ELENA OF ITALY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 46, 22 January 1938, Page 14

ELENA OF ITALY.

AN ELUSIVE FIGURE. In spite of modern journalism, in spite of the romance of royalty, and in spite, too, of the prominence of all things Italian in the jjublic eye to-day, Elena of Italy still remains the most elusive figure among Europe’s royal women—by her own choice. Her photograph is seldom seen m the Press, and her place by the King’s side at great functions is more often vacant than not. It is no secret that she hates publicity, and she is glad that one unmarried daughter—the Princess Maria—still remains at home to denutise for her

Yet Queen Elena’s personality and character are far more interesting than those of most women and she had a more romantic upbringing than any other queen of modern times, writes a correspondent. Born a princess of tlie tiny kingdom of Montenegro, she was reared in the shadow of her chieftain father, to whom all disputes were brought as he sat in judgment beneath the shade of a tree in his own garden. Her mother did her own marketing, and her palace home was just a big comfortable country villa in Cettinge.

The young princess’s extraordinary beauty enslaved the King of Italy. It was a real love match, for the alliance brought no wealth to the House of Savoy. But the King must have seen further into the character of his bride than did at first the Court circle in Rome, disappointed bv her lack of conventionality and her dislike of pomp. When the great earthquake of Messina occurred, she was one of the.first on the spot, and she. tended the sick and dying with devoted care. Nursing and social work have always been her chief interests, and she lias done an enormous amount towards raising the prestige of the nursing profession—always low in Latin countries—and towards helping to substitute the splendid new hospitals of modern Italy for. the ramshackle organisations she first found there.

Practical help, and no frills. Such might be Queen Elena’s motto. When coral went out of fashion and the coral fishers of Naples were threatened with ruin, she made her one gesture towards fashion bv wearing it continually. Of course all feminine Rome followed suit. And the fisher families were saved.