Front cover of 'Femina', magazine, showing Elena of Montenegro (1873 ?1952), consort to King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. On the 28th December 1908, the cities Messina and Calabria, southern Italy, suffered a disastrous earthquake, which completely destroyed the area measuring 7.5 on the richter scale and claiming between 75,000 and 200,000 lives. The young Queen dressed in nurses uniform helped victims, by comforting the wounded, this helped with her increase popularity within the country.