Journey of discovery traces link to Russian princess

Soon after her arrival in Leeds she discovered she was merely following in the footsteps of a noble ancestor, a Russian Princess who had lived in Yorkshire in the 1920s after falling in love with a handsome Leeds soldier who had been stationed in Constantinople.

While she had known of her probable royal connections, it was only after speaking to a relative and reading an article in the Yorkshire Post she learned the tantalising details of the Princess's life, tragic death at the age of 27 from tuberculosis and subsequent burial in an unmarked grave in Harehills cemetery in Leeds.

"I was back in Georgia speaking to my great uncle about Leeds and he told me the story about Princess Helena who got married to an 'English cavalier' (cavalry officer)," she said.

Ms Palavandishvili, 30, has learned that Lendon Fitz Payne met Princess Helena Davidovna Palavandova (the Russian version of the family name) in Constantinople where he was stationed with the British Army. The couple fell in love, married and then moved back to Leeds.

But she was only resident in the city for a short time before she died from TB.

Mr Payne remarried but never spoke to his family about his love for the Russian Princess, probably out of respect for his second wife.

So the noblewoman was forgotten about for decades until the Yorkshire Post reported two years ago that Mr Payne's granddaughter had uncovered the story.

Although she has always known about her aristocratic family heritage, Miss Palavandishvili has much research to do before she knows exactly where she and the Princess sit on her family tree.

Family members fled in all directions following the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and are now scattered across the world. She herself has lived in France and Ireland and is a temporary visitor to the UK.

Now researching the family history in detail, Miss Palavandishvili believes she may be a descendent of one of the Princess's brothers. Friends in Leeds who have seen a photo of the princess were quick to point out the resemblance between them.

"Georgia is a small country of less then five million people," she said. "All Palavandishvilis are all the same, they are all related. We all look very similar, we have the same nose."

She describes her homeland, the Adjaria area of Georgia, as a land dominated by many noble families and the countryside features many grand castles.

But all this changed when the Bolsheviks swept to power.

The Princess was eight when the family castle was burned down by a mob and her mother killed.

Ninety years on and Miss Palavandishvili found herself in a similar situation when Georgia again became embroiled in conflict. She left for France, where she studied for a while and then lived in Ireland.

The situation in Georgia remains difficult for many families, she says. Land taken away during the 1917 revolution was eventually returned to families about a decade ago but was again taken back from the Palavandishvili extended family soon afterwards.

During Soviet domination her own family had successful careers in politics and she herself has a masters university degree in geo-politics and can speak French, English, Russian and Spanish.

"During Soviet times my parents held high positions. We went to special schools, I had a Russian nanny and a driver to take me to school; then we were suddenly left with nothing. There were three wars in Georgia. I trained to be a diplomat for six years at university."

Despite the difficult past, she is enjoying life in Yorkshire.

"The UK is the best place I have ever been. The country has got a charm. And I love the Queen and her dogs."

She also enjoys learning more about the English language and says her favourite word – "pulchritudinous" – best sums up her thoughts on Britain.

"It means very strong appearance and beautiful," she added. "When I travelled from Manchester to Leeds for the first time I said it's the most beautiful view I saw ever."

Her experiences have allowed her to place herself in the shoes of a Princess.

"She met a handsome Yorkshire soldier and escaped to a better life. We have always been refugees – we ended up in Turkey, Germany, France, Iran and England."