Royal Profile: Princess Elena of Romania

Princess Elena of Romania was born 15 November 1950 as second fo five daughters of King Michai I of Romania and Queen Anne of Romania {Source}. She has one older sister, and three younger sisters, as well as two brothers-in-law, two nephews, two nieces, several nieces and nephews-in-law, and great nieces and nephews{Source}:

1. Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania (1949)
1. Prince Radu of Romania (1997)
2. Mrs. Irina Walker (1953)
1. John Kreuger (m 1983, div 2003)
1. Michael Torsten de Roumanie Kreuger (1985)
1. Tara Littlefeld (m. 2011)
1. Kohen de Roumanie Kreuger (2012)
2. Angelica Margaretta Bianca de Roumanie Kreuger Knight (1986)
1. Richard Robert Knight (m 2009)
1. Courtney Bianca Knight (2007)
2. Diana Knight (2011)
2. John Westley Walker (m 2003)
3. Princess Sofia of Romania (1957)
1. Alain Michel Léonce Biarneix (m. 1997-2002, div)
1. Elisabeta-Maria Bianca Elena Biarneix de Roumanie (1998)
4. Princess Maria of Romania (1964)
1. Kazimierz Wieslaw Mystkowsk (m 1995, div 2002)

She was baptized in the Romanian Orthodox Church, with her  paternal grandmother and namesake, Queen Helena, as one of her godparents.

She grew up throughout Europe, in England, Italy, and Switzerland {Source}. She began her formal education in Italy. She would later attend boarding schools in both Switzerland and England, graduating from Effingham House in Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea  in 1965{Source}.

Upon completing her education, she joined a choral group and traveled for a year and a half to Southeast Asia, visiting India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Iran, Malta and the Province of Tirol in Italy{Source}. During this time, she discovered a passion for travel, and her desire to learn as much as possible about people and cultures of the world{Source}. When she returned to Europe, she began working for Christie's Auctionhouse, as a dealer for artwork and jewelry sales in Switzerland{Source}. After a few years of this, she set off for London, where she took a course in administration, and worked at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts as a part of a project dedicated to assisting children with auditory issues{Source}. Two years later, Princess Elena began woring with an organization that helped children with hearing issues{Source}.

Her time a Christie's had a deep impact on the second born of five girls to the former King of Romania, after working with children with hearing issues in the arts for several years, she became involved with restoration of art objects in London and working with the Anton Ulerich Museum in Hannover, Germany to restore a ceramic collection{Source}.

In 1982, the thirty-two year old Princess found herself back in England and in love. She married Robin Medforth-Mills in a civil ceremony in England {Source}. They would later wed religiously on 24 September 1983 at a Greek Orthodox Church in Lausanne, Switzerland{Source}. Together, she and Dr. Robin Medforth-Mills have two children and a daughter-in-law{Source}:

1. Mr. Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (1985)
1. Alina-Maria Binder de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (m. 2018)
2. Miss Elisabeta Karina de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (1989)

She and Dr. Medforth-Mills would divorce in 1991, and he would die in 2002. She remarried His Excellency Alexander Phillips Nixon in 1998 in a civil ceremony, and would later celebrate a religious ceremony in 2013 {Source}.

After the 1989 Romanian Revolution, she set up a foundation thewas originally set for assisting children with disabilities  or poor living conditions in northeast England, and children with difficulties in Romania {Source}. THe Princess Elena Foundation would later merge with her sister's foundation, The Crown Princess Margareta Foundation, where Princess Elena serves on the Board of Governers {Source}.

She holds close ties to Romania and supports several interests in Romanian culture and economic interests both in Romania and England {Source}. Princess Elena spends several weeks a year in Romania, especially around Christmas and in the late spring {Source}.