Elena Wolff
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Elena Wolff (1895 - 1977), perhaps better known as Magda Lupescu -- Lupescu is the Romanian equivalent of the German surname Wolff and Elena can be a shortened form of Magdalena -- was the mistress of king Carol II of Romania and later (after his abdication) his wife.
She was the daughter of Nicolas Grünberg, a Jewish pharmacist who adopted the name Nicolas Wolff, and his wife née Elizei Falk. Before her period as a royal mistress, she was married to Romanian army officer Ion Tâmpeanu.
In the turbulent nationalistic politics of the era, Carol's having a Jewish mistress led in December 1925 to his renouncing his right to the throne in favour of his legitimate son Mihai (Michael). It also led to his subsequent divorce.
Carol returned to Romania 7 June, 1930, officially renounced Magda, and assumed the crown. Despite the public renunciation, their relationship was in fact only briefly interrupted.
On September 6, 1940, at the start of World War II, the pro-German Romanian administration of Marshal Ion Antonescu once again forced Carol to abdicate in favour of Michael; Magda and the king resumed their exile. They were ultimately married in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 3, 1947, then settled in Portugal and for the rest of her life she styled herself Princess Elena von Hohenzollern.
Madame Lupescu is mentioned in the song "Don Juan" by the Pet Shop Boys. She is also the subject of a famous bit of doggerel:
"Have you heard about Magda Lupescu
Who came to Romania's rescue?
Its a wonderful thing
To Be under a king--
Is democracy better, I esk you?"
