Lady Helena Gibbs
Encyclopedia
Lady Helena Gibbs (23 October 1899 - 22 December 1969), born Princess Helena of Teck, was a descendant of the British Royal Family
, great-great-granddaughter of King George III
, and a niece of Queen Mary
, the consort of King George V
. During World War I
, the British Royal Family
relinquished their Germanic
titles, and Princess Helena assumed the style Lady Helena Cambridge.
, Mayfair
, Westminster
. Her father was Prince Adolphus of Teck (later the 2nd Duke of Teck)
, the eldest son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
. Her mother was Lady Margaret Grosvenor
, the third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
. As a child of Prince Adolphus of Teck, she was styled Her Serene Highness Princess Helena of Teck at birth.
led King George V
to change the name of the royal house from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English sounding House of Windsor
. The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British subjects, including Helena.
In response to this, Helena's father renounced his title of Duke of Teck
in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style His Highness. Adolphus, along with his brother, Prince Alexander of Teck
, adopted the name Cambridge, after their grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
.
He was subsequently created Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Eltham, and Viscount Northallerton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
. Helena was entitled to the style of The Lady Helena Cambridge as a daughter of a marquess
.
-11 October 1932 Tetbury
), a veteran of the Boer Wars and World War I
, on 2 September 1919 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
. The couple had no children together. Lady Helena survived her husband by 37 years and died at Badminton House
, home of her sister.
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, great-great-granddaughter of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and a niece of Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, the consort of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
relinquished their Germanic
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...
titles, and Princess Helena assumed the style Lady Helena Cambridge.
Early life
Princess Helena was born at Grosvenor HouseGrosvenor House
Grosvenor House was one of the largest private townhouses situated on London's exclusive Park Lane in the district of Mayfair. The house was the home of the Grosvenor family for more than a century...
, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. Her father was Prince Adolphus of Teck (later the 2nd Duke of Teck)
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
, the eldest son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III, and great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the consort of...
. Her mother was Lady Margaret Grosvenor
Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge
Margaret Evelyn Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge was the sixth child and third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster and the wife of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge...
, the third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
. As a child of Prince Adolphus of Teck, she was styled Her Serene Highness Princess Helena of Teck at birth.
Lady Helena Cambridge
During World War I, anti-German feeling in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
led King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
to change the name of the royal house from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English sounding House of Windsor
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British subjects, including Helena.
In response to this, Helena's father renounced his title of Duke of Teck
Duke of Teck
Duke of Teck was, in medieval times, a title borne by the head of a principality named Teck in the Holy Roman Empire, centered around Teck castle in Germany. That territory was held by a branch line of the Zähringen dynasty from 1187 to 1439, known historically as the first House of Teck...
in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style His Highness. Adolphus, along with his brother, Prince Alexander of Teck
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
, adopted the name Cambridge, after their grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
.
He was subsequently created Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Eltham, and Viscount Northallerton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. Helena was entitled to the style of The Lady Helena Cambridge as a daughter of a marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
.
Marriage
Lady Helena married Colonel John Evelyn Gibbs (22 December 1879 LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-11 October 1932 Tetbury
Tetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
), a veteran of the Boer Wars and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, on 2 September 1919 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. The couple had no children together. Lady Helena survived her husband by 37 years and died at Badminton House
Badminton House
Badminton House is a large country house in Gloucestershire, England, and has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century, when the family moved from Raglan Castle, which had been ruined in the English Civil War...
, home of her sister.
Titles from birth to death
- Her Serene Highness Princess Helena of Teck (1889–1917)
- Miss Helena Cambridge (1917-1917)
- The Lady Helena Cambridge (1917–1919)
- The Lady Helena Gibbs (1919–1969)