Elena of Montenegro
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (June 2011) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Elena of Montenegro | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Servant of God | |||||
Queen consort of the Albanians | |||||
Tenure | 16 April 1939 – 8 September 1943 | ||||
Born | Cetinje, Montenegro | 8 January 1873||||
Died | 28 November 1952 Montpellier, France | (aged 79)||||
Burial | |||||
Spouse |
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy (m. 1896; died 1947) | ||||
Issue | |||||
| |||||
Roman Catholic prev. Eastern Orthodoxy | |||||
Signature |
Elena of Montenegro (
Biography
Early life
She was born in Cetinje, at the time the capital of the Principality of Montenegro. She was raised in the values and unity of the family; the conversation at the table was conducted in French, and politics and poetry were discussed with equal ease; habits and relationships in the Petrović-Njegoš family did not stifle the spontaneity of characters and personalities.
She was tutored by the
Elena was described as shy and reserved but also rather stubborn. Very attached to traditions, with a sensitive soul and a lively and curious mind, she was endowed with a strong love for nature: her favorite flower was the cyclamen. She was a very tall woman of 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches).
Engagement
In Italy, Queen Margherita worried about the marriage of her only son, the future king, and in agreement with Francesco Crispi, who was of Albanian origin and eager for a greater influence for Italy in the Balkans, they arranged the meeting between the two young people. In April 1895 Elena attended the International Art Exhibition in Venice (at which she was presented to the king and queen of Italy) and the opera – where she was presented to Prince Victor Emmanuel.
After another meeting in Russia, on the occasion of the coronation of
Marriage
Being of
Queen
On 29 July 1900, following his father's assassination, Victor Emmanuel ascended the Italian throne. Officially, Elena assumed her husband's whole titles: she became Queen of Italy, and after Mussolini's occupations of Albania and Ethiopia she assumed the titles of Queen of Albania and Empress of Ethiopia.
Elena was described as dignified but natural and simple, and kept the simple habits of her youth in Cetinje. She did not enjoy social life and entertainment or the life of public royal representational duties, but preferred to live a simple, quiet family life. She was described as a loving parent, devoted in giving her children a simple upbringing, designed to prevent them from feeling superior to other children because of their birth.
To her appearance, Queen Elena was described in 1911:
- "No Queen in Europe to-day, save the Tsaritsa and Queen Victoria Eugenie, looks more a Queen than Elena. She is stately and tall, with a statuesque poise that anywhere singles her from the throng. Her hair is as black as midnight forest depths, her eyes as luminous as live coals. Her skin is like unto olives, and her hands firm and strong and large. Her shoulders are broad and she holds them squarely. The impression the woman gives is of unusual physical strength. Nor could this well be otherwise in view of her athletic training."[2]
On 28 December 1908 Messina was hit by a disastrous earthquake. Queen Elena helped with the rescuers. She visited the scene, organized for the wounded to be taken to a Hospital ship and assisted personally to their care as nurse; she also organized a fundraiser for the victims in Rome.[1] This helped to increase her popularity within the country.
World War I
Elena was the first Inspector of the Voluntary Nurses for the
During World War I Elena worked as a nurse and, with the help of the Queen Mother, she turned the Quirinal Palace and Villa Margherita into hospitals, which functioned from July 1915 until 1919. To raise funds, she invented the "signed photograph", which was sold at the charity desks. At the end of the war, she proposed to sell the crown treasures to pay the war debts. In 1920, she founded the Elena di Savoia foundation for scholarships to the orphaned children of former railway workers or soldiers; she suggested that every woman in Italy donated some of her jewelry to the children whose fathers had been sacrificed for the nation, and she started by donating some of her own.[1]
On 15 April 1937 Pope Pius XI gave her the Golden Rose, the most important honour given to a Catholic lady at the time. Pope Pius XII, in a condolence telegram sent to her son Umberto II upon the queen's death, defined her as a "Lady of charitable work".
World War II
In 1939, three months after the German
She influenced her husband to lobby
On 25 July 1943 Victor Emmanuel III had
Exile and death
Following the war, on 9 May 1946, Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in favour of their son Umberto, and the former king assumed the title of Count of Pollenzo. On 2 June 1946 a
65 years after her death, on 15 December 2017, the remains of Elena were repatriated from Montpellier, to the sanctuary of Vicoforte, near Turin. The remains of Victor Emmanuel III were transferred two days later from Alexandria, and interred alongside hers.[4]
Beatification process
In recognition of her great faith and the charitable activities she supported,
Children
King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Queen Elena had 5 children:
- Princess Yolanda Margherita Milena Elisabetta Romana Maria of Savoy (1901–1986), married to Giorgio Carlo, Count Calvi di Bergolo (1888–1978), with issue;
- Prince Philipp of Hesse(1896–1980) with issue;
- Marie José of Belgium(1906–2001), with issue.
- (1894–1943), with issue;
- Bourbon-Parma(1899–1967), with issue.
-
Princess Yolanda
-
Princess Mafalda
-
Umberto II of Italy as a child
-
Princess Giovanna
-
Princess Maria Francesca di Savoia 17 July 1917
Arms and monogram
-
Alliance Coat of Arms of King Victor Emanuel III and Queen Helena
-
Royal Monogram of Queen Helena of Italy.
-
Royal Monogram of Queen Helena of Italy.
Honours
National
- House of Petrović-Njegoš: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I, Special Class[6]
- House of Savoy: Knight Grand Cordon of the Royal Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[6][7]
- Vatican
- Holy See: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Golden Spur[6][8]
- Holy See: Knight of the Decoration of Honour[9]
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 1st Class[6][10]
- Vatican
Foreign
- Austrian Imperial and Royal Family:
- Dame Grand Cross of the Imperial and Royal Order of Elizabeth, 1909[11]
- Dame of the better source needed]
- Bavarian Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Theresa[6]
- Bulgarian Royal Family:
- Dame Grand Cross of the better source needed]
- Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St. Alexander, in Diamonds, 1933[15]
- Dame Grand Cross of the
- Nazi Germany: Grand Officer of the Order of Social Welfare, Special Class
- Iran: Order of the Sun, 1st Class[16]
- Empire of Japan: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown, 11 June 1909[17]
- Spanish Royal Family: 945th Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa[6]
- Yugoslav Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St. Sava[18]
- Holy See: Recipient of the Golden Rose (twice)[6]
References
- ^ a b c ELENA di Savoia, regina d'Italia. di Isabella Bellini – Enciclopedia Italiana (1932)
- ^ Durland, Kellogg: Royal romances of to-day, New York, Duffield, 1911
- ^ Paolo Griseri (17 December 2017). "Il fascismo, le leggi razziali, la fuga". La Repubblica. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ Nicole Winfield. "Remains of Exiled Italian King to be Returned after 70 years". ABC News. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ "28 novembre – Serva di Dio Elena di Savoia, Regina d'Italia". forum.termometropolitico.it. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "SAVOIA". Genmarenostrum.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "König Vittorio Emanuele III. und Königin Elena von Italien, King and Queen of Italy". Flickr.com. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Official Visit Of The House Of Savoy To Pius Xi Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Photographic image". Imgc.allpostersimages.com. Archived from the original (JPG) on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). Numismaticatrionfale.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Ritter-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1918, p. 328
- ^ "Mussolini In Spotlight Over Affair Claims Pictures". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "The Glittering Casa Savoia, a selection of Italian royal pictures (4)". Angelfire.com. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2016.[self-published source]
- ^ "The Glittering Casa Savoia, a selection of Italian royal pictures (6)". Angelfire.com. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2016.[self-published source]
- ^ "Български: Азбучник на ордена "Свети Александър", 1912–1935 г., XIII том".
- ^ "صفحه پیدا نشد | دوران قاجار". Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ 刑部芳則 (2017). 明治時代の勲章外交儀礼 (PDF) (in Japanese). 明治聖徳記念学会紀要. p. 157.
- ^ "The Royals Of Italy After A Reception On Campidoglio Pictures". Getty Images. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
External links
Media related to Elena of Montenegro at Wikimedia Commons
- The Njegoskij Fund Public Project : Private family archives-based digital documentary fund focused on history and culture of Royal Montenegro.
- Crnogorska princeza Jelena