Marie - Helene de Rothschild

Icon Issue # 1

Life : Another Parisian “it” girl also known as the “Queen of Paris” who reigned in the second half of the 20th century. She is reportedly a childhood friend of Jaqueline de Rives, but Marie-Helene is less well documented in her personal life. She is perhaps better known for the fabulous parties she threw at the incredible properties her family maintained. 

Properties : In her most glorious moment, Helene and her new husband, Guy de Rothschild, organized what is now known as the Rothschilds Surrealist Ball in 1972.  This was a scandalous marriage since both individuals had already been previously married, which made  their very public social lives even more intriguing. The Surrealist Ball was a star studded night hosted in the Château de Ferrières. It was curated by the guests themselves and the King of surrealism, Dali. Her properties, including the Chateau de Ferrieres, have been featured in editorial shoots and twice in Architectural Digest.

In 1975, the couple purchased Hôtel Lambert on the Île Saint-Louis where they resided on the top floors, and rented the bottom to various socialites. This building was originally built for financier Jean-Baptiste Lambert in around 1640. It was sold in 2007 to Prince Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Accolades: The baroness was awarded the French Legion of Honor for work on behalf of culture and fashion in France and America. The Baroness was always front row at important fashion shows, as noted in the Getty archives. She presided of the group responsible for the 1973 Divertissement a Versailles, also known as the Battle of Versailles, a fashion show that pitted French and American designers against each other in order to raise money for the restoration of Versailles.

Resources:

https://family.rothschildarchive.org/estates/52-villa-acton-pignatelli

https://yakymour.wordpress.com/tag/baroness-marie-helene-de-rothschild/