Category Archives: Russian Royals

Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach; source: Wikipedia

Maria Pavlovna of Russia was the wife of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. She was born at Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on February 16, 1786, the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.

Paul I of Russia and his family. Maria is depicted in the center, playing the harp. source: Wikipedia

Maria had nine siblings:

Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. source: Wikipedia

After the marriages of her two elder sisters, the focus turned to finding a suitable husband for Marie. By 1800, there were already discussions about a marriage to the Saxe-Weimar heir, Karl Friedrich. The two met in July 1803 when he came to St. Petersburg, and after getting acquainted and spending time together, their engagement was announced.

Maria married Karl Friedrich, then the Hereditary Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 3, 1804. In May of the following year, they returned to Weimar, where they were greeted with great celebrations.

The couple had four children:

Grand Duchess Maria in later life. source: Wikipedia

Maria strongly supported and promoted the arts in Weimar, and her patronages included the noted composer Franz Liszt who was appointed to her court. She maintained lifelong correspondences with several prominent writers, poets, and musicians, including Vasily Zhukovsky, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schiller. She also focused much of her efforts on social welfare, establishing hospitals and homes for the poor and unwell. She also helped to establish the Falk Institute in Weimar.

The Russian Orthodox Chapel (with the Weimarer Fürstengruft seen behind it). photo: by © R.Möhler – Originally posted to Panoramio as Russisch-Orthodoxe Kapelle, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5252819

Following her husband’s death in 1853, Maria retired from public life. Two years later, she returned to Russia for the last time, for the coronation of her nephew Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. The Dowager Grand Duchess died at Schloss Belvedere in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia, on June 23, 1859. A new Russian Orthodox Chapel was built adjoining the Weimarer Fürstengruft in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar. In the early 1900s, the foundation wall between the two buildings was opened, creating a passageway.  Grand Duchess Maria’s tomb lies in this passageway, just next to her husband’s, each placed beneath their individual mausoleums.

Maria Pavlovna’s tomb is in the far back on the left, in the area where the foundation was excavated. Just in front of her tomb is the tomb of her husband. photo: Klassic Stiftung Weimar

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Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg; Credit –  Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the wife of King Karl I of Württemberg. She was born at the Anichkov Palace  in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 11, 1822, to Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia, and had six siblings:

Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg, circa 1851. source: Wikipedia

In January 1846, Olga met her future husband Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg while both were in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. Karl was the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. Karl proposed on January 18 and Olga accepted. They were married in a lavish ceremony at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 13, 1846. They had no children of their own, but in 1863, took in Olga’s niece, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, the daughter of Olga’s brother Konstantin. They later formally adopted Vera in 1871. It is believed by many that Karl was gay, which contributed to their not having any children. Whether true or not, it is a fact that he had very close relationships with several men, some of which caused significant public outcry and scandal.

From the time she arrived in Württemberg, Olga threw herself into charity work, focusing on the education of girls, and helping wounded soldiers and handicapped people. After becoming Queen in 1864, she continued to support these, and many other causes, earning her the utmost respect and devotion of the people of Württemberg.

Queen Olga (left), with two ladies-in-waiting and a reader (possibly her husband’s chamberlain and reputed lover Charles Woodcock), c1885. photo: Wikipedia

Aside from her charity work, Queen Olga also had several other interests. One of these was a significant interest in natural science, and she amassed an extensive collection of minerals, later left to the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. In 1881, Olga wrote a memoir “The Golden Dream of My Youth” about her childhood and life in Russia up until the time of her marriage.

The Altes Palais (Old Castle) in Stuttgart. photo: By BuzzWoof – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3869267

Just a year after her husband’s death, Dowager Queen Olga died on October 30, 1892, at Schloss Friedrichshafen (link in German), in Friedrichshafen, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. She is buried alongside her husband in the crypt below the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Palais) in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia was the second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. She was born at the Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 10, 1788, the sixth child of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Ekaterina had nine siblings:

Ekaterina was particularly close with her eldest brother, the future Emperor Alexander I. They maintained an extensive correspondence their entire lives, and he viewed her as one of his closest confidantes.

Prince Georg of Oldenburg, c1811. source: Wikipedia

By 1809, the French Emperor Napoléon had made it known to Emperor Alexander I that he was interested in marrying Ekaterina. He was in the midst of divorcing his wife, Joséphine, in order to find a wife who could provide him with an heir. He was also desperately hoping to gain an alliance with Russia. But Ekaterina’s family – particularly her mother – would have no part of such an idea, and the Dowager Empress quickly arranged a marriage for her daughter.

On August 3, 1809, Ekaterina married her first cousin, Duke Georg of Oldenburg, the son of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Duchess Friederike of Württemberg. The couple had two sons:

On the day of their marriage, Georg was given the style of Imperial Highness and appointed Governor-General of the province of Tver. Despite being arranged, the marriage was a happy one. Sadly, however, it was short-lived. Georg contracted typhoid and died on December 27, 1812.

Wilhelm of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

Ekaterina took refuge with her family and often traveled with her brother,  Emperor Alexnader I of Russia. On a visit to Great Britain in 1814, she first met another first cousin, Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg. He was the son of King Friedrich I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. It was love at first sight, even though Wilhelm was married at the time to his first wife Karoline Augusta of Bavaria. Soon after that first meeting, in August 1814 Wilhelm received a divorce from his wife because the marriage had not been consummated. It had been an arranged marriage and the two had little in common and little interest in each other, and an annulment was granted by the Pope on January 12, 1816. Twelve days later, on January 24, 1816, Ekaterina and Wilhelm were married in St. Petersburg. They had two daughters:

On October 30, 1816 – the day she gave birth to her first daughter – Katharina (having taken the German version of her name) also became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne following his father’s death. She became very active in charity work in her new country, which was in a period of great need due to crop failures and widespread famine. In 1817, Katharina established the Central Charitable Society which worked to help people in need. She also established the Queen-Katharina-Stift, a school for girls.

The Württemberg Mausoleum, Stuttgart. photo: By Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43006254

Despite their happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Katharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart, the Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and just six days later, on January 9, 1819, 30-year-old Queen Katharina died of complications from pneumonia which she had apparently contracted from not being dressed warmly enough on her travels to confront her husband. King Wilhelm had the Württemberg Mausoleum built in Rotenberg, Stuttgart, and her remains were interred there in 1824.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven. source: Wikipedia

Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby was the wife of Prince George of Battenberg (later George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven). She was born in Cannes, France on March 28, 1896, the second daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and Countess Sophie von Merenberg. As her parents’ marriage was morganatic, her father was stripped of his position at the Imperial Court and banished from Russia for the rest of his life. The morganatic marriage also meant that none of Mikhail’s styles or titles passed to his wife or their children. However, shortly after they married, Sophie’s uncle – Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg – created Sophie Countess de Torby, a title that also passed down to Nadejda and her two siblings:

Nadejda (left), with her brother, sister, and father. source: Wikipedia

By the time she was four years old, Nadejda’s family had settled in England but they also spent part of the year at their villa in Cannes, France. The family became prominent members of British society and developed friendships with several members of the British Royal Family. Through these friendships, Nadejda met her future husband, Prince George of Battenberg.

George was the eldest son of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (later the 1st Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven). His father’s siblings included Princess Andreas of Greece, Queen Louise of Sweden and Earl Mountbatten of Burma. His mother was the daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Alice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s second daughter. Nadejda and George married at the Russian Embassy in London on November 15, 1916. They settled at Lynden Manor in Bray, Berkshire, and had two children:

When King George V asked his German relatives to relinquish their German titles in 1917, Nadejda and her husband became simply Mr. and Mrs. George Mountbatten. Several months later, when George’s father was created Marquess of Milford Haven, George assumed his father’s subsidiary title, Earl of Medina. It would only be another 4 years when George’s father died, and he and Nadejda became the 2nd Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven. In later years, Nadejda and her husband helped to raise George’s nephew, Prince Philippos of Greece (later The Duke of Edinburgh).

1934 saw Nadejda drawn into the international spotlight during the contentious custody trial of Gloria Vanderbilt. Nadejda was a close friend of the child’s mother – Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt – and became part of the story when a former maid of Mrs. Vanderbilt suggested during testimony that her employer and the Marchioness were lovers. After publicly denouncing the allegations as “malicious, terrible lies”, Nadejda considered traveling to New York to testify on her friend’s behalf but was talked out of making the trip by King George V and Queen Mary.

However, one relative who did travel to testify in Mrs. Vanderbilt’s defense was Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who was married to Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, a niece of Nadejda’s husband. Gottfried had briefly been engaged to Mrs. Vanderbilt in the late 1920s and was called to testify on her behalf after scandalous allegations were made in court testimony about their prior relationship.

And here’s another interesting tidbit of information relating to Mrs. Vanderbilt. Her twin sister, Thelma, Viscountess Furness, was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII / Duke of Windsor) in the early 1930s. It was Thelma who introduced the Prince to her good friend, Wallis Simpson. The rest, as they say, is history!

Four years later, Nadejda was widowed when her husband succumbed to bone marrow cancer in 1938. Nada was very close to her sister-in-law, Edwina, and the two often traveled together around the world.

Nada (center) with her son David and his fiancée, Romaine Pierce Simpson, photographed in October 1949. source: Zimbio

The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven died in Cannes, France on January 22, 1963. She is buried beside her husband in the Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Abdication of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, 1912; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia was born on May 18, 1868, the eldest son of  Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark, known as Maria Feodorovna after her marriage. He became Tsar at the age of 26 upon the death of his father on November 1, 1894. Shortly afterward, on November 26, 1894, Nicholas married Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the youngest surviving child of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.  After her marriage, Alix was known as Alexandra Feodorovna.

Nicholas and his wife were related to many other royals. Nicholas was a grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark, the maternal nephew of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (wife of King Edward VII). Among his first cousins were King George V of the United Kingdom, King Christian X of Denmark, King Haakon VII of Norway and his wife Queen Maud (daughter of King Edward VII), King Constantine I of Greece and Prince Andrew of Greece, the father of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Alexandra was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria; the niece of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom; Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress and Queen of Prussia (wife of Friedrich III, German Emperor); Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; and Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her first cousins included Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Queen Sophie of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, Queen Maud of Norway, Queen Marie of Romania, Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.

Nicholas and Alexandra had four daughters and one son. Their son, Alexei, the heir to the throne, was a sufferer of the blood-clotting genetic disease hemophilia. Alexandra’s grandmother Queen Victoria was a hemophilia carrier. Queen Victoria’s son Leopold suffered from hemophilia and it is assumed that a spontaneous mutation occurred in Queen Victoria. Alexandra’s brother Friedrich was a hemophilia sufferer who had died at the age of two from a brain hemorrhage after falling out a window, so therefore her mother Alice was a hemophilia carrier.

Russian Imperial Family (between circa 1913 and circa 1914); Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Nicholas mobilized the Russian troops in 1914 which led to Russia’s entrance into World War I on the side of Entente Powers (also known as the Allies of World War I or the Allies). See Unofficial Royalty: World War I: Who Was On What Side? In the midst of World War I, the February Revolution, the first of two revolutions in Russia, took place in 1917. Later in 1917, the October Revolution occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Soviet Union.

Historian Alexander Rabinowitch in The Bolsheviks in Power: The First Year of Soviet Rule in Petrograd, summarized the reasons for the February Revolution: The February 1917 revolution “… grew out of prewar political and economic instability, technological backwardness, and fundamental social divisions, coupled with gross mismanagement of the war effort, continuing military defeats, domestic economic dislocation, and outrageous scandals surrounding the monarchy.” The revolution was confined to the capital St. Petersburg and its surrounding areas and lasted less than a week. It involved mass demonstrations and armed clashes with police and forces of the Russian army. The immediate result of the revolution was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire.

By March 12, 1917, all the remaining regiments of the Russian Imperial Army had mutinied. A Provisional Government was formed which issued a demand that Nicholas must abdicate. At this time, Nicholas was not in St. Petersburg, but at the Stavka, the headquarters of the Russian Imperial Army in Mogilev (now in Belarus), 500 miles/800km away, living on the Imperial Train. Despite many earlier warnings from many people that he should return to the capital, Nicholas remained at the Stavka.

Finally, when it was too late to take any action, Nicholas decided to return to his family at Tsarskoe Selo, 15 miles/24 km from St. Petersburg, the site of Alexander Palace, the family’s favorite residence. Aboard the train, Nicholas heard the news that the last of the regiments had mutinied and he realized he had no choice but to abdicate. On March 15, 1917, aboard the Imperial Train headed to Tsarskoe Selo, Nicholas signed the abdication manifesto. At first, he decided to abdicate in favor of his son Alexei, but he changed his mind after conferring with doctors who said the hemophiliac Alexei would not survive without his parents, who would surely be exiled. Nicholas then decided to abdicate in favor of his brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich. However, Michael declined to accept the throne unless the people were allowed to vote for the continuation of the monarchy or for a republic.

Nicholas issued the following statement:

“In the days of the great struggle against the foreign enemies, who for nearly three years have tried to enslave our fatherland, the Lord God has been pleased to send down on Russia a new heavy trial. Internal popular disturbances threaten to have a disastrous effect on the future conduct of this persistent war. The destiny of Russia, the honor of our heroic army, the welfare of the people and the whole future of our dear fatherland demand that the war should be brought to a victorious conclusion whatever the cost. The cruel enemy is making his last efforts, and already the hour approaches when our glorious army together with our gallant allies will crush him. In these decisive days in the life of Russia, We thought it Our duty of conscience to facilitate for Our people the closest union possible and a consolidation of all national forces for the speedy attainment of victory. In agreement with the Imperial Duma We have thought it well to renounce the Throne of the Russian Empire and to lay down the supreme power. As We do not wish to part from Our beloved son, We transmit the succession to Our brother, the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, and give Him Our blessing to mount the Throne of the Russian Empire. We direct Our brother to conduct the affairs of state in full and inviolable union with the representatives of the people in the legislative bodies on those principles which will be established by them, and on which He will take an inviolable oath. In the name of Our dearly beloved homeland, We call on Our faithful sons of the fatherland to fulfill their sacred duty to the fatherland, to obey the Tsar in the heavy moment of national trials, and to help Him, together with the representatives of the people, to guide the Russian Empire on the road to victory, welfare, and glory. May the Lord God help Russia!”

One of the last photographs taken of Nicholas II, take Tsarskoe Selo after his abdication, Spring 1917; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Nicholas and his family were held under house arrest first at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, and later at the Governor’s Mansion in Tobolsk, Siberia between August 1917 – April 1918. In April 1918, they were moved to the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Siberia. It was here on the morning of July 17, 1918, that the family was brought to a room in the basement and assassinated.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • “February revolution.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Feb. 2017. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
  • Lincoln, Bruce W., and Lincoln. The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY, Unofficialtes: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1983. Print.
  • “Nicholas II of Russia.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Feb. 2017. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
  • Perry, John Curtis, and Constantine Pleshakov. The Flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga. New York, NY, United States: William S. Konecky Associates, 1999. Print.
  • Rabinowitch, Alexander. The Bolsheviks in Power: The First Year of Soviet Rule in Petrograd. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008. Print.
  • Scott. “Emperor Nicholas II of Russia.” Russian Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 28 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.

Obituary – Prince Dimitri Romanovich Romanov (1926-2016)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Dmitri Romanovich and his wife with Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2006; Photo Credit – By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7386249

Prince Dimitri Romanovich Romanov died in a hospital in Denmark on December 31, 2016, at the age of 90. He was admitted to the hospital the week before his death after a deterioration in his health. Prince Dimitri is survived by his second wife Princess Theodora Alexeevna Romanov (née Dorrit Revetlow). He had no children from either of his marriages.  Prince Dimitri was the President of the Romanov Family Association and was recognized by most Romanovs as the head of the House of Romanov.

Born on May 17, 1926, in Cap d’Antibes, France, Prince Dimitri Romanovich Romanov was the second of the two children of Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia and Countess Praskovia Sheremeteva, a member of one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families of Russia. Prince Roman Petrovich was one of the 35 Romanovs who managed to escape Russia after the Russian Revolution. In April 1919, he left Russia aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough. Prince Dimitri had one elder brother Prince Nicholas Romanovich Romanov, who served as the President of the Romanov Family Association and was a claimant to head the House of Romanov before his death in 2014. Prince Nicholas had no sons, so upon his death, his brother Prince Dimitri became the claimant to head the House of Romanov.

Prince Dimitri was a great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias (1796 – 1855).  His male-line descent from Emperor Nicholas I can be seen below.

Emperor Nicholas I of Russia married Princess Charlotte of Prussia > Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich married Princess Alexandra of Oldenburg > Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich married Princess Militsa of Montenegro > Prince Roman Petrovich married Countess Prascovia Sheremeteva > Prince Dimitri Romanov

Most of the descendants of Emperor Nicholas I except for the descendants of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich recognized Prince Dimitri and his brother before him as the head of the House of Romanov. The Romanov Family Association does not recognize the claim of Vladimir Kirillovich’s daughter Maria Vladimirovna, who styles herself Grand Duchess of Russia, that she is the head of the House of Romanov. Maria Vladimirovna’s descent from Alexander II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias can be seen below. Emperor Alexander II was the eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I.

Emperor Alexander II married Marie of Hesse and by Rhine > Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich married Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin > Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich married Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha > Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich married Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani > Maria Vladimirovna

The house laws of the House of Romanov state that the eldest son of the monarch shall inherit the throne, and then other dynasts according to primogeniture in the male line. A female could only succeed or the succession could only pass through the female line upon the extinction of all legitimately-born, male dynasts. Maria Vladimirovna claims that the marriage of Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia and Countess Praskovia Sheremeteva violated the house laws.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
http://tass.ru/obschestvo/3920211
“Prince Dimitri Romanov.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
“Line of succession to the former Russian throne.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
“Романов, Димитрий Романович.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2017. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.

Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of the Hellenes

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, Queen of the Hellenes; source: Wikipedia

Queen Olga of the Hellenes was born Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, on September 3, 1851, at Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of all Russia) and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg.

Olga had five siblings:

Olga (far right) with her mother and four of her siblings, c.1861. source: Wikipedia

Olga grew up at her father’s estates in St. Petersburg and the Crimea, as well as in Poland where her father served as Viceroy. She was educated privately at home.

Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna, c.1866. source: Wikipedia

In 1863, Olga first met her future husband who had just been elected King George I of the Hellenes. He was born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, son of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Luise of Hesse-Kassel. The two met again four years later, and she quickly fell in love. The couple married in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 27, 1867. Just sixteen years old, Olga was now Queen of the Hellenes.

Over the next 20 years, Olga and George had eight children:

Being so young, Olga was unprepared for her new life as Queen, in a new country. She made efforts to earn the love and respect of the Greek people, wearing a dress of blue and white, the Greek national colors, for her arrival and quickly learning to speak Greek. Being used to the splendor of the Russian court, life in Greece was quite different and almost boring in comparison. However, Olga adjusted, was a very hands-on mother, and threw herself into charity work which she thoroughly enjoyed. From the moment she arrived in Greece, Olga took on several patronages previously held by the previous Queen Amalia. Particularly drawn to helping those in need, she worked tirelessly to improve conditions for the poor and orphaned. She also became the patron of several military hospitals and helped establish the Annunciation Hospital in Athens. Olga also built a Russian Hospital in Piraeus, which served Russian soldiers and other soldiers visiting Greece. During the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and the Balkan Wars, Olga established hospitals to serve the wounded and was awarded the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in December 1897. She also retained her love for Russia and often entertained Russian sailors at the Royal Palace.

Despite her charity work, Olga occasionally courted controversy in Greece. Realizing that many wounded soldiers could not read the Bible due to the archaic Greek in which it was written, she arranged for a new version to be published in Modern Greek. This was not authorized by the Greek Holy Synod and caused a huge uproar, with calls for the excommunication of anyone involved in the project, including Olga. By the end of the year, all remaining copies had been confiscated and no longer allowed to be circulated.

Queen Olga and King George, December 1912. source: Wikipedia

Olga’s husband, King George, was assassinated in Thessaloniki, Greece on March 18, 1913. Olga arrived in the city the next day to accompany her husband’s body back to Athens. She retained a wing of the Royal Palace in Athens but spent much of her time in Russia. When World War I began, Queen Olga was in Russia, where she established a hospital at Pavlovsk Palace to treat wounded soldiers.

Olga remained in Russia after the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1917.  Following the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks invaded Pavlovsk Palace but she remained unharmed.  Initially, the Bolsheviks refused to let her leave Russia, and at the time, Greece was in no position to offer any help.  Her son King Constantine I had been deposed and sent into exile, and his son Alexander had been chosen to replace him.  Finally, with help from the Danish government, Olga was able to leave Russia, traveling to join her family in Switzerland in 1919.

In October 1920, her grandson King Alexander developed septicemia from a monkey bite. Gravely ill, he called for his mother but the government would not permit Queen Sophie to return. However, it was negotiated that Queen Olga could travel to Athens to be at her grandson’s bedside. Sadly, she arrived just hours after Alexander died on October 25, 1920. The next several weeks saw significant changes in the political landscape of Greece. Prime Minister Venizelos was defeated in a general election just days after Alexander’s death. The following month, the new Prime Minister asked Queen Olga to serve as Regent. A referendum was held, in which her son, King Constantine I, was restored to the Greek throne. Queen Olga served as Regent until his return to Greece on December 19, 1920.

Queen Olga with her son Prince Christopher and his first wife on their wedding day, January 1, 1920. source: Wikipedia

In September 1922, following another coup, King Constantine I abdicated in favor of his eldest son and rightful heir King George II. Constantine and his family, along with Queen Olga, left the country and went into exile in Italy. King George II would only serve for 18 months before the monarchy was deposed. Unlike the other members of the Greek royal family, Queen Olga was held in very high esteem by the Greek people and was the only member of her family to be given a pension by the new government.

Queen Olga, painted by de László, 1914. source: Wikipedia

Queen Olga spent her remaining years in the United Kingdom, shuttling between the homes of her son Christopher and her daughter Marie, and the royal residences of the British Royal Family. Olga remained very close to her sister-in-law Queen Alexandra and was particularly close to her nephew King George V. After several years of ill health, Queen Olga died on June 18, 1926.

As a sign of respect, the Greek government offered to provide a lavish funeral and burial in Greece. Her children, however, declined the offer. Following a funeral at the Orthodox Church in Rome, Queen Olga’s remains were placed in the crypt of the Russian church in Florence, beside her son King Constantine I. In 1936, after the Greek monarchy was restored, Queen Olga was re-interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

Queen Olga’s grave in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

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Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, known as Princess Dagmar and called Minnie in her family, was born at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 26, 1847. She was the fourth child and the second daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. In 1852, Prince Christian became heir to the Danish throne and in 1853 he was given the title Prince of Denmark and his children then became Princes and Princesses of Denmark. Christian succeeded to the Danish throne in 1863 and reigned as King Christian IX.

Minnie had five siblings:

Family of King Christian IX; Back Row: Frederik, King Christian, and William; Front Row: Dagmar, Valdemar, Queen Louise, Thyra, and Alexandra; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie grew up in a close and happy family environment. Her parents gave their children a simple upbringing but attached great importance to their royal duties. As adults, all their children were known for their ability to deal with people, their sense of duty, and their ability to represent their royal families. Minnie was closest to her elder sister Alexandra and the two had close ties to each other for life.

Minnie with her first fiancé Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Alexander II of Russia was searching for a bride for his eldest son and heir Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich from countries other than the small German states that traditionally provided brides for the Romanovs. In 1864, Nicholas Alexandrovich went to Denmark and proposed to Minnie. Nicholas Alexandrovich suffered from poor health and died from meningitis on April 24, 1865. Reportedly, his last wish was for Minnie to marry his brother Alexander Alexandrovich, the future Emperor Alexander III. Minnie had already started receiving instruction in the Russian language and preparing for her conversion to the Russian Orthodox religion.

Engagement Photo: Alexander and Minnie; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1866, on a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander proposed to Minnie, his deceased brother’s fiancée. Minnie converted to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. Alexander and Minnie were married on November 9, 1866, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. After the wedding festivities, the newlyweds moved into the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg where they lived for the next 15 years. In addition, they spent time at their summer villa Livadia Palace in the Crimean Peninsula.

Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich & Maria Feodorovna by M.Zichy 1867, Hermitage; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Minnie had six children:

Alexander, Minnie and their children in 1888;  Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie was a popular member of the Russian Imperial Family. She rarely mingled in politics,  instead devoting herself to her family, charities, and social activities. Among the charities she worked with were the Russian Red Cross and several educational institutions, including the famous Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens.  Like her sister Alexandra, Princess of Wales, Minnie was anti-German because of the annexation of the previously Danish-owned Schleswig-Holstein duchies to Prussia in 1864. In the early years of their marriage, Minnie and Alexander settled into the huge Anichkov Palace on St. Petersburg’s main street, Nevsky Prospekt. The couple traveled around the Russian Empire and regularly attended family get-togethers in Denmark.

On March 13, 1881, Alexander’s father, Alexander II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg, a victim of a bombing by the underground organization, Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will), and Alexander succeeded to the Russian throne. Security was tightened and Minnie and Alexander had to move out of St. Petersburg to Gatchina Palace, 28 miles away from St. Petersburg, which provided greater protection. Alexander and Minnie’s traditional coronation in the Kremlin in Moscow was held in strict security because a dangerous conspiracy had been discovered.

The Imperial Family was always heavily guarded, but Minnie often went to St. Petersburg to participate in and organize balls, receptions, and other things she had enjoyed doing as a Grand Duchess. Minnie supported Alexander in his extreme conservative ideas. She sought to encourage foreign policy that favored Denmark and not Germany. In addition, she tried to get Russia to develop relations with the United Kingdom, two countries that traditionally were not allied.

Alexander and Dagmar’s visits to Denmark were always big events. The couple enjoyed being in Denmark because the atmosphere was more relaxed and they were under less stringent security than they were accustomed to in Russia. In 1885, during a Danish royal family dinner at Fredensborg Palace, Alexander announced that he would like to have his own home in Fredensborg. He bought a house near the castle grounds called Svalereden and it became known as Kejserens Villa or Emperor’s Villa. Minnie held ownership of the home until she died in 1928 when her daughter Olga sold the house.

Family Get-Together at Fredensborg Palace in Denmark, 1889. (l-r): Top row: King Haakon VII of Norway; Emperor Nicholas II of Russia; Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia; Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom; King Christian X of Denmark; King Frederik VIII of Denmark; Queen Louise of Denmark; King Constantine I of Greece; Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia; Prince George of Greece and Denmark; Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom; Emperor Alexander III of Russia; Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; King Christian IX of Denmark; Prince Harald of Denmark; Queen Maud of Norway; Middle row sitting: Prince Andrew of Greece; Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia; Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia; Queen Louise of Denmark; King George I of Greece; Princess Alexandra of Greece; On their knees on the grass: Princess Thyra of Denmark and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Alexander became ill with nephritis, a kidney disease. Later that year, Alexander was on his way to the Greek isle of Corfu where he hoped to recuperate at Mon Repos, the villa of Minnie’s sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece. However, when Alexander reached Crimea, he was too ill to continue traveling and stayed at Livadia Palace, his home in Crimea. It was soon obvious that Alexander would not survive and various relatives came to the Crimea including Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the fiancée of Alexander’s eldest son Nicholas. Insisting on receiving Princess Alix in his full dress uniform, Alexander gave her his blessing on October 21, 1894. Alexander’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. His son Nicholas became the last Emperor of Russia. He married Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorovna) on Minnie’s 47th birthday, November 26, 1894, just eight days after Emperor Alexander III was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.

During the early years of her son’s reign, Emperor Nicholas II often sought his mother’s advice. For a time after his accession and his marriage, he lived with her in Anichkov Palace. According to Russian custom, Minnie was still the country’s first lady, and this caused some strain between Minnie and her daughter-in-law Empress Alexandra. The two never got close to each other, and their relationship was the subject of much gossip. Minnie was more popular than the daughter-in-law and enjoyed her continued role as the first lady.

Emperor Nicholas II and his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1896; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s political views changed as discontent and revolutionary events increased in Russia. She thought that some autocratic political power should be transferred to a more democratic, representative government and that Russia should look more to the West. However, Nicholas II retained his absolute power and eventually, Minnie’s role as a political adviser to her son disappeared, and Nicholas leaned more on his wife.

When the Russian Revolution broke out during World War I in 1917, Minnie was in Kyiv (now in Ukraine). After Nicholas abdicated, she saw him one last time, and after some reflection, she went to the Crimea where members of the Imperial Family had several summer homes. Here she witnessed the October Revolution later that year, and then in 1918 came the news of the murder of her son and his family, which she did not believe. Being in Crimea became precarious due to food shortages, visits to the home by the Bolshevik officials, and the threat of being murdered by the Bolsheviks.

The Romanovs under house arrest in Crimea in 1918. Standing: Colonel Nikolai Kulikovsky, Mr. Fogel, Olga Konstantinovna Vasiljeva, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich. Seated: Mr. Orbeliani, Prince Nikita, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Xenia, The Dowager Empress (Minnie), and Grand Duke Alexander. On the floor: Prince Vasili, Prince Rostislav, and Prince Dmitri

Although the monarchy was abolished by the Russian Revolution, Minnie did not initially leave Russia. She finally fled in 1919 to London when her nephew King George V of the United Kingdom sent the warship HMS Marlborough to retrieve his aunt when she could no longer stay in Crimea. Rescued along with Minnie were 25 other Romanovs and their relatives.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich and Empress Maria Feodorovna escaping aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After a short stay in London, Minnie returned home to her native Denmark where she briefly lived with her nephew King Christian X in a wing of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. Minnie then decided to live at Hvidøre, the holiday villa near Copenhagen, that she had purchased with her sister Alexandra in 1906.

Minnie and Alexandra at Hvidøre, circa 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s last years were overshadowed by the many deaths in her immediate family and she still refused to believe in the massacre of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Minnie died on October 13, 1928, at Hvidøre. Following services in Copenhagen’s Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, Minnie was interred in the crypt of the Christian IX Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish royal family in Roskilde, Denmark.

First burial place of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie had wished that at some point in time, she could be buried with her husband. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed, along with their governments, that Minnie’s wish should be fulfilled. Minnie’s remains were transported to St. Petersburg. Following a service at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, she was interred next to her husband Emperor Alexander III on September 28, 2006 in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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Tomb of Empress Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

The third child and second son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and his first wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna), Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was born on March 10, 1845, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. He had seven siblings:

Since Alexander’s elder brother Nicholas Alexandrovich was the heir to the throne, Alexander received an education as befitted a Grand Duke and not a future Emperor. He had an abrupt and gruff personality and exhibited unusual physical strength. In the summer of 1864, Nicholas became engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was the second daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel and was a younger sister of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, wife of the heir to the British throne. However, events in early 1865 would change Alexander’s future. His brother Nicholas died from meningitis on April 24, 1865, at the age of 21. Alexander became the Tsesarevich of Russia, the heir to the Russian throne.

Alexander Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia in 1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After his brother’s death, Alexander began to receive instruction in law and political science from Konstantin Pobedonostsev, a professor of civil law at Moscow State University. Pobedonostsev was very conservative and denounced democracy, trial by jury, and freedom of the press. He had a profound influence on Alexander for the remainder of his life. Tsesarevich Alexander’s political philosophy was the opposite of his liberal father, Alexander II. Emperor Alexander II was the most reforming emperor since Peter the Great.  His foremost accomplishment was the emancipation of the serfs in 1861.  In addition, Alexander II reorganized the judicial system, established local self-government called Zemstvo, instituted universal military service in which sons of the rich and the poor were required to serve, ended some of the privileges of the nobility, and promoted higher education in the universities.

Alexander Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark engagement postcard; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1866, while on a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander proposed to his deceased brother’s fiancée, Princess Dagmar of Denmark, whose family nickname was Minnie. Minnie converted to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. Alexander and Minnie were married on November 9, 1866, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. After the wedding festivities, the newlyweds moved into the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg where they would live for the next 15 years. In addition, they spent time at their summer villa Livadia Palace in the Crimean Peninsula.

Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Minnie had six children:

Alexander, Minnie and their children in 1888, Credit – Wikipedia

On March 13, 1881, Alexander’s father, Alexander II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg, a victim of a bombing by the underground organization, Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will), and Alexander succeeded to the Russian throne. On the day of his assassination, Alexander II had signed a proclamation creating a consulting group to advise the Emperor, which some considered a step towards constitutional monarchy. The new emperor, Alexander III, canceled the new policy before it was published.

Early in his reign, Alexander III weakened the power of the local self-government his father had created called Zemstvo and instituted the “May Laws”, which restricted the professions and free movement of the Jewish minority and led to the severe persecution of Russian Jews. Alexander felt that his empire would have been permeated by anarchist troublemakers and revolutionary agitators and in 1881, he created the Okhrana, the secret police, and started to imprison political opponents in the Siberian labor camp. Another problem Alexander saw was a foreign infiltration of Russian society and he launched a radical policy of Russification. No major wars were fought during Alexander’s reign and he was nicknamed “The Peacemaker.” Certainly one of the most important accomplishments during the 13-year reign of Alexander III was the planning and the beginning of the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest railway in the world.

On October 29, 1888, Alexander and his family were returning from a trip to the Caucasus via train when an accident occurred. The train derailed and plunged down a slope. When the roof of the dining car threatened to crush the passengers, including Imperial Family members, Alexander raised the roof with his shoulders and held it there until all were safely rescued. In the opinion of his doctors, Alexander’s super-human effort left permanent damage to his internal organs.

Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Alexander became ill with nephritis, a kidney disorder. Alexander was on his way to the Greek isle of Corfu where he hoped to recuperate at Mon Repos, the villa of his wife’s sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece. However, when Alexander reached Crimea, he was too ill to continue traveling and stayed at Livadia Palace, his home in Crimea. It was soon obvious that Alexander would not survive and various relatives came to Crimea including Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the fiancée of Alexander’s eldest son Nicholas. Insisting on receiving Princess Alix in his full dress uniform, Alexander gave her his blessing on October 21, 1894. Thereafter, Alexander’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. His son Nicholas became the last Emperor of Russia and married Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorova) on November 26, 1894, just eight days after Alexander III was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.

Alexander III’s death in Livadia by M.Zichy (Hermitage); Credit – Wikipedia

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Tomb of Emperor Alexander III of Russia; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Princess Yekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova, Princess Yurievskaya

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

Princess Yekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova, Princess Yurievskaya; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Yekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova, Princess Catherine Dolgorukov in English, was first the mistress and then the second and morganatic wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  A morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank which prevents the husband’s titles and privileges from being passed to the wife and any children born of the marriage.

Catherine was born on November 14, 1847, in Moscow, Russia, and came from the Russian princely House of Dolgorukov, noted for their service to the Russian tsars and emperors. Her parents were Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Dolgorukov and Vera Gavrilovna Vishnevskaya. Her father was the grandson of Prince Alexei Grigorievich Dolgorukov, known for his closeness to Peter II, Emperor of All Russia. Prince Alexei’s daughter Ekaterina Alekseyevna Dolgorukova was engaged to Peter II, but the wedding never took place because of Peter’s death from smallpox. Vera Gavrilovna’s great-grandfather, Colonel Vishnevsky, an important official in the court of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, found an impressive singer in a rural church and brought him back to the Russian court. Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky joined the court choir and caught the eye of Empress Elizabeth and he became her lover and eventually her morganatic husband.

In August 1857, ten-year-old Catherine first met Emperor Alexander II when a military maneuver was held at her family’s estate. When Catherine’s father went bankrupt, Alexander II took it upon himself to pay for the children’s education. The boys were sent to a military academy in St. Petersburg and the girls were sent to Smolny Institute, also in St. Petersburg. In 1865, filling in his wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who was ill, Emperor Alexander II made an official visit to the Smolny Institute. He was immediately attracted to the now 17-year-old Catherine.

Catherine and Alexander began to meet in the gardens near the Winter Palace, and Catherine’s mother and the headmistress of the Smolny Institute encouraged her in her relationship with the emperor. Likely, Catherine and Alexander were first intimate on June 12, 1866, at the Belvedere Pavilion near the Peterhof Palace.  By the autumn of 1866, the couple was secretly meeting at the Winter Palace, and in 1867, their affair was public knowledge.

Catherine as a teenager; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1867, Alexander II went to the 1867 World’s Fair in Paris where a Polish immigrant Antoni Berezowski shot at the carriage carrying Alexander II, two of his sons, and Emperor Napoleon III of France. Luckily, only a horse was hit. Shaken by the assassination attempt, Alexander II asked for Catherine to come to Paris. When they returned to St. Petersburg, Alexander II arranged for Catherine to live near the Winter Palace. Preserved letters show a sincere and passionate love for each other. Alexander II arranged for Catherine’s older sister to marry one of his adjutant generals, so Catherine could officially live with her sister.

Catherine and Alexander II had four children who were legitimized in 1880 and given the title Serene Highness Prince/Princess:

Alexander and Catherine with two of their children; Credit – Wikipedia

Shortly before Alexander II’s wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna died, Alexander II moved Catherine and her children to the Winter Palace. This further exacerbated the hostile attitude many members of the Romanov family and the Russian court had toward Catherine. The court was divided into two factions: Dolgorukov supporters and supporters of the heir to the throne, the future Emperor Alexander III. On June 3, 1880, Empress Maria Alexandrovna died from tuberculosis.

Six weeks later, on July 18, 1880, Alexander II made a morganatic marriage with Catherine. This marriage caused a scandal in the Imperial Family and violated Russian Orthodox rules regarding the waiting period for remarriage following the death of a spouse. Alexander granted his new wife the title of Princess Yurievskaya and legitimized their children who were then styled Prince/Princess (Knyaz/Knyaginya). On September 5, 1880, Alexander II deposited 3,302,910 gold rubles in an account at the State Bank for Catherine and her children.

The three surviving children of Catherine and Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 13, 1881, Emperor Alexander II fell victim to assassination when a bomb was thrown into his carriage. He asked to be returned to the Winter Palace to die. As the Imperial Family heard the news, they arrived at the Winter Palace. The sight that greeted them was grim. Alexander II’s face and body were intact, but his legs were gone up to his knees. The room began to get crowded as more family members arrived. Alexander II’s eldest son Alexander (the future Alexander III) and his Danish wife Dagmar (Maria Feodorovna) arrived. Dagmar was still wearing her skating costume and carrying her ice skates as she planned to go ice skating. Dagmar’s husband stood in disbelief and their eldest son 13-year-old Nicholas (the future Nicholas II) was clinging to a cousin for comfort. Catherine hysterically ran into the room, threw herself on her husband’s body, kissed his hands, and called out his name. For 45 minutes, those in the room watched as Alexander II’s life ebbed away. At 3:35 PM, he died, and as the Imperial Family knelt to pray, Catherine fainted and was carried from the room, her clothes drenched with his blood.

Catherine, circa 1872-1873

Shortly after Alexander’s funeral, Catherine left Russia forever. She moved to France and, in 1888, settled in Nice on the French Riviera. Catherine died on February 15, 1922, at the age of 74, forgotten and ignored, her obituary only three lines long. She was buried at the Cimetière orthodoxe de Caucade in Nice, France.

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