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{{Short description|French socialite}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2009}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2009}}
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'''Marie-Hélène de Rothschild''' ({{IPA-fr|ma.ʁi e.lɛn də ʁɔt.ʃild|pron}}) (November 17, 1927 - March 1, 1996) was a [[France|French]] [[socialite]] who became a doyenne of [[Paris]]ian high-society and was a member of the prominent [[Rothschild banking family of France]].
{{Infobox person
| name = Marie-Hélène de Rothschild<!-- include middle initial, if not specified in birth_name -->
| image = Huwelijk te Haarzuilen Graaf Van Nicolay Barones van Zuilen van Nijevelt van der, Bestanddeelnr 904-2407.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Marie-Hélène and her father Egmont, at her 1950 wedding
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| birth_name = Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|11|17|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], [[United States]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1996|3|1|1927|11|17|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Touques, Calvados]], [[France]]
| nationality = [[France|French]]
| other_names =
| occupation =
| known_for =
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{Marriage|[[François de Nicolay]]|1950|1956|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|[[Guy de Rothschild]]|1957}}
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}}
}}


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'''Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina de Rothschild''' ({{IPA|fr|maʁi elɛn də ʁɔt.ʃild|pron}}; November 17, 1927 – March 1, 1996) was a French [[socialite]] who became a doyenne of [[Paris]]ian high-society and was a member of the prominent [[Rothschild banking family of France]].
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Born '''Baroness Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt''' in [[New York City]], she was the eldest of the three children of Marguerite Namétalla (1907-1996) and Baron Egmont Van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890-1960). Her mother was [[Egyptian people|Egyptian]], and her father was a diplomat and businessman of [[Jewish people|Jewish]] and [[Dutch people|Dutch]] descent. Marie-Hélène's paternal grandmother was Baroness [[Hélène de Rothschild]] (1863-1947), the daughter of Baron [[Salomon James de Rothschild]], who had married the Dutchborn [[Roman Catholic]] Baron Etienne van Zuyles (1860-1934) of the [[Van Zuylen van Nijevelt|House of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt]].


== Early life and education ==
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==Marriages==
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Born '''Baroness Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar''' in [[New York City]], she was the eldest of the three children of Marguerite Marie Namétalla (1901–1970) and Baron Egmont Van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890–1960). Her mother was born in [[Egypt]] of [[Syrians|Syrian]]-immigrant parents, and her father was a diplomat and businessman of [[Jewish people|Jewish]] and [[Dutch people|Dutch]] descent.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-10-23|title=OBITUARY: Marie-Helene de Rothschild|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-mariehelene-de-rothschild-1341658.html|access-date=2021-11-08|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> Marie-Hélène's paternal grandmother was [[Baron|Baroness]] [[Hélène de Rothschild]] (1863–1947), the first woman to take part in an international motor race and the daughter of Baron [[Salomon James de Rothschild]]. Marie-Hélène's paternal grandfather was the Dutch [[Roman Catholic]] Baron [[Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt|Etienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt]] (1860–1934) of the [[Van Zuylen van Nievelt|House of Van Zuylen van Nievelt]].
She was educated at [[Marymount College, Tarrytown|Marymount College]] in [[Tarrytown, New York]] and after finishing school she went to [[Paris]], where she met Count [[François de Nicolay]], (1919-1963) whom she married in 1950. Their son, [[Philippe de Nicolay]], was born in 1955 but the couple divorced the following year. She then married her distant third cousin once removed Baron [[Guy de Rothschild]], (1909-2007) head of the [[de Rothschild Frères]] bank and they were married on February 17, 1957 in New York City. Their only child, [[Edouard Etienne de Rothschild|Edouard Etienne Alphonse]], was born at the end of December that year.


She was educated at [[Marymount College, Tarrytown|Marymount College]] in [[Tarrytown, New York]] and after finishing school she went to [[Paris]].<ref name=Telegraph>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-mariehelene-de-rothschild-1341658.html The Independent: "OBITUARY: Marie-Helene de Rothschild" by Hugo Vickers] March 12, 1996</ref>
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==Ferrières Château==
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Her husband and his sisters, [[Jacqueline Piatigorsky|Jacqueline]] and [[Bethsabée de Rothschild|Bethsabée]], had been raised at the magnificent [[Château de Ferrières]] in the country outside of Paris. Seized by the [[Germany|Germans]] during the occupation of France in [[World War II]], the château remained empty until 1959 when the newlywed Rothschilds decided to reopen it. Marie-Hélène took charge of refurbishing the huge château, making it a place where European nobility mingled with [[musician]]s, [[artist]]s, [[fashion designer]]s and [[Hollywood]] [[movie star]]s at grand soirées. Much talked about for the lavish and creative theme [[Ball (dance)|balls]] and [[Charitable organization|charity]] fundraisers she organized both in Paris and New York, in 1973, she brought together five French [[Haute couture|couturiers]] and five American designers for a fashion show at the [[Théâtre Gabriel]] ([http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/france/f_versailles_gabriel.htm]) in the [[Château de Versailles]].


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== Marriages ==
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In 1975, Château de Ferrières was gifted to the chancellery of the [[University of Paris|universities of Paris]] by Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild but they retained the home they had built in the woods surrounding the château.
Marie-Hélène was married twice:
*In 1950, she married the [[French people|French]] Count [[François de Nicolay]] (1919–1963) a horsebreeder whom she had met in Paris after school. They had one son, [[Philippe de Nicolay]] (b. 1955). They divorced in 1956.<ref name=Telegraph /> Philippe is a director of Paris Orleans PA, a French investment bank belonging to the Rothschild family.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyOfficers?symbol=PROR.PA&viewId=bio People: Paris Orleans S.A. (PROR.PA)]''Reuters Finance''</ref> Philippe is married to Princess Sophie de Ligne, the daughter of [[Belgium|Belgium's]] [[Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne|Antoine, Prince of Ligne]] and princess [[Alix of Luxembourg]].
*In 1957, she married her third cousin once-removed Baron [[Guy de Rothschild]], (1909–2007) head of the [[de Rothschild Frères]] bank. They were married on February 17, 1957, in New York City. This was the first time a head of one of the Rothschild families had married a non-Jewish spouse. Guy was forced to resign from the presidency of the Jewish community in France. Marie-Hélène, being Catholic, was required to get a papal dispensation in order to annul her first marriage so that she could remarry outside the Catholic faith. They had one child, [[Edouard Etienne de Rothschild|Edouard Etienne Alphonse]], who was raised Jewish.<ref name=Telegraph />


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== Ferrières Château ==
⚫
==Hôtel Lambert==
⚫
Her husband and his sisters, [[Jacqueline Piatigorsky|Jacqueline]] and [[Bethsabée de Rothschild|Bethsabée]], had been raised at the [[Château de Ferrières]] in the country outside of Paris. Seized by the [[Germany|Germans]] during the occupation of France in [[World War II]], the château remained empty until 1959 when the newlywed Rothschilds decided to reopen it. Marie-Hélène took charge of refurbishing the huge château, making it a place where European nobility mingled with [[musician]]s, [[artist]]s, [[fashion designer]]s and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[movie star]]s at grand soirées. Much talked about for the lavish and creative theme [[Ball (dance)|balls]] and [[Charitable organization|charity]] fundraisers she organized both in Paris and New York, in 1973, she brought together five French [[Haute couture|couturiers]] and five American designers for a fashion show at the [[Théâtre Gabriel]] in the [[Château de Versailles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/france/f_versailles_gabriel.htm|title=Carthalia - Versailles: Theatre Gabriel|website=www.andreas-praefcke.de|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref>
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The couple purchased [[Hôtel Lambert]] on the [[Île Saint-Louis]], one of the most luxurious mansions in Paris, where they took up residence in the top floors. Marie-Hélène became friends with the socialite [[Alexis von Rosenberg, Baron de Redé|Baron Alexis de Redé]] who was a tenant on the first floor in Hôtel Lambert and who would be a fixture at her gatherings. In recognition of her importance in promoting French culture and fashion on an international level, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was awarded the [[Legion of Honor]].


She hosted regular parties at the Château, mainly inviting aristocracy, but which also included her friends from a wider society such as [[Grace Kelly]] and [[Audrey Hepburn]] (with whom she was a close friend).<ref>''The Richard Burton Diaries'', By Richard Burton, Yale University Press 2012, page 550</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/17/archives/in-the-rothschild-manner-a-simple-dinner-for-150-close-friends.html|title=In the Rothschild Manner, a Simple Dinner for 150 Close Friends|access-date=16 April 2022|website=The New York Times}}</ref>
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==Illness and death==
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After battling [[cancer]] and crippling [[rheumatoid arthritis]] for more than ten years, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild died in 1996 at her Ferrières country home, aged 68. She was buried in [[Touques, Calvados]] where for more than a century her husband's branch of the French Rothschild family has owned [[Haras de Meautry]], a noted [[horse breeding|horse farm]].


⚫
In 1975, Château de Ferrières was gifted to the chancellery of the [[University of Paris|universities of Paris]] by Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild but they retained the home they had built in the woods surrounding the château.
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==External links==

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== Hôtel Lambert ==
⚫
In 1975, the couple purchased [[Hôtel Lambert]] on the [[Île Saint-Louis]], one of the most luxurious mansions in Paris, where they took up residence in the top floors. Marie-Hélène became friends with the socialite [[Alexis von Rosenberg, Baron de Redé|Baron Alexis de Redé]] who was a tenant on the first floor in Hôtel Lambert and who would later become a fixture at her gatherings. In recognition of her importance in promoting French culture and fashion on an international level, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was awarded the [[Legion of Honor]].

⚫
== Illness and death ==
⚫
After battling [[cancer]] and crippling [[rheumatoid arthritis]] for more than ten years, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild died in 1996 at her Ferrières country home, aged 68. A Catholic funeral mass was held at the [[Saint-Louis-en-l'Île]] church in Paris,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/mar/08/de-rothschild-baroness-with-flair-dies-at-65/|title=De Rothschild, Baroness With Flair, Dies At 65|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref> funeral guests were [[Valéry Giscard d’Estaing]], [[Claude Pompidou]], [[Bernadette Chirac]], [[Gianni Agnelli]], [[Alain Delon]] and [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Yves Saint Laurent]]. She was buried in [[Touques, Calvados]] where for more than a century her husband's branch of the French Rothschild family has owned [[Haras de Meautry]], a noted [[horse breeding|horse farm]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

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== External links ==
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/1992/06/16/roth.php Marie-Hélène de Rothschild: Society's Star Choreographer] - 1992 article in the [[International Herald Tribune]].
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/1992/06/16/roth.php Marie-Hélène de Rothschild: Society's Star Choreographer] - 1992 article in the [[International Herald Tribune]].
{{Rothschilds}}

{{authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Rothschild, Marie-Helene de
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = November 17, 1927
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = March 1, 1996
| PLACE OF DEATH =
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}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothschild, Marie-Helene de}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothschild, Marie-Helene de}}
[[Category:American socialites]]
[[Category:American socialites]]
[[Category:French socialites]]
[[Category:French socialites]]
[[Category:socialites]]
[[Category:French countesses]]
[[Category:Légion d'honneur recipients]]
[[Category:Baronesses of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:People from New York City]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Socialites from New York City]]
[[Category:Rothschild family|Marie-Helene de Rothschild]]
[[Category:Rothschild family|Marie-Helene de Rothschild]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:French people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:French people of American descent]]
[[Category:American people of German-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Syrian descent]]
[[Category:French people of German-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:French racehorse owners and breeders]]
[[Category:French racehorse owners and breeders]]
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:American emigrants to France]]

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[[nl:Marie-Hélène van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar]]

Latest revision as of 20:47, 27 September 2024

Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
Marie-Hélène and her father Egmont, at her 1950 wedding
Born
Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar

(1927-11-17)November 17, 1927
New York City, United States
DiedMarch 1, 1996(1996-03-01) (aged 68)
Touques, Calvados, France
NationalityFrench
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1950; div. 1956)​
​
(m. 1957)​

Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina de Rothschild (pronounced [maʁi elɛn də ʁɔt.ʃild]; November 17, 1927 – March 1, 1996) was a French socialite who became a doyenne of Parisian high-society and was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France.

Early life and education

[edit]

Born Baroness Marie-Hélène Naila Stephanie Josina van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar in New York City, she was the eldest of the three children of Marguerite Marie Namétalla (1901–1970) and Baron Egmont Van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890–1960). Her mother was born in Egypt of Syrian-immigrant parents, and her father was a diplomat and businessman of Jewish and Dutch descent.[1] Marie-Hélène's paternal grandmother was Baroness Hélène de Rothschild (1863–1947), the first woman to take part in an international motor race and the daughter of Baron Salomon James de Rothschild. Marie-Hélène's paternal grandfather was the Dutch Roman Catholic Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1860–1934) of the House of Van Zuylen van Nievelt.

She was educated at Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York and after finishing school she went to Paris.[2]

Marriages

[edit]

Marie-Hélène was married twice:

  • In 1950, she married the French Count François de Nicolay (1919–1963) a horsebreeder whom she had met in Paris after school. They had one son, Philippe de Nicolay (b. 1955). They divorced in 1956.[2] Philippe is a director of Paris Orleans PA, a French investment bank belonging to the Rothschild family.[3] Philippe is married to Princess Sophie de Ligne, the daughter of Belgium's Antoine, Prince of Ligne and princess Alix of Luxembourg.
  • In 1957, she married her third cousin once-removed Baron Guy de Rothschild, (1909–2007) head of the de Rothschild Frères bank. They were married on February 17, 1957, in New York City. This was the first time a head of one of the Rothschild families had married a non-Jewish spouse. Guy was forced to resign from the presidency of the Jewish community in France. Marie-Hélène, being Catholic, was required to get a papal dispensation in order to annul her first marriage so that she could remarry outside the Catholic faith. They had one child, Edouard Etienne Alphonse, who was raised Jewish.[2]

Ferrières Château

[edit]

Her husband and his sisters, Jacqueline and Bethsabée, had been raised at the Château de Ferrières in the country outside of Paris. Seized by the Germans during the occupation of France in World War II, the château remained empty until 1959 when the newlywed Rothschilds decided to reopen it. Marie-Hélène took charge of refurbishing the huge château, making it a place where European nobility mingled with musicians, artists, fashion designers and Hollywood movie stars at grand soirées. Much talked about for the lavish and creative theme balls and charity fundraisers she organized both in Paris and New York, in 1973, she brought together five French couturiers and five American designers for a fashion show at the Théâtre Gabriel in the Château de Versailles.[4]

She hosted regular parties at the Château, mainly inviting aristocracy, but which also included her friends from a wider society such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn (with whom she was a close friend).[5][6]

In 1975, Château de Ferrières was gifted to the chancellery of the universities of Paris by Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild but they retained the home they had built in the woods surrounding the château.

Hôtel Lambert

[edit]

In 1975, the couple purchased Hôtel Lambert on the Île Saint-Louis, one of the most luxurious mansions in Paris, where they took up residence in the top floors. Marie-Hélène became friends with the socialite Baron Alexis de Redé who was a tenant on the first floor in Hôtel Lambert and who would later become a fixture at her gatherings. In recognition of her importance in promoting French culture and fashion on an international level, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was awarded the Legion of Honor.

Illness and death

[edit]

After battling cancer and crippling rheumatoid arthritis for more than ten years, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild died in 1996 at her Ferrières country home, aged 68. A Catholic funeral mass was held at the Saint-Louis-en-l'Île church in Paris,[7] funeral guests were Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Claude Pompidou, Bernadette Chirac, Gianni Agnelli, Alain Delon and Yves Saint Laurent. She was buried in Touques, Calvados where for more than a century her husband's branch of the French Rothschild family has owned Haras de Meautry, a noted horse farm.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "OBITUARY: Marie-Helene de Rothschild". The Independent. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  2. ^ a b c The Independent: "OBITUARY: Marie-Helene de Rothschild" by Hugo Vickers March 12, 1996
  3. ^ People: Paris Orleans S.A. (PROR.PA)Reuters Finance
  4. ^ "Carthalia - Versailles: Theatre Gabriel". www.andreas-praefcke.de. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  5. ^ The Richard Burton Diaries, By Richard Burton, Yale University Press 2012, page 550
  6. ^ "In the Rothschild Manner, a Simple Dinner for 150 Close Friends". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  7. ^ "De Rothschild, Baroness With Flair, Dies At 65". Retrieved 27 September 2018.
[edit]
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