Category Archives: Russian Royals

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie, Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, was the first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  She was born on August 8, 1824, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. Marie was the youngest child of Wilhelmine of Baden, wife of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. She was officially Ludwig’s daughter, but the last four of Wilhelmine’s children were probably the children of August von Senarclens de Grancy, her longtime lover, with whom Wilhelmine had lived since 1820. Wilhelmine and Ludwig had lived apart since 1809.

Marie’s siblings were:

Marie’s mother was responsible for her education, and her mother’s preference for French culture and literature was evident in her education which placed a special emphasis on literature and history. When Marie was 11 years old, her mother died and Marianne Gransi, a lady-in-waiting to Marie’s mother, took over the responsibility of Marie’s education.

In 1839, when Marie was 14, the heir to the Russian throne, Alexander Nikolaevich, the Tsarevich, visited Hesse while on a tour of Europe. Alexander fell in love with Marie despite the stigma of her birth. There was already a connection with the Russian Imperial Family. Marie’s maternal great-aunt Louise of Baden (Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna)  had married Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Alexander Nikolaevich’s mother Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, born Princess Charlotte of Prussia, was against the marriage. In a letter to his mother, Alexander wrote: “I love her, and I would rather give up the throne, than not marry her. I will marry only her, that’s my decision!” Finally, after being persuaded by her husband Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went to Darmstadt to meet Marie. The Empress liked what she saw and gave her permission for the marriage.

A Russian Orthodox priest came to Darmstadt and instructed Marie in the Russian Orthodox religion. In September 1840, Marie arrived in Russia and shared her impressions of St. Petersburg in a letter to his family: “St. Petersburg is much more beautiful than I thought. The Neva River is wonderful. I think it is difficult to find a greater city. The view from the Winter Palace on the Neva is wonderful!” Marie was received into the Russian Orthodox Church on December 5, 1840, and became Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. The next day, the official betrothal was held in the presence of the Imperial Family, the whole court, the Russian nobility, many notable foreign guests, and representatives of foreign states.

The wedding took place on April 16, 1841, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Maria Alexandrovna wore a white dress richly embroidered with silver and diamonds. Over one shoulder lay a red ribbon and a crimson velvet robe with white satin and fine ermine was fastened on her shoulders. She was bedecked with a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and diamond bracelets. Her future mother-in-law, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna could not resist the desire to decorate the bride’s hair with flowers, the symbols of purity and innocence. The Empress ordered orange blossoms to be brought to her and she stuck them between the diamonds in Maria Alexandrovna’s tiara and pinned a small branch on her chest.

Maria Alexandrovna and Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Maria Alexandrovna had eight children:

Tsar Alexander II and his children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander always treated his wife with respect, but he had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. His most prominent mistress was Catherine Dolgorukova with whom he had four children. During the last years of Maria Alexandrovna’s life, Catherine and her children lived in the Winter Palace. After his wife’s death, Alexander made a morganatic marriage with Catherine.

In 1855, Alexander became Emperor and Maria Alexandrovna became Empress. During their coronation on August 26, 1856, in the Assumption Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, the crown fell from Maria’s head, which was seen as a bad omen.

Coronation of Alexander II, Alexander crowns Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

In cooperation with Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the wife of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine who was Maria’s nephew, Maria arranged the marriage of her only daughter Maria Alexandrovna to Queen Victoria’s second son Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a marriage that Queen Victoria had resisted.

Maria Alexandrovna had a close relationship with her brother Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, who had made a morganatic marriage with Countess Julia Hauke, one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting. Their children were the start of the Battenberg (and later the Mountbatten) family. Maria’s frequent stays at her brother’s Hessian home Schloss Heiligenberg resulted in the subsequent marriage of Maria’s son Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich with Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, and also the ultimate marriage of Maria’s grandson Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia with Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine.  Both Hesse princesses were granddaughters of Queen Victoria.

Hessian family at Schloss Heiligenberg in 1864, Women: Countess Julia Hauke, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (wife of Prince Karl), Empress Maria Feodorovna, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (wife of Prince Ludwig); Men: Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Wilhelm of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (future Grand Duke), Prince Gustaf Wasa of Sweden, Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1863, Maria Alexandrovna contracted tuberculosis. Frequent childbirth, her husband’s infidelity, and the death of her eldest son Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich in 1865 from meningitis at the age of 21, completely undermined Maria’s already weak health. Since the 1870s, Maria had spent the autumn and the fall in the warmer climates of Crimea and Italy. Her health worsened after two assassination attempts on her husband’s life in 1879 and another one in 1880. Empress Maria Alexandrovna died at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on June 3, 1880, at the age of 55. She was interred at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Her husband, who married his mistress Catherine Dolgorukova within a month of Maria’s death, died on March 13, 1881, the victim of an assassination by a bomb that blew off his legs.

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Tomb of Alexander II (on left) and Maria Alexandrovna, his wife (on right); Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Photo by Sergei Lvovich Levitsky 1881; Credit – Wikipedia

Known as “The Liberator” for emancipating the Russian serfs and one of five of the twenty Romanov rulers (Ivan VI, Peter III, Paul I, Alexander II, and Nicholas II) to die a violent death, Alexander Nikolaevich was born on April 29, 1818, during the reign of his uncle Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, in the Chudov Monastery in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Alexander Nikolaevich was the eldest child of the seven children of the future Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and his wife Princess Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and was known as Alexandra Feodorovna after her marriage. The infant Alexander was considered an heir to the throne at birth as his uncle Alexander I had only two daughters, and a 201 gun salute was fired upon his birth. He was christened on May 5, 1818, in the Chudov Monastery Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, followed by a gala dinner.

Alexander Nikolaevich had six siblings:

Nicholas I “Family Ruble” (1836) depicting the Tsar on the obverse and his family on the reverse: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (center) surrounded by Alexander II, Maria, Olga, Nicholas, Michael, Konstantin, and Alexandra; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander Nikolaevich’s education was personally supervised by his mother and her personal Russian tutor, Russian poet, and translator Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky.  In addition, Alexander had expert tutors in theology, statistics, mathematics, history, natural history, law, military history and tactics, and foreign policy. He went on tours of Russia and the major European countries, including a trip to London in 1839, where he had a fleeting infatuation in the young Queen Victoria.

It was on one of his European trips, that Alexander met his future wife Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, the youngest child of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Wilhelmine of Baden. There was already a Russian connection in the family. Wilhelmine Marie’s maternal great-aunt Louise of Baden (Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna) had married Emperor Alexander I, Alexander’s uncle. Alexander Nikolaevich’s mother Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, born Princess Charlotte of Prussia, was against the marriage. In a letter to his mother, Alexander wrote: “I love her, and I would rather give up the throne, than not marry her. I will marry only her, that’s my decision!” Finally, after being persuaded by her husband Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went to Darmstadt to meet Marie. The Empress liked what she saw and gave her permission for the marriage. Alexander and Marie were married at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 16, 1841. Marie converted to the Russian Orthodox religion and was thereafter known as Maria Alexandrovna.

Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had eight children:

Maria Alexandrovna was plagued by frequent illness and Alexander had several mistresses. Six weeks after Maria Alexandrovna’s death from tuberculosis on June 3, 1880, Alexander made a morganatic marriage with his long-time mistress Catherine Dolgorukova with whom he had four children. 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).

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

In 1855, Alexander became Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias upon the death of his father.  He is known as 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.

Coronation of Alexander II, Alexander crowns Maria Alexandrovna; Credit – Wikipedia

A liberal-leaning ruler, Alexander was subjected to several assassination attempts.  On March 13, 1881, Emperor Alexander II signed an order creating several commissions, composed of government officials and prominent private individuals, to prepare reforms in various branches of the government. He then attended a military parade and on his way back to the Winter Palace, a bomb was thrown at Alexander’s carriage, and it landed directly between his legs. The noise from the bomb was deafening, smoke filled the air, wounded people were screaming, and the snow was drenched with blood. When the smoke cleared, Emperor Alexander II lay mortally wounded, his legs crushed and torn from the blast of the bomb. Alexander asked to be taken to the Winter Palace so he could die there. For 45 minutes, his family, including his eldest son Alexander (III), his wife, and their eldest son 13-year-old Nicholas (II), who was clinging on to a cousin for comfort, watched as Emperor Alexander II’s life ebbed away. At 3:35 PM, the emperor died, and as the Imperial Family knelt to pray, his wife Catherine Dolgorukova (Princess Yurievskaya) fainted and was carried from the room, her clothes drenched with his blood.

The Assassination of Alexander II, drawing by G. Broling, 1881; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Alexander II was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg next to his first wife.

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Tomb of Alexander II (on left) and Maria Alexandrovna, his wife (on right); Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

In 1883, construction was started on the Church on the Spilt Blood.  The church was built on the site of Alexander’s assassination and is dedicated to his memory.

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Church on the Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg, built on the site of Alexander II’s assassination; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia was the second husband of Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He was born on October 12, 1876, at Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia, the second son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He had four siblings:

After receiving his military training with the Sea Cadet Corps and the Naval Academy, Kirill served on several ships in the Russian Navy. In 1904, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Pacific Fleet and was seriously injured when his ship, the Petropavlovsk, struck a mine in Port Arthur.

Kirill with his family, c.1918. source: Wikipedia

Kirill married his first cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on October 8, 1905, in Tegernsee, Germany. Victoria Melita was the daughter of Prince Alfred of the United Kingdom, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (second son of Queen Victoria) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). Because the marriage was not consented to by Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, Kirill was stripped of his military appointments and his appanage. The couple was banished from Russia and settled in France. They had three children:

By 1908, Kirill was third in line to the Imperial throne, following several deaths within the family. Nicholas II relented and allowed Kirill to return, restoring both his military positions and his funding. He then served as commander of the cruiser Oleg, and eventually became Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army. In 1915, he was appointed Commander of the Palace Guard of the Tsar.

Following the abdication of Nicholas II in 1917, Kirill and his family left Russia. They settled first in Finland, before moving on to Munich and then Zurich. Eventually, they settled permanently in Saint-Briac, France, in the mid-1920s. In addition, they had inherited property in Coburg from his wife’s mother, which they retained until their deaths.

Kirill with his wife and two younger children, c.1926. source: Wikipedia

Bolstered by a group of supporters, and the laws of the former Imperial Family, on August 31, 1924, Kirill declared himself Emperor of all the Russias. This claim was later taken by his son, Vladimir, and then Vladimir’s daughter, Maria Vladimirovna, who has declared herself Head of the Imperial House since 1992.

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich died on October 12, 1938, in France. He was initially buried beside his wife in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Germany. In 1995, both of their remains were moved to the Grand Ducal Mausoleum at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia

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Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (known as ‘Ducky’ in the family) was born on November 25, 1876, at the San Anton Palace in Malta, where her father was stationed with the Royal Navy at the time. She was the second daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. She was a granddaughter of both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Alexander, Emperor II of All Russia.

Victoria Melita was christened on  January 1, 1877, at San Anton Palace in Malta by a Royal Navy chaplain. Her grandmother Queen Victoria was one of her godparents.

Ducky had four siblings:

During her childhood, the family’s primary homes were Clarence House in London and Eastwell Park in Kent. They also spent several years at the San Anton Palace in Malta when her father was stationed there with the Royal Navy. In addition, they had homes in Coburg – Palais Edinburg and Schloss Rosenau – where her father was heir to his childless uncle, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1891, Queen Victoria began promoting the idea of a marriage between Ducky and her first cousin, Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine. He was the son of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. The two were both visiting The Queen and she saw that they got along well and, coincidentally, even shared the same birthday.

Victoria Melita and Ernst Ludwig, 1894. source: Wikipedia

In 1893, Victoria Melita’s father succeeded to the Grand Ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and she became Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The following year, on April 9, 1894, she and Ernie (who was now Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine) married at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. The couple had two children:

Despite the Queen’s observations, the new Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine and her husband were horribly mismatched. Victoria Melita craved Ernie’s attention, while he focused more on their daughter than his wife. For a few years, they seemed to make the best of it, enjoying each other’s company as well as entertaining friends and family from around Europe. But by the late 1890s, it was clear that the marriage was a mistake. Allegedly, the final blow for Ducky was finding her husband in an intimate situation with a male servant. Despite this, Queen Victoria would not permit a divorce and the two continued with their unhappy lives. Following the Queen’s death in 1901, there was no longer any obstacle to ending their marriage, and they divorced on December 21, 1901. Ducky returned to her mother in Coburg, and she and her former husband shared custody of their young daughter. Two years later, while on a visit to the Russian Imperial Family, Princess Elisabeth fell ill with typhoid. Before Ducky could arrive, the young princess died. Her daughter’s death finally severed the connection that Ducky had with her former husband and her former home.

On October 8, 1905, Ducky married for a second time. This time her husband was another first cousin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, with whom she had had a mutual attraction for many years. They had first met in 1891 when Ducky traveled to Russia to attend the funeral of her aunt by marriage, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna (the former Princess Alexandra of Greece). However, while the two were attracted to each other, her mother made every effort to dissuade Ducky from the thought of marrying him, as the Russian Orthodox Church did not permit marriages between first cousins.

Despite this, the two maintained their attraction for each other and eventually decided to marry. Upon finding out about the marriage, Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia stripped Kirill of his royal funding and titles as well as his military appointments. He also banished him from Russia, so the couple settled in France. They had three children:

Victoria Melita with her husband Kirill and their two daughters, c.1912. source: Wikipedia

In 1908, Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia put personal feelings aside and permitted Kirill and Victoria Melita to return to Russia. Recent deaths in the Imperial Family brought Kirill to third in the line of succession, and it was deemed necessary to allow his return and restore his funding and military appointments. Victoria Melita was given the style of Imperial Highness and created Grand Duchess Viktoria Feodorovna.

During World War I, Ducky worked as a nurse with the Red Cross. Soon after Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia’s abdication in 1917, she and Kirill decided it was best to leave Russia, and traveled to Finland where they would remain for over two years. In the fall of 1919, they moved on to Munich where they reunited with her mother, and then all moved to Zurich, Switzerland.

After her mother died in 1920, Ducky’s family now had two homes at their disposal – her mother’s villa in Nice and the Villa Edinburg, which later became known as the Kirill Palace, in Coburg, now in Bavaria, Germany, and for the next several years, split their time between the two. In 1926, they settled for the last time in France, purchasing a villa in Saint-Briac. Here they settled into a more quiet life, while Victoria Melita put her energies into raising her son and ensuring her daughters made significant marriages.

Victoria Melita with her husband Kirill and their two youngest children. source: Wikipedia

In February 1936, while attending the christening of her fifth grandchild, Victoria Melita suffered a stroke. She passed away on March 1, 1936, at the age of 59. She was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany. In March 1995, her remains, as well as those of her husband, were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Vault at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia was the wife of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the second son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was born on October 17, 1853, at Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia, the only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

Marie had seven siblings:

Marie with her father and siblings, 1860. source: Wikipedia

Raised as the only daughter, Maria was very close to her father, who was completely devoted to her. She also had very close relationships with her brothers but was not particularly close to her mother. Despite this, her mother’s death in 1880 was very difficult for Maria.

The Orthodox wedding of Maria and Alfred, painting by Nicholas Chevalier. source: Wikipedia

During a family holiday in Hesse in 1868, Marie first met Prince Alfred. Despite the misgivings of both her parents and Alfred’s mother, the couple was married on January 23, 1874, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon their return to London, they took up residence at Clarence House in London, and Eastwell Park in Kent, which they leased until 1893.

Marie and Alfred had five children:

The new Duchess of Edinburgh was not well received by British society, many of whom thought her very condescending and haughty. And from most accounts, this was very true. Used to the splendor and pageantry of the Russian court, she found the British court very dull by comparison. She also felt that, as the daughter of an Emperor, she should outrank all the other members of the British royal family – in particular, her sister-in-law, The Princess of Wales, who was merely the daughter of a king. Despite the demands of Marie and her father, Queen Victoria would not sanction anything of the sort.

In August 1893, her husband became the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of his childless uncle, Ernst II. They had owned a home in Coburg – Palais Edinburg – since the early 1880s, but now took up permanent residence in Schloss Ehrenburg, the traditional ducal residence in the city. They also lived at Schloss Rosenau, which Ernst II had given to Alfred as his personal property. The new Grand Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Marie was very pleased with her new position, no longer outranked by her sisters-in-law, and no longer under the constant watchful eye of her mother-in-law. From that point on, she rarely spent any significant amount of time in Britain.

The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with their daughters, and the Dowager Duchess. source: Wikipedia

In 1899, Marie and Alfred celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. During the celebrations in January, their son Affie attempted suicide and died shortly thereafter. The following year, her husband died and the Ducal throne passed to his nephew, Charles Edward, Duke of Albany. Marie returned to Palais Edinburg and also spent much of her time at Schloss Rosenau.

The remaining years of her life saw the overthrow of the Russian monarchy, the murders of many of her Russian relatives, and the end of the Duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her last remaining brother, Grand Duke Paul, was murdered by the Bolsheviks in January 1919, leaving Marie the last of her generation.

The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died on October 24, 1920, in Zurich, Switzerland. Legend has it that she received a telegram addressed to ‘Frau Coburg’ which distressed her so greatly that it caused her death. She is buried alongside her husband in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Following her death, Palais Edinburg was left to her daughter, Princess Alexandra. The villa behind it, which had formed part of the residence, was left to her daughter Victoria Melita and became known as the Kirill Palace. Both would eventually be sold to the government around 1940.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Nicholas II of Russia, Emperor of All Russia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Nicholas II of Russia, Emperor of All Russia -Credit –  Wikipedia

Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia was born May 18, 1868, at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, Russia. He was the eldest son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Dagmar of Denmark). At the time of his birth, he was second in line to the Russian throne, following his father. He had five younger siblings:

 

Nicholas was raised with his brother George who was three years younger. They were raised in a relatively simple manner considering their status. George and Nicholas slept in cots, woke up at 6:00 AM, took cold baths, and ate simple, plain meals. Their rooms were furnished with simple furniture. Both brothers were fluent in Russian, English, French, German, and Danish. The boys enjoyed shooting and fly fishing with their English tutor.

The Imperial Family always attended the graduation performances of the Imperial Ballet School and so in the audience in 1890 was Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and his family including his son and heir the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. The Imperial Family watched as graduating student Mathilde  Kschessinskaya performed a pas de deux from La Fille Mal Gardée with a male graduating student. Afterward, the graduates were presented to the Imperial Family and Emperor Alexander III told Mathilde told her to “be the glory and adornment of our ballet.” At the post-performance supper, Emperor Alexander III insisted that Mathilde sit next to him and then motioned his son and heir Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich to sit on her other side – and so the seventeen-year-old Mathilde met the twenty-two-year-old Nicholas for the first time.

Mathilde  Kschessinskaya; Credit – Wikipedia

According to Mathilde’s later recollections, she had a relationship with Nicholas from 1890 – 1894. To facilitate their meetings, the imperial court rented a villa in St. Petersburg. The relationship ended when Nicholas became engaged to Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in April 1894. Mathilde was generously compensated with the villa that had served as their meeting place and a sum of money. Nicholas II never met her in private after that, but he often watched her performances and financially supported her discreetly whenever she needed it.

In 1884, having recently come of age, Nicholas attended the wedding of his uncle Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich to Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine. It was here that he first met the bride’s younger sister, Princess Alix. The two were second cousins through their mutual great-grandparents, Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife Wilhelmine of Baden. Five years later, while Alix was visiting her sister in Russia, that the two would fall in love.

The prospect of marriage was met with much opposition from both Nicholas’ parents and Alix’s grandmother Queen Victoria.  The Emperor and Empress felt that Alix was not suitable enough for their son, in part because of their dislike and distrust for all things German. They also hoped for a ‘higher profile’ bride and future Empress. As for Queen Victoria, she quite liked Nicholas personally. However, the same could not be said for his father or for Russia itself. She also felt uneasy about another of her granddaughters marrying into the Russian Imperial Family. Queen Victoria had promoted marriage between Alix and her first cousin Prince Albert Victor of Wales, but Alix showed no interest. However, she was quite fond of her granddaughter and eventually gave in to Alix’s wishes.

Nicholas and Alix at the time of their engagement – source: Wikipedia

Despite the misgivings of their respective families, the couple became engaged in April 1894, while in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during the wedding celebrations of Alix’s brother. Nicholas represented his father at the wedding of Alix’s brother Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine to Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alix and Nicholas’ mutual first cousin. At first, Alix refused his proposal, as she was a devout Lutheran and unwilling to convert to Russian Orthodoxy as would be required. However, after some urging from her elder sister who had married into the Romanov family, Alix relented and accepted. The wedding was planned for the spring of 1895.

Sadly, in the fall of 1894, Nicholas’ father fell ill. Sensing he had little time left, Alexander III instructed Nicholas to send for Alix, who arrived on October 22nd. Despite his ailing health, Alexander III insisted on greeting her in full uniform and gave her his blessing. Alexander III died ten days later, leaving the 26-year-old Nicholas as the new Emperor of All Russia. The following day, Alix was received into the Orthodox Church, taking the name Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna. Nicholas initially wanted to marry immediately, even before his father’s funeral, in a private ceremony. However, he was convinced that as Emperor, he should marry in St. Petersburg with at least some traditional pomp and ceremony.

The wedding of Nicholas and Alexandra, painting by Laurits Tuxen. Source: Wikipedia

On November 26, 1894, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace, Nicholas and Alix were married in a traditional Orthodox ceremony. Because of the formal mourning for his father, the couple did not take a honeymoon and took up residence temporarily at the Anichkov Palace with his mother. They would soon moved to the Alexander Palace, their primary home for the remainder of their lives.

Over the next ten years, the couple had five children:

Coronation of Nicholas II; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 14, 1896, Nicholas’ coronation was held in the Uspensky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. The following day, a large celebration was held in the Khodynka Field outside Moscow. Tragically, over 1,300 people were killed, and another 1,300 were injured when the crowds surged forward toward the food and drinks. That evening, Nicholas was scheduled to attend an event hosted by the French ambassador, which he intended to cancel after the tragedy. However, he was told it would be a huge snub to the host, so he relented and attended. This made him appear indifferent to the suffering of his people. The whole affair would be the first of many events that contributed to the distrust and outright hatred of many Russian people toward their Emperor.

Russian Imperial family (circa 1913-1914); Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Nicholas’ reign would see the first Russian Constitution of 1906 which established a parliament. His reign also saw a steady decline in his popularity and support. His decision to fully mobilize the Russian troops in 1914 led to Russia’s entrance into World War I. By 1917, his authority had diminished, and on March 15, 1917, he was forced from the throne. He formally abdicated for himself and his son, making his younger brother Michael the new Emperor. However, Michael refused to accept until the Russian people could decide to continue the monarchy or establish a republic.

Nicholas at Tsarskoye Selo after his abdication, 1917. source: Wikipedia

The former Emperor returned to the Alexander Palace where he and his family were held in protective custody. A few months later, in August, the family and 45 retainers were moved to the city of Tobolsk, where they lived in the Governor’s Mansion, still under heavy guard. Their final move, in April 1918, was to Yekaterinburg where they were housed in the Ipatiev House – known as the ‘house of special purpose’. It was here, in the early hours of July 17, 1918, that Nicholas, his wife and children, and the few retainers who had remained with them, were killed by the Bolsheviks. Their bodies were initially thrown down a mine, but fearing discovery, they were mutilated and hastily buried beneath some tracks.  For more information see July 17, 1918 – Execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and His Family

For many years, several members of the Imperial Family (including Nicholas’ mother) refused to believe the stories of their deaths. Other members of the family had been killed, and their bodies had been found and identified. But Nicholas’ and his family’s remains were never found, prompting numerous pretenders to come forward claiming to be one of the Grand Duchesses or the Tsarevich.

Finally, in 1979, a mass grave was discovered, believed to include the remains of the Imperial Family. The bodies were exhumed in 1991, and in 1998, through DNA testing, it was formally announced that the remains were of Nicholas, Alexandra, and three of their daughters. On July 17, 1998 – 80 years to the day of their murders – the bodies were interred in St. Catherine Chapel at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The remains of the last two children, Alexei and Marie were found in a nearby grave in 2007 and positively identified the following year.  However, their remains have not yet been buried. The Russian Orthodox Church has questioned whether the remains are authentic and blocked the burial.

St. Catherine Chapel at the Peter and Paul Cathedral where the Imperial Family is interred;  source: Wikipedia

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Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Alexandra Feodorovna, Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria’s 23rd grandchild, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, is remembered best as Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia. She was born on June 6, 1872, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, the sixth of seven children of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.

She was christened Alix Victoria Helena Luise Beatrice – named for her mother and her four maternal aunts – on July 1, 1872, her parents’ tenth wedding anniversary, with the following godparents:

Alix had six siblings:

Hesse and by Rhine family in 1876; Credit – Wikipedia

Nicknamed Sunny, she was, by all accounts, a happy and beautiful child. She was very close to her brother Ernie and would remain so throughout her life. The family lived a rather simple life, as they were not very wealthy by royal standards. In 1877, Alix’s father became the reigning Grand Duke, but the children’s lives remained mostly unchanged. They spent time with Queen Victoria each year, relishing their visits to ‘Grandmama’ and looking forward to the next one. This relationship would become even closer in the coming years.

In 1878, most of the family became ill with diphtheria. Sadly, Alix’s younger sister, May, succumbed to the illness, followed a few weeks later by their mother, Princess Alice. Queen Victoria stepped in to serve as a surrogate mother to the children, managing nearly every detail of their lives.

In 1884, Alix went to St. Petersburg, Russia to attend the wedding of her sister Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia.  Also in attendance was the groom’s nephew Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, the heir of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia. It was at this wedding that Alix and Nicholas first met.  The two were second cousins through their mutual great-grandparents, Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife Wilhelmine of Baden. Five years later, while Alix was visiting her sister in Russia, Alix and Nicholas fell in love.

The prospect of marriage was met with much opposition from both Nicholas’ parents of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Dagmar of Denmark), and Alix’s grandmother Queen Victoria.  The Emperor and Empress felt that Alix was not suitable enough for their son, in part because of their dislike and distrust for all things German. They also hoped for a ‘higher profile’ bride and future Empress. As for Queen Victoria, she quite liked Nicholas personally. However, the same could not be said for his father or for Russia. She also felt uneasy about another of her granddaughters marrying into the Russian Imperial Family. Queen Victoria had promoted marriage between Alix and her first cousin Prince Albert Victor of Wales, but Alix showed no interest. However, she was quite fond of her granddaughter and eventually gave in to Alix’s wishes.

Despite the misgivings of their respective families, the couple became engaged in April 1894, while in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at the wedding of Alix’s brother. Nicholas represented his father at the wedding of Alix’s brother Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine to Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alix and Nicholas’ mutual first cousin. At first, Alix refused his proposal, as she was a devout Lutheran and unwilling to convert to Russian Orthodoxy as would be required. However, after some urging from her elder sister who had married into the Romanov family, Alix relented and accepted. The wedding was planned for the spring of 1895.

Engagement photo of Alix and Nicholas, 1894. Source: Wikipedia

Sadly, in the fall of 1894, Nicholas’ father fell ill. Sensing he was dying, Alexander III instructed Nicholas to send for Alix, who arrived on October 22. Despite his ailing health, Emperor Alexander III insisted on greeting her in full uniform and gave her his blessing. Emperor Alexander III died on November 1, 1894, leaving Nicholas as the new Emperor Nicholas II. The following day, Alix was received into the Russian Orthodox Church and was given the name Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna. Although originally planning to marry the following spring, the wedding was quickly arranged and the couple married on November 26, 1894, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace. The young princess from Darmstadt was now Empress of All the Russians.

The wedding of Nicholas and Alexandra, painting by Laurits Tuxen. Source: Wikipedia

Over the next ten years, the couple had five children:

Alexandra found it difficult to relate to the Russian people and was perceived as being haughty and aloof. Those who knew her attribute this to her extreme shyness. This was magnified by the drastic difference in the personality of her mother-in-law, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, who was very outgoing and greatly loved. Alix was also met with distrust by the Russian people, due to her German roots. This would be greatly magnified in years to come, during World War I.

Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, who became Alexandra’s dear friend, started as a maid of honor at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1903, serving various female members of the Romanov family. In 1905, Anna was summoned to Tsarskoye Selo, the town containing residences of the Imperial Family located 15 miles south of St. Petersburg, to fill in for a lady-in-waiting to Alexandra who became ill. Thus began her longtime relationship with Alexandra.  Anna became a close friend of Alexandra, was close to the Imperial Family for many years, accompanied them on many trips, and attended private family events. Anna wrote about her experiences in her memoir, Memoirs of the Russian Court, published in 1923 and still available.

Having had four daughters, Alexandra felt great pressure to provide an heir. Finally, in 1904, she gave birth to a son, Alexei. However, it would soon become apparent that she was a carrier of hemophilia, and her young son was a sufferer. This would cause great pain to Alexandra, and great measures were taken to protect him from harm and to hide the illness from the people. When it eventually became public knowledge, it led to more dislike for Alexandra, with many  Russian people blaming her for the heir’s illness.  See Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants.

After working with many physicians to help Alexei, the Empress turned to mystics and faith healers. This led to her close, and disastrous, relationship with Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. Several times he appeared to have brought the Tsarevich back from the brink of death which further cemented Alexandra’s reliance. To many historians and experts, this relationship would contribute greatly to the fall of the Russian monarchy.  In December 1916, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the first cousin of Nicholas II, was one of the conspirators in the murder of Rasputin.  For more information see Unofficial Royalty: Murder of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin.

 

During World War I, in March 1917, Nicholas was forced to abdicate. The family was held under house arrest first at the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo and later in Tobolsk in Siberia. Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, they were moved to the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. It was here on the morning of July 17, 1918, that the family was brought to a room in the basement and assassinated. Their bodies were initially thrown down a mine, then retrieved and hastily buried.

In 1979, a mass grave was discovered, believed to include the remains of the Imperial Family. They were exhumed in 1991, and in 1998, through DNA testing, it was announced that the remains were of Nicholas, Alexandra, and three of their daughters. On July 17, 1998 – 80 years to the day of their murders – the remains were interred in St. Catherine Chapel at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia. The remains of the last two children were found in a nearby grave in 2007 and positively identified the following year. These remains have not yet been buried. The Russian Orthodox Church has questioned whether the remains are authentic and blocked the burial.  For more information see July 17, 1918 – Execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and His Family

St Catherine Chapel at the Peter and Paul Cathedral where the Imperial Family is interred; Source: Wikipedia

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Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, photo: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Sergei “Serge” Alexandrovich of Russia was the husband of Princess Elisabeth “Ella” of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He was born on May 11, 1857, at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, the son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

He had seven siblings:

Serge (left) with his mother and brother Paul. Photo: Wikipedia

From an early age, Serge exhibited a passion for languages, music, and the arts, and his early studies focused strongly on these areas. However, he was destined for a career in the Russian military. Following his education, he took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor on his 20th birthday and then served in the Imperial Guard during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. He continued his military service and also traveled around the world representing his father. In June 1880, his mother died of tuberculosis while he was on a trip to Italy, and the following March, his father was assassinated. His elder brother, to whom he was very close, became Emperor Alexander III.

In June 1881, Grand Duke Serge, along with his younger brother Paul, traveled to Palestine and Jerusalem, where he established – and served as president of – The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, an organization devoted to the preservation and upkeep of the Orthodox shrines, as well as providing services to the Russian pilgrims who visited the lands. This is one of the projects which gave him the most pleasure and satisfaction, and one which he held very dearly for the remainder of his life. The following year, his brother appointed him to the Preobrazhensky Life Guard Regiment, the most senior military group in the Russian forces. Serge eventually reached the rank of Colonel and served as commander of the regiment until 1891.

Sergei with his wife Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine – photo: Wikipedia

Serge was enamored with his first cousin once removed, Princess Elisabeth “Ella” of Hesse and by Rhine. Ella was the daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. They were both descended from Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, and often saw each other at family gatherings. Queen Victoria was strongly against a marriage, primarily due to her strong distaste for all things Russian. Despite the misgivings of the two families, Serge was intent on making Elisabeth his bride. In 1883, during a visit to Wolfsgarten, Serge proposed and Ella accepted. The engagement was announced publicly the following February when Serge was again visiting Darmstadt.

The couple married on June 15, 1884, at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ella had not yet converted to Orthodoxy, so there were two ceremonies – one Lutheran and one Russian Orthodox. The wedding was attended by many royals from around Europe, with the noticeable exception of Queen Victoria. Instead, she was represented by two of her sons, The Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (Serge’s brother-in-law). Following the wedding, they spent their honeymoon at Ilinskoye, Serge’s country estate outside of Moscow, and then settled at the Sergeivsky Palace in St. Petersburg. In addition to these two homes, they also had a home on the grounds of Peterhof, and a house on the bank of the Moskva River. Serge and Ella did not have any children of their own. However, they later took in the children of Serge’s brother Grand Duke Paul – Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the younger), and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. The children’s mother had died in 1891, and they spent much time with Serge and Ella. In 1902, when Paul entered into a morganatic marriage and was banished from Russia, he was not permitted to take the children, and they were formally put under the guardianship of Serge and Ella.

The couple was very close with Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna and were often asked to represent them at royal events elsewhere in the world. In 1887, they represented the Emperor at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and the following year attended the consecration of the church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, which was built in memory of their mother, the late Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Serge, 1892. photo: Wikipedia

In 1891, Emperor Alexander III appointed Serge Governor-General of Moscow, and in the following years was also appointed to the Imperial State Council and made Commander of the Moscow military district. When Emperor Alexander III died in 1894, he was succeeded by his son Emperor Nicholas II. As Governor-General, Serge was responsible for major activities and events in Moscow, including the 1896 Coronation of his nephew Emperor Nicholas II. As part of the events surrounding the coronation, a large event was held at the Khodynka Field just outside of Moscow. Unprepared for such a large number of people and with minimal police presence, over 1,300 people were killed when the crowds surged forward hoping to come closer to the activities. Serge, as Governor-General, bore the ultimate responsibility for the tragedy but refused to accept blame instead of passing it on to others.

Over the next 13 years, Serge would eventually become disenchanted with the policies and decisions of his nephew. Finally, after massive losses in the Russo-Japanese War, Serge resigned as Governor-General of Moscow on January 1, 1905.

Having been targeted by assassins (as were most of the Imperial family), Serge moved to the Nicholas Palace within the walls of the Kremlin. Often more concerned with others’ safety than his own, he began to travel without any of his aides, particularly those with families. It was on one of these outings, with just his carriage driver, that his life would come to a tragic end.

the remains of the carriage in which Serge was killed. photo: Wikipedia

On February 17, 1905, Grand Duke Serge left the Nicholas Palace in his carriage, en route to the Governor General’s mansion where he was in the process of clearing out his office. He had just come through one of the gate towers when an assassin threw a nitroglycerin bomb into the carriage from just a few feet away. The bomb landed in Serge’s lap and exploded. The Grand Duke was killed instantly, his body was literally blown to pieces. The assassin, Ivan Kalyayev, who was injured in the attack, was promptly arrested and later executed. Serge’s wife, having heard the blast from the Nicholas Palace, rushed to the scene and began to gather what was left of Serge’s body.

He was buried in a crypt at the Chudov Monastery within the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. The monastery had been demolished in 1928, and it was not until 1990 that Serge’s grave was discovered. In 1995, his remains were exhumed and reburied in a crypt at the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow, Russia.

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Prince Nicholas Romanov dies at the age of 91

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Photo Credit – www.nashagazeta.ch

Prince Nicholas Romanov, a disputed claimant to the head of the House of Romanov and President of the Romanov Family Association, died on September 15, 2014 at the age of 91 at his home in Tuscany, Italy. At the time of his death, he was the oldest member of the Romanov family.  For more information about the claimants to the former Russian throne, see Wikipedia: Line of Succession to the Former Russian Throne.
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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Prince Nikolai Romanov dies in Italy at the age of 91
The Moscow Times: Oldest Member of Russia’s Romanov Dynasty Dies at 91

Michael Farquhar: Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia

by Michael Farquhar
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Winter Palace

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was the official residence of the Romanov tsars; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer, August 2011

Author Michael Farquhar is sharing with Unofficial Royalty some tidbits from his book Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia, published by Random House.

Did you know that…

  • Peter the Great had a passion for learning new trades—from shipbuilding to dentistry. He even became adept as an executioner, personally hacking off the heads of his recalcitrant subjects.
  • Once, during an anatomy lesson in Amsterdam, Peter the Great became so annoyed by his companions’ squeamishness that he ordered each of them to take a bite out of the human cadaver being dissected.
  • Peter the Great had no tolerance for dissent—even from his own son, whom he ordered tortured to death.
  • Catherine I, Russia’s first empress in her own right, was born and raised a peasant.
  • Empress Elizabeth was so vain that she never wore the same dress twice. Upon her death in 1762, an astonishing 15,000 gowns were reportedly found in her wardrobe.
  • No one was ever allowed to look prettier than Elizabeth. If a woman of the court happened to make that mistake, the empress was known to take a pair of scissors to the unfortunate’s hair and butcher the offending style.
  • Catherine the Great loved horses. She also loved sex. Contrary to popular legend, however, she never managed to unite the two passions. Still, the lusty empress brought all the enthusiasm of a vigorous ride to her extremely busy boudoir—filling it with a succession of eager young studs half her age.
  • Catherine the Great always sent away her lovers with lavish parting gifts of jewels, palaces, and cold hard cash. In 1776, for example, Peter Zavadovsky was given fifty thousand rubles and four thousand serfs for his services—prompting the French charge d’affaires to write to his brother, “You must agree, my friend, that it’s not a bad line of work to be in here.”
  • Emperor Paul was so unbalanced that upon the death of his mother, Catherine the Great, he decided to reunite her with the husband she hated—digging up the long-dead Tsar Peter III to lay in state by her side.
  • Tsar Nicholas I once toyed mercilessly with Dostoyevsky’s mind. Before writing Crime and Punishment and other classics, the acclaimed novelist was sentenced to death for subversion. Just as he was about to stand before the firing squad, however, Nicholas sent a reprieve—allowing the poor man to suffer until the very last moment.
  • Alexander II was subjected to no fewer than seven attempts on his life, including a massive bomb detonated in his own palace. “Am I such a wild beast that they should hound me to death?” he once exclaimed in despair. Another bomb, hurled directly at the tsar, finally did the job.
  • Grigori Rasputin, the Siberian mystic who advised and guided Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra to ruin, long had intimations of his own violent demise, which were often accompanied by warnings to the Imperial family that if anything happened to him they would share his fate. “When I perish they will perish,” he once predicted—accurately, as it turned out.

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