Princess Ileana of Romania, Archduchess of Austria-Tuscany

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Ileana of Romania was born on January 5, 1909, in Bucharest, Romania, the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh.

Ileana had five siblings:

In her youth and prior to her marriage, Ileana was involved in much charity work, following in the footsteps of her mother, Queen Marie. She founded the Romanian Girl Guides in 1928, and would later be involved with the Austria Girl Guides, serving as the organization’s president. She also organized the Girl Reserves of the Red Cross and the first school of Social Work in Romania.

Princess Ileana (right) with Queen Marie and Prince Nicholas, 1926; Photo: Wikipedia

In 1926, Princess Ileana and her brother Prince Nicholas accompanied their mother Queen Marie on a trip to the United States. They arrived in New York and visited several cities across the country, on their way to Washington State, where Queen Marie was to officiate at the dedication of the Maryhill Museum. The Romanian royals were wildly celebrated at every stop they made along the way.  (You can read more about Queen Marie and the Maryhill Museum HERE)

Princess Ileana and Archduke Anton on their wedding day, 1931.  Photo: Wikipedia

Her elder brother, King Carol II, introduced Ileana to Archduke Anton of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, and encouraged the couple to marry. However, his motives were sinister. He was jealous of the popularity that Ileana held with the Romanian people and his goal was to remove her from the country. The couple married on July 26, 1931, in Sinaia, Romania.  Watch a British Pathe film from their wedding HERE.  Soon after, Carol II banished the couple from the country, claiming that the Romanian people would never tolerate a Habsburg living on Romanian soil. They settled at Castle Sonnenburg, just outside of Vienna, Austria. It was here at Castle Sonneburg where Ileana established a hospital for wounded Romanian soldiers during the beginning of World War II.

The couple had six children:

  • Archduke Stefan of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1932–1998),  married Jerrine Soper, had issue, became a naturalized American citizen
  • Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (1933–1959), married Count Jaroslav Kottulinsky, had issue
  • Archduchess Alexandra of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 1935), married  (1) Eugen Eberhard, Duke of Würtenberg, no issue, divorced  (2) Baron Victor von Baillou, no issue
  • Archduke Dominic of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born 1937), married  (1) Engel von Voss, no issue, divorced  (2) Emmanuella Mlynarski, had issue
  • Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 1939), married Baron Hans Ulrich von Holzhausen, had issue
  • Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (1942 – 2019), married Dr. Friedrich Sandhofer, had issue

In 1938, Ileana’s mother, Queen Marie, passed away, and in 1940, her elder brother, King Carol II, abdicated in favor of his son King Michael. Ileana and her family were now permitted to return to Romania, and in 1944, she and their children returned, taking up residence at Bran Castle which she had inherited from her mother. She was soon joined by her husband, however, he was placed under house arrest by the Red Army. The Princess established a hospital in the village, naming it the Hospital of the Queen’s Heart, in memory of her mother whose heart was interred at Bran Castle in a small chapel Ileana had erected for this purpose. A few years later, when King Michael abdicated, the family was exiled from Romania, and all of their properties and assets were seized by the new communist government. They fled to Vienna,  Austria before moving on to Switzerland and Argentina.

photo: Wikipedia

In 1950, Ileana came to the United States for some medical treatment, and also with a plan to establish a home here for her family. Having lost most of her exquisite jewelry when they fled Romania, Ileana still had one amazing piece of jewelry – a stunning sapphire and diamond tiara which was first created as a gift from Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia to his wife, the former Princess Charlotte of Prussia, in 1825. Eventually finding its way down to Ileana as a wedding gift in 1931, Queen Marie had borrowed it to wear to London in 1935, for the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Due to the unrest on the continent, Marie decided to leave the tiara in her bank in London. Ileana was later able to retrieve the tiara and it moved around the world with her. Having pawned it several times through the years to meet financial obligations, Ileana now decided to sell the tiara in order to support her family. With the tiara wrapped in her nightgown, Ileana arrived in the United States and caused quite a stir amongst the customs agents! Once it was established what it was, and who she was, the tiara was packed off and sent to Boston which was Ileana’s destination. Once she arrived there, it took a few days and much hassle before she was able to retrieve the tiara and make arrangements for it to be sold in New York. Although sold for far less than its true value, it provided the Princess with enough money to pay off her debts in Argentina, bring the rest of the family to the United States, purchase a house in Massachusetts, and allow for proper schooling for the children.

Once settled in Massachusetts, Ileana spent the next several years touring the country, lecturing against communism, working tirelessly with the Romanian Orthodox Church, and writing the first of several books. Ileana and Archduke Anton divorced in May 1954, and Ileana remarried a month later, to Dr. Stefan Issarescu. This marriage would also end in divorce.

Princess Ileana, Mother Alexandra Photo: Associated Press

Princess Ileana, Mother Alexandra.  Photo: Associated Press

In 1961, Illeana entered a French monastery, eventually becoming a nun, and taking on the name Mother Alexandra. Returning to the United States, she founded a monastery in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, and served as abbess.  She retired from her position as abbess in 1981 but remained at the monastery for the remainder of her life.

Princess Ileana, Mother Alexandra, died on January 21, 1991, at the age of 82, after suffering a fall and two major heart attacks at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, the monastery she established in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.  She is buried in the Cemetery of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration.

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