[Greece]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] and [[Germany]]. The outbreak of [[World War I]] and the overthrow of her father by the [[Allies of World War I|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 II of Romania|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 I of Romania|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, Crown 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 "Queen Mother of Romania"  in 1927, as her son Michael ascended to the throne under the regency of his uncle [[Prince Nicholas of Romania|Prince Nicolae]]. 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.

In these circumstances, Helen moved to Villa Sparta at [[Fiesole]], [[Tuscany]]. Always close to her family, she hosted her sisters [[Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta|Irene]] and [[Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark|Katherine]] and brother [[Paul of Greece|Paul]], who stayed with her intermittently until the restoration of the [[Monarchy of Greece|Greek monarchy]] in 1935. The outbreak of World War II, the deposition of Carol II and the subsequent dismemberment of [[Greater Romania]] in 1940, however, brought Helen back to be with her son in Bucharest. Subject to the dictatorship of [[Ion Antonescu|General Antonescu]] and vigilance of [[Nazi Germany]], the king and his mother were cautious in their dealings with the fascist regime. They did not show their opposition to the participation of Romania in the [[Operation Barbarossa|invasion of the Soviet Union]] and the deportation of Jews. Finally, King Michael organized a [[Coup d'état|coup]] against Antonescu on 23 August 1944 and Romania turned against the [[Axis powers]]; however, the country was, in the end, [[Soviet occupation of Romania|occupied]] by the [[Red Army]].

For Helen and her son, the [[post-war]] period was marked by the interference of the [[Soviet Union]] in [[Romania]]n political life. In March 1945, the king was forced to accept a communist government headed by [[Petru Groza]] while the following year, the rigged [[1946 Romanian general election|general elections]] confirmed the hegemony of the [[Romanian Communist Party|PCR]] in the country. Finally, [[Michael I of Romania|Michael I]] was forced to abdicate on 30 December 1947 and the royal family took the path of exile. She then returned to the Villa Sparta, where she divided her time among her family, gardening and the study of Italian art. Increasingly concerned about her finances, Helen finally left Italy for Switzerland in 1979 and died three years later with her son at her side.

==Princess of Greece and Denmark==
{{Righteous Among the Nations}}
===A Greek childhood===
[[File:Konstantyn I z rodziną.JPG|thumb|right|Greek Royal Family in 1914. King Constantine I and Queen Sophia surrounded by their five older children (from left to right): Paul, Alexander, George, Helen and Irene.]]
The third child and eldest daughter of [[Crown Prince]] [[Constantine I of Greece|Constantine of Greece]] and Princess [[Sophia of Prussia]],<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 15.</ref> Helen was born on 2 May 1896 in [[Athens]] during the reign of her grandfather, [[George I of Greece|King George I]].<ref name="Gould17">Gould Lee 1956, p. 17.</ref>  From birth, she received the nickname "Sitta" as her brother [[Alexander I of Greece|Alexander]] failed to correctly pronounce the English word "sister".<ref name="Gould18">Gould Lee 1956, p. 18.</ref><ref name="Mateos194">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 194</ref> Growing up, Helen developed a special affection for Alexander, only three years her senior.<ref name="Mateos194"/><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 19–20.</ref>

Helen spent most of her childhood in the Greek capital. Every summer, the princess and her family travelled to the Hellenic Mediterranean aboard the royal yacht ''Amphitrite'' or visited Sophia's mother, the [[Victoria, Princess Royal|Dowager Empress Victoria]] in [[German Empire|Germany]].<ref name="Gould18"/> From the age of 8, Helen began to spend part of the summer in Great Britain, in the regions of [[Seaford, East Sussex|Seaford]] and [[Eastbourne]].<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 21.</ref><ref name="Mateos83">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 83</ref><ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 62.</ref> The princess grew up in a strongly [[anglophile]] environment, among a cohort of British tutors and governesses, including Miss Nichols, who took special care of her.<ref name="Gould17"/><ref name="Mateos83"/>

===From the Goudi coup to the Balkan Wars===
[[File:Nikolaos Zorbas.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Artillery Major [[Nikolaos Zorbas]], figurehead leader of the Goudi coup. Portrait by [[Spyridon Prosalentis]].]]
On 28 August 1909 a group of Greek officers, known as the "Military League", organized a [[coup d'état]] (called the [[Goudi coup]]) against the government of [[George I of Greece|King George I]], Helen's grandfather. While declaring to be monarchists, the League members, led by [[Nikolaos Zorbas]], asked the king to dismiss his sons from military posts.<ref name="Van1994">Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 68–69.</ref> Officially, this was to protect the ''Diadochos'' from the jealousy that could stem from his friendship with some soldiers. But the reality was quite different: the officers blamed Constantine for the defeat of Greece against the [[Ottoman Empire]] during the [[Greco-Turkish War (1897)|Thirty Days' War]] of 1897.<ref name="Van1994"/>

The situation was so tense that the sons of George I were finally forced to resign from their military posts to save their father from the shame of their being expelled.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 69–70.</ref> The ''Diadochos'' also decided to leave Greece with his wife and children. For several months, the family moved to the [[Schlosshotel Kronberg|''Schloss Friedrichshof'']] at [[Kronberg im Taunus|Kronberg]] in Germany. It was the first of many times that the 14-year-old Helen would have to go into exile.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 25.</ref>

After much tension, the political situation eventually subsided in [[Greece]] and Constantine and his family were allowed to return to their homeland. In 1911, the ''Diadochos'' was restored in his military duties by the [[Prime Minister of Greece|Prime Minister]] [[Eleftherios Venizelos]].<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 70.</ref> A year later, the [[First Balkan War]] broke out, which allowed Greece to annex large territories in [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], [[Epirus]], [[Crete]] and the [[North Aegean]]. It was also at the end of this conflict that King George I was assassinated in [[Thessaloniki]] on 18 March 1913 and Helen's father succeeded him on the Hellenic throne as King Constantine I.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 72–75.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 26–28.</ref>

After these events, Helen spent long weeks touring Greece, of which she previously only knew the main towns and the island of [[Corfu]]. With her father and brother Alexander, she travelled in [[Macedonia (Greece)|Greek Macedonia]] and the various battlefields of the First Balkan War.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 31–32.</ref> However, this period of calm was short-lived as the [[Second Balkan War]] broke out in June 1913. Once again, Greece emerged victorious from the conflict, allowing it to significantly expand its territory,<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 78–79.</ref> which grew by 68% after the signing of the [[Treaty of Bucharest (1913)|Treaty of Bucharest]].<ref>John Grenville, ''The major international treaties of the twentieth century'', London, Taylor & Francis 2001, 3rd edition, p. 50.</ref>

===World War I===
[[File:Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος.jpg|thumb|right|Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos]]
During [[World War I]], King Constantine I first sought to maintain Greece in a position of [[Neutral country|neutrality]]. He considered that his country was not yet ready to participate in a new conflict after the Balkan Wars. But, educated in Germany and linked to [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Emperor William II]] (who was his brother-in-law), Constantine I was quickly accused of supporting the [[Triple Alliance (1882)|Triple Alliance]] and wishing for the defeat of the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]]. The king quickly fell out with his Prime Minister Venizelos, who was convinced of the need to support the countries of the [[Triple Entente]] to fulfill the so-called ''[[Megali Idea]]''. In October 1916, Venizelos, protected by the Entente countries, and in particular by the French Republic, formed a [[Provisional Government of National Defence|parallel government]] in [[Thessaloniki]]. Central Greece was occupied by the allied forces and the country was soon in the middle of a civil war, the so-called [[National Schism]].<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 89–101.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 35–42.</ref>

Weakened by all these tensions, Constantine I became seriously ill in 1915. Suffering from [[pleurisy]] aggravated by a [[pneumonia]], he remained in bed for several weeks and nearly died. In Greece, public opinion was affected by the rumor, spread by Venizelists, that the king was not sick but that Queen Sophia in fact injured him in the course of an argument where she tried to force him to fight alongside the emperor. The health of the sovereign declined so much, that a ship was sent to the Island of [[Tinos]] in order to seek the miraculous Icon of the Virgin and Child, which was supposed to heal the sick. After kissing the holy picture, the king partially recovered his health. But the situation remained worrying and the king was in need of surgery before he could reassume his duties.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 93.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 87–88.</ref> These events had a special impact on Princess Helen, who was very close to her father: impressed by his recovery, she developed a deep religiosity, a trait that she would retain throughout her life.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 37–39.</ref>

Despite these difficulties, Constantine I refused to change his policies and was faced with the increasingly clear opposition of the Triple Entente and Venizelists. Thus, on 1 December 1916 the so-called [[Noemvriana|Greek Vespers]] took place where the Allied soldiers fought against Greek reservists in Athens and the French fleet bombarded the [[Old Royal Palace|Royal Palace]].<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 102–104.</ref> On this occasion, Helen was nearly killed by a gunfire from the [[Zappeion]]. After hearing the gunshots and worried for the life of her father, the princess ran to the gardens of the royal palace but was saved by the royal [[Garde du Corps]] which took her back inside the palace.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 49–50.</ref>

Finally, on 10 June 1917, [[Charles Jonnart]], the Allied High Commissioner in Greece, asked the king for his abdication.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 106.</ref> Under the threat of an invasion in [[Piraeus]], the king agreed and went into exile, but without formally abdicating. The Allies did not wish to establish a Republic in Greece, so one of the members of the royal family had to stay and succeed him. Because the ''Diadochos'' [[George II of Greece|George]] was also considered pro-German like his father, they wanted someone considered malleable, as a [[Puppet state|puppet ruler]] of Constantine I's enemies. Finally the younger brother of the ''Diadochos'', Prince [[Alexander I of Greece|Alexander]], was chosen by Venizelos and the Triple Entente as the new king.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 107.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 183.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 51–57.</ref>

==From exile to the Romanian wedding==
===Life in Switzerland===
[[File:King Alexander of Greece.jpg|thumb|left| Alexander I of Greece, c. 1917]]
On 11 June 1917 the Greek royal family secretly fled from their palace, surrounded by a loyalist mob that refused to see them go. In the days that followed, Constantine I, Queen Sophia and five of their children left Greece from the port of [[Oropos]] and took the road to exile.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 108–110.</ref> This was the last time that Helen saw her favorite brother. In fact, on their return to power, the Venizelists prohibited any contact between [[Alexander I of Greece|King Alexander I]] and the rest of the royal family.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 113 and 117.</ref>

After crossing the [[Ionian Sea]] and [[Italy]], Helen and her family settled in Switzerland, mainly among the cities of [[St. Moritz]], [[Zürich]] and [[Lucerne]].<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 115.</ref><ref name="Mateos90">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 90.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 58–64.</ref> In exile, Helen's parents were soon followed by almost all members of the royal family, who left their country with the return of Venizelos as Prime Minister and the entry of Greece to the war alongside the Triple Entente. However, the financial position of the royal family was precarious and Constantine I, haunted by a deep sense of failure, soon fell ill. In 1918, he contracted [[Spanish flu]] and again was close to death.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 115–116.</ref>

Very concerned about the fate of their father, Helen and her sisters Irene and Katherine spent a long time with him to distract him from his worries.<ref name="Mateos90"/> Helen also sought to reconnect with Alexander I. She tried to take advantage of the visit of her brother to Paris in 1919 to call him by phone. However, the officer who escorted the king in the French capital refused to pass along either her communications or those of other members of the royal family (with the exception of his aunt [[Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark]]).<ref name="Gould70">Gould Lee 1956, p. 70.</ref><ref>Gelardi 2006, pp. 292–293.</ref><ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 117.</ref>

===Meeting with Crown Prince Carol of Romania===
[[File:Carol II in uniforma.jpg|thumb|right|Crown Prince Carol of Romania, c. 1915]]
In 1920, the Greek exiles were visited in Lucerne by Queen [[Marie of Romania]] (Sophia's first cousin{{efn|Queen Sophia of Greece was a daughter of [[Victoria, Princess Royal|Victoria, Dowager Empress of Germany]] and Queen Marie of Romania was a daughter of [[Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh]], the German Empress' younger brother.}}) and her daughters [[Elisabeth of Romania|Elisabeth]], [[Maria of Yugoslavia|Maria]] and [[Princess Ileana of Romania|Ileana]]. Worried about the future of her eldest and still single son, the ''Diadochos'' George, who had already proposed to Princess Elisabeth a few years earlier, Queen Sophia was anxious for him to marry.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 112 and 122.</ref> Homeless, penniless and without any real political value since his exclusion from the Greek throne in 1917, Helen's elder brother reiterated his request of marriage to Princess Elisabeth, who, despite her initial reticence, finally decided to accept.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 121–122.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 183 and 195.</ref> Pleased with the union, the Queen of Romania then invited her future son-in-law and his sisters Helen and [[Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta|Irene]] to go to [[Bucharest]] in order to publicly announce the royal engagement. The princesses accepted and the departure was set to 2 October. In the meanwhile, another member of the Romanian royal family arrived in Lucerne. This was Elisabeth's brother, the Crown Prince Carol, who had just completed a trip around the world which he had undertaken in order to forget his morganatic wife [[Zizi Lambrino]] and [[Carol Lambrino|their son Carol]].{{efn| In 1918, in the middle of [[World War I]], Carol deserted the Romanian army to marry his mistress in [[Odessa]].<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 96–99.</ref> This anti-constitutional marriage was then broken by the Romanian justice<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 103–104.</ref> and Carol had to give up his wife to resume his functions as heir to the throne.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 109–110.</ref>}}<ref name="Gould70"/><ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 122.</ref><ref>Marcou 2002, p. 115 and 117.</ref>

In [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] George, Helen and Irene were received with pomp by the royal family. Housed at [[Pelișor Castle]], they were a central part of the celebrations for the return of Crown Prince Carol to his country (10 October) and the announcement of the engagement of Elisabeth with the ''Diadochos'' (12 October). The stay of the Greek princesses, however, was brief. On 24 October, a telegram arrived which announced the death in Zurich of [[Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia|the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]], who was the mother of the queen of Romania. The very next day, another message arrived informing the Greek princesses that Alexander I had suddenly died in [[Athens]], following a monkey bite.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 117–118</ref><ref name="Gould73">Gould Lee 1956, pp. 73–74.</ref><ref name="Porter9">Porter 2005, p. 9.</ref>

Under these circumstances, the three Greek princesses and Queen Marie of Romania decided to make an emergency return to Switzerland. Moved by the situation and probably pushed by his mother, Crown Prince Carol at the last moment decided to travel along with them. After being cold and distant to Helen during her stay at Romania, the crown prince suddenly turned very attentive to the princess. During the train journey, the two told their life stories to each other and Carol confided in Helen about his affair with Zizi Lambrino. Helen likewise told him of her life and of family matters, including her great grief for her brother Alexander's death and how she did not want to return to Greece now that her only real friend, her beloved brother, was dead. This opening of the hearts to each other had the result that Helen fell in love with the heir to the Romanian throne.<ref name="Gould73"/><ref name="Porter9"/><ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 117–119.</ref><ref name="Mateos196">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 196.</ref>

===Restoration and marriage===
[[File:Famille royale de Grèce.jpg|thumb|left|The Greek royal family in 1921. From left to right: Princess Irene, Queen Sophia, King Constantine I, Crown Princess Helen, Crown Prince Carol of Romania, and Prince Paul.]]
[[File:King Carol II and Queen Helen of Romania.jpg|thumb|left|Crown Princess Helen and Crown Prince Carol of Romania, 1921]]
Soon after their arrival in Switzerland, Crown Prince Carol asked for Helen's hand in marriage, much to the joy of the queen of Romania, but not to the princess' parents. Helen was determined to accept the marriage proposal, therefore King Constantine I assented to the engagement, but only after the marriage of Carol and [[Zizi Lambrino]] could be quickly dissolved. For her part, Queen Sophia was much less favorable to her daughter's wedding. Having no confidence in the Romanian crown prince, she tried to convince Helen to reject the proposal. However, Helen insisted, and despite the doubts of her mother, the engagement was announced in Zürich in November 1920.<ref name="Mateos196"/><ref>Marcou 2002, p. 119 and 122–123.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 72–74.</ref><ref>Gelardi 2006, pp. 296–298.</ref><ref name="Porter10">Porter 2005, p. 10.</ref>

Meanwhile, in Greece, the Venizelists lost the election in favor of Constantine I's supporters on 14 November 1920. Desiring to resolve the dynastic question, on 5 December the new cabinet organized a referendum, the disputed results of which showed that 99% of the population demanded the restoration of the sovereign.<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 126–128.</ref> Under these conditions, the royal family returned to Athens and Helen was accompanied by her fiancé on her return. For two months, the two traveled discovering inner Greece and its ancient ruins. They then went to Bucharest to attend the wedding of ''Diadochos'' George with Elisabeth of Romania (27 February 1921) before returning to Athens to celebrate their own wedding in the [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens|Metropolitan Cathedral]] on 10 March 1921.<ref name="Porter10"/><ref>Marcou 2002, p. 125.</ref> Being the first Greek princess to marry in Athens,<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 83.</ref> Helen wore the Romanian 'Greek Key' tiara, a gift from her mother-in-law. The newlyweds then spent their honeymoon in [[Tatoi]], where they remained for two months before returning to Romania, on 8 May 1921.<ref name="Marcou126">Marcou 2002, p. 126.</ref><ref name="Mateos198">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 198.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 84.</ref>

==Crown Princess of Romania==
===Installation in Bucharest===
[[File:Princess Helen of Greece and her son.jpg|thumb|right|Helen, Crown Princess of Romania and her son Prince Michael, 1922]]
Upon her return to Romania, Helen was already pregnant.  She spent some time with Carol at the [[Cotroceni Palace]], where the pomp and protocol of the Court both impressed and bored her at the same time. The couple then took up residence at the Foișor, an elegant Swiss-style chalet built in the surroundings of [[Peleș Castle]], at [[Sinaia]].<ref name="Mateos198"/><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 88.</ref> It was there that the crown princess gave birth after only seven and a half months after her wedding. Her only child, Prince [[Michael I of Romania|Michael]], named in honor to [[Michael the Brave]], the first unifier of the [[Danubian Principalities]], was born on 25 October 1921; the childbirth was difficult and required surgery. The ordeal significantly weakened Helen, and the doctors forbade her from having a second pregnancy.<ref name="Marcou126"/><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 91</ref><ref>Pakula 1996, pp. 311–312</ref>

Once Helen had recovered, in December 1921 the couple moved to Bucharest, in a large villa at the [[Șoseaua Kiseleff]].<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 92.</ref> Despite their significantly different points of interest, Carol and Helen managed, for some time, to lead a bourgeois and happy existence. In the mornings, the heir performed his official duties and in the afternoons, they enjoyed their favorite pastimes. While the crown prince engaged in reading and his stamp collections, she spent her time engaged in horseback riding or on the decoration of their residences.<ref name="Marcou126"/><ref name="Mateos199">Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 199.</ref><ref>Pakula 1996, p. 310.</ref> The crown princess was very involved in social work and founded a nursing school in the capital. She was also appointed an Honorary Colonel of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, the ''Roșiori''.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 99.</ref>

===Reunion with family===
[[File:Kralj aleksandar1.jpg|thumb|left|King Alexander I of Yugoslavia]]
[[File:Kraljica marija.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, born princess of Romania]]
In the meantime, the political situation was deteriorating in Greece. The Hellenic Kingdom endured a period of unrest during the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–22)|Greco-Turkish War]], and by 1919 the health of King Constantine I was deteriorating once again. Worried about the future of her father, Helen asked for her husband's permission to return to Greece. The couple and their child thus left for [[Athens]] at the end of January 1922. But while Carol left Greece in February to attend the betrothal of his sister [[Maria of Yugoslavia|Maria]] to King [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]], Helen remained with her parents until April, when she returned to Romania, bringing her sister Irene. By that time, the crown prince had resumed his affair with his former mistress, the actress Mirella Marcovici.<ref name="Marcou126"/><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 12–13.</ref>

In June 1922, Carol and Helen went to [[Belgrade]] with the whole Romanian royal family to attend the wedding of Alexander I and Maria.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 127.</ref> Back in Bucharest, the crown princess then resumed her role as wife of the heir to the throne. She participated in official acts and supported the sovereign and her husband during ceremonies that punctuated the life of the monarchy. Like many women of her rank, Helen was also interested in social works. Nevertheless, she continued to be worried for her family, and even visited her sister Irene, her aunt [[Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark|Maria]] and her Greek cousins in an futile attempt to console herself about the remoteness of her parents.<ref name="Mateos199"/>

In September 1922, a military coup forced King Constantine I to abdicate in favor of his son [[George II of Greece|George II]], and to go into exile. Without any real power and dominated by the revolutionaries, after a failed coup of a pro-royalist group (the so-called [[Leonardopoulos–Gargalidis coup d'état attempt|Leonardopoulos–Gargalidis coup d'état]]) in October 1923, the new sovereign in turn was forced to abdicate after only fifteen months of reign. Devastated by these events, Helen immediately went to Italy to be with her parents in their exile. Shortly after the coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania in [[Alba Iulia]] on 15 October 1922, Helen left for [[Palermo]], where she remained until the death of her father, on 11 January 1923.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 128.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 13–14.</ref>

Bored by the absence of his wife, Carol finally invited his mother-in-law to stay in Bucharest. However, the dowager queen did not arrive alone: with her, and without warning, came no fewer than 15 Greek princes and princesses, to his home. Increasingly irritated by the invasive presence of his wife's family, Carol also was hurt by Helen's attitude because she refused to fulfil her marital duties. Jealous, the crown prince suspected that his wife had begun an affair with the charming [[Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta|Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta]], a regular guest of the Greek royal couple in Sicily. It was due to these circumstances that Helen and Carol began their separation, though the crown princess saved appearances by devoting more time to the education of her son, Prince Michael.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 129–130.</ref>

===Abandonment of Crown Prince Carol===
[[File:Magda Lupescu, Rumunii Karola II.jpg|thumb|right|Crown Prince Carol of Romania and Magda Lupescu]]
In the summer of 1924, Carol met Elena Lupescu (better known under the name of [[Magda Lupescu|"Magda" Lupescu]]), with whom he began an affair in or around 14 February 1925.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 134.</ref> This was not the first extramarital relationship of the crown prince since his marriage. However, for Carol, this time there was a serious bond, a fact that would soon worry not only Helen (always of a conciliatory and tolerant disposition with her husband's infidelities) but also the rest of the Romanian royal family, which feared that Lupescu could turn into a new Zizi Lambrino.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 138–139.</ref> In November 1925, Carol was sent to the [[United Kingdom]] to represent the royal family at the funeral of the Dowager Queen [[Alexandra of Denmark|Alexandra]]. Despite several promises made to his father, King Ferdinand I, he took advantage of traveling abroad to find his mistress and openly live out their relationship.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 139–140.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 199–200.</ref> Refusing to return to Bucharest, Carol finally officially renounced the throne and prerogatives as crown prince on 28 December 1925.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 141.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 17–18.</ref>

In Romania, Helen was distraught by Carol's attitude,<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 142.</ref><ref>Pakula 1996, p. 335.</ref> especially as Queen Marie made her partly responsible for the failure of her marriage.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 138.</ref> The crown princess wrote to her husband to convince him to return.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 142–143.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, p. 19 and 20.</ref> She also attempted to convince politicians to delay Carol's exclusion to the royal succession and proposed to her in-laws that she herself take a trip to meet with her husband. However, the [[Prime Minister of Romania|Prime Minister]] [[Ion I. C. Brătianu|Ion Brătianu]], who despised the crown prince because of his sympathy to the [[National Peasants' Party]], categorically opposed. The head of government even accelerated the exclusion procedures by summoning both Houses of the [[Parliament of Romania|Parliament]] to register the act of renunciation and appoint little Prince Michael as the new heir to the throne.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 143–145.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 112–113.</ref>

On 4 January 1926, the Romanian Parliament ratified the acceptance of Carol's renunciation and a royal ordinance was issued giving Helen the title princess of Romania;<ref name=A1>"Prince Charles's Renunciation", ''The Times'' (5 January 1926): 11.</ref> in addition, she was included in the [[Civil list]], a privilege previously reserved to the sovereign and the heir to the throne.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 115.</ref> After King Ferdinand I was diagnosed with cancer, a Regency Council was also formed during Michael's minority with [[Prince Nicholas of Romania|Prince Nicholas]] as the Head, assisted by [[Patriarch Miron of Romania|Patriarch Miron]] and the magistrate [[Gheorghe Buzdugan]], replaced after his death in 1929 by Constantine Sărățeanu.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 156–157.</ref> Despite this, Helen continued to hope for the return of her husband and obstinately refused requests for a divorce that he sent to her from abroad.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 21.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 200.</ref>

In June 1926, shortly before the death of her father-in-law, Helen went to Italy to attend the funeral of her paternal grandmother, [[Olga Constantinovna of Russia|Dowager Queen Olga of Greece]], and moved with her mother to the ''Villa Bobolina'' in Fiesole. The princess took advantage of her stay in Italy and to try to arrange for an encounter with her husband but, having initially agreeing to see her, Carol canceled the meeting at the last minute.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 115–116.</ref>

==First reign of Michael I and Italian exile==
===Crown Princess of Romania===

In the spring of 1927, Queen Marie made an official visit to the [[United States]]. During her absence, Helen and her sister-in-law [[Elisabeth of Romania|Elisabeth]] took care of King [[Ferdinand I of Romania|Ferdinand I]], whose health declined rapidly. The king died on 20 July 1927 at [[Peleș Castle]] and his 5-year-old grandson succeeded him under the name of Michael I while the Regency Council took over the direction of the country.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 159.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 117.</ref> However, in Romania, Carol retained many supporters (soon nicknamed "Carlists") and the [[National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875)|National Liberal Party]] began to fear the return of the Prince.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 161–162.</ref>

After trying to convince her husband to go to Bucharest, Helen gradually changed her attitude towards him. Anxious to preserve the rights of her son and probably convinced by Prime Minister [[Barbu Știrbey]], the princess requested a divorce,{{efn|According to Ivor Porter, the change of Helen was partly due to Carol's letter to her family where he accuses his wife to have had a lover before their marriage.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 25.</ref>}} which she easily obtained.  On 21 June 1928, the marriage was dissolved by the [[High Court of Cassation and Justice|Romanian Supreme Court]] on the grounds of incompatibility.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 170–171.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 119–121.</ref><ref>"Prince Carol, Divorce Proceedings in Rumania", ''The Times'' (9 June 1928): 14.</ref> Helen also distanced herself from her mother-in-law, who complained of being separated from the young king and criticized more openly the Greek entourage of the Princess.<ref name="Marcou174">Marcou 2002, pp. 174–175.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, p. 27.</ref><ref>Pakula 1996, pp. 367–368.</ref> Under these circumstances, the dowager queen approached her eldest son and built ties with the Carlist movement.<ref name="Marcou174"/>

After the Regency Council failed to govern the country, Carol appeared increasingly as a providential man who could solve the problems of Romania. Still, his supporters (as Prime Minister [[Iuliu Maniu]], leader of the [[National Peasants' Party]]) continued to demand his separation from Magda Lupescu and his reconciliation with Helen, which he refused.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 176–178</ref> Thanks to his many supporters in the country, the prince finally organized his return to Bucharest on the night of 6–7 June 1930. Joyfully welcomed by the population and the political class, he then proclaimed himself king under the name of Carol II.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 184–185.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 28–31.</ref>

===Impossible reconciliation with Carol II===
[[File:Carol al II-lea.jpg|thumb|right|King Carol II of Romania, 1930]]
When he came to power, Carol II initially refused to see Helen though he expressed his desire to meet his son,<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 190.</ref> demoted to the rank of heir-apparent to the throne with the title of ''Grand Voivod of [[Alba Iulia]]'' by the Romanian Parliament (8 June 1930). In order to be reunited with Michael, the king therefore resolved to meet his former wife. Accompanied by his brother Nicholas and his sister Elizabeth, he visited the princess in her villa in the Șoseaua Kiseleff. At the sight of her former husband, Helen showed coldness but she had no other alternative than to offer him her friendship for the sake of their child.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 185.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 31–32.</ref>

In the following weeks, Helen suffered the combined pressures of politicians and the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]], who were trying to persuade her to resume her conjugal life with Carol II and accept to be crowned along with him at a ceremony in Alba Iulia, scheduled on 21 September 1930. Despite her reluctance, the princess agreed to a reconciliation and reconsidered the annulment of her divorce, but under the condition of having a separate residence. These were the circumstances under which the former spouses lived and while Carol II sometimes went to Helen for lunch with her, the princess would, from time to time, have tea with him in the royal palace. In July, the king, his former wife and son traveled together in [[Sinaia]] but while Carol II moved to ''Foișor'', Helen and Michael stayed at Peleș Castle. Each day, the family gathered for tea and, on 20 July, Carol II and Helen appeared publicly together on the occasion of a ceremony in memory of King Ferdinand I.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 191–192.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 139.</ref>

In August 1930, the government presented a decree to Carol II for his signature officially confirming Helen as ''Her Majesty, the Queen of Romania.'' The king, however, crossed this out and declared Helen to be ''Her Majesty Helen'' (i.e. with the style Majesty, but not the title Queen). Helen refused to allow anyone to use this style in her presence. Due to these circumstances, the proposed coronation of the two former spouses was postponed.<ref name="Marcou192">Marcou 2002, p. 192.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 139–141.</ref> The return of Magda Lupescu to Romania finally put an end to the reconciliation efforts of the pair.<ref name="Marcou192"/><ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 147.</ref> Soon the king was able to get Michael moved to his side, and Helen was allowed to see her son every day in exchange for her political silence.<ref name="Marcou192"/> Increasingly isolated,<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 149 and 164–165.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 34–37.</ref> the princess was forced into exile by her former husband, she consented to a separation agreement in October 1931.<ref>"Princess Helen of Rumania, Settlement Signed", ''The Times'' (2 November 1932): 11.</ref> In exchange for her silence, and through the mediation of her brother, the former King [[George II of Greece]], and her sister-in-law [[Elisabeth of Romania|Elisabeth]],{{efn|According to Ivor Porter, was King [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]] who mediated between the couple in 1931 but Princess Elisabeth took over the task in 1932.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 38 and 39.</ref>}} Helen then obtained a substantial monetary compensation. With the approval of Carol II, she obtained the right to stay four months a year in Romania and to receive her son abroad during two months of the year. She retained her residence in Bucharest and the king agreed to fund its maintenance during his absence. Especially, Helen received a sum of thirty million [[Romanian leu|lei]] to buy a home abroad and in addition she obtained an annual pension of seven million lei.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 192–193.</ref><ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 166–167.</ref>

===Between scandal and exile===
[[File:Villa sparta, ext., 13.JPG|thumb|left|Villa Sparta, in [[Fiesole]], where Helen lived more than 30 years]]
In November 1931, Helen left Romania for Germany, where she went to the bedside of her mother, the Dowager Queen Sophia of Greece, seriously ill with [[cancer]]. After her death on 13 January 1932, Helen bought her house in [[Fiesole]], [[Tuscany]], which she used as her main residence.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 193.</ref><ref>Van der Kiste 1994, pp. 149–151.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 92.</ref> In this large house, that she renamed Villa Sparta, the princess received the visit of her sisters Irene and Katherine and her brother Paul, who remained with Helen on long stays.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, p. 169.</ref><ref name="Van151">Van der Kiste 1994, p. 151.</ref>
[[File:HelenaYMIguelDeRumanía.jpeg|thumb|right|Princess Helen and her son Crown Prince Michael during their visit in London, 1932]]
Despite the distance, the friction between Helen and Carol II continued. In September 1932, a visit from Michael and his mother to the United Kingdom was used by Helen as an opportunity for a new, very public conflict, which soon made the headlines of the international press, just as Helen wanted. The king wanted the crown prince not to wear shorts in public, and that he not be photographed in the company of his mother. Helen was incensed at the second stipulation and, as was her wont, took the trouble to aggravate the situation by defying the first stipulation as well. She made sure her son was dressed in shorts and posed for the cameras with him at her side for an extended photo opportunity. After seeing the spectacle of the crown prince in shorts published in the newspapers, the king demanded that the heir to the throne be brought back to Bucharest. Helen now decided to grant an interview to the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' "in the hope," she said, "that public opinion would help to preserve her parental rights". This was followed by a violent press campaign, which enraged the king. Despite these events, Helen chose to return to Romania for Michael's birthday and threatened to go to the [[International Court of Justice]] if Carol II did not allow her to see their son.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 39–40.</ref><ref>Pakula 1996, p. 391.</ref>

Back in Bucharest, the princess tried, without much success, to get the government involved in a case against the king. She then turned again to her sister-in-law, the former queen of the Hellenes. However, the latter was deeply shocked by the interview given to the ''Daily Mail'', and the two women had a violent fight during their reunion, where Elisabeth slapped Helen. Carol II then considered his former wife as a political opponent, and in order to undermine her prestige, the king initiated a campaign in the press against her, claiming that she had tried to commit suicide twice.<ref>Gould Lee 1956, pp. 164–165.</ref> After only a month in the country, Carol II imposed a new separation agreement (1 November 1932), under which Helen was denied the right to return to Romania and the next day, finally forced her into permanent exile in Italy.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 193–194.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 40–41.</ref> During the following years, she had no contact with her former husband, who only briefly told her by telephone of the death of Queen Marie in 1938.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 252.</ref> Despite the tensions, Prince Michael was able to see his mother every year in [[Florence]] for two months.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 41.</ref>

In Fiesole, the life of Helen and her sisters was relatively retired, even though they were frequently visited by the Italian [[House of Savoy]], which had always been welcoming to the Greek royal family during its exile.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 205.</ref> The Greek princesses also used their connections to find a wife for ''Diadochos'' [[Paul of Greece|Paul]], who remained single. In 1935, they took advantage of the presence in Florence of Princess [[Frederica of Hanover]] to arrange an encounter between her and their brother. Their good efforts paid off and Frederica quickly fell in love with the ''Diadochos''. However, the princess' parents were reluctant to approve this relationship{{efn|Paul was sixteen years older than Frederica, whose mother [[Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia]], was a cousin of the ''Diadochos''.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 99.</ref>}} and it was not until 1937 that Paul and Frederica were finally allowed to get engaged.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 99–102.</ref> In the meantime, the Greek monarchy was restored and George II once again became King of Greece,<ref>Van der Kiste 1994, p. 154.</ref> but his wife Elisabeth, who filed for divorce on 6 July 1935, remained in Romania.<ref name="Van151"/><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 187.</ref>

==Queen Mother of Romania==
===World War II and the dictatorship of Antonescu===
[[File:Royal standard of Romania (Queen Mother, 1941 model).svg|thumb|right|Standard of the queen mother of Romania (1941–1947)]]

In Tuscany, Helen found real stability, despite the absence of her son most of the year. However, the outbreak of [[World War II]] again disrupted her daily routine.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 61.</ref> In accordance with the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]], the [[Soviet Union]] forced Romania to [[Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina|cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to them]] on 26 June 1940, and a few weeks later, the country was also forced to surrender [[Northern Transylvania]] to [[Hungary]] ([[Second Vienna Award]], 30 August 1940) and the [[Southern Dobruja]] to [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] ([[Treaty of Craiova]], 7 September 1940); these territorial losses ended the [[Greater Romania]], created at the end of [[World War I]]. Unable to maintain the territorial integrity of his country and under pressure from the [[Iron Guard]], a fascist party supported by [[Nazi Germany]], Carol II became increasingly unpopular and finally was forced to abdicate on 6 September 1940. His son Michael, aged 18, became king while General [[Ion Antonescu]] established a dictatorship with the support of members of the Iron Guard.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 285–296.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 54–59.</ref>

Eager to obtain the favor of the new sovereign (and some legitimation to his dictatorship), Antonescu granted Helen the title of "Queen Mother of Romania" (''Regina-mamă Elena'') with the style "Her Majesty" on 8 September 1940 and sent the diplomat [[Raoul Bossy]] to Fiesole to persuade her to return to Bucharest (12 September 1940).<ref name="Marcou300">Marcou 2002, pp. 300–301.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 61–62.</ref> Back in Romania (14 September 1940), Helen found herself, however, subject to the whim of the dictator, determined to keep the royal family in a purely ceremonial role.<ref name="Marcou300"/><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 62–63.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 201.</ref> Indeed, in the years that followed, Antonescu systematically excluded the king and his mother from political responsibility<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 63–64.</ref> and didn't even bother to warn them of his decision to declare war on the Soviet Union in June 1941.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 70–71.</ref>

In this difficult context, Michael I was at times prone to bouts of depression and Helen then concentrated all of her efforts to make him more active. Aware of his shortcomings, the queen mother appealed to historians of the right to train her son in his role as sovereign. She also guided the king in his talks and pushed him to oppose Antonescu when she deemed that his policies endangered the crown.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 64–65.</ref> Alerted by the Rabbi [[Alexandru Șafran]] about the anti-Jewish persecutions, Helen personally appealed to the German ambassador [[Manfred Freiherr von Killinger]] and Antonescu to convince them to halt the deportations, being supported in her efforts by [[Patriarch Nicodim of Romania|Patriarch Nicodim]]. For his part, the king vigorously protested to the ''Conducător'' at the time of the [[1941 Odessa massacre|Odessa massacre]] and notably obtained the release of [[Wilhelm Filderman]], president of the Romanian Jewish community.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 74–75.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 480–481.</ref>

Despite these few attempts of emancipation, Helen and her son spent most of the conflict playing as hosts of the German officers passing through Bucharest.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 70 and 74.</ref> The queen mother even met [[Hitler]] twice: firstly informally, with her sister Irene,{{efn|Having married with [[Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta]] in 1939, Irene now belonged to the [[House of Savoy|Royal Family of Italy]].<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 206.</ref>}} to discuss the fate of Greece{{efn|At the time, Greece was in [[Greco-Italian War|war]] against Italy and the Nazi Germany appeared as a possible mediator between the two countries.}} and Romania within the [[German-occupied Europe|new Europe]] (December 1940)<ref>Porter 2005, p. 66 and 67.</ref> and secondly formally with Michael I during a trip in Italy (winter of 1941).<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 75–76.</ref> Above all, Helen and her son had no choice but to officially support the dictatorship of Antonescu. Thus, it was Michael I who gave the ''Conducător'' the title of Marshal (21 August 1941) after the reconquest of [[Bessarabia]] by the [[Romanian Armed Forces|Romanian Army]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 72.</ref>

In the fall of 1942, Helen played a major role in stopping Antonescu from his plans to deport all of the Jews of the ''Regat'' to the [[Bełżec extermination camp|German death camp of Bełżec]] in [[General Government|Poland]]. According to SS ''Hauptsturmführer'' [[Gustav Richter]], the counselor for Jewish Affairs at the German legation in Bucharest in a report sent to Berlin on 30 October 1942: <blockquote>"The queen mother told the king that what was happening...was a disgrace and that she could not bear it any longer, all the more so because [their names] would be permanently associated...with the crimes committed against the Jews, while she would be known as the mother of "Michael the Wicked". She is said to have warned the king that, if the deportations were not immediately halted, she would leave the country. As a result the King...telephoned Prime Minister Ion Antonescu and...a meeting of the Council of Ministers took place."<ref>Deletant, Denis, ''Review of The History of the Holocaust in Romania'' by Jean Ancel pp. 502–506 from ''Holocaust and Genocide Studies'', Vol. 27, Issue 3, August 2013, p. 505.</ref></blockquote>

===Coup of Michael I and end of the war===
From 1941, the participation of the Romanian army in the [[Operation Barbarossa|invasion of the Soviet Union]] further damaged the relations between Antonescu and the royal family, who disapproved of the [[Siege of Odessa (1941)|conquests of Odessa]] and [[Battle of Kiev (1941)|Ukraine]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 73.</ref> However, it was the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] (23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943) and the losses incurred by the Romanian side that finally forced Michael I to organize around him a resistance against the dictatorship of the ''Conducător''.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 80.</ref> During an official speech on 1 January 1943, the sovereign publicly condemned the participation of Romania in the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|war against the Soviet Union]], triggering the wrath of both Antonescu and the [[Nazi Germany]], who accused Helen of being behind the royal initiative.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 81–82.</ref> In retaliation, Antonescu tightened his control over Michael I and his mother, and threatened the royal family with the abolition of the monarchy if any further provocation were to occur.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 84.</ref>
[[File:Mihai I of Romania.jpg|thumb|left|King Michael I of Romania, c. 1940]]

Over the next few months, the suspicious death of Tsar [[Boris III of Bulgaria]] (28 August 1943) and the successive arrests of princesses [[Princess Mafalda of Savoy|Mafalda of Savoy]]{{efn|Princess Mafalda was deported to the [[Buchenwald concentration camp]], where she died on 27 August 1944.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 478.</ref>}} (23 September 1943) and [[Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta|Irene of Greece]] (October 1943) after the [[25 Luglio|overthrow of Mussolini]] by King [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy]] (25 July 1943), proved to Michael I and his mother just how dangerous opposition to the [[Axis powers]] was.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 86 and 134.</ref> The [[Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive|return of the Soviets]] in Bessarabia<ref>Porter 2005, p. 91.</ref> and the American bombing over Bucharest<ref>Porter 2005, p. 93.</ref> forced the king, despite everything, to break with the regime of Antonescu. On 23 August 1944 Michael I organized a [[King Michael's Coup|coup d'état]] against the ''Conducător'',{{efn|Placed under house arrest, he was handed to the Soviets who kept him in prison for two years. Finally returned to Romania, he was judged and executed on 1 June 1946.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 158–159.</ref>}} who was imprisoned.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 108–110.</ref><ref>Marcou 2002, p. 334.</ref> In the process, the king and his new government declared war on the Axis powers and asked the Romanian forces not to resist the [[Red Army]], which nevertheless continued its invasion into the country.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 111 and 118–120.</ref>

In retaliation against this betrayal, the [[Luftflotte 4|''Luftflotte'']] bombed Bucharest and ''Casa Nouă'', the main residence of the sovereign and his mother since 1940, which was largely destroyed (24 August 1944).<ref>Porter 2005, p. 63 and 120.</ref> Nevertheless, the Romanian forces gradually managed to push the Germans out of the country and also attacked Hungary in order to liberate [[Transylvania]] ([[Siege of Budapest]], 29 December 1944 – 13 February 1945).<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 118–120.</ref> However, the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] did not immediately recognize the reversal of Romania and the Soviets entered the capital on 31 August 1944.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 118–123.</ref> An armistice was finally signed with Moscow on 12 September 1944, which forced the kingdom to accept the [[Soviet occupation of Romania|Soviet occupation]].<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 125–126.</ref> A climate of uncertainty swept the country while the Red Army increased their demands.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 126–127.</ref>

Visiting [[Sinaia]] at the time of the royal coup d'état,<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 114–115.</ref> Helen found her son the next day at [[Craiova]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 120.</ref> Back in Bucharest on 10 September 1944,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 123.</ref> the king and his mother moved into the [[Elisabeta Palace|residence]] of [[Elisabeth of Romania|Princess Elizabeth]], whose relations with Helen remained tense<ref>Porter 2005, p. 126.</ref> despite their reconciliation in 1940.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 65–66.</ref> With the increased instability in Romania, the queen mother was extremely concerned about the safety of her son, fearing that he could eventually be killed,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 130, 132, 137 and 140.</ref> like [[Prince Kiril of Bulgaria|Prince-Regent Kiril of Bulgaria]], shot by the Communists on 1 February 1945.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 137.</ref> The queen mother also disapproved of the influence of Ioan Stârcea over the sovereign and, following information from one of the palace servants, accused him of espionage on behalf of Antonescu.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 121 and 126.</ref> She was also concerned about the machinations of Carol II, who apparently waited for the end of the war to return to Romania,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 130.</ref> and observed with anxiety the political crisis that prevented King [[George II of Greece|George II]] from regaining power in [[Greece]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 128.</ref> In this difficult context, Helen had the joy of learning that her sister Irene and her little nephew [[Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta (b. 1943)|Amedeo]] were alive, although still in German hands.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 134.</ref>

Despite these political and personal concerns, the queen mother continued her charitable activities. She provided support to Romanian hospitals, and managed to save some of the equipment of the Red Army requisitions. On 6 November 1944 she inaugurated a [[soup kitchen]] in the ballroom of the Royal Palace, which served not less than 11,000 meals to children in the capital over the next three months. Finally, despite Moscow's opposition, the queen mother sent aid to [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavia]], where a terrible epidemic of [[typhus]] was raging.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 130, 132–133 and 166.</ref>

===Imposition of a communist regime===
[[File:Petru Groza Anefo.jpg|thumb|right|Prime Minister Petru Groza]]
With the Soviet occupation, the staff of the [[Romanian Communist Party]], which counted only a few thousand members during the coup of Michael I, exploded and demonstrations against the government of Constantin Sănătescu multiplied. At the same time, acts of sabotage were occurring all over the country, preventing the Romanian economy from recovering.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 127.</ref> Faced with the combined pressures of the representative of the Soviet Union, [[Andrey Vyshinsky]], and the [[People's Democratic Front (Romania)|People's Democratic Front]] (offshoot of the Communist Party), the king needed to build a new government and named [[Nicolae Rădescu]] as the new Prime Minister (7 December 1944).<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 129–134.</ref> Nevertheless, the situation remained tense in the country and when the new head of the government called for municipal elections on 15 March 1945,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 135.</ref> the Soviet Union resumed its destabilizing operations in order to impose a government of their liking.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 135–141.</ref> The [[Western betrayal|refusal]] of the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]] to intervene on his behalf<ref>Porter 2005, p. 132.</ref> led the sovereign to consider abdication but he abandoned the idea on the advice of representatives of the two major democratic political forces, [[Dinu Brătianu]] and [[Iuliu Maniu]].<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 140–141.</ref> On 6 March 1945 Michael I finally called [[Petru Groza]], leader of the [[Ploughmen's Front]], as the new head of a government which had no association with any representative of either the [[National Peasants' Party|Peasants]] and the [[National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875)|Liberal]] parties.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 141.</ref>

Satisfied with this appointment, the Soviet authorities were more conciliatory with Romania. On 13 March 1945 Moscow transferred the administration of [[Transylvania]] to Bucharest.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 142.</ref> A few months later, on 19 July 1945, Michael I was decorated with the [[Order of Victory]], one of the most prestigious Soviet military orders.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 144–145.</ref> Still, the Sovietization of the kingdom was accelerated. The purge of "fascist" personalities continued while censorship was strengthened. A [[land reform]] was also implemented, causing a drop in production which ruined agricultural exports. The king, however, managed to temporarily prevent the establishment of [[Romanian People's Tribunals|People's Tribunals]] and the restoration of the death penalty.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 142–143.</ref>

After the [[Potsdam Conference]] and the reaffirmation by the Allies of the need to establish democratically elected governments in Europe, Michael I demanded the resignation of Petru Groza, who refused.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 147.</ref> Faced with this insubordination, the sovereign began a "royal strike" on 23 August 1945 during which he refused to countersign the acts of the government. With his mother, he locked himself in the [[Elisabeta Palace]] for six weeks before departing to [[Sinaia]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 148.</ref> The resistance of the monarch, however, was not supported by the West, who after the [[Moscow Conference (1945)|Moscow Conference]] of 25 December 1945, asked Romania to allow two opposition figures to enter the government.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 153–154.</ref> Disappointed by the lack of courage of London and Washington,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 154.</ref> the sovereign was shocked by the attitudes of Princesses Elisabeth and Ileana,{{efn|According to some authors, like [[Ghislain de Diesbach]] and Jean-Paul Besse, Princess Ileana wanted to take advantage of her links with the Communists to overthrow Michael I and replace him with her own son, Archduke Stefan of Austria.<ref>Besse 2010, pp. 117–118, 129–132 and 158.</ref>}} who openly supported the communist authorities.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 152, 155 and 161.</ref> Disgusted by all these betrayals, Helen, in turn, encouraged fewer meetings with Soviet officials and worried every day for the life of her son.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 156–157.</ref>

The year 1946 was marked by the strengthening of the Communist dictatorship, despite active resistance of the sovereign.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 160–161.</ref> After several months of waiting, the [[1946 Romanian general election|parliamentary elections]] were held on 19 November 1946 and were officially won by the Ploughmen's Front.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 162.</ref> After that date, the situation of the king and his mother became more precarious. In their palace, they had no access to running water for three hours a day and the electricity was off most of the day. This did not prevent Helen from maintaining her charitable activities and continuing to send food and clothing to Moldavia. In early 1947, the queen mother also obtained permission to travel abroad to visit her family. She then reunited with her sister Irene, weakened after her deportation to Austria, attended the funeral of her elder brother, King George II, and participated in the marriage of her youngest sister, Princess [[Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark|Katherine]], with British Major Richard Brandram.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 166.</ref>

The signing of the [[Paris Peace Treaties, 1947|Paris Peace Treaties]], on 10 February 1947, marked a new stage in the sidelining of the royal family by the Communist regime.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 164 and 168.</ref> Deprived of any official duties, the king was found even more isolated than during the "royal strike". Under these conditions, the queen mother considered exile with more determination but she was concerned that they did not possess any foreign resources, because her son refused to save money outside of Romania.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 168.</ref> As guests to the marriage of Princess [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth of the United Kingdom]] with [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark]] (Helen's first cousin) on 20 November 1947,<ref>[http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/royalwedding1947/object.asp?grouping=&exhibs=NONE&object=9000366&row=82&detail=magnify ''Royal Collection: Seating plan for the Ball Supper Room''] [retrieved 13 July 2016].</ref> Michael I and his mother were provided with an opportunity to travel together abroad. During this stay, the king fell in love with Princess [[Queen Anne of Romania|Anne of Bourbon-Parma]], with whom he became engaged much to Helen's delight.<ref>Marcou 2002, pp. 352–353.</ref><ref name="Porter170">Porter 2005, pp. 170–175</ref> This trip was also an opportunity for the queen mother to place two small paintings of [[El Greco]] from the royal collections in a Swiss bank.<ref name="Porter170"/>

==Abolition of the Romanian monarchy and Michael I's wedding==
===Deposition of Michael I and the first months of exile===
[[File:Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej]]
[[File:Mihai.jpg|thumb|left|upright|King Michael I at the time of his abdication, 1947]]
Despite the advice of their relatives, who urged them not to return to Romania in order to escape the communists,<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 353.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 172–173.</ref> the king and his mother returned to Bucharest on 21 December 1947. They were coldly greeted by the government, which secretly hoped to see them stay abroad in order to abolish the monarchy.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 177.</ref> Their plan did not work, so Prime Minister Petru Groza and General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party [[Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej]] decided to compel the sovereign to abdicate. On 30 December 1947 they asked for an audience with the king, who received them along with his mother. The two politicians asked Michael I to sign a declaration of abdication. The king refused, stating that, for such a thing, the Romanian population must be consulted. The two men threatened that if he persisted, over 1000 students arrested would be executed in retaliation. Thousands of people, including many students, were arrested in November 1946, after clashes with the Communist forces. The pro-democracy and freedom population defeated the Communist forces which were sent to the protests by the Communist government, but in return, many protesters were arrested by Communist authorities, with the help of the Red Army. The heavy clashes ensued in Bucharest and other big cities in Romania after the Communist Party falsified the votes for the 1946 Parliament elections, which the National Peasant's Party (PNȚ) had won with over 70%. Forced with this blackmail, Michael I renounced the crown. Only hours after the announcement, the [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romanian People's Republic]] was proclaimed.<ref>Marcou 2002, p. 354.</ref><ref>Porter 2005, pp. 178–185.</ref> Michael I and Helen left Romania with some partisans on 3 January 1948.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 186–189.</ref> Despite their close links with the Communists, Princesses Elisabeth and Ileana were also forced to leave the country a few days later, on 12 January.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 192–193 and 202.</ref><ref>Besse 2010, pp. 131–132.</ref>

In exile, Michael I and Helen settled for some time in Switzerland, where the deposed sovereign bitterly observed the Western acceptance of the establishment of a communist republic in Romania.<ref name="Porter192">Porter 2005, p. 192.</ref> For her part, Helen was mostly concerned with the state of their finances because the Communists allowed them to part with almost nothing.<ref name="Porter195">Porter 2005, p. 195.</ref> Despite their promises, the new Romanian authorities nationalized the properties of the former royal family (20 February 1948) and deprived the former monarch and his relatives of their nationality (17 May 1948).<ref name="Porter201">Porter 2005, p. 201.</ref> At the same time, the king and his mother had to deal with the intrigues of Carol II, who still considered himself the only legitimate sovereign of Romania and accused his ex-wife of keeping him away from their son. To achieve his ends, Carol II did not hesitate to involve [[Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern|Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen]] (Head of the [[Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen|dynasty]]) and [[Prince Nicholas of Romania]] in his intrigues.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 193 and 195.</ref><ref>Marcou 2002, p. 353–355 and 366.</ref> These concerns did not prevent Michael I and his mother from undertaking several political trips to the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]] and the [[United States]] to meet with government leaders and [[Romanian National Committee (1948)|representatives of the Romanian diaspora]].<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 193–198.</ref>

===Marriage of Michael I and Anne of Bourbon-Parma===
Another source of concern from Michael I and his mother during their first months of exile was his marriage with Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma. To discredit the former monarch, the Romanian authorities promoted rumors that Michael I gave up his dynastic rights in order to marry the woman of his heart, as his father did in 1925.<ref name="Porter192"/>

Added to this, the most serious difficulties were related to religion. Being a Roman Catholic, Princess Anne had to obtain a [[Dispensation (canon law)|papal dispensation]] to marry an Orthodox. However, the [[Holy See|Vatican]] had been extremely reluctant to grant consent because, for dynastic reasons, the couple's children would have to be raised in Michael I's religion. After [[Prince René of Bourbon-Parma]], father of the bride, failed in his negotiations with the Vatican, Helen decided to go to Rome with [[Princess Margaret of Denmark]] (Anne's mother) to meet [[Pope Pius XII]]. However, the meeting ended badly and the Pope refused to agree to the marriage.<ref name="Porter195"/> Under these circumstances, Princess Anne had no choice but to override the pontifical will and abandon a Catholic marriage.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 198–199.</ref> In doing so, she incurred the wrath of her uncle, [[Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma]], who forbade the members of his family to attend the royal wedding under threat of being excluded from the [[House of Bourbon-Parma]]. Once again, the queen mother tried to mediate, this time with Anne's family, but without success.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 199–200.</ref>

Helen had better luck with her own family. Her brother, King [[Paul I of Greece]], offered to organize Michael's wedding in [[Athens]], despite official protests from the Romanian government.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 199.</ref> The wedding was finally celebrated in the Greek capital on 10 June 1948 with [[Damaskinos of Athens|Archbishop Damaskinos]] himself officiating the ceremony. Celebrated in the throne room of the Royal Palace, the wedding brought together most of the members of the Greek dynasty but no representative of the Houses of Bourbon-Parma or Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. In fact, Carol II was not invited to the wedding, despite Helen having written to him about the marriage.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 200–201.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 122–123 and 419.</ref>

==Exile and later years==
===Return to Villa Sparta===
After the marriage of Michael I and Anne, Helen returned to Villa Sparta in Fiesole.<ref name="Porter201"/> Through 1951, she hosted her son and his family,<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 202–211.</ref> who visited with her at least twice a year.<ref name="Porter227">Porter 2005, p. 227.</ref> Over the years, the family of the former king grew with the successive births of princesses [[Princess Margareta of Romania|Margareta]] (1949), [[Princess Elena of Romania|Elena]] (1950), Irina (1953), Sophie (1957) and [[Princess Maria of Romania (born 1964)|Maria]] (1964).<ref>Porter 2005, p. 204, 207, 213, 221 and 223.</ref> From 1949 to 1950, Helen also housed her sister Irene and her nephew Amedeo, who later settled in a neighboring residence.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 206–207.</ref> Over the years, the two Greek princesses retained a strong bond, which ended with the death of the duchess of Aosta in 1974.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 229.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, pp. 202–203 and 212.</ref> Throughout her life, Helen also remained deeply attached to Amedeo and his first wife, [[Princess Claude of Orléans]].<ref name="Porter227"/>

Helen also made many trips abroad to visit her relatives. She traveled regularly to the United Kingdom to see her granddaughters, who were schooling there. Despite her sometimes stormy relationship with her sister-in-law, Queen Frederica, Helen also spent long periods in Greece and participated in the [[Cruise of the Kings]] in 1954, the marriage of [[Queen Sofía of Spain|Princess Sophia]] with the future King [[Juan Carlos I of Spain]] (1962) and the events organized to mark the centenary of the Greek dynasty (1963).<ref>Porter 2005, p. 221, 222 and 223.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 143 and 155.</ref>
[[File:Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden 1962.jpg|thumb|left|King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, 1962]]
[[File:Ivoryhead.jpg|thumb|left|Head of a Madonna engraved with a dentist's drill by the princess Elena of Greece on an ivory billiard ball. Signed "E 1944". This is a gift to the painter Leonardo Cominotto from the princess herself. Sinaia, Romania – 1945.]]
Despite this, Helen's life was not solely devoted to her family. Passionate about [[Renaissance architecture]] and painting, she spent much of her time visiting monuments and museums. She also dedicated herself to creating artistic objects, for example an engraving made with a dentist's drill on an ivory billiard ball. A gardening enthusiast, she devoted long hours to the flowers and shrubs of her residence. A regular guest of the British Consulate, she also frequented the intellectuals who, like [[Harold Acton]], had settled in the region of Florence. From 1968 to 1973, Helen had a romantic relationship with the twice-widower King [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden]], with whom she shared a love of art and plants. At one point, the Scandinavian sovereign asked her to marry him, but she refused.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 227 and 229.</ref>

In 1956 Helen consented for Arthur Gould Lee to publish her biography.<ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 203.</ref> At this point, her life was marked by financial difficulties which continued to worsen over time. Despite still being deprived of income by the Romanian authorities,<ref name="Porter195"/> the queen mother economically supported her son,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 212, 222, 223, 225 and 229–230.</ref> and also helped him to find jobs, first as a [[Pilot (aeronautics)|pilot]] in Switzerland,<ref>Porter 2005, p. 217.</ref> then as a [[broker]] on [[Wall Street]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 222.</ref> Helen also supported the studies of her eldest granddaughter Margareta, and even welcomed her at Villa Sparta for a year before she entered a British university.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 225 and 227.</ref> To do this, Helen was forced to sell her assets one by one and in the early 1970s, she hardly had anything left. In 1973, she mortgaged her residence and three years later, she sold the two [[El Greco|Greco]] paintings that she had brought with her from Romania in 1947.<ref>Porter 2005, pp. 229–230.</ref>

===Life in Switzerland and death===
[[File:GrabElenaGriechenland.jpg|thumb|right|Former grave of Helen, Queen Mother of Romania, at Bois-de-Vaux]]
Becoming too old to live alone, Helen finally left Fiesole in 1979. She then moved to a small apartment in [[Lausanne]], located 45 minutes from the residence of Michael I and Anne, before moving in with them at [[Versoix]] in 1981. Helen, queen mother of Romania, died one year later on 28 November 1982, aged 86. She was buried without pomp in the [[Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery]] and the funerals were celebrated by [[Damaskinos (Papandreou) of Adrianople|Damaskinos Papandreou]], the first [[Church of Greece|Greek Orthodox]] Metropolitan of Switzerland.<ref>Porter 2005, p. 230.</ref>

Eleven years after her death, in March 1993, the State of [[Israel]] gave Helen the title of ''[[Righteous Among the Nations]]'' in recognition for her actions during World War II towards Romanian Jews, several thousands of whom she managed to save from 1941 to 1944.<ref>[http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/family.html?language=en&itemId=4044237 ''The Righteous Among The Nations – Elena, Queen Mother of Romania''] in: [[Yad Vashem]] [retrieved 13 July 2016.]</ref> The announcement was made to the royal family by [[Alexandru Șafran]], then Chief Rabbi of [[Geneva]].<ref>Porter 2005, p. 75 and 249.</ref><ref>Mateos Sainz de Medrano 2004, p. 481.</ref><ref>Martin Gilbert, ''The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust'' (Owl Books, 2003), p. 240. {{ISBN|0-8050-6261-0}}.</ref>

In January 2018, it was announced that the remains of [[Carol II of Romania|King Carol II]] would be moved to the new Archdiocesan and Royal Cathedral, along with those of Queen Mother Helen. In addition, the remains of [[Prince Mircea of Romania|Prince Mircea]] would also be moved to the new cathedral. His remains are currently interred at the [[Bran Castle|Bran Castle's Chapel]].

Queen Mother Helen of Romania was reburied at the New Episcopal and Royal Cathedral in Curtea de Argeș on 19 October 2019.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.romania-insider.com/queen-helen-back-romania | title=Remains of Queen Mother Helen brought back to Romania | date=18 October 2019 }}</ref>

==Archives==
Queen Helen's correspondence with the Romanian diplomat George I. Duca between 1940 and 1982 is preserved in the "George I. Duca Papers" collection in the Hoover Institution Archives (Stanford, California, USA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf3489n5wg/entire_text/ | title=George I. Duca Papers | publisher=Hoover Institution Library & Archives. | access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref>

==Honours==
* {{flagicon|Romania}} [[House of Hohenzollern|House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen-Romania]]: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of Carol I|Royal Order of Carol I]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://casamajestatiisale.ro/familia-regala/ordine-decoraii/ordinul-carol-i/ | title=Ordinul Carol I }}</ref>

==Ancestry==
{{See also|Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark}}

{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark'''
|2= 2. [[Constantine I of Greece]]
|3= 3. [[Sophia of Prussia|Princess Sophie of Prussia]]
|4= 4. [[George I of Greece]]<ref name="EB1911-George I">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=George I., King of the Hellenes |volume=11}}</ref>
|5= 5. [[Olga Constantinovna of Russia|Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia]]<ref name="EB1911-George I"/>
|6= 6. [[Frederick III, German Emperor]]<ref name="NDB-Friedrich III">{{NDB|5|487|489|Friedrich III|Meisner, Heinrich Otto|118535668}}</ref>
|7= 7. [[Victoria, Princess Royal]]<ref name="NDB-Friedrich III"/>
|8= 8. [[Christian IX of Denmark]]<ref name="DBL-Georg">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://runeberg.org/dbl/5/0595.html |title=Louise |encyclopedia=[[Dansk Biografisk Leksikon]] |editor-first=Carl Frederik |editor-last=Bricka |volume=5 |page=593}}</ref>
|9= 9. [[Louise of Hesse-Kassel|Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel]]<ref name="DBL-Georg"/>
|10= 10. [[Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia|Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich of Russia]]<ref name="WIWH-Olga">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/olga-constantinovna-1851-1926 |title=Olga Constantinovna (1851–1926) |encyclopedia=Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia |publisher=Gale Research |year=2002}}</ref>
|11= 11. [[Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg]]<ref name="WIWH-Olga"/>
|12= 12. [[William I, German Emperor]]<ref name="NDB-Friedrich III"/>
|13= 13. [[Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach|Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]<ref name="NDB-Friedrich III"/>
|14= 14. [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]<ref name="louda">{{citation| last1 = Louda| first1 = Jiří|author1link=Jiří Louda|last2=Maclagan |first2=Michael|author2link=Michael Maclagan| title = Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe| year = 1999| publisher = Little, Brown| location = London| isbn = 978-1-85605-469-0| page = 34 }}</ref>
|15= 15. [[Queen Victoria|Victoria of the United Kingdom]]<ref name="louda"/>
}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==Bibliography==
* Besse, Jean-Paul (2010), ''Ileana, l'archiduchesse voilée'', Versailles, Via romana {{ISBN|978-2916727745}} 
* Gelardi, Julia (2006), ''Born to Rule : Granddaughters of Victoria, Queens of Europe'', Headline Review {{ISBN|0755313925}}
* {{citation
| last = Gould Lee
| first = Arthur Stanley
| title = Helen, Queen Mother of Rumania, Princess of Greece and Denmark: An Authorized Biography 
| publisher = Faber and Faber
| year= 1956
| location = London
}}
* [[Lilly Marcou|Marcou, Lilly]] (2002), ''Le Roi trahi : Carol II de Roumanie'', Pygmalion {{ISBN|2857047436}}
* Mateos Sainz de Medrano, Ricardo (2004), ''La Familia de la Reina Sofía : La Dinastía griega, la Casa de Hannover y los reales primos de Europa'', Madrid, La Esfera de los Libros {{ISBN|84-9734-195-3}}
* Pakula, Hannah (1996), ''The Last Romantic : A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson History {{ISBN|1-8579-98162}}
*{{citation
  | last = Porter
  | first =Ivor
  | year = 2005
  | title = Michael of Romania. The King and the Country
  | publisher = Sutton Publishing
  | place = Phoenix Mill
  }}
* "Queen Helen of Rumania", ''The Times'' (30 November 1982): 12.
* Van der Kiste, John (1994), ''Kings of the Hellenes : The Greek Kings, 1863–1974'' {{ISBN|0750921471}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Queen Helen of Romania}}
* [http://www.greekroyalfamily.gr/en/timeline/birth-of-princess-helen.html Royal House of Greece]
* [http://www.familiaregala.ro/ Royal House of Romania]
* [http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/family.html?language=en&itemId=4044237 Helen of Greece and Denmark] – description of her activity at [[Yad Vashem]] website

{{Greek princesses}}
{{Danish princesses}}
{{Romanian princesses by marriage}}
{{Righteous footer|state=collapsed}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helen Of Greece And Denmark}}
[[Category:1896 births]]
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[[Category:Princesses of Greece]]
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[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania)]]
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