Editing Helena, Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right" size="500px"
|+
! colspan="2" |HRH The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg
|-
| colspan="2" |[[File:Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha_Helena_1959.jpg|center|frameless]]
|-
|'''Titles'''
|Dowager Grand Duchess of [[Mecklenburg]]
Princess of the [[United Kingdom]]
|-
|'''Reign'''
|26 January 1996 - 31 July 2001
''as Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz''

31 July 2001 - 18 July 2024

''as Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg''
|-
|'''Coronation'''
|7 July 1996
|-
|'''Predecessor'''
|[[Archduchess Ilona of Austria]]
|-
|'''Successor'''
|[[Marie Mathilde von Lerchenfeld]]
|-
! colspan="2" |Biographical Information
|-
|'''Born'''
|30 July 1959 (age 66)
Balmoral, Scotland, United Kingdom
|-
|'''Spouse'''
|[[Grand Duke Borwin of Mecklenburg]]
(m. 1986; w. 2024)
|-
|'''Issue'''
|[[Princess Olga of Mecklenburg|Queen Olga of the Netherlands]]
[[James, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg|James]]

[[Prince Alexander of Mecklenburg|Prince Alexander]]

[[Prince Michael of Mecklenburg|Prince Michael]]
|-
|'''Name'''
|Helena Maud Victoria Alexandra
|-
|'''House'''
|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (by birth)
Mecklenburg (by marriage)
|-
|'''Father'''
|[[King James III of the United Kingdom]]
|-
|'''Mother'''
|[[Princess Judith of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
|-
|'''Religion'''
|Anglican
|}
'''Helena, Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg''' (born ''Princess Helena of Wales'' on 30 July 1959) is a member of the Mecklenburg Grand Ducal Family as the mother of '''James, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg'''. She is also a member of the British Royal Family as the sister of '''[[James IV, King of the United Kingdom]]'''.

==Life==
Helena was born the third child and younger daughter of '''King James III of the United Kingdom''' and '''Princess Judith of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha'''.

Helena became Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz upon her husband's ascension in 1996. In 2001, he also became Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the two duchies were merged together to form the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg. 

==Marriage and Issue==
On 19 July 1986, Helena married '''Borwin, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz''' in Neustrelitz. Borwin and Helena had four children, '''Olga, James, Alexander,''' and '''Michael'''.  

Helena was widowed in 2024. 
{| class="wikitable"
!Photo
!Name
!Birth
!Death
!Marriage
|-
|[[File:Mecklenburg Olga.png|frameless|150x150px]]
|[[Princess Olga of Mecklenburg|Queen Olga of the Netherlands]]
|13 October 1988
|
|[[Casimir, King of the Netherlands]] (m. 2011); has issue
|-
|[[File:Mecklenburg_James.jpg|frameless|150x150px]]
|[[James, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg|James]]
|1 July 1990
|
|[[Marie Mathilde von Lerchenfeld]] (m. 2014); has issue
|-
|[[File:Mecklenburg Alexander.png|frameless|150x150px]]
|[[Prince Alexander of Mecklenburg|Prince Alexander]]
|July 1991
|
|[[Princess Antonia of Saxe-Gessaphe]] (m. 2019)
|-
|[[File:Mecklenburg Michael.png|frameless|150x150px]]
|[[Prince Michael of Mecklenburg|Prince Michael]]
|30 January 1994
|
|Unmarried and without issue
|}

==Residences==
<gallery>
File:Residences Mecklenburg Ludwigslust.jpg|Ludwigslust; Main Residence (September-May)
File:Residences Mecklenburg Schwerin Castle.jpg|link=|Schwerin Castle; Summer Residence (June-August)
File:Residences United Kingdom Balmoral Castle.jpg|Balmoral Castle; Summer Residence (June-August)
</gallery>

==Sartorial Information==
===Tiara Collection===
<gallery>
File:Tiaras United Kingdom Helena Diamond Scroll Tiara.jpg|(1975) Diamond Scroll Tiara; 16th birthday gift from her parents
File:Tiaras United Kingdom Helena Spinel Tiara.jpg|(1986) Spinel Tiara; Wedding gift from her in-laws
File:Tiaras United Kingdom Helena Indian Tiara.jpg|(1986) Cartier Indian Tiara; Wedding gift from her parents
</gallery>

===Clothing Collection===
Clothing Collection

==Titles and Honours==

*'''1959-1972'''   Princess Helena of Wales
*'''1972-1986'''   Princess Helena of the United Kingdom
*'''1986-1996'''   Helena, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
*'''1996-2001'''   Helena, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
*'''2001-2024'''   Helena, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg
*'''2024-present'''   Helena, Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg

===National Honours===
[[File:Honours_Mecklenburg_Order_of_the_Wendish_Crown.png|frameless|75x75px]] Order of the Wendish Crown (1986) 

[[File:Honours_Mecklenburg_Order_of_Griffon.png|frameless|75x75px]] Order of the Griffon (1996)

===Foreign Honours===
[[File:Honours_Prussia_Order_of_the_Black_Eagle.png|frameless|75x75px]] Order of the Black Eagle (2001) (Germany)

[[File:Honours_Prussia_Order_of_Louise.png|frameless|75x75px]] Order of Louise (1996) (Germany)

[[File:Honours_United_Kingdom_Order_of_the_Garter.png|frameless|75x75px]] Order of the Garter (1986) (United Kingdom)

[[File:Honours_United_Kingdom_Royal_Victorian_Order.png|frameless|75x75px]] Royal Victorian Order (1977) (United Kingdom)

==Ancestry==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Parents
!Grandparents
!Great-Grandparents
!Great-Great-Grandparents
|-
|[[King James III of the United Kingdom]]
|[[King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom]]
[[Princess Maud of Fife]]
|[[King George V of the United Kingdom]]
[[Princess Mary of Teck]]

[[Duke Alexander of Fife]]

[[Louise, Princess Royal]]
|[[King Edward VII of the United Kingdom]] (x2)
[[Princess Alexandra of Denmark]] (x2)

[[Duke Francis of Teck]]

[[Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge]]

[[Duke James of Fife]]

[[Lady Agnes Hay]]

[[King Edward VII of the United Kingdom]] (x2)

[[Princess Alexandra of Denmark]] (x2)
|-
|[[Princess Judith of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
|[[Duke Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
[[Countess Viktoria Luise of Solms-Baruth]]
|[[Duke Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
[[Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein]]

[[Count Hans of Solms-Baruth]]

[[Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein]]
|[[Prince Leopold of the United Kingdom]]
[[Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]

[[Duke Friedrich Ferdinand I of Schleswig-Holstein]] (x2)

[[Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]] (x2)

[[Friedrich II, Prince of Solms-Baruth]]

[[Countess Luise of Hochberg]]

[[Duke Friedrich Ferdinand I of Schleswig-Holstein]] (x2)

[[Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]] (x2)
|}
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:House Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
[[Category:Mecklenburg]]
[[Category:Consorts of Mecklenburg]]