Helena was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was educated by private tutors chosen by her father and his close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar. Helena was the most active member of the royal family, carrying out an extensive programme of royal engagements. She married the impoverished Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein in July 1866. Helena outlived him by six years, and died aged 77 on 9 June 1923.
About Princess Helena of the United Kingdom in brief
Helena was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was educated by private tutors chosen by her father and his close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar. Her childhood was spent with her parents, travelling between a variety of royal residences in Britain. Helena was the most active member of the royal family, carrying out an extensive programme of royal engagements. In 1916 she became the first member of her family to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, but her husband died a year later. Helena outlived him by six years, and died aged 77 on 9 June 1923. The German nickname for Helena was Helenchen, later shortened to Lenchen, the name by which members of the Royal family invariably referred to Helena. The Queen relied on her second daughter, Princess Alice, as an assistant of her own, but Helena was considered unreliable because of her inability to go long without bursting into tears. Helena married the impoverished Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein in July 1866, and the couple remained in Britain, in calling distance of the Queen, who liked to have her daughters nearby. Helena’s romantic letters to Ruland survive, and she was a strong supporter of nurse registration against the advice of Florence Nightingale. As the daughter of the sovereign, Helena was styled Her Royal Highness The Princess Helena from birth. Her godparents were the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ; the Duchess of Orléans ; and the Duke of Cambridge.
Helena was a lively and outspoken child, and reacted against brotherly teasing by punching the bully on the nose. Like her sisters, she could play the piano to a high standard at an early age. Other interests included science and technology, and horseback riding and boating, two of her favourite childhood occupations. However, Helena became a middle daughter following the birth of Princess Louise in 1848, and her abilities were overshadowed by her more artistic sisters. She married Prince Louis of Hesse in 1862, after which Helena was selected to assume the role in her place as an unofficial secretary. She died in 1923, aged 77, at Osborne House, the Queen’s Isle of Wight residence, and was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, with her husband, the Prince of Wales, on 8 June 1924. She is survived by her daughter Princess Beatrice and her son, Prince Edward VII, the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and their two children, Prince William and Prince Harry. The couple had a son, George, and a daughter, Beatrice, with whom they had two sons, Charles and Prince William, and two daughters, Princesses Victoria and Beatrice with Prince Charles. Helena is buried at Kensington Palace, the official royal residence in London, on 25 May 1846, the day after her mother’s 27th birthday. She also survived her father, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on 14 December 1861, when he died.
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