Princess Helen of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Jelena Karađorđević or Princess Helen of Serbia (4 November 1884 – 16 October 1962) was the daughter of King Peter I of Yugoslavia
and his wife Princess Zorka of Montenegro
. She was the elder sister of George, Crown Prince of Serbia
and Alexander I of Yugoslavia
. Helen was also a niece of Anastasia of Montenegro
, or Stana, wife of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, and of Milica of Montenegro
, wife of Grand Duke Peter Nicolaievich of Russia
, the women who introduced Grigori Rasputin
to Tsarina Alexandra
. She was born Princess Jelena of Serbia, and was known as Elena Petrovna, Jelena Petrovna, Hélène Petrovna or Ellen Petrovna after her marriage.
, governess to the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. Eagar wrote that Helen, then about seventeen, often came to tea with another of her aunts, Princess Vera of Montenegro, and cousins. Young Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
was very fond of her.
, Queen of Italy, invited her for a visit and introduced her to Prince John Constantinovich of Russia. He proposed marriage soon after. It was a love match, a surprise to the family because the gentle, introverted John had thought of becoming a Russian Orthodox monk
. "Perhaps you know that Ioanchik is engaged to Helene of Serbia, it is so touching," wrote his distant cousin, 14-year-old Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
, to her aunt, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia
, on 14 July 1911. "How funny if they might have children, can they be kissing him? What foul, fie!" The couple married on 21 August 1911, in St. Petersburg, Russia
.
Helen studied medicine
at the University of St. Petersburg following their marriage, a career pursuit she had to give up when she gave birth to her first child. The couple had two children, Prince Vsevelod Ivanovich ( 20 January 1914 – 18 June 1973), and Princess Catherine Ivanovna born in Pavlovsk on ( 12 July 1915 - died in Montevideo, Uruguay on 14 July 2007). The three children and seven grandchildren of her daughter Princess Catherine, who married and later separated from Marchese Farace di Villaforesta, are the only great-grandchildren of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
and his wife Grand Duchess Elisabeth Mavrikievna.
and tried to obtain his release. John was imprisoned first at Yekaterinburg
, Siberia
and later moved to Alapaevsk, a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast
, Russia
, by the Bolshevik
s, where he was murdered on 18 July 1918 along with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna
, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich; John's brothers Constantine Constantinovich and Igor Constantinovich, his distant cousin Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley; Grand Duke Sergei's secretary, Fyodor Remez; and Varvara Yakovleva
, a sister from the Grand Duchess Elizabeth's convent. They were herded into the forest by the local Bolsheviks, pushed into an abandoned mineshaft and grenades were then hurled into the mineshaft.
in 1918. During her imprisonment, the Bolsheviks brought a girl who called herself Anastasia Romanova to her cell and asked her if the girl was Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. Helen said she didn't recognize the girl and the guards took her away.
Helen eventually settled at Nice
, France
. She never remarried.
Peter I of Yugoslavia
Peter I , was the King of Serbia from 1903 to 1918, and subsequently the ruler of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . He was a member of the Royal House of Karađorđević...
and his wife Princess Zorka of Montenegro
Zorka of Montenegro
Princess Ljubica Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro , and later became Princess Zorka Karađorđević in Serbia. She was better known as Princess Zorka....
. She was the elder sister of George, Crown Prince of Serbia
George, Crown Prince of Serbia
George, Crown Prince of Serbia was the older brother of Alexander I of Yugoslavia and younger brother of Helen of Serbia, son of Peter I, King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Princess Ljubica of Montenegro and grandson of King Nicholas I of Montenegro.-Early life:George was born in...
and Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
. Helen was also a niece of Anastasia of Montenegro
Anastasia of Montenegro
Princess Anastasia Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro was the daughter of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and his wife, Milena Vukotić . Through her second marriage, she became Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanova of Russia...
, or Stana, wife of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, and of Milica of Montenegro
Milica of Montenegro
Princess Milica Petrović-Njegoš, also known as Grand Duchess Militza, was a Montenegrin princess. She was the daughter of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and his wife, Milena Vukotić...
, wife of Grand Duke Peter Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Peter Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia was a member of the Russian Imperial Family.-Early life and marriage:...
, the women who introduced Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
to Tsarina Alexandra
Alexandra Fyodorovna of Hesse
Alix of Hesse and by Rhine later Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova , was Empress consort of Russia as spouse of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of the Russian Empire...
. She was born Princess Jelena of Serbia, and was known as Elena Petrovna, Jelena Petrovna, Hélène Petrovna or Ellen Petrovna after her marriage.
Early life
The strong-minded, purposeful Helen, whose mother died when she was a small child, was brought up largely under the care of her aunts Stana and Milica and educated in Russia at the Smolny Institute, a school in St. Petersburg for well-born girls. "She was a very sweet-faced though plain girl, with beautiful dark eyes, very quiet and amiable in manner," wrote Margaretta EagarMargaretta Eagar
Margaretta Alexandra Eagar, also known as Margaret Eagar, , was a nanny for the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, known collectively as OTMA: The Grand Duchesses Olga ; Tatiana ; Maria ; and Anastasia Margaretta Alexandra Eagar, also known as Margaret Eagar, (August 12, 1863...
, governess to the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. Eagar wrote that Helen, then about seventeen, often came to tea with another of her aunts, Princess Vera of Montenegro, and cousins. Young Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia ; , November 16 after 1900 – July 17, 1918) was the eldest daughter of the last autocratic ruler of the Russian Empire, Emperor Nicholas II, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia....
was very fond of her.
Engagement and marriage
A fourth aunt, Elena of MontenegroElena of Montenegro
Elena of Montenegro was the daughter of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and his wife, Milena Vukotić...
, Queen of Italy, invited her for a visit and introduced her to Prince John Constantinovich of Russia. He proposed marriage soon after. It was a love match, a surprise to the family because the gentle, introverted John had thought of becoming a Russian Orthodox monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. "Perhaps you know that Ioanchik is engaged to Helene of Serbia, it is so touching," wrote his distant cousin, 14-year-old Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia , , was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra...
, to her aunt, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia was the youngest child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. Her older brother was Tsar Nicholas II....
, on 14 July 1911. "How funny if they might have children, can they be kissing him? What foul, fie!" The couple married on 21 August 1911, in St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Helen studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the University of St. Petersburg following their marriage, a career pursuit she had to give up when she gave birth to her first child. The couple had two children, Prince Vsevelod Ivanovich ( 20 January 1914 – 18 June 1973), and Princess Catherine Ivanovna born in Pavlovsk on ( 12 July 1915 - died in Montevideo, Uruguay on 14 July 2007). The three children and seven grandchildren of her daughter Princess Catherine, who married and later separated from Marchese Farace di Villaforesta, are the only great-grandchildren of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, and a poet and playwright of some renown...
and his wife Grand Duchess Elisabeth Mavrikievna.
Revolution
Helen voluntarily followed her husband into exile when he was arrested following the Russian Revolution of 1917Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
and tried to obtain his release. John was imprisoned first at Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and later moved to Alapaevsk, a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast
Sverdlovsk Oblast
Sverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: -Geography:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s, where he was murdered on 18 July 1918 along with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia canonized as St. Elizabeth Romanova was a German princess of the House of Hesse, and the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, fifth son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and the Rhine...
, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich; John's brothers Constantine Constantinovich and Igor Constantinovich, his distant cousin Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley; Grand Duke Sergei's secretary, Fyodor Remez; and Varvara Yakovleva
Varvara Yakovleva
Sister Varvara Yakovleva, also known as Sister Barbara Yakovleva , or simply Nun Barbara, , was a Russian Orthodox nun in the convent of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna...
, a sister from the Grand Duchess Elizabeth's convent. They were herded into the forest by the local Bolsheviks, pushed into an abandoned mineshaft and grenades were then hurled into the mineshaft.
Imprisonment
John had persuaded Helen to leave Alapaevsk and go back to their two young children, whom she had left with John's mother, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna of Russia, but Helen was arrested at Yekaterinburg and imprisoned herself at PermPerm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
in 1918. During her imprisonment, the Bolsheviks brought a girl who called herself Anastasia Romanova to her cell and asked her if the girl was Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna....
, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. Helen said she didn't recognize the girl and the guards took her away.
Exile
Swedish diplomats obtained permission for Helen's mother-in-law Grand Duchess Elizaveta Mavrikievna to leave Russia with Helen's children, Vsevelod and Catherine, and her own two younger children, Prince George Constantinovich and Princess Vera Constantinovna, in October 1918 aboard the Swedish ship Angermanland. Helen remained imprisoned at Perm until Norwegian diplomats located her and had her transferred. She was then kept prisoner at the Kremlin Palace before finally being allowed to leave and join her children in Sweden.Helen eventually settled at Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France
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...
. She never remarried.
External links
- Helena Petrovna, a thread at alexanderpalace.org
- An Online Gotha, Romanov genealogy, almanachdegotha.org