Duchess Helen of Armenia

Duchess Helen of Armenia formerly Princess Helen of Serbia and Princess Helen of Russia (b. November 4 1884) is the Duchess of Armenia since the creation of the Duchy of Armenia as a Puppet State of the German Empire. Helen was also a niece of Princess Anastasia of Montenegro (or "Stana"), wife of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, and of Princess Milica of Montenegro, wife of Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia, the women who introduced Grigori Rasputin to Tsarina Alexandra.

## History

### Early Life

The strong-minded, purposeful Helen, whose mother died when she was a small child, was born in Cetinje, Montenegro, and was brought up largely under the care of her aunts Stana and Milica. She was educated in Russia at the Smolny Institute, a school in St. Petersburg for well-born girls. "She was a very sweet-faced though plain girl, with beautiful dark eyes, very quiet and amiable in manner," wrote Margaretta Eagar, governess to the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. Eagar wrote that Helen, then about seventeen, often came to tea with another of her aunts, Princess Vjera of Montenegro, and cousins. Young Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was very fond of her.

### Marriage

A fourth aunt, Queen Elena of Italy, invited her for a visit and introduced her to Prince John Constantinovich of Russia. He proposed marriage soon after. It was a love match, a surprise to the family because the gentle, introverted John had thought of becoming a Russian Orthodox monk. "Perhaps you know that Ioanchik is engaged to Helene of Serbia, it is so touching," wrote his distant cousin, 14-year-old Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia, to her aunt, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, on 14 July 1911. "How funny if they might have children, can they be kissing him? What foul, fie!" The couple married on 3 September 1911, at the Saints Peter and Paul Chapel of the Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg.

Helen studied medicine at the Saint Petersburg Imperial University following their marriage, a career pursuit she had to give up when she gave birth to her first child.

### Conquest of Russia and Serbia

After the Socialist Revolution that toppled the Russian Tsardom, Germany then invaded the Eastern Front to conquer all of Central Europe, East Europe and Asia Minor to create Puppet States to be buffers between the German homeland and the new Soviet Government. Tsar Nicolas was made the puppet ruler of Germany's Puppet State located in the Historical Ingra region which is the region of St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia. She and her husband then fled to Serbia only for Germany to conquer them due to her brother George and his sister Marie trying to "Get the Position of Crown Prince back for George by avenging the Serbs in Sarajevo who were wronged and harassed". Germany kept Peter I, her father as a Puppet instead of annexing Serbia. Helen and John were put under house arrest in Berlin for a "special job".

### Becoming Duchess of Armenia

She and her husband John became Duke and Duchess of the Duchy of Armenia after Germany conquered the region. She and John converted to the Armenian Apostolic Church before their coronation as Duke and Duchess. After that the two then became Duke and Duchess of Armenia when World War I ended. Helen believed a strong-minded, purposeful woman like her and loving gentle man like her husband are perfect for a nation who's people suffered hell to the Ottoman Sultanate's terribly awful genocidal behavior.

## Marriage

John and Helen have two Children

* Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich (born 20 January 1914) married Seda Madatian (b. 1914) who is a member of the Armenian Noble house of Madatian.
* Princess Yekaterina Ivanovna (born 12 July 1915) married Ruggero Farace, Marchese Farace di Villaforesta (b. 1909)