Elisabeta Știrbey
# Elisabeta Știrbey

Elisabeta Știrbey (1805–1874), was a Princess consort of Wallachia.

## Early life

Born into an old Phanariote noble family which claimed descent from Byzantine Emperors, she was the daughter of Prince Grigore Cantacuzino-Pașcanu (1779–1808) and his wife, Princess Elena Brâncoveanu (1787–1809), descendant of Constantin Brâncoveanu.

## Biography

From 1825, Elisabeta and her husband lived in Bucharest, where their palace at the Calea Victoriei became a center of social life, where she became known for the grand balls she regularly arranged. She was also a noted philanthropist. In 1839, she had French educational work by Jeanne Campan translated to Romanian, and in 1843, she founded the first Romanian language school for girls.

## Personal life

In 1820, she married Prince Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei, the son of Boyar Dumitrache Bibescu, Palatine of Wallachia (1772-1831), and his wife, Ecaterina Văcărescu (1777-1842). They had:

* Princess Fenareta Stirbey (1822-1894); married Prince Theodor Ghica (1820-1865) and had issue
* Princess Elize Stirbey (1827-1890); married Ştefan Bellu (1824-1902) and had issue
* Princess Elena Stirbey (1831-1864); married Count Leo Larisch von Mönnich (1824-1872) and had issue
* Prince Alexandru Stirbey (1836-1895); married Princess Maria Ghica-Comănești (1851-1885) and had issue
* Prince Dimitrie Stirbey (1842-1913); married Alexandrine von Soyka (1857-1931) and had issue
