Partner
Nina Hollings
Queer Places:
Friary Court, 1 Marlborough Rd, St. James's, London SW1A 1BG, UK
Hellens Manor, Much Marcle, Ledbury HR8 2LY, UK
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green, London Borough of Barnet, Greater London, England
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Lady Helena Emily Gleichen, OBE, DStJ (1
February 1873 in London, England – 28 January 1947) was a British painter of
landscapes, flowers, and animals, with a particular passion for horses. A
passionate horsewoman and successful artist, the autobiographical anecdotes in
the earlier part of her memoir, Contacts and Contrasts, are lively and amusing. The longer second section
gives a detailed account of how she and
Nina Hollings, her long-term companion
and sister of the composer and suffragette
Ethel Smyth, raised and manned one
of the first mobile X-Ray units to be used by the British in World War I -
Marie Curie was organizing the French radiography service - for which they
both received numerous decorations.
Gleichen's brother, Lord
Edward Gleichen (1863–1937), a professional soldier, wrote several books.
Her sister, Lady
Feodora Gleichen (1861–1922) was a sculptor. They were the children of
Count Victor Gleichen aka Prince
Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a half-nephew of Queen
Victoria and himself a sculptor and naval officer, and his morganatic wife Laura
Williamina Seymour, a daughter of Admiral
Sir George Seymour.[1]
On 15 December 1885, the Court
Circular announced the Queen's permission for Helena's mother to share her
father's rank at
the Court of St
James's, and henceforth they were known as TSH Prince
and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. But the Queen did not extend that
privilege to their children, although she confirmed use of their German style
as count and countesses. On 12 June 1913 Helena and her sisters, the
Countesses Feodora and Valda Gleichen, were granted precedence before
the daughters of dukes in
the peerage of
England.[2]
Gleichen helped with illustrations for the Younghusband
Expedition to Tibet in
1904. During World War I she
abandoned her German titles, accepting demotion by the King to the style and
rank of a marquess's
daughter,[3] and
headed the 4th Radiographic British Red Cross Unit stationed in the Villa
Zucco in Cormons, Italy.
She later received the Italian Bronze
Medal of Military Valour and was invested as a Dame of Grace of the Order
of St John of Jerusalem and as an OBE in
1920. She was a Fellow of the Society
of Antiquaries.[4]
Gleichen worked from her father's former studio in St
James's Palace opposite Friary
Court. The family home was a rambling estate Hellens Manor
at Much Marcle in
Herefordshire, used during World War II by the Tate for
the safe storage of art works. Gleichen organised her estate staff of some 80
people into a local home
guard during World
War II.[5][6]
She died in 1947, three days before her 74th birthday. Her memoir, Contacts
and Contrasts, was published in 1940. A memorial plaque to her and her
siblings is located at Golders
Green.
My published books:
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