title: Elisabeta Știrbey
text: # 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
  