Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy – source: Wikipedia

Elena of Montenegro was the wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, who reigned from 1900 until 1946. She was born on January 8, 1873, in Cetinje, Montenegro, the sixth of twelve children of King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić.

Elena had 11 siblings:

A shy and reserved child, Elena was brought up in Cetinje, Montenegro, and received a well-rounded education. She became fluent in several languages, developed a love of poetry and nature, and was well-versed in politics. Elena studied at the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, and published several poems in a Russian literary magazine.

Elena with her husband and four oldest children in 1908; source: Wikipedia

Soon, a marriage was arranged with Vittorio Emanuele (then the Prince of Naples), the only son of King Umberto I of Italy and Princess Margherita of Savoy. The couple married on October 24, 1896, in Rome. A civil ceremony was held at the Quirinal Palace followed by a religious ceremony at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and Martyrs. Elena, raised in the Eastern Orthodox faith, converted to Catholicism before the marriage. Elena’s conversion greatly distressed her mother and she refused to attend the wedding.

Elena and Vittorio Emanuele had five children:

Elena and Vittorio Emanuele arriving at the Expo for the 50th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, 1911. source: Wikipedia

Elena quickly became a great support to her husband and a favorite of the Italian people. She focused on helping those in need in her new country. After the 1908 Messina earthquake, Elena was photographed working with the rescuers. She served as the First Inspector of the Voluntary Nurses for the Italian Red Cross from 1911-1921 and worked as a nurse during World War I. Along with her mother-in-law, she established hospitals at Quirinal Palace and Villa Margherita. Queen Elena is often credited with ‘inventing’ the signed photograph, which she had sold to raise funds for the war effort and medical care for the Italian forces.

Over the next fifty years, she would provide funding for numerous charitable institutions and hospitals to help the sick, injured soldiers, and impoverished mothers. Having studied medicine, she became a strong advocate for improved medical treatments and promoted better training for doctors and research into fighting numerous diseases.

Queen Elena, 1933. source: Wikipedia

In the midst of World War II, her husband, having initially supported the Fascist movement, found himself lacking the confidence of the Italian people. Despite having transferred much of his power to their son in 1944, it became necessary for him to step down from the throne in an attempt to save the monarchy. King Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated on May 9, 1946, hoping that a new King, his son Umberto II, would bring support for continuing the monarchy in an upcoming referendum. However, his son would only reign for several weeks before Italy became a Republic in an overwhelming vote.

After the abdication, Vittorio Emanuele and Elena went into exile, settling in Alexandria, Egypt, at the invitation of King Farouk of Egypt. Vittorio Emanuele died in Alexandria in 1947, and in 1950, Elena moved to Montpellier, France, to undergo treatment for cancer. Living at the Metropole Hotel, Queen Elena died of a pulmonary embolism on November 28, 1952. She was buried in the Montpellier Municipal Cemetery.  In December 2017, her remains were quietly moved to the San Bernardo chapel in the Sanctuary of Vicoforte in Italy.

Tombs of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Elena of Montenegro; Credit – By Fabio Daziano – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64991612

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Italy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; Credit – Wikipedia

King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy reigned from 1900 until his abdication in 1946. Born in Naples, Italy on November 11, 1869, Prince Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro of Savoy, styled Prince of Naples from birth, was the only child of King Umberto I of Italy and Princess Margherita of Savoy.

Vittorio Emanuele with his mother. source: Wikipedia

Following a private education at home, in which he excelled in languages, history, and geography, Vittorio Emanuele studied at the Nunziatella Military School in Naples and the Military Academy of Modena. He then served with the Italian forces in Naples, Como, and Florence. He was also an avid numismatist.

Vittorio Emanuele and Elena. source: Wikipedia

On October 24, 1896, Vittorio Emanuele married Princess Elena of Montenegro, the daughter of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić. A civil ceremony was held at the Quirinal Palace, followed by a religious ceremony at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and Martyrs in Rome. The couple had five children:

While on a cruise in the Mediterranean with his wife, Vittorio Emanuele was notified of his father’s assassination on July 29, 1900. The new King and Queen quickly returned to Italy. Somewhat unprepared to ascend the throne as he was expecting his father to reign for many more years, the rather diminutive sovereign (standing at just over 5 feet tall) quickly made strides to become an effective, and well-respected, leader.

Vittorio Emanuele with King Albert I of the Belgians during World War I. source: Wikipedia

Initially remaining neutral at the onset of World War I, Italy soon entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente in 1915. During the war, the King was revered by the majority of the Italian people, and he spent much of the time visiting areas of Northern Italy impacted by the fighting and spending time with those suffering. His wife also worked tirelessly with the nurses in helping to care for the wounded.

Benito Mussolini. source: Wikipedia

Soon, however, the tides would turn. Italy was in the depths of depression following the war, which led to political instability. This led to the rise of the Fascist movement, led by Benito Mussolini. Already established as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, Mussolini led the March on Rome in October 1922, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Luigi Facta, and the establishment of a new Fascist government. The government wanted the King to declare martial law, but perhaps doubting that the Royal Army could overtake the uprising, the King refused. Facta resigned and the King made Mussolini Prime Minister. Soon, all sense of democracy was pushed aside and Mussolini had established himself as the dictator, with the King merely his puppet.

In 1936, Vittorio Emanuele became the titular Emperor of Ethiopia after Italian forces invaded the country and overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. Three years later, he also became King of the Albanians after King Zog I was overthrown by Italian forces. He would later renounce both of these titles and support the restoration of the rightful monarchs although King Zog would never return to Albania.

King Vittorio Emanuele III, c. 1936. source: Wikipedia

In June 1940, Italy entered World War II on the side of the Nazis, despite the King’s warnings that the country was unprepared for war. Numerous losses brought more dependence on the German Reich, and the King’s dwindling public support suffered even further. However, after the Allies landed in Sicily in July 1943, the tides would begin to turn again. Mussolini’s power had begun to fall apart, and his own Grand Council of Fascism asked the King to resume his full constitutional powers. He did, and his first act was ordering the arrest of Mussolini. The King also formally renounced his claims to the thrones of Ethiopia and Albania, in favor of those countries’ rightful sovereigns. Less than two months later, he signed an armistice with the Allies. Confusion ensued and the Germans were able to quickly overtake many of the Italian forces. The King fled to southern Italy to avoid the German advance on Rome, and German troops freed Mussolini, who soon established a new Fascist state in northern Italy.

Despite his return to power, Vittorio Emanuele recognized that his earlier support of the Fascist regime had left him with questionable support from the Italian people. Over several months in 1944, he transferred all of his royal powers to his son, the future King Umberto II, who was created Lieutenant General of the Realm. Vittorio Emanuele was King in name only.

Before long, a referendum was held to decide whether to retain the monarchy or become a republic. Hoping to save the monarchy, King Vittorio Emanuele III formally abdicated on May 9, 1946, in favor of his son. However, his hopes were not realized, and the Italian monarchy was formally abolished just weeks later. The royal family was sent into exile, and Vittorio Emanuele settled in Egypt, taking the title Count of Pollenzo. He died in Alexandria, Egypt on December 28, 1947, and was buried at Saint Catherine’s Cathedral in the same city.  In December 2017, the King’s remains were moved to the San Bernardo Chapel in the Sanctuary of Vicoforte in Italy, along with those of his wife.

Tombs of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Elena of Montenegro; Credit – By Fabio Daziano – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64991612

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Italy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy – source: Wikipedia

Queen Margherita of Italy was the wife of King Umberto I of Italy, who reigned from 1878 until his assassination in 1900. She was born Princess Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna of Savoy just after midnight on November 20, 1851, at the Palazzo Chiablese, part of the Royal Palace of Turin. in Turin, then in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, now in Italy. Margherita was the daughter of Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. She had one younger brother:

Margherita’s father died when she was just four years old, and soon her mother married again to her chamberlain. Margherita’s uncle, King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy, enraged by this secret marriage before the official period of mourning was over, sent Margherita’s mother into exile, and for some time she was separated from her children.

Margherita was educated by a series of governesses and tutors, studying several languages, history, and literature, as well as significant studies in the arts and music. She was also raised in a very devout Catholic manner. She took weekly dance lessons, along with her cousin (and future brother-in-law), Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, the future King of Spain, and it has been suggested by several scholars that there were the beginnings of a romantic relationship. Several years later, the idea of marriage to her other cousin, the future King Umberto I, was suggested, but King Vittorio Emanuele wanted to arrange a marriage to an Austrian archduchess to strengthen ties between the two countries. Sadly, the proposed bride, Mathilde of Austria, died tragically when her dress caught fire. Shortly after, it was again suggested that Umberto should marry Margherita, and this time, the king agreed. Having already refused an offer of marriage from the future King Carol I of Romania, Margherita happily accepted Umberto’s proposal in January 1868.

The marriage of Umberto and Margherita, 1868. source: Wikipedia

The couple married on April 21, 1868, in a civil ceremony held at the Royal Palace of Turin, with a religious ceremony held in the Turin Cathedral the following day. Settling in Naples, they had one son:

Margherita with her son, Vittorio Emanuele, c1877. Source: Wikipedia

On January 9, 1878, Margherita became the first Queen of Italy when her husband ascended to the throne following his father’s death. Immensely popular with the Italian people, Queen Margherita was very active with many cultural organizations, promoting the arts, and working extensively with the Red Cross. She is credited with introducing chamber music in Italy and often helped up-and-coming musicians with their education. These included composer Giacomo Puccini, who was able to study at the Conservatory of Milan thanks to a scholarship granted to him by The Queen.

Always possessing an adventurous spirit, in 1893 she climbed the Punta Gnifetti for a ceremony in which a mountain hut, the Capanna Regina Margherita, was named in her honor. She later became President of the Ladies’ Alpine Club.

Margherita was widowed on July 29, 1900. While visiting the city of Monza, King Umberto I was shot and killed by an anarchist who was avenging the deaths in the Bava-Beccaris massacre. The throne passed to the couple’s son, Vittorio Emanuele III, and Margherita settled into her new role as Queen Mother. She devoted herself to her charity work and the advancement of the arts in Italy. She maintained her official residence at the Palazzo Margherita in Rome and also lived in the Stupinigi Hunting Lodge.

Queen Mother Margherita, 1908. source: Wikipedia

In 1914, Margherita purchased Villa Etelinda in Bordighera, Italy. Originally built as Villa Bischoffsheim in the 1870s, she had stayed there as a guest in 1879 to recover after the first assassination attempt on her husband. In 1896, it was purchased by Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) who renamed it Villa Etelinda. The villa was situated in a large park, which is where Margherita had a new house built, named Villa Margherita. For the remainder of her life, she spent several months at Villa Margherita each year, entertaining numerous artists and writers as well as members of her family.

Queen Margherita died at Villa Margherita in Bordighera, Italy on January 4, 1926. She is buried beside her husband in the Pantheon in Rome, Italy.

Tomb of Margherita and Umberto; Credit – By Paul Hermans – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12748068

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Italy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Umberto I of Italy

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Umberto I of Italy; source: Wikipedia

King Umberto I of Italy (Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio) was born March 14, 1844, in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy. the eldest son of the future King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy and Archduchess Adelheid of Austria. He had seven siblings:

Umberto with his mother, Queen Adelheid of Sardinia, c.1850. source: Wikipedia

Umberto was just five years old when his father became King of Sardinia, and he was then styled Prince of Piedmont. He was educated privately, with some of the most prominent statesmen and artists among his tutors. After turning 14, he began his military career with the Sardinian forces and participated in the Italian Wars of Independence. In 1861, Umberto became heir to the throne of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.

Due to the infighting within the Italian states during the wars, many other royal houses did not look kindly upon the House of Savoy and were unwilling to establish any relations with them. The House of Savoy’s conflicts with the Pope did not help when it came time to find an appropriate royal Catholic bride for Umberto.

In 1867, in an attempt to ease the tense relations between Austria-Hungary and Italy, an engagement was arranged with Archduchess Mathilde of Austria. She was the daughter of Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen, and Princess Hildegard of Bavaria. However, before the marriage could take place, Mathilde died as a result of an accident. While smoking before going to the theater, she had tried to hide the cigarette from her father and caught her dress on fire, suffering severe burns. She died several days later.

Umberto and Margherita, the late 1890s. source: Wikipedia

On April 22, 1868, Umberto married his first cousin, Princess Margherita of Savoy (their fathers were brothers). She was the daughter of Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. Umberto and Margherita had one son:

When his father died on January 9, 1878, Umberto became King of Italy. Unpopular with the Italian people, Umberto was soon the target of an assassination attempt. While touring the kingdom with his wife in November 1878, an anarchist, Giovanni Passannante, attacked him with a dagger. Umberto was unharmed, but the Prime Minister who was accompanying the royal couple was severely wounded. A second assassination attempt would take place in April 1897, when Pietro Acciarito, an unemployed ironsmith, unsuccessfully attempted to stab Umberto.

In May 1898, workers organized a strike in Milan to protest against rising food costs in Italy. Wheat harvest in Italy had greatly diminished, and the cost of importing grain from America had risen due to the Spanish-American War. Despite attempts by the government to maintain the price by lowering the tariffs, it was too late and not enough. What began as a somewhat peaceful strike soon turned violent. In an attempt to control the crowds, the son of the Milan mayor was shot and killed. Soon, more workers were striking, and riots broke out. The government brought in General Fiorenzo Bava-Beccaris, one of the leaders in the Italian Wars of Independence, to restore order. All came to a head on May 7, when Bava-Beccaris ordered his troops to fire on the demonstrators. Nearly 100 people were killed and several hundred were wounded. A month later, King Umberto awarded the General with the Great Cross of the Order of Savoy, which brought further uproar among the Italian people. It would lead to a tragic end for the King.

The assassination of King Umberto I. source: Wikipedia

On July 29, 1900, while in the city of Monza, King Umberto I was shot four times and killed, by Gaetano Bresci, an anarchist who claimed he was avenging the deaths that occurred in the Bava-Beccaris massacre, and the insult of rewarding General Fiorenzo Bava-Beccarisfor his actions. King Umberto I was buried in the Pantheon in Rome. His son King Vittorio Emanuele III had a chapel monument, the Expiatory Chapel of Monza, built on King Umberto I’s assassination site.

Tomb of King Umberto I at the Pantheon. source: Wikipedia

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Italy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

April 1916: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Michael Hugh Hicks-Beach, Viscount Quenington

Viscount Quenington

Michael Hicks-Beach, Viscount Quenington; Photo Credit – http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com

Michael Hugh Hicks-Beach was born on January 19, 1877 at 40 Portman Square in London, England. He was the only son and the second of the four children of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, a Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer, and his second wife, Lady Lucy Catherine Fortescue, daughter of Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Earl Fortescue. Michael had one elder sister and two younger sisters.

  • Lady Eleanor Hicks-Beach (1875 – 1960), married Lt.-Col. Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet; had issue
  • Lady Susan Hicks-Beach (1878 – 1965), unmarried
  • Lady Victoria Hicks-Beach (1879 – 1963), unmarried

Michael was educated at Eton College and then attended Christ Church College at the University of Oxford.  He served as a Captain in the 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment at St Helena during the Second Boer War.  From 1906 until his death, Michael was a Conservative Member of Parliament from Tewkesbury and was a board member of Lloyds Bank. In 1915, when his father was created 1st Earl St Aldwyn, Michael then held the courtesy title Viscount Quenington, one of his father’s subsidiary titles.

On September 28, 1909, Michael married Marjorie Dent-Brocklehurst of Sudeley Castle, the castle where Catherine Parr, the widow of King Henry VIII, lived the last years of her life. The couple had two children:

  • Lady Delia Mary Hicks-Beach (1910 – 2006), married Brigadier Sir Michael Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn, 3rd Baronet; had issue
  • Michael John Hicks-Beach, 2nd Earl St Aldwyn (1912 – 1992), married Diana Mary Christian Mills, had issue including Michael Henry Hicks-Beach, 3rd Earl St. Aldwyn

At the start of World War I, Michael joined the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars as a 2nd Lieutenant and served during the Gallipoli Campaign.  After evacuation from Gallipoli, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars went to Egypt where took part in many of the battles that formed the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, and Michael served with them as a Lieutenant and an Adjutant.

Michael’s wife Marjorie (Viscountess Quenington) went to Egypt to serve in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), a voluntary organization providing field nursing services, and died from typhus in Cairo, Egypt on March 15, 1916.

About seven weeks later, on April 23, 1916, Michael died of wounds received when serving as Adjutant during the Battle of Katia, 40 miles from the Suez Canal, near Katia, Egypt. He and his wife were buried side by side at the Cairo New British Protestant Cemetery.

Cairo New British Protestant Cemetery; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

On April 30, 1916, just a week after Michael’s death, his father Michael Edward Hicks-Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn died, and his three year old grandson succeeded him as the 2nd Earl St Aldwyn. A joint memorial was held for Michael Edward Hicks-Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn and Michael Hugh Hicks-Beach, Viscount Quenington on May 4, 1916 at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London.

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Timeline: April 1, 1916 – April 30, 1916

  • April 23 – Battle of Katia in Ogratina, Katia and Duidar east of the Suez Canal and north of El Ferdan Station in present-day Egypt
  • April 27 – 29 – German gas attack on British troops at Hulluch, France
  • April 29 – British forces under siege at Kut-al-Amara, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) surrender to the Ottomans, first Siege of Kut ends

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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April 1916 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Captain and Brevet Major The Honorable Josceline Foljambe

 

Hugo Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho

Michael Hicks-Beach, Viscount Quenington and Member of Parliament

Georg, Freiherr von Saalfeld

Adelheid of Austria, Queen of Sardinia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Adelheid of Austria, Queen of Sardinia – source: Wikipedia

Archduchess Adelheid of Austria was the first wife of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia (the future King of Italy). She was born Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde on June 3, 1822, at the Royal Palace of Milan, the daughter of Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy.  Adelheid’s father was the Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, a constituent land of the Austrian Empire.

Adelheid had seven siblings:

  • Archduchess Maria Karolina (1821 – 1844) – unmarried
  • Archduke Leopold Ludwig (1823 – 1898) – unmarried
  • Archduke Ernst Karl (1824 – 1899) – married morganatically Laura Skublics de Velike et Bessenyö, had issue
  • Archduke Sigismund (1826 – 1891) – unmarried, no issue
  • Archduke Rainer (1827 – 1913) – married Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria, no issue
  • Archduke Heinrich (1828 – 1891) – married morganatically to Leopoldine Hoffman, had issue
  • Archduke Maximilian (1830 – 1839) – died as a child

Adelheid and Vittorio with their six oldest children, source: Wikipedia

On April 12, 1842, at the Palazzina di caccia di Stupinigi in Italy, she married Vittorio Emanuele, the son of King Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia and Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria. The two were first cousins (her mother and his father were siblings), and also first cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. At the time of their marriage, Vittorio Emanuele was heir to the Sardinian throne and held the title Duke of Savoy. The couple had eight children:

Adelheid with her son, Umberto – Source: Wikipedia

Adelheid became Queen of Sardinia on March 23, 1849, following her father-in-law’s abdication and her husband’s accession to the throne. However, she never lived to become the Queen of Italy. Just days after giving birth to her last child, Adelheid fell ill after attending the funeral of her mother-in-law in Turin. Adelheid herself died four days later, on January 20, 1855, at the Royal Palace of Turin in the Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy. She was interred at the Royal Basilica of Superga in Turin.

The Royal Basilica of Superga. Source: Wikipedia, photo by Rolopack

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Italy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy; source: Wikipedia

King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy reigned from 1861 until 1878. He was born Prince Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso of Savoy on March 14, 1820, in Turin, the eldest son of Carlo Alberto, 7th Prince of Carignano, the future King of Sardinia, and Maria Theresa of Austria, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. He had two younger siblings:

In 1831,  Vittorio Emanuele’s father succeeded a distant cousin, becoming King of Sardinia. Vittorio Emanuele accompanied his father to Turin, where he underwent a very strict regimen of education and physical activities. Soon, he began his military career, attaining the rank of Colonel and commanding his own regiment. He later was elevated to the rank of General.

Vittorio Emanuele and his family, c1854. source: Wikipedia

On April 12, 1842, at the Palazzina de caccia di Stupinigi, Vittorio was married to Archduchess Adelheid of Austria. She was the daughter of Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. Vittorio and Adelheid were first cousins, as his father and her mother were siblings. They were also first cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Adelheid died on January 20, 1855, just twelve days after giving birth to their youngest child.

The couple had eight children:

In 1847,  27-year-old Vittorio Emanuele met 14-year-old Rose Vercellana when her father became the commander of the royal garrison at the Royal Castle of Racconigi, the hunting estate of the royal family of Sardinia. She soon became his mistress. At that time, Vittorio Emanuele had been married to his wife Adelheid of Austria for seven years and five of their eight children had been born.

Vittorio Emanuele’s many other relationships were brief, but his relationship with Rosa lasted the rest of his life. Their early meetings were very secret because Vittorio Emanuele’s father Carlo Alberto, King of Sardinia was against the affair and because it was illegal to have sex with minors. Eventually, Rosa was given a home on the grounds of the Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi (the hunting residence of Stupinigi), closer to Turin, the seat of government.

Rosa and Vittorio Emanuele had a daughter and a son, born when Rosa was fifteen and eighteen:

  • Vittoria Guerrieri (1848 – 1905), married (1) Giacomo Filippo Spinola, had three children (2) Luigi Domenico Spinola, brother of her first husband, had one daughter (3) Paolo de Simone, no children
  • Emanuele Alberto Guerrieri, Count of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda (1851 – 1894), married Bianca Enrichetta de Lardere, had two sons

Rosa and Vittorio Emanuele with their two children in the 1860s Credit – Wikipedia

Following a massive defeat by the Austrian forces, Vittorio Emanuele’s father abdicated on March 23, 1849, and he succeeded his father as King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia. He was a driving force behind the “Risorgimento”, the Italian unification movement.

Over the next twelve years, Vittorio Emanuele II led the drive toward a unified kingdom. Under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a noted general and politician, the Sardinian forces soon gained Sicily and Naples. He then led his forces against the Papal army, driving the Pope into Vatican City. This resulted in the Pope excommunicating Vittorio Emanuele from the Roman Catholic church. Garibaldi soon conquered the Kingdom of Two Sicilies but was stopped from attacking Rome as it was under protection from the French. With all the newly acquired lands, on March 17, 1861, Vittorio Emanuele was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.

After the death of Vittorio Emanuele’s wife Adelheid in 1855, his relationship with Rosa Vercellana continued, despite his numerous other lovers, and became more public. Although the relationship caused much scandal and hostility at court, Vittorio Emanuele did not yield to any pressure. In 1858, Vittorio created Rosa Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda, recognized their two children, and gave them the surname Guerrieri. A year later, Vittorio Emanuele purchased the Castle of Sommariva Perno (link in Italian) for Rosa. Although the Italian nobles despised Rosa, she was loved by the common people for her peasant origins.

When Vittorio Emanuele fell seriously ill in 1869 and feared he was dying, he married Rosa in a religious ceremony on October 18, 1869. However, Vittorio Emanuele did not die. The marriage was morganatic, a marriage between people of unequal social rank in which the position or privileges of the higher-ranked spouse are not passed on to the other spouse or any children. Rosa’s children had no succession rights and she did not become Queen of Italy, instead, she retained her titles Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda, which the Vittorio Emanuele had given her in 1858. So that Rosa would have marriage civil rights, a civil marriage was held on October 7, 1877, just three months before Vittorio Emanuele’s death.

The Quirinal Palace. source: Wikipedia

In 1870, allied with Prussia, the King capitalized on Prussia’s victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War and captured Rome after the French forces withdrew. On September 20, 1870, Vittorio Emanuele entered Rome, established the city as the new capital of Italy, and took up residence at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy.

The remainder of his reign was more peaceful. Vittorio Emanuele focused on building up the new Kingdom of Italy, both financially and culturally, further cementing his legacy as ‘Father of the Fatherland’ (Padre Della Patria), a title given to him by the Italian people. King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy died at the Quirinal Palace on January 8, 1878. He is buried in the Pantheon in Rome.

Tomb of Vittorio Emmanuele II; Credit – By Fczarnowski – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10594487

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Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania source: Wikipedia

Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mother of Romania, was the second wife of King Carol II of Romania, the eldest son of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. She was born on May 2, 1896, in Athens, Greece the third of six children of King Constantine I of the Hellenes and Princess Sophie of Prussia. Her siblings were:

Helen (left) with her brothers and sister Irene (seated), 1904. source: Wikipedia

Helen was educated at home by tutors and governesses and was particularly close to her brother, Alexander. Their family life was often disrupted by the political tension in Greece, and the family spent several years in exile. Following her grandfather’s assassination in 1913, Helen’s father became King of the Hellenes. However, he would be forced from the throne in 1917. The family settled in Switzerland, while Helen’s brother Alexander was chosen to replace his father.

Helen and Carol, 1921. source: Wikipedia

In 1920, while the Greek royal family was in exile, Queen Marie of Romania and her daughters visited them. This resulted in the engagement of Helen’s brother, the future King George II of the Hellenes, and Princess Elisabeta of Romania. The group was soon joined by the future King Carol II of Romania who was returning from a trip around the world, intended to separate him from his first (and former) wife, Zizi Lambrino. After traveling together to Romania for the engagement announcement, Helen and Carol returned together to Switzerland and became closer on the journey. After returning, Carol asked Helen’s father for her hand in marriage, and their engagement was announced in November 1920. They married on March 10, 1921, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece, and following a honeymoon, returned to Romania.

The couple had one son:

The couple had apartments at Cotroceni Palace but lived at the Château de Foisor on the grounds of Peleș Castle, and later moved to a house in Bucharest. The marriage was not a happy one. Helen was very proper and aristocratic, while Carol preferred spending his time partying with his friends, and in the company of other women. Within a few years, Carol began an affair with Magda Lupescu, and in 1925 he renounced his rights to the throne and left the country. Helen was given the title Princess of Romania.

In July 1927, King Ferdinand died, and Helen’s son Mihai ascended the throne at just five years old. Despite being the mother of the King, Helen had no official position, nor was she a member of the Regency Council. At the end of that year, Carol asked Helen for a divorce, which she initially refused. However, she later gave in to the advice of the government, and the couple was formally divorced on June 21, 1928.

In June 1930, Carol returned to Romania following a coup organized by Prime Minister Iuliu Maniu. The parliament voided his previous renunciation of the throne, and he was proclaimed King. Helen remained at their home in Bucharest with her son, while there was a significant discussion, both publicly and within the government, about annulling the couple’s divorce. Helen was told that since the 1926 renunciation was voided, she had technically become Queen of Romania when her father-in-law died in 1927. However, when presented with a decree from the government to confirm Helen as Her Majesty The Queen of Romania, Carol refused, insisting that she should be styled Her Majesty Helen.

Helen and her son, Mihai, in London, 1932. source: Wikipedia

While Helen considered the annulment of their marriage, Carol was adamantly against it. Faced with harsh treatment from Carol – guards placed around her home, visitors harassed – Helen left Romania and traveled to her mother’s home in Italy. After she returned in 1932, King Carol began a media campaign to damage her reputation. The government finally interceded, announcing that she would be permitted to live in Romania for six months each year and take her son abroad for one month. They also confirmed her civil list payment. Despite all of this, she was expected to remain abroad. She purchased a home in Italy and in 1934 moved into Villa Sparta – her mother’s former home – along with her brother Paul and two sisters. She remained there for ten years, only seeing her son for a month or two each year.

Villa Sparta. photo by By I, Sailko, source: Wikipedia

In 1940, Carol was forced to abdicate and Mihai returned to the throne. Helen was called back to Romania and given the formal title Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Romania. Helen served as a close advisor to her son and encouraged him to stand up to Prime Minister Ion Antonescu who had established himself as dictator.

During World War II, she devoted herself to caring for the wounded, and in 1942 she played a major role in stopping Antonescu’s plans to deport the Jews. For this, she was later awarded the status Righteous Among the Nations (in 1993, nearly eleven years after her death). By 1947, Romania was under Communist control, and Helen and King Mihai were treated very harshly. When they traveled to London for the wedding of Helen’s cousin Philip Mountbatten to Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, many in the Romanian government hoped that they would not return. Despite being urged to remain in London, the two returned to Romania on December 21, 1947. Within days, King Mihai was forced to relinquish the throne, with threats of mass executions if he did not agree to abdicate. The country was proclaimed a republic and Mihai and Helen left Romania on January 3, 1948.

They settled in Switzerland, where they found themselves in poor financial circumstances. They had most of their assets and properties seized by the Romanian government and had been stripped of their citizenship. Helen’s biggest concern was the upcoming marriage of her son to Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma. Due to Anne’s Catholicism, most of her family refused to attend as the Pope would not sanction the marriage. Instead, Helen’s brother, King George II of the Hellenes, arranged for the couple to marry in Athens in June 1948.

Helen then returned to Villa Sparta in Italy, often hosting her son and his growing family, as well as her sister Irene and her son. She often traveled to England and Greece to visit family and participated in the Cruise of the Kings in 1954, hosted by her brother, King Paul of the Hellenes, and sister-in-law, Princess Frederica of Hanover. Helen also indulged her love of Renaissance painting and architecture, spending much time visiting museums and exhibits. Her love of gardening also led to a romance with the twice-widowed King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, who reportedly proposed marriage but Helen declined. Always struggling financially, Helen was forced to sell off many of her remaining assets and eventually had to give up Villa Sparta.

First Grave of Queen Mother Helen of Romania. Photo by krischnig, source: Wikipedia

In 1979, now facing the effects of age and financial difficulties, Helen left Italy and settled in a small apartment in Lausanne, Switzerland. She later moved in with her son and his family. On November 28, 1982, Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania, died in Lausanne. She was initially buried at the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery in Lausanne. Helen was reburied at the new Archdiocesan and Royal Cathedral at Curtea de Argeș on October 19, 2019.

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King Carol II of Romania

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Carol II of Romania; Credit – Wikipedia

King Carol II of Romania was born at Peleş Castle in Sinaia, Romania, on October 15, 1893, the eldest son of the future King Ferdinand I of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. He had five younger siblings:

Carol (right) with his mother and sister  Elisabeta, 1895. source: Wikipedia

King Carol II was the first King of Romania to be born in Romania, and the first member of the Romanian royal family to be brought up in the Orthodox faith. His predecessors were both born in Germany and had been permitted to remain members of the Roman Catholic church.

Carol with his great-uncle, King Carol I. source: Wikipedia

From a very early age, Carol was raised primarily by his great-uncle and great-aunt, King Carol I of Romania and Queen Elisabeth. The King felt that Carol’s parents were unable to raise their son properly. Ferdinand and Marie were young, and Marie had already had several affairs, which contrasted with the strict moral attitudes of King Carol I. The result was a virtual tug-of-war between Carol’s parents and the King and Queen, which left him, according to one historian, “both spoiled and deprived of love.”

Despite King Carol I’s efforts to raise Carol in his own militaristic image, the young prince soon found that he preferred to spend his time chasing women and partying with his friends. By the time he was 19, he had already fathered two illegitimate children. In 1913, King Carol I had him commissioned in the Prussian Guards, hoping to curb his hedonistic lifestyle. He later took his seat in the Romanian Senate upon reaching his maturity.

Carol and Zizi Lambrino, circa 1919. source: Wikipedia

On August 31, 1918, Carol married Joanna “Zizi” Lambrino, the daughter of a Romanian general, at the Cathedral Church of Odesa, Ukraine, Russia. King Carol I had not sanctioned the marriage, which was unwelcome by the Romanian people. The marriage was annulled seven months later, but the couple continued to live together. The following year, in January 1920, Carol and Zizi had a son, Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino, later known as Prince Mircea Grigore Carol of Romania.

Carol and Helen, 1921. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on March 10, 1921, Carol married his second cousin, Princess Helen of Greece, the daughter of King Constantine I of the Hellenes and Princess Sophie of Prussia. They had one son:

The marriage was arranged to form an alliance between Romania and Greece. Carol and Helen were mismatched, and the marriage was very unhappy. Helen was very aristocratic and refined, while Carol continued his partying ways and indulged in numerous affairs. In 1925, he began a relationship with Elena “Magda” Lupescu. She was the daughter of Jewish parents but had been raised Roman Catholic, as her mother had converted in her youth. Her father had converted to Orthodoxy. Magda had married a Romanian army officer in 1919 but was later divorced. It is speculated that she was still married when she first met Carol in 1923, but this is uncertain. Other sources state her divorce took place in 1920.

Carol made no efforts to hide his affair, and it quickly caused great controversy in Romania. Knowing that the Romanian constitution barred him from marrying her, on December 28, 1925, Carol renounced his rights to the Romanian throne. Once ratified by the parliament, this left his young son Mihai as heir-apparent.

On July 20, 1927, King Ferdinand died, and Mihai became King of Romania at just six years old. Several months later, Carol asked Helen for a divorce. After initially refusing, she was later advised to agree, and their marriage was formally dissolved on June 21, 1928.

In early June 1930, Carol quietly returned to Romania to negotiate with the Prime Minister for his return to the throne. On June 7, 1930, following a coup, Carol’s early renunciation was voided, and he was restored as King of Romania, replacing his young son. Despite taking an oath to uphold the 1923 Constitution, King Carol had no intention of doing so. From the beginning, he attempted to increase his powers, intending to establish a dictatorship. In a reign riddled with political infighting, Carol often pitted the political parties against each other, for his own gains.

After discovering a plan to bring the anti-Semitic party into power, King Carol suspended the constitution on February 10, 1938, proclaiming martial law and suspending civil liberties. He dismissed the Prime Minister and appointed the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church as his replacement. With the fear of impending war, King Carol tried to play both sides of the fence. He appealed to Britain for help, offering to place Romania under their economic influence, while also visiting Hitler in Germany, attempting to improve relations between the two countries. At the onset of war, Carol declared neutrality, violating the 1921 treaty with Poland and the 1926 treaty with France. It wasn’t until May 1940, seeing that France was losing the battle, that Carol aligned with the Axis powers.

The following month, Carol was forced to cede several regions to the Soviet Union, knowing that the Romanian forces were no match for the Red Army. Further land was lost in August 1940 due to the Second Vienna Award. With no support from the Romanian people, and the Romanian forces refusing to follow his orders, King Carol II was forced to abdicate on September 6, 1940, in favor of his son, Mihai.

Carol went into exile, settling in Mexico with Magda Lupescu. They bought a home in Mexico City, where he attempted to organize a movement to overthrow General Antonescu. Several attempts to regain the throne failed, as he had no political support.

Carol and Magda Lupesco. source: Wikipedia

Carol and Magda moved to Brazil in 1944, where they married on June 3, 1947. They soon moved to Estoril, Portugal, where he would live in exile for the remainder of his life. The former King Carol II died suddenly of a heart attack on April 4, 1953, in Estoril, Portugal. His remains were placed in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. His wife Magda was also buried there when she died 24 years later. In 2003, their remains were brought back to Romania and buried in a chapel outside the Curtea de Argeş Monastery in Argeş, Romania. His son, the former King Mihai, who had not seen his father since 1940, did not attend.

Romania Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

Elisabeth of Wied, Queen of Romania – source: Wikipedia

Queen Elisabeth of Romania was the wife of Romania’s first king, Carol I. She was born Princess Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied on December 29, 1843, at Schloss Monrepos in Neuwied, Principality of Wied, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Her parents were Hermann, Prince of Wied and Princess Marie of Nassau, and she had two younger brothers:

Through her mother, Elisabeth’s first cousins included Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg, Queen Emma of the Netherlands, Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany, and King Gustaf V of Sweden.

Elisabeth was educated by tutors including German linguist Georg Sauerwein and famed pianist Clara Schumann. Elisabeth was an avid student and wanted to become a teacher. Her love of music and the arts,  particularly writing, would shape the woman she would become as an adult. During her early years studying with Georg Sauerwein her pseudonym ‘Carmen Sylva’ was born.

Carol and Elisabeth, circa 1870s; Credit – Wikipedia

In the late 1850s, Elisabeth was considered as a prospective bride of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, but he was not interested. In 1861, she first met her future husband, Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Several years later, he was elected Ruling Prince of the United Principalities of Romania, taking the name Prince Carol I. After meeting again in 1869 when Carol was touring Europe in search of a bride, the couple was married in Neuwied on November 15, 1869. They had one daughter Maria born in September 1870. Maria died of scarlet fever in 1874, and Elisabeth never fully recovered from the loss of her only child.

Elisabeth with her husband and daughter, 1873. source: Wikipedia

Soon Romania was embroiled in the Russo-Turkish War, and Elisabeth worked tirelessly to care for the wounded, arranging for hospitals, ambulance services, and medicine. She later established the Queen Elisabeth Society which provided free medical care for the needy, and the Queen Elisabeth Blind Asylum in 1909, for the visually impaired. In addition, she became an ambassador of sorts, promoting Romanian culture and arts throughout the country and Europe. At a time when traditional Romanian costume was often considered ‘peasants garments’, Elisabeth and her ladies-in-waiting often dressed in the outfits for public appearances. She arranged for exhibits of Romanian crafts at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris in 1867,1889 and 1900 and held an exhibit Women in the Arts and Crafts in Berlin in 1912. When Romania was not quite part of the normal ‘tourist circuit’, Elisabeth promoted the country and would even receive travelers on the Orient Express when they would stop in Sinaia.

A relentless patron of the arts, she often hosted writers, composers, and musicians, and helped promote their works. In later years, she had a concert hall built near Peleș Castle specifically for George Enescu, the famed Romanian musician. But her true passion was writing. Under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva, she wrote hundreds of poems, plays, novels, short stories, and essays, and thanks to her fluency in several languages, she published numerous translations of other works.

Shortly after becoming Queen of Romania in 1881, Elisabeth became embroiled in controversy. Having no children, King Carol had adopted his nephew, the future King Ferdinand, as his heir. Ferdinand soon became involved with one of Elisabeth’s ladies-in-waiting, Elena Văcărescu. Elisabeth encouraged the relationship, even though a marriage would be forbidden under the Romanian constitution which stated that the heir was not permitted to marry a Romanian citizen. The scandal resulted in Elena, Ferdinand, and Elisabeth being sent out of the country. Elisabeth returned for some time to Neuwied, while Ferdinand was sent on a tour of Europe to find an appropriate wife.

Dowager Queen Elisabeth, 1915. source: Wikipedia

In her later years, Elisabeth continued to support and promote the arts and continued with her writing. She died on March 2, 1916, and is buried beside her husband at the Cathedral of the Curtea de Argeş Monastery.

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Romania Resources at Unofficial Royalty