Helena, Duchess of Almae

Princess Helena, Duchess of Almae, (Helena Rose Adelaide; born 3rd November 1995), is the only daughter of Queen Alexandra V and Duke Luciano Vaas. Helena has been second in the line of succession to the throne of Cattala since her birth, behind her brother Crown Prince Edward, and will remain second in line to the throne unless her brother has a child.

As the only direct female heir to the crown, Helena has been bestowed with numerous titles, including the ancient title of True Queen of the East, and took over her aunt Princess Gabriella's dukedom upon her third birthday, before splitting it when her mother returned to her full responsibilities in 2001.

Helena is the patron of several Cattalian children's charities, most notably the Children's Cancer Trust in Almae. The Duchess began carrying out royal engagements and public appearances in late 2010, and led the 2010 New Year's Celebrations in Celeste alongside her aunt.

Early life
Helena Bonnecelli was born in Vittoria Palace, Celeste, on the 3rd November 1995, in the medical ward of the Queen's residence. She was baptised in the Palace Chapel of Almae Palace on the 28th February 1996, by the Divina Anima Della Chiesa. Helena's godparents are Duchess Maria Vaas, her paternal aunt, Princess Gabriella, her maternal aunt, the Duke of Allea, and Sir Alexander Greco, a former Commander of the Celestine Regiment and family friend.

As the first daughter and second child of the Queen, Helena was styled 'Her Royal Highness' upon her birth and introduced as 'Princess Helena' until her sixth birthday. Helena's first official appearance was at the Royal Ball in 1995, when she was briefly presented to the royal guests alongside her mother. Her first public appearance was at the Queen's Speech in 2000, when Queen Alexandra announced her return to full public duties alongside her three children and her sister, the Princess Regent Gabriella.

Education
Princess Helena spent her early years being educated by a governess alongside her elder brother, Edward, in Almae Palace. At the age of six, Helena began attending the Queen Eastern Preparatory School, near Almae. Helena is currently in her final year attending the Seguno Grammar School on the edge of Almae's royal estate, and will attend the Celestine Academy in September 2012. It is believed that the princess will study history, English, Italian and mathematics.

Royal duties
Prior to her sixteenth birthday, Princess Helena remained away from the public eye and focused on her studies. She was only featured in official photographs at Christmas, her mothers birthday and in the 2000 Christmas Speech. In 2010, it was announced that Helena would become Duchess of Almae, the province she was previously named for but not duchess of, and would begin full public duties upon her 16th birthday. Her first public appearance was at a Children's Cancer Trust event in Almae, one of the charities that she is patron of. In December 2010, she led the New Year's Celebrations alongside her aunt and the following year she hosted the Christmas Ball for the first time. Due to her schooling, Helena attends few royal events in comparison to other royals and isn't due to start domestic and international tours until she completes her education.

Personal interests
Helena is known to take a strong interest in the welfare of teenagers and the disadvantaged youth in urban areas of Cattala. It was reported that in 2010 she travelled to an old dockside estate in Jennai, where poverty was rife and 60% of the children were illiterate and would fail school. On her tour of Scotland in December 2011, Helena visited a Glaswegian school for disadvantaged youths and met some former convicts who were taking part in a training course to help them get work.

The Princess is known to dedicate a lot of her time to studying, and is predicted to do well in her exams this summer. Helena has studied the history of Cattala as part of her early education with a governess, and when she visited the Almae History Centre in 2012, it was noted by many of the journalists that she spent a long time talking through historical artefacts with the directors of the centre. One director reportedly commented that "the Princess knows more about the history of Cattala than many historians combined - she seems to take a genuine interest in the articles we have here."

Titles and styles



 * 3 November 1995 - 1 January 2001: Her Royal Highness Princess Helena
 * 1 January 2001 - 3 November 2011: Her Royal Highness Princess Helena of Almae
 * 3 November 2011 - : Her Royal Highness Princess Helena, Duchess of Almae

Princess Helena is referred by a variety of royal titles across the kingdom, but her common title is "Princess Helena" or the "Duchess of Almae". Upon reaching the age of 18, Princess Helena will become Princess Royal, as the first daughter of the reigning sovereign.

Her formal title, in full, is Her Royal Highness The Princess Helena Rose Adelaide of House Bonnecelli, Duchess of Almae and the Eastern Realms of Lessito, Lady of the Most Noble Order of Green Roses and Queen of the East.

The title "Queen of the East" is an ancient title, presented to Princess Helena by Alessia Storna, descendent of the Seguno house from Monte Calida, upon her 16th birthday. The title was created by the union of the Seguno and Scavallo families in 1432, who dedicated the position to the consort of the King of Cattala. It was revived by Queen Adelaide the Third in 1791 and then by the Storna family in 2011.

The Princess is also known by her Celestinian title, granted upon her by her ancestral link to the Celestine monarchy and consisting of mostly ancient titles. The Princess Helena Rose Adelaide of House Celestine, Daughter of the Graceful Realm, Princess of the Sworn Principality of Lessito, Descendent of the Lord Amadeus, Lady of the Most Noble Order of Green Roses, Defender of the Faith and True Queen of the East.

Ancestry
Princess Helena is descended from noble houses across Europe, especially the English, Spanish and Italian royal families through her maternal, royal side. The Celestine household regularly married children into dukedoms and lesser royals from across Europe, right up to the late 19th century, to ensure the diplomatic and trade benefits of relations with European kingdoms was maintained. Helena's line through her great-grandfather Marco Bonnecelli links her to the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg through his female-line descendancy from Queen Michéle Celestine, daughter of the prince of Schleswig. The Bonnecelli crown can trace its lineage to the House of Bourbon through French and Spanish paternal and maternal ties. On her father's side, Princess Helena is the descendent of the Vaas household, a family of dukes and duchesses from Roumeli who own vast swathes of land, property and commercial ventures in the Principality, most notably in the Duchy of Lassinia.