#princess Hélène of Orleans

[inky-duchess]

hi duchess! :D in my story the second-born english prince marries the second-born french princess (in it the french royalty were reinstated in the 1900’s) i was curious how her being a roman-catholic be viewed by the english monarchy? i feel like she would probably convert to protestantism (they got married in 1925 if that helps! :) )

Yeah... the English monarchy don't really like Catholics. A few decades before 1925, Prince Albert Victor was denied a marriage to the Catholic Hélène of Orleans first by Queen Victoria and then by Hélène's father who didn't want her converting. It's a big thing to abandon your faith, especially in the early 20th Century. Up until rather recently, marriage to a Catholic would strip the royal of their succession rights. The marriage of Prince Michael of Kent to the Catholic Baroness Marie-Christine in the 1970s took years of planning and negotiating, with the couple eventually marrying twice once in a registery office and then in a Catholic ceremony. There Catholics in the BRF today, mainly the Duke of Kent's family but as his wife and kids converted after the marriage they retained all rights.

[gogmstuff]

More Hélène of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta (from top to bottom) -

Princess Helene of Orléans by ?. From antique-royals.tumblr.com/post/110099659143/princess-helene-of-orleans 676X1055.

1895 Hélène d'Orléans on her wedding day by ?. Posted to Foro Dinastias by Minnie on 1 November 2009; removed mono-color tint 623X951. Geri Walton (geriwalton.com/princess-helene-of-orleans-potential-suitors-wedding-trousseau/) quoted the Gloucester Citizen: “The bridal dress shows her to be extremely tall, and is placed on a dressmaker’s lay figure. It also shows her to be very slight. Old Orleanists say the Princess has the figure of her grandmother, the late Duchesse d’Orleans. The wedding dress is of thick creamy white faille, rather lack lustre. The edge of the skirt is bordered with a garland of orange blossoms. The train is not made to be supported by bridesmaids, but is three yards long, and is lined with white moiré, which throws it well out from the figure. The corsage is made a little in the blouse style, with three deep pleats in back and front. It looks loose thought a close fit, and has a kind of ruff arrangement round the neck formed of finely pleated white silk gauze, dotted with orange blossoms and supported with a number of bows of white faille ribbon. This part is very light and graceful, and will look well round a swan-like neck. The sleeves fit closely to the fore-arm, and gigots above the elbow. They are not at all so ample as sleeves now generally are. The veil is nearly three yards long and two wide, and will fall over the whole dress. The arms of France and Savoy are brought into this design. The wreath of orange blossoms from which it will fall is arranged like a diadem, and must add to the impression of height.”

1895 Hélène d'Orléans, duchesse d'Aosta wedding. I found this before I recorded sources of images 484X479.

1898 Princess Hélène of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta by Giacomo Grosso (Castello de La Mandria - Venaria Reale, Torino, Piemonte, Italy). From history-of-fashion.tumblr.com/image/632517363094405120 1178X2142.

1900s Helene, Duchess of Aosta, neé Princess d´Orleans. From carolathhabsburg.tumblr.com/page/74; fixed spots w Pshop and removed mono-color tint 1044X1400.

Hélène, Duchess of Aosta color image. From Google search 450X594.

ca. 1898 Duchess Hélène of Aosta, shortly after the birth of her first son. From hmn.wiki/ru/Princess_Hélène_of_Orléans 1280X1974.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Hélène, Duchess of Aosta posing with some members of the Warundi tribe, June 1910.

[thepompandcircumstance]

ETYMOLOGY: Helen

The name Helen is one famous for the most beautiful woman in the world—Helen of Troy.

In nobility, such a name is common in Hellenic descendants. It is written in Modern Greek as Ἑλένη, and means “bright light.” Its french form Hélène is also used.

Here are a handful of royal women bearing this name:

Her Majesty Helen of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mother of Romania [mother of King Michael I, last King of Romania]

Her Imperial & Royal Highness Princess Helen of Greece, also known as GD Elena Vladimirovna [she also went by Helena, Helene, Ellen, Yelena, Hélène, or Eleni]

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel of Kent, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy [only daughter of Princess Marina and Prince George]

Her Royal Highness Princess Hélène of Orleans, Duchess of Aosta [the woman whose name Prince Albert Victor, the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, exclaimed in his deathbed]

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT-ISH: Princess Hélène of Orleans wore a diamond tiara as a necklace for Le Bal des Débutantes at the Shangri La Hotel in Paris on 26 November 2022.

[early20thcenturynerd]

Today, 173 years ago, Princess Helena was born.

“I have been unable to resume my Journal until today, owing to the interruption caused by my confinement on the 25th, but I shall try to do so now as briefly as possible, from where I left off, expressing 1st my humble & most fervent thanks for my safety, & particularly quick recovery. — To return to the 25th, I began being taken ill at 4 in the morning & just after 3 in the afternoon, a plump, good sized little girl was born. 

I had suffered a good deal, but I hope patiently, & my beloved one was always at my side, holding my hands or arms, fanning & comforting me. [...] She is to have the names of Helena, Augusta Victoria, the 1st, after her godmother, Hélène Orleans (being Albert's 1st cousin) the 2nd, after Aunt Cambridge (also her godmother) & the 3rd to mark her having been, the day after my birthday.”

- Queen Victoria’s diary, 10th June 1846

[gogmstuff]

Hélène of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta (from top to bottom) -

1887 Hélène, Duchess of Aosta (nee Princess d'Orléans) by Byrne Photo. From Wikimedia 695X1024.

Woman, possibly Elena d'Aosta. From bnnonline.it/index.php?it/337/il-ritratto-a-napoli-tra-ottocento-e-secolo-breve-il-fondo-piccirilli-e-larchivio-parisio; removed mono-color tint 619X939.

Princess Hèléne d'Aosta by ?. From delagoabayworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/helene_dorleans-aosta; fixed spots w Pshop 376X591.

Helene d'Orleans en Amazon. Posted to Foro Dinastias by Minnie on 5 June 2011; removed mono-color tint 295X691.

Presumed to be princesse Hélène d'Orléans by Lionel-Noël Royer (location ?). From tumblr.com/blog/view/mariaslozak/189168210128; enlarged to fit screen 994X1400 @72 266kj.

1890s Helene of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta by ?. From Wikimedia 549X800.

Helene of Orleans Duchess of Aosta. From antique-royals.tumblr.com/tagged/vintage 871X1300.

1890s Helene, Duchess of Aosta by ?. From upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Helene,_Duchess_of_Aosta 716X1015.

Helene of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta From antique-royals.tumblr.com-post-112468981883-helene-of-orleans-duchess-of-aosta left image; fixed spots w Pshop & removed mono-color tint 1643X1131.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Princess Hélène of Orleans and her youngest sibling Prince Ferdinand in 1892.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Hélène, Duchess of Aosta with her sons, Prince Aimone and Prince Amedeo, 1920s.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Princess Hélène of Orleans (1871-1951) dressed up in Egyptian native costume while visiting the country during her extensive travel in 1892.

Photograph shared by Edward Hanson on Daily Mail Online.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Princess Hélène of Orleans, Duchess of Aosta (1871-1951) holding baby Prince Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta (1900-1948) and toddler Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta (1898-1842). 1900.

She was married to Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 2nd Duke of Aosta (1869-1931) who was a first cousin of then Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel of Italy.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Eldest three children of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris and Marie Isabelle d'Orleans. Late 1870s.

Princess Hélène (1871-1951), future Duchess of Aosta, Princess Amélie (1865-1951), future Queen of Portugal and Prince Phillipe, Duke of Orleans (1869-1926).

[princessvictoriamelita]

Prince Philippe, Count of Paris (1838-1894) and wife Princess Marie Isabelle of Orleans, Infanta of Spain (1848-1919). 1889.

They had eight children, among them were Amélie, Queen consort of Portugal, Prince Philippe, Duke of Orleans and Hélène, Duchess of Aosta.

They are the great-great-grandparents of Felipe, King of Spain.

Source: Royal Collection