tH
# 78 APRIL 18 , 2016
consequently convert to
the Catholic faith.
The marriage is celebrated on October 24, 1896:
the civil ceremony is held
at the Quirinale, the religious one in the Roman
Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where Elena’s
mother doesn’t attend because of her Orthodox religion.
Following the defeat of
the Italian army at Adowa,
Ethiopia, the marriage is
not celebrated in a gorgeous expensive way: but
many real foreigners are
among the guests. A special stamp is designed for
the event, known as “Wedding of Vittorio Emanuele
III”: however, the stamp it
is never issued, apart from
rare copies. But numerous
souvenir medals with the
busts of the married couple are issued.
larly skilled in the study
of foreign languages, she
often acts as a translator
to her husband for Russian, Serbian and modern
Greek languages. On August 11 1900, following
the assassination of his
father, Vittorio Emanuele
suddenly rises to the throne. From the official point
of view, Elena assumes all
the titles of her husband
HM Vittorio Emanuele III:
Queen of Italy and, with
the advent of the Colonial
Empire, Queen of Albania
and Empress of Ethiopia.
The Royal couple moves
in Rome, at the Quirinale.
Elena completely supports Vittorio Emanuele. Her
presence next to the sovereign remains always humble and discreet: she never gets involved in strictly
political issues, but she is
always dedicated and at- On December 28 1908
Calabria
and
tentive to the needs of her Reggio
adopted people. Particu- Messina are hit by a cata-
strophic earthquake and
tsunami. Queen Elena immediately commits herself to help and relief, as
shown by photographs
of the time; this helps to
increase her popularity.
During World War I Elena
works as a time full nurse
and with the help of the
Queen Mother turns into
hospitals both the Quirinale and Villa Margherita.
Queen Elena finances
charitable works in favor
of encephalitic, needy
mothers, people with tubercolosis, veterans. On
April 15 1937 Pope Pius XI
awards her with the Golden Rose of Christianity,
the most important honor given at that time to
WE THE ITALIANS | 63
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