Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont was a German princess who married Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria. She was a first cousin of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and a sister of Emma, Queen consort of William III of the Netherlands. She was also an aunt of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor. She was named after her paternal aunt Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany, who married Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, youngest son of Queen Victoria. Helena had a brief but happy marriage with Leopold, who suffered from hemophilia and died from a fall in Cannes, France, in 1884. At the time of his death, Helena was pregnant with their second child. She gave birth to a son, Charles Edward, who succeeded his uncle Alfred as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1899. Helena was very intelligent, had a strong sense of duty, and a genuine love of welfare work. She was regarded with great respect and affection by Queen Victoria, who initially worried that she might be a remote German princess. Helena was involved in various charitable causes, such as founding the Deptford Fund, which provided training and employment for women and girls in Deptford, London. She also founded the Albany Institute, which offered education and recreation for working men. She was a patroness of several hospitals and nursing associations, and received several honors for her social work. Helena died of a heart attack in Tyrol, Austria, in 1922. She was buried at Hinterriß in Tyrol, next to her husband Leopold. She was survived by her two children and six grandchildren. Her daughter Alice married Prince Alexander of Teck, later Earl of Athlone, and became a prominent member of the British royal family. Her son Charles Edward became a controversial figure for his support of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was deprived of his British titles in 1919 and his German ones in 1945. He died in 1954.