Elisabeth of Romania
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth of Romania (Elisabetha Charlotte Josephine Alexandra Victoria; 12 October 1894 – 14/15 November 1956) was the Queen Consort
of King George II of Greece
.
in October 1894, the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and his wife, Marie of Edinburgh
.
On 27 February 1921, she married the future King George
, then Crown Prince, in Bucharest
. It is believed that Prince George's uncle ex-Emperor Wilhelm II arranged the match. Constantine I of Greece
gave Elisabeth his castle of Tatoi and bestowed the title Duchess of Sparta upon her. She was queen consort from 1922 to 1923, and afterwards the couple lived in exile. The marriage was unsuccessful, and they were divorced on 6 July 1935. George was restored to his throne on 3 November 1935. Elisabeth then returned to live in Romania until its monarchy was abolished after World War II
.
She had numerous affairs, including one before her marriage with the acting UK High Commissioner in Constantinople, Frank Rattigan, father of playwright Terence Rattigan
. She became pregnant by Rattigan and was forced to have an abortion
. This affair resulted in his being expelled from the diplomatic service.
She died in Cannes
, France
in 1956.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of King George II of Greece
George II of Greece
George II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
.
Biography
She was born in the Peleş CastlePeles Castle
Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914...
in October 1894, the daughter of King Ferdinand I of Romania and his wife, Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
.
On 27 February 1921, she married the future King George
George II of Greece
George II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
, then Crown Prince, in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. It is believed that Prince George's uncle ex-Emperor Wilhelm II arranged the match. Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
gave Elisabeth his castle of Tatoi and bestowed the title Duchess of Sparta upon her. She was queen consort from 1922 to 1923, and afterwards the couple lived in exile. The marriage was unsuccessful, and they were divorced on 6 July 1935. George was restored to his throne on 3 November 1935. Elisabeth then returned to live in Romania until its monarchy was abolished after 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...
.
She had numerous affairs, including one before her marriage with the acting UK High Commissioner in Constantinople, Frank Rattigan, father of playwright Terence Rattigan
Terence Rattigan
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan CBE was one of England's most popular 20th-century dramatists. His plays are generally set in an upper-middle-class background...
. She became pregnant by Rattigan and was forced to have an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. This affair resulted in his being expelled from the diplomatic service.
She died in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, 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...
in 1956.