She had a very strong personality and significantly influenced the way her husbands, first Đurađ II Balšić and second Sandalj Hranić Kosača, and her son Balša III governed their realms.

Jelena encouraged them to resist Venetian encroachment on territory belonging to Zeta, the medieval Serbian state ruled by Đurađ II and upon his death by Balša III.

[5] In 1424, Balša's daughter Jelena married Stjepan Vukčić Kosača and became the mother of Queen Catherine of Bosnia and Vladislav Hercegović.

[7] When the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I sent an army to invade the lands of Đurađ II at the beginning of 1392, Jelena travelled to the Republic of Ragusa (nowadays Dubrovnik) to get out of harm's way.

[10] The reign of 16-year-old Balša III began in April 1403 when Đurađ II died of the injuries suffered in November 1402 at the Battle of Tripolje.

[11] In a dispute between the Venetians and the Zetan Metropolitan bishop appointed by the Patriarchate of Peć, Balša III followed her instructions and protected the ancient rights of the Serbian church.

By gaining the Dalmatian coast, the Venetians further increased their influence and power in the region of the Adriatic Sea, which made Jelena's negotiating position difficult.

[20] When Ladislaus of Naples sold his rights to the Kingdom of Dalmatia to the Republic of Venice and retreated from the Balkans in 1409, many local nobles allied themselves with the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and accepted Ostoja as the King of Bosnia.

[27] Although Jelena was in her forties, Sandalj hoped they would have children and in 1413 deposited some money at a transactional account with the city of Dubrovnik for the child they would eventually have.

[29] In his second marriage, concluded in 1412 or at the beginning of 1413, Balša III married Bolja, a daughter of Koja Zaharia who was a Lord of Sati and Dagnum in Albania.

[30] In 1413 Balša issued a charter to the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas he built in Praskvica Monastery together with his mother Jelena.

After Sandalj's death Jelena did not interfere in the governing of the realm previously controlled by her husband but went to live at the seaside, probably in Novi.

Since circumstances had changed after Sandalj's death, the Ragusans rejected Jelena's request although it was supported by her nephew, Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković.

Three epistles she wrote to her spiritual adviser were included in the Gorički zbornik (Serbian: Горички зборник), a medieval manuscript collection.

In this way Jelena confirmed her loyalty to the tradition of the Nemanjić dynasty and her father Prince Lazar in the period when she was able to make a political choice between Islam and militant Catholicism.

[38] Jelena's efforts had an additional dimension taking into consideration that her work is a testimony of the presence of the Byzantine hesychasm in the Serbian Despotate.

The sacred bones of Jelena Balšić were placed in the new relic case made of stone after the Church of Holy Mother she built on Beška island was reconstructed in 2002 by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.

Са њим је Јелена имала само сина Балшу III,...)...Helen (Jelena) married George II Stracimirovic Balsic in 1386/87...)...Helen (Jelena) played an active role in Zeta's affairs under Balša...)Још пре избијања Првог скадарског рата (1405–1413.

Они су се убрзо окренули против Венеције и упустили у десетогодишњи рат са њом.

Јелена и Балша III побјегли су у тврђаву Дриваста.Тада је Марин Каравело, без изузетног притиска, обећавајућистановништву зетских приморских градова да ће их ослободитисвих работа током наредне три године и да ће вратити посједесвима онима којима их је ранији господар био одузео, придобиоопштинска вијећа у Улцињу, Бару и Будви да признају властРепублике.)

Јелена Балшић се ријешила да сама оде у Млетке и настави преговоре,.. била је већ крајем маја 1409. год.

Крајем октобра 1409. окончани су договором да се склопи мир на годину дана без територијалних промена ...)Крајем октобра склопила је мир и, заједно с млетачким представником, заклела се на јеванђељу да ће га поштовати.

Садшм тим успоставио је најбоље односе са српским дес-потом Стефаном....Sandalj divorced Hrvoje's niece and shortly thereafter married Jelena...Њему се прикључио 1411 и војвода Сандаљ Хранић.

Када је пошла новом мужу, Јелена је имала четрдесетак година....Остављајући у мају 1413. поклад у Дубровнику, предвидео је да га може подићи ако за њим остане "или син или девојка које би имао с реченом госпођом Јеленом", што показује да се није искључивала могућност да њих двоје имају деце.)