Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
Encyclopedia
Marie-Hélène de Rothschild (ma.ʁi e.lɛn də ʁɔt.ʃild) (November 17, 1927 - March 1, 1996) was a French
socialite
who became a doyenne of Paris
ian high-society and was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France
.
Born Baroness Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt in New York City
, she was the eldest of the three children of Marguerite Namétalla (1907-1996) and Baron Egmont Van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890-1960). Her mother was Egypt
ian, and her father a diplomat and businessman. Marie-Hélène's paternal grandmother was Baroness Hélène de Rothschild (1863-1947), the daughter of Baron Salomon James de Rothschild
, who had married the Dutchborn Roman Catholic Baron Etienne van Zuyles (1860-1934) of the House of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt
.
in Tarrytown, New York
and after finishing school she went to Paris
, where she met Count François de Nicolay
, (1919-1963) whom she married in 1950. Their son, Philippe de Nicolay, was born in 1955 but the couple divorced the following year. She then married her distant third cousin once removed Baron Guy de Rothschild
, (1909-2007) head of the de Rothschild Frères bank and they were married on February 17, 1957 in New York City. Their only child, Edouard Etienne Alphonse
, was born at the end of December that year.
and Bethsabée
, had been raised at the magnificent Château de Ferrières
in the country outside of Paris. Seized by the Germans
during the occupation of France in World War II
, the château remained empty until 1959 when the newlywed Rothschilds decided to reopen it. Marie-Hélène took charge of refurbishing the huge château, making it a place where European nobility mingled with musician
s, artist
s, fashion designers and Hollywood movie star
s at grand soirées. Much talked about for the lavish and creative theme balls
and charity
fundraisers she organized both in Paris and New York, in 1973, she brought together five French couturiers
and five American designers for a fashion show at the Théâtre Gabriel (http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/france/f_versailles_gabriel.htm) in the Château de Versailles.
In 1975, Château de Ferrières was gifted to the chancellery of the universities of Paris
by Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild but they retained the home they had built in the woods surrounding the château.
on the Île Saint-Louis
, one of the most luxurious mansions in Paris, where they took up residence in the top floors. Marie-Hélène became friends with the socialite Baron Alexis de Redé who was a tenant on the first floor in Hôtel Lambert and who would be a fixture at her gatherings. In recognition of her importance in promoting French culture and fashion on an international level, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was awarded the Legion of Honor.
and crippling rheumatoid arthritis
for more than ten years, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild died in 1996 at her Ferrières country home, aged 68. She was buried in Touques, Calvados where for more than a century her husband's branch of the French Rothschild family has owned Haras de Meautry
, a noted horse farm
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
who became a doyenne of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian high-society and was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France
Rothschild banking family of France
The Rothschild banking family of France was founded in 1812 in Paris by James Mayer Rothschild . James was sent there from his home in Frankfurt, Germany by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild...
.
Born Baroness Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, she was the eldest of the three children of Marguerite Namétalla (1907-1996) and Baron Egmont Van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890-1960). Her mother was Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian, and her father a diplomat and businessman. Marie-Hélène's paternal grandmother was Baroness Hélène de Rothschild (1863-1947), the daughter of Baron Salomon James de Rothschild
Salomon James de Rothschild
Salomon James de Rothschild was the fourth child of James Mayer de Rothschild, head of the Paris branch of the prominent Rothschild family of bankers.- Misspent Youth :...
, who had married the Dutchborn Roman Catholic Baron Etienne van Zuyles (1860-1934) of the House of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt
Van Zuylen van Nijevelt
Van Zuylen van Nijevelt This family must not be confused with the old noble family from Utrecht, Van Zuylen van Nievelt-Origins:During the 19th C. members of this family tried to prove that they were descendants of the Utrecht noble family. This has later been found impossible to prove.Their...
.
Marriages
She was educated at Marymount CollegeMarymount College, Tarrytown
Marymount College of Fordham University was a women's college in the United States, eventually to become part of Fordham University. The Marymount campus was located in Tarrytown, New York. Enrollment peaked at 1,112 in 1978, but by 2004 it enrolled 844 students...
in Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
and after finishing school she went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where she met Count François de Nicolay
François de Nicolay
Count François de Nicolay was a member of the House of Nicolay in France who was a farm manager, arboriculturist, and a politician who was elected to the Senate of France....
, (1919-1963) whom she married in 1950. Their son, Philippe de Nicolay, was born in 1955 but the couple divorced the following year. She then married her distant third cousin once removed Baron Guy de Rothschild
Guy de Rothschild
Baron Guy Édouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild was a French banker and member of the Rothschild family. He chaired the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, and maintained possessions in other French and foreign companies including Imerys...
, (1909-2007) head of the de Rothschild Frères bank and they were married on February 17, 1957 in New York City. Their only child, Edouard Etienne Alphonse
Edouard Etienne de Rothschild
Édouard Etienne Alphonse de Rothschild is a businessman and part of the French branch of the prominent Rothschild family. He is the son of Guy de Rothschild and Marie-Hélène van Zuylen van Nyevelt .-Background:Édouard de Rothschild studied law in France and in 1985 graduated with an M.B.A...
, was born at the end of December that year.
Ferrières Château
Her husband and his sisters, JacquelineJacqueline Piatigorsky
Jacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild is a French-American chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. The daughter of the enormously wealthy and influential banker, Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild, and Germaine Alice Halphen, she is the...
and Bethsabée
Bethsabée de Rothschild
Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild (name sometimes spelled Batsheva (September 23, 1914, in London - April 20, 1999, in Tel Aviv, Israel) was a philanthropist, a patron of dance, and member of the Rothschild banking family.-Biography:...
, had been raised at the magnificent Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières is a French château built between 1855 and 1859 by Baron James de Rothschild in the Goût Rothschild. Rothschild ownership of the Château de Ferrières was passed down through the male line according to the rule of primogeniture...
in the country outside of Paris. Seized by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the occupation of France in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the château remained empty until 1959 when the newlywed Rothschilds decided to reopen it. Marie-Hélène took charge of refurbishing the huge château, making it a place where European nobility mingled with musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, fashion designers and Hollywood movie star
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
s at grand soirées. Much talked about for the lavish and creative theme balls
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
and charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
fundraisers she organized both in Paris and New York, in 1973, she brought together five French couturiers
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
and five American designers for a fashion show at the Théâtre Gabriel (http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/france/f_versailles_gabriel.htm) in the Château de Versailles.
In 1975, Château de Ferrières was gifted to the chancellery of the universities of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
by Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild but they retained the home they had built in the woods surrounding the château.
Hôtel Lambhert
The couple purchased Hôtel LambertHôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert is a hôtel particulier, a grand mansion townhouse, on the Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name, Hôtel Lambert, was a sobriquet that designated a 19th-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there.-Architectural history:The house...
on the Île Saint-Louis
Île Saint-Louis
The Île Saint-Louis is one of two natural islands in the Seine river, in Paris, France . The island is named after King Louis IX of France ....
, one of the most luxurious mansions in Paris, where they took up residence in the top floors. Marie-Hélène became friends with the socialite Baron Alexis de Redé who was a tenant on the first floor in Hôtel Lambert and who would be a fixture at her gatherings. In recognition of her importance in promoting French culture and fashion on an international level, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was awarded the Legion of Honor.
Illness and death
After battling cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and crippling rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
for more than ten years, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild died in 1996 at her Ferrières country home, aged 68. She was buried in Touques, Calvados where for more than a century her husband's branch of the French Rothschild family has owned Haras de Meautry
Haras de Meautry
Haras de Meautry in Touques, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm. It was acquired in the 19th century by horse-racing enthusiast Alphonse James de Rothschild who passed it down to his offspring so that today it is in the hands of Edouard Etienne de...
, a noted horse farm
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
.
External links
- Marie-Hélène de Rothschild: Society's Star Choreographer - 1992 article in the International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
.