July 13, 1935
Gladys Baker, a journalist with the North American Newspaper Alliance, recently had an exclusive interview with former Queen Elizabeth of Greece, who is once again known as Princess Elizabeth of Roumania.
The interview took place in Elizabeth's "secluded pink villa" on Victoria Street in Bucharest. The new divorced Princess said: "It is difficult to marry two types of mentality unless there is an overlying strong feeling. So much depends on character and education. The temperaments of two nationalities are so essentially different that when the inevitable moment comes, a misunderstanding will form a much deeper wound."
The scars of the recently granted divorce in Bucharest are obvious, despite "gallant Elizabeth's efforts to conceal them from the outside world."
The interview took place in the Princess' drawing room "of simple dignity, a setting of antique woods and softened greens. There was a "nun-like severity in the plain gray gown she wore," according to Baker.
Although George and Elizabeth had been separated for some time, "the divorce came as a crushing blow to Greek monarchists," who hoped that the forthcoming plebiscite would have to restore George and his wife to the throne.
But this is not what the former queen wanted. "I never would have gone back. I never wanted to be a queen. Ever since I was a child, I dreaded the thought of it. One of the reasons I married my husband was that I thought he never would get back to the throne. I hated the hypocrisy, the superficiality, and the false admiration given to me because I happened to be born to a position of royalty."
Throughout the interview, Princess Elizabeth spoke with "controlled emotion."
Gladys Baker, a journalist with the North American Newspaper Alliance, recently had an exclusive interview with former Queen Elizabeth of Greece, who is once again known as Princess Elizabeth of Roumania.
The interview took place in Elizabeth's "secluded pink villa" on Victoria Street in Bucharest. The new divorced Princess said: "It is difficult to marry two types of mentality unless there is an overlying strong feeling. So much depends on character and education. The temperaments of two nationalities are so essentially different that when the inevitable moment comes, a misunderstanding will form a much deeper wound."
The scars of the recently granted divorce in Bucharest are obvious, despite "gallant Elizabeth's efforts to conceal them from the outside world."
The interview took place in the Princess' drawing room "of simple dignity, a setting of antique woods and softened greens. There was a "nun-like severity in the plain gray gown she wore," according to Baker.
Although George and Elizabeth had been separated for some time, "the divorce came as a crushing blow to Greek monarchists," who hoped that the forthcoming plebiscite would have to restore George and his wife to the throne.
But this is not what the former queen wanted. "I never would have gone back. I never wanted to be a queen. Ever since I was a child, I dreaded the thought of it. One of the reasons I married my husband was that I thought he never would get back to the throne. I hated the hypocrisy, the superficiality, and the false admiration given to me because I happened to be born to a position of royalty."
Throughout the interview, Princess Elizabeth spoke with "controlled emotion."
I like her honesty here.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how honest. Elisabeth was a very greed, a very avarious woman, a nymphomanic. I think she allowed the journalist to portray her as honest or sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteMarlene do you know what happened to Elizabeth in her final years? Ileana and Michael didn't get out of Romania with any money and had to work. She sounds not to be that nice of a woman. I haven't seen anything on her last years, so I always wondered how she adjusted to a non-royal life. Bea
ReplyDeleteElizabeth and Ileana were known as the Red Princesss, and were the last of the Royal family to leave. Elizabeth allowed her home in Bucharest to be used by the Greek communists. She had numerous affairs, even before her marriage. She was able to line her pockets and become very rich after returning to Romania, thanks her banker lover. She wanted to stay in Romania, even after the Communists took over, and was first assured that she would be - and to keep her wealth, but the Communists were lying. She and Ileana were tossed out, too, and she ended up in Cannes where she lived with her toyboy lover, Marc Favrat. Neither Helen nor Michael trusted her.
ReplyDeleteI should add that she had an affair with Frank Rattigan, father of the playwright Terence, when he was the High Commissioner in Constantinople. She got pregnant and had an abortion, apparently - this was before her marriage to George.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marlene,
ReplyDeleteI thought maybe she would have changed, like Ileana. Bea