Hélène Macdonald Stallo (1893–1932), was an American, from Cincinnati, Ohio

Helena Mc Donald Stallo
5 Sep 1893 - 1 Apr 1932
Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

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She was the daughter of Edmund Stallo and Laura McDonald. Her mother died when she was a young girl. Helena had one sibling, an older sister named Laura. The two little girls were raised by their maternal grandfather, Alexander McDonald, when they father left Cincinnati and moved to New York City.

Alexander McDonald was a very wealthy man and he left a large part of his fortune to Helena and her sister Laura--$15,000,000 each. But it was to be held in trust until they turned 21. Their father was placed in charge of the trust.

Sadly, their father looted the trust and took most of the money, but they did not find out about this, until many years later, when it was too late to recover the funds.

Helena was first engaged to Nils Florman, who was a recent immigrant from Sweden. But her friends convinced her that, because of the fortune that she would soon receive, she could "do better." So Helena broke the engagement, and she and her sister moved to New York City and entered the world of high society.

Helena soon sailed to London, where she was met by a large group of reporters.

She soon moved to Paris, where she met Prince Michael Anna Karel Joachim Napoleon Prins Murant. He was born on February 7, 1887 in Russia, and he lived in a palace in Paris, France. They courted for just a few weeks, and then they got married, on February 5, 1913. They lived in Paris. (Helena's sister Laura also married a prince.)

Helena and her husband Prince Murat had one child, a daughter named Laure, who was born in November of 1913.

But Prince Murat had a gambling problem. He lost so much money. He eventually lost all of his money. Helena only received a small portion of her inheritance, but it went to pay her husband's gambling debts.

Prince Murat then turned to forgery, but he was caught and sent to prison. Helena then returned to New York City with her daughter, around 1925. She began working as a model to support herself. She also worked as a clerk, selling gowns at Hickson's.

Helena later returned to Paris, soon afer her husband was released from prison, and she tried to save her marriage. But a woman named Mrs. Salverte claimed that she had entrusted Prince Murat with $400,000 in gems, but he had pawned them and kept the money. That was the final straw for Helena, and so she divorced him. He later got remarried to Miss Isabel McMillin. He died in Paris, on June 8, 1941.

Helena died in Paris, heartbroken, at the age of 38.

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