Princess Ileana of Romania arrived in Boston in the 1950s with an ermine trimmed wrap. Decades earlier, when she was a child, every time a family member entered or exited the castle, a trumpeter sounded the event. After WWII and the Communist takeover of her country, she found exile in Argentina and then the United States. After raising her six children, she founded a monastery in Pennsylvania, which is still thriving. Princess Ileana's autobiography is entitled 'I Live Again', and is a clarion call for love of God, family, country, ones people - wherever one lives.
She records that when she asked a Communist party member why they were spreading such lies about the royal family, he responded that first the family must be discredited and then forgotten. As she and her family were being sent to their death (as she thought - but thankfully 'only' into exile), the car got mired in snow and mud. The Communist military guards warned her that the Romanian workers coming home from the factories ought not be approached for fear how they would react to her. Instead, at her request, they silently dug the car out of the mud and then asked her to kneel and pray with and for them.
Princess Ileana is certainly a princess to be emulated. Like 'Ella' (New Martyr Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia) of whom I have written earlier, she was a descendant of Queen Victoria of England. Enjoy telling your daughters real princess stories. 'I Live Again' is out of print, but can still be found in some libraries.
Beth
Wonderful. Thank you for the recommendation. We get all the books you suggest!
Lucy
Posted by: Lucy | October 22, 2007 at 06:52 PM
Ileana's book is available for download online at: http://www.archive.org/details/liveagainprinces011739mbp
Thanks for sharing!
T.O.
Posted by: Theresa Olive | October 30, 2007 at 04:00 AM