Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen: On March 26, 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. On February 24, 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-Meinigen and Bernhard, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Meinigen.

On November 9, 1918, Wilhelm II abdicated as German Emperor and King of Prussia in the wake of the November Revolution. Bernhard III, the last Duke of Saxe-Meiningen abdicated the next day due to pressure from the Meininger Workers and Soldiers Council. His half-brother Ernst waived his succession rights on November 12, 1918, officially ending the monarchy of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen is in the German state of Thuringia.

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Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was born at Friedenstein Palace in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany,  on October 7, 1672. The eldest child of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his first wife, Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Ernst Ludwig had six younger siblings:

  • Bernhard (1673-1694) – unmarried
  • Johann Ernst (1674-1675) – died in infancy
  • Marie Elisabeth (born and died 1676) – died in infancy
  • Johann Georg (1677-1678) – died in infancy
  • Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1679-1746) – unmarried
  • Georg Ernst (1680-1699) – unmarried

Ernst Ludwig also had five half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel:

An artistically gifted child, Ernst Ludwig studied at the Rudolph-Antoniana Knight Academy in Wolfenbüttel. He began a military career in 1689, leading several regiments against France, and serving with troops led by Ludwig Wilhelm, Margrave of Baden-Baden, helping to conquer the city of Landau. He was later raised to the rank of Imperial Field Marshal Lieutenant.

Dorothea Maria of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg; Credit: Wikipedia

On September 19, 1704, in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, Ernst Ludwig married his first cousin, Dorothea Maria of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. She was the daughter of Friedrich I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalena Sibylla of Saxe-Weissenfels. Together they had five children before Dorothea Maria died in April 1713:

Ernst Ludwig succeeded his father, Bernhard I, as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Unlike his own father who had divided his territories among his sons, Bernhard stipulated in his will that the duchy should remain united. However, he also wanted his sons to rule jointly, which none of them wanted to do. Ernst Ludwig, as the eldest son, felt that the throne should go solely to him and his heirs, which caused a rift between him and his brothers. Eventually, he reached an agreement with them which gave him sole reign. His two remaining brothers later ruled after his death, in the guardianship of Ernst Ludwig’s sons.

Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1714, just over a year after the death of his first wife, Ernst Ludwig married Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg and Princess Dorothea Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had no children.

During his reign, Ernst Ludwig was involved in several military conflicts, in an attempt to gain more territory after his uncles, the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Römhild, and Saxe-Eisenberg, died without heirs. The disputes eventually went to Imperial arbitration, with Ernst Ludwig receiving very little gain in his lands. These conflicts and the rift between Ernst Ludwig and his brothers, caused a decline in the economy in Saxe-Meiningen, already in bad shape since his father’s reign. Ernst Ludwig’s attempts at political reform were ineffective. He ended up focusing on the arts, composing numerous hymns, and expanding his collection of musical compositions. Several years before his death, he wrote the lyrics for the hymns at his funeral, with the music composed by Johann Ludwig Bach.

Ernst Ludwig I died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in the German state of Thuringia, on November 24, 1724. He is buried in the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.

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

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the second wife of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. She was born in Wolfenbüttel, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on September 30, 1658, to Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Juliane of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg. She had 12 siblings:

On February 2, 1675, in Wolfenbüttel, Elisabeth Eleonore married Johann Georg, Duke of Mecklenburg-Mirow, the son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg and Anna Maria of Ostfriesland. However, the marriage was short-lived as Johann Georg died just five months later, on July 9, 1675.

Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 25, 1681, in Schöningen, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, Elisabeth Eleonore married Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, who had been widowed the previous year. Elisabeth Eleonore and Bernhard had five children:

The family lived at the castle in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in the German state of Thuringia, while a new, much grander palace was being built. The Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen was completed in 1692 and named for Elisabeth Eleonore who lived there with her husband, and their children for the duration of Bernhard’s reign.

Following her husband’s death in 1706, Elisabeth Eleonore was drawn into the family battles over who would reign over the duchy. Like his father before him, Bernhard was not a proponent of primogeniture and stated in his will that his sons should rule jointly. Just as Bernhard had been against that idea when his own father died, so were his sons. Elisabeth Eleonore sided with her stepson Ernst Ludwig, who believed he was the rightful heir and should reign solely. In doing so, she sided against her own son Anton Ulrich. He had married morganatically, and Elisabeth Eleonore never accepted her daughter-in-law, or her son’s decision to marry. Ernst Ludwig won his quest to rule independently, and with Elisabeth Eleonore’s support, he developed Meiningen into a center of musical culture.

The in-fighting within the family took its toll on Elisabeth Eleonore and she retired from public life. The Dowager Duchess died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany on March 15, 1729, at the age of 70. She is buried in the castle church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.

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.

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

August 1918: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Three Sons Gone – Again
  • Timeline: August 1, 1918 – August 31, 1918
  • A Note About German Titles
  • August 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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Three Sons Gone – Again

Memorial to the three Cawley brothers in St Peter and St Paul Church in Eye, Herefordshire, England; Photo Credit – By Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13985232

The further along I got in writing this series of articles (started in August 2014), I have discovered noble families that lost more than one son in World War I. Of course, this did not happen in only British noble families but in families from all over the United Kingdom and in families from all the other countries who participated in the war. How painful it must be to lose a son in a war but to lose multiple sons must be unbearable.

I wonder why surviving sons were allowed to go into combat situations. I think about the film “Saving Private Ryan” in which a group of soldiers searches for Private Ryan, the last surviving brother of four soldiers. “Saving Private Ryan” was loosely based upon four Niland brothers.  It was believed that three brothers had been killed in World War II and the surviving brother was sent back to the United States to complete his service. It was later learned that another surviving brother was in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

The United States military now has a Sole Survivor Policy, implemented in 1948. The motivation for the policy were the five Sullivan brothers who were all killed when the USS Juneau was sunk during World War II. The policy protects members of a family from the draft or from combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service.

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Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley and his wife Elizabeth Smith had four sons and one daughter. Because Frederick Cawley was created 1st Baron Cawley in January 1918 and Harold and John had already died, they did not have the style “The Honorable”.

  • Robert Cawley, 2nd Baron Cawley (1877 – 1954)
  • Captain Harold Cawley (1878 – 1915)
  • Major John Cawley (1879 – 1914)
  • The Honorable Hilda Mary Cawley (1881 -1956)
  • Captain The Honorable Oswald Cawley (1882 – 1918)

Robert, Cawley, 2nd Baron Cawley, the eldest son and heir, had fought in the Boer War (1899 – 1902) but not in World War I. However, Robert’s third son Captain The Honorable Harold Cawley was killed in action during World War II at the age of 23. The other three sons of Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley all served in World War I and were all killed in action.

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Major John Cawley; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Less than a month after the start of World War I, Major John Cawley was killed in action on September 1, 1914 in Nery, France at the age of 34. A career soldier, John attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and joined the 20th Hussars in India in 1897. He served in the Boer War (1899 – 1902). In 1913, John was appointed Brigade Major of the 1st Cavalry Brigade and accompanied the brigade to France at the start of World War I.

Artist’s impression of the last gun of “L” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, in action at Néry, 1 September 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

John was killed in action during the Action at Nery in Nery, France during the retreat after the Battle of Mons. A fellow soldier gave an account of his death: “Our brigade was attacked soon after dawn at Nery by a force double our number – a Cavalry Division with 12 guns. Owing to thick mist, they managed to het within 600 yards of us; 350 horses of the Bays stampeded and their men went after them, and the L Battery was cut to pieces. The occasion was one which called for personal example, and Major Cawley, by permission of the General, went to help to restore order and get the broken remnants in their places, The situation being met and everyone in his place, he joined the advanced line and was almost immediately killed by a piece of shell. The splendid manner in which he met his death in deliberately facing the awful fire to help others when he really need not have done so, is only what his whole life had led us to expect.” (Account from The Bond of Sacrifice: A Biographical Record of All British Officers who Fell in the Great War, Volume 1 by L. A. Clutterbuck, W. T. Dooner)

Acting alone, the British 1st Cavalry Brigade defeated the German 4th Cavalry Division in the Action at Nery.

Major John Cawley was buried at the Nery Communal Cemetery in Nery, Departement de l’Oise, Picardie, France.

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Captain Harold Cawley; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

A little more than a year after the death of John, Captain Harold Cawley was killed in action during the Gallipoli Campaign in the Ottoman Empire (now in Turkey) on September 24, 1915 at the age of 37. Harold attended New College, Oxford, was a barrister and served in the House of Commons from 1910 until his death in 1915.

In 1904, Harold joined a territorial battalion, the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment.  At the start of World War I in 1914, he volunteered for active service and was appointed aide de camp to Major-General William Douglas, the commanding officer of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division.  However, Harold wanted to go to the front lines – “I have always felt rather a brute skulking behind in comparative safety while my friends were being killed.” He left Division Headquarters to rejoin the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment at the front at Gallipoli in early September 1915.

On September 20, 1918, a Turkish mine was exploded near the battalion’s position creating a crater. Harold realized that the crater had created a position for an advanced post and set out with four soldiers to take control of it. A fight occurred with the grenades and gunfire being exchanged. One of Harold’s men was shot through the head and killed and another was temporarily blinded and deafened by a grenade explosion but the small group maintained their position. On September 23, the group suspected that the Turks were digging a trench toward the crater. Just after midnight of September 24, 1918, Harold, who was trying to see what the Turks were doing, was shot through the head by a sniper. The crater that Harold fought so hard to hold was officially named Cawley’s Crater and it is still there in Canakkale, Turkey today. (Information from Led by Lions: MPs and Sons Who Fell in the First World War by Neil Thornton)

Cawley’s Crater; Photo Credit – http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com

Harold was buried at Lancashire Landing Cemetery in Gallipoli, Turkey.

Original grave of Captain Harold Cawley; Photo Credit – By National Archives – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/battles/p_gall_expedition.htm, OGL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51626484

Before his death, Harold wrote a series of letters to his father, who was a member of the British cabinet at the time, describing the mishandling of the Gallipoli Campaign. Because Harold was a Member of Parliament, his letters were not censored and he was able to write an honest view of the situation. The gist of his criticism was that soldiers were being sacrificed without reason and through sheer stupidity. In 1916, Harold’s father served on the Dardanelles Commission investigating the Gallipoli Campaign and the contents of Harold’s letters no doubt were on his mind.

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Captain The Honorable Oswald Cawley; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Less than three months before the end of World War II, Captain The Honorable Oswald Cawley was killed in action near Merville, France on August 22, 1918 at the age of 35. Oswald attended New College, Oxford and after graduation, he worked in his father’s business, the Heaton Mills Bleaching Company.

In May 1914, three months before the start of World War I, Oswald joined the Shropshire Yeomanry. In March 1916, the Shropshire Yeomanry was sent to the Middle East where the participated in fighting in Egypt, Gaza and Palestine. In May 1918, Oswald’s regiment, now designated as the 10th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, left for the front lines in France. In January 1918, after his father had been created a peer and had to leave the House of Commons, Oswald had been elected to his father’s seat in a by-election. While his regiment was training before going to the front lines, Oswald made a quick trip back to London to officially take his seat in the House of Commons.

On July 10, 1918, Oswald’s regiment took over a part of the front line trench. The regiment was ordered to move forward as part of a general advance on August 22, 1918. According to Major Wood, the regiment’s commanding officer, “Advancing through high standing corn the battalion continued until within a few hundred yards of the concealed enemy, who met them with a devastating fire from carefully concealed positions…a determined counter-attack and severe hand-to-hand fighting took place.”

The regiment was forced to retreat due to heavy causalities but Oswald was not among those retreating. In a letter to Oswald’s parents, Major Wood said, “Your son’s company was on the right…The enemy laid low, until we were right on their line, and then they put down a heavy barrage behind us and had many machine-guns in front. Your son was hit in the arm, which was dressed by his company stretcher-bearers , and then went on and was wounded again the second time in the jaw, and after that we could hear no news, and we had to fall back to our own line.” In early October, Oswald’s body was discovered on the battlefield and he was buried nearby. (Information from Led by Lions: MPs and Sons Who Fell in the First World War by Neil Thornton)

In January 1919, Oswald’s father, who had served in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and had some influence, requested that Oswald be buried with his brother John at Nery Communal Cemetery. The following month the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) informed Lord Cawley that his request was impossible at that time. After an exchange of letters, it was discovered that the reburial was prevented by expense and logistics rather than policy. Lord Cawley then attempted to buy the land where Oswald was buried but could not do so because of French government policy. In August 1919, Oswald’s grave was moved to Chocques Military Cemetery. Again in December 1919, Lord Cawley attempted to persuade the Imperial War Graves Commission to bury his sons together. This could not be done at the time due to the interpretation of French policy but the Imperial War Graves Commission said it would reconsider in the future. This reconsideration took place in March 1920 and in August 1920 Oswald was reburied next to his brother John at Nery Communal Cemetery.

Grave of John and Oswald Cawley; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

In memory of his three sons, Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley endowed a ward (Cawley Ward) at Ancoats Hospital in Ancoats, north of Manchester, England. All three brothers are commemorated on the Parliamentary War Memorial in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament. Oswald and Harold are among the 22 Members of Parliament who died during World War I and John is included on the memorial as the son of a Member of Parliament.

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Timeline: August 1, 1918 – August 31, 1918

The Hundred Days Offensive, August-November 1918 Battle of Amiens. German prisoners guarded by the British soldiers (58th Division). Sailly Laurette, 8 August 1918; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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August 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Johannes, Graf von Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos

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Captain The Honorable Oswald Cawley (see above)

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Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alfred Eden Browne

Grave of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alfred Eden Browne; Photo Credit – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24500220/lord-alfred_eden-browne

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Friedrich Johannes, Graf von Brühl

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Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and therefore the first Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen. She was born in Giessen on November 26, 1647, the youngest child of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Princess Sophie Eleonore of Saxony. Marie Hedwig had 13 siblings:

Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie Hedwig married Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in the German state of Thuringia, on November 20, 1671. The couple had seven children:

Coat of Arms of the Principality of Henneberg. photo: By Kooij – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3665880

Several years after their marriage, the couple took up residence in Ichtershausen, at a castle Bernhard had built and named Marienburg in honor of his wife. When Bernhard and his brothers formally divided their territories, he became Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and made plans to move the family to the city of Meiningen. The new duchy also included the former principality of Henneberg, which caused stress to Marie Hedwig. The principalities coat of arms featured a black hen, which was seen at the time as a symbol of magic and witchcraft. Marie Hedwig said she would not move to the “land of the black hen”.

On April 19, 168, nine weeks before the planned move, Marie Hedwig died in Ichtershausen, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. She had given birth to her youngest child just a few weeks earlier. Marie Hedwig was first buried in the crypt of the city church in Meiningen, Duchy of Anhalt, now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, before being moved to the castle church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.

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.

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen: On March 26, 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. On February 24, 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-Meinigen and Bernhard, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Meinigen.

On November 9, 1918, Wilhelm II abdicated as German Emperor and King of Prussia in the wake of the November Revolution. Bernhard III, the last Duke of Saxe-Meiningen abdicated the next day due to pressure from the Meininger Workers and Soldiers Council. His half-brother Ernst waived his succession rights on November 12, 1918, officially ending the monarchy of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen is in the German state of Thuringia.

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Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Bernhard I was the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1675 until his death in 1706. He was born in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany, on September 10, 1649, the sixth son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg. Bernhard had 17 siblings:

Maria Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 20, 1671, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany, Bernhard married Marie Hedwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the daughter of Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Sophie Eleonore of Saxony. They had seven children:

Several years after their marriage, Bernhard and Marie Hedwig took up residence in Ichtershausen, Duchy of Saxe-Meinigen, now in the German state of Thuringia, where Bernhard had a castle built. Schloss Marienburg was named in Marie Hedwig’s honor. Just three weeks after giving birth to their youngest child, and only nine weeks before their planned move to Meiningen, Marie Hedwig died in Ichtershausen on April 19, 1680.

Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 25, 1681, Bernhard married for a second time in Schöningen, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in the German state of Lower Saxony. His new bride was Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the daughter of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Juliane of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg. The couple had five children:

When Bernhard’s father died in 1675, instead of passing everything to his eldest son, he instead chose to divide his territory amongst his living sons. Each received part of the duchy and was expected to rule jointly – but under the authority – of the eldest one. Bernhard received Meiningen and the surrounding area, including the former principality of Henneberg. By 1680, the brothers had formally divided their lands, each becoming the ruler of the newly established duchies. Bernhard became the first reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

Elisabethenburg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Having moved to Meiningen and taking up residence at the Meiningen Castle, Bernhard soon made plans to build a new official residence in the city. The Elisabethenburg Palace was built between 1682-1692 and was named for his second wife. In addition to the new palace, Bernhard also established a court orchestra in 1690, and the Schlosspark in 1692.

Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen died in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany, on April 27, 1706. He is buried in the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen.

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.

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

The last Grand Duchess of Russia and the youngest of the six children of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna), Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia was born at Peterhof Palace on June 13, 1882.

Olga’s mother was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and among Olga’s maternal first cousins were King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, King Christian X of Denmark, and King Haakon VII of Norway.

Olga had five older siblings:

Seated (L to R): Alexander III with Olga, George; standing (L to R): Michael, Maria Feodorovna, Nicholas, and Xenia; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1881, the year before Olga was born, her paternal grandfather Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia was assassinated when a bomb was thrown at his carriage as he rode through St. Petersburg, and Olga’s father became Emperor. Concerned about the security of his family, Alexander III moved his family from the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg to Gatchina Palace located 28 miles (45 km) south of St. Petersburg. Gatchina Palace became the family’s prime residence.

Olga as a young girl, Credit – Wikipedia

Like her other siblings, Olga was raised in a relatively simple manner considering her status. She slept in a cot, woke up at 6:00 AM, took cold baths, ate simple, plain meals, and her rooms were furnished with simple furniture. The Imperial children had a large extended family and often visited the families of their British, Danish, and Greek cousins.

Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna believed that their children should spend their spare time in a useful manner and so they learned cooking, woodworking, and how to make puppets for their puppet theater. Alexander III believed that his children should learn about the outdoors, and so they were taught to ride and they gardened and kept animals that they had to look after themselves. Olga’s brother Michael, who was four years older, was her childhood companion and the two would always remain close. They were educated together and played together.

Michael and Olga; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Olga’s father Alexander III unexpectedly died at the age of 49 and her brother Nicholas became Emperor. After her father’s death, Olga’s mother moved back to Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg with Michael and Olga. Olga’s debut into society was delayed due to the death of her brother George in 1899. After her debut, Olga was escorted to society events by Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg.

Olga with her first husband Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, a second cousin, was fourteen years older than Olga. He was the only child of Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg and Eugénie Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg. Peter’s mother was a granddaughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia through Nicholas I’s daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna, and his father was a great-grandson of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia through his paternal grandmother Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna.

It seems that Olga’s mother and Peter’s mother, who were good friends, had arranged a marriage between their two children so that Olga would not have to marry a foreign prince and could always be on call for her mother. Olga told her official biographer, Ian Vorres, “I was just tricked into it.” Olga was brought into a room where Peter stammered through a proposal. Their engagement, announced in May 1901, was unexpected by family and friends, as Peter had shown no prior interest in women and it was assumed he was homosexual. The wedding quickly followed on August 9, 1901. Olga told Vorres, “I shared his roof for fifteen years and never once were we husband and wife.” Obviously, there were no children. Olga and Peter lived in a 200-room mansion in St. Petersburg and their bedrooms were at opposite ends of the building. Peter was always kind and considerate towards her but Olga longed for love, a normal marriage, and children.

Olga and Peter;  Credit – Wikipedia

In April 1903, Olga attended a military review of the Blue Cuirassier Guards. Her brother Michael was one of the commanders. There she saw a tall, handsome man in the uniform of the Blue Cuirassier Guards, and their eyes met. Olga said to Vorres, “It was fate. It was also a shock. I suppose I learned on that day that love at first sight does exist.” Michael arranged for Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky and Olga to meet. A few days later Olga asked Peter for a divorce. He refused, saying that he would reconsider his decision after seven years.

Nikolai was promoted to captain of the Blue Cuirassier Guards and sent far away to the provinces. Olga and Nikolai regularly corresponded. In 1906, Olga’s husband Peter appointed Nikolai as one of his aides-de-camp. Nikolai was told that his quarters would be in the Oldenburg mansion in St. Petersburg. The living arrangements at the mansion were a well-kept secret and continued until the start of World War I when Olga went to be a nurse at the front and Nikolai went to war with his regiment. Peter did not keep his promise to reconsider a divorce after seven years.

Over the years, Olga had continued to ask her brother Nicholas II for permission to marry Nikolai. Nicholas II always refused because he believed that marriage was for life and that the royalty should only marry royalty. In 1912, when Olga’s brother Michael married a commoner without permission, Nicholas banished him from Russia. Fearing for Nikolai’s safety in the war, Olga pleaded with her brother Nicholas II to transfer him to the relative safety of Kyiv, where she was stationed at a hospital. In 1916, after visiting Olga in Kyiv, Nicholas had a change of heart and he officially annulled her marriage to Peter. On November 16, 1916, Olga and Nikolai were married at the Kievo-Vasilievskaya Church in Kiev. Olga’s mother Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, her sister’s husband Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), two fellow nurses from the hospital in Kyiv, and four officers of Nikolai’s regiment attended.

Olga and Nikolai Kulikovsky on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Olga and Nikolai had two sons:

  • Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky (1917 – 1993), married (1) Agnet Petersen, no children, divorced (2) Libya Sebastian, had one daughter, divorced (3) Olga Nikolaevna Pupynina, no children
  • Guri Nikolaevich Kulikovsky (1919 – 1984), married Ruth Schwartz, had three children, divorced (2) Aze Gagarin, no children

Guri, Olga, Tikhon and, Nikolai, circa 1920; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The February Revolution was the first of two revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917. The February Revolution was caused by military defeats during World War I, economic issues, and scandals surrounding the monarchy. The immediate result was the abdication of Olga’s brother Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire. Later in 1917, the October Revolution occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Soviet Union.

After Nicholas II abdicated, many members of the Romanov family, including Nicholas, his wife, and their children, were placed under house arrest. In search of safety, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), and Grand Duchess Olga traveled to the Crimea where they were joined by Olga’s sister (Sandro’s wife) Grand Duchess Xenia. They lived at Sandro’s estate, Ai-Todor, where they were placed under house arrest by the local Bolshevik forces. On August 12, 1917, Olga’s first child Tikhon Nikolaevich was born during their house arrest.

The Romanovs under house arrest at Ai-Todor in the Crimea in 1918. Standing: Colonel Nikolai Kulikovsky (Grand Duchess Olga’s husband), Mr. Fogel, Olga Konstantinovna Vasiljeva, Prince Andrei (Xenia’s son). Seated: Mr. Orbeliani, Prince Nikita (Xenia’s son), Grand Duchess Olga (Xenia’s sister), Grand Duchess Xenia, Empress Maria Feodorovna (Xenia’s mother), Grand Duke Alexander (Xenia’s husband). On the floor: Prince Vasili (Xenia’s son), Prince Rostislav (Xenia’s son), and Prince Dmitri (Xenia’s son); Credit – Wikipedia

Other Romanovs also gathered at their palaces in Crimea. There they witnessed the October Revolution later that year, and then in 1918 came the news of the murder of Nicholas II and his family and their servants. Olga’s younger brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich had been murdered along with his secretary the month before Nicholas’ murder. 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. On April 11, 1919, Empress Maria Feodorovna, her daughter Xenia, Xenia’s five youngest sons along with Xenia’s daughter Irina and her husband Prince Felix Yusupov left Russia forever aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough.

Olga and Nikolai refused to leave Russia. One of Empress Maria Feodorovna’s personal bodyguards, Timofei Ksenofontovich Yatchik took Olga, Nikolai, and their son Tikhon to his hometown Novominskaya where Olga gave birth to her second child Guri Nikolaevich in a rented farmhouse on April 23, 1919. As the White Army was pushed back and the Red Army approached, the family set out on their last journey through Russia. Yatchik, the former bodyguard, accompanied Olga and her family as they traveled to Rostov-on-Don and then to Novorossiysk where the Danish consul Thomas Schytte gave them refuge in his home. Finally, they arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 2, 1920, and Olga was reunited with her mother. Yatchik, the former imperial bodyguard, guarded Empress Maria Feodorovna until she died in 1928, and then lived the rest of his life in Denmark.

Timofei Ksenofontovich Yatchik who assisted Olga and her family in leaving Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Olga and her family lived with her mother in Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark where her first cousin King Christian X of Denmark was quite inhospitable. Eventually, they moved to Hvidøre, the country house Empress Maria Feodorovna and her sister Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom had purchased together in 1906. Nikolai and Marie Feodorovna did not get along. He was resentful of Olga acting as her mother’s secretary and companion and Marie Feodorovna was distant toward him.

After Maria Feodorovna’s death, Hvidøre was sold and with Olga’s portion of the proceeds, Olga and Nikolai were able to purchase Knudsminde Farm, outside of Copenhagen. The farm became a center for the Russian monarchist and anti-Bolshevik community in Denmark. Olga lived a simple life working in the fields, doing household chores, and painting. She painted throughout her life and her usual subject was scenery and landscape, but she also painted portraits and still life.

Flowers by Olga Alexandrovna; Credit – Wikipedia

After World War II, the Soviet Union notified the Danish government that Olga was accused of conspiracy against the Soviet government. Because she was fearful of an assassination or kidnap attempt, Olga decided to move her family across the Atlantic to the relative safety of rural Canada. On June 2, 1948, Olga, Nikolai, Tikhon, and his Danish-born wife Agnete, Guri, and his Danish-born wife Ruth along with their two children and Olga’s devoted companion and former maid Emilia Tenso (Mimka) started their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The family lived in Toronto, Canada until they purchased a 200-acre farm in Halton County, Ontario, Canada near Campbellville. By 1952, Olga and Nikolai’s sons had moved away and the farm became a burden so they sold it and moved to a five-room house at 2130 Camilla Road, Cooksville, Ontario, Canada, a suburb of Toronto.

Nikolai died on August 11, 1958, aged 76. After her husband’s death, Olga became increasingly infirm. Unable to care for herself, Olga stayed in the Toronto apartment of Russian émigré friends, Konstantin and Sinaida Martemianoff. Olga’s sister Xenia died in April 1960. On November 21, 1960, Olga slipped into a coma and the last Grand Duchess of Russia died November 24, 1960, at the age of 78. Olga was buried next to her husband Nikolai at York Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Grave of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and Nikolai Kulikovsky; Photo Credit – By Alex.ptv – Self-photographed, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38411347

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Peter_Alexandrovich_of_Oldenburg [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Nikolai Kulikovsky. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Kulikovsky [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Куликовский, Николай Александрович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B9_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ольденбургский, Пётр Александрович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ольга Александровна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Vorres, I. (2018). The Last Grand Duchess. Toronto: Key Porter Books Limited.

Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

The first husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg (Peter Friedrich Georg) was born on November 21, 1868, at Oldenburg Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the only child of Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg and Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg.

Alexander Petrovich’s grandfather had married Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and their children and grandchildren were raised in Russia. Despite his German title, Alexander Petrovich, like his father, had grown up entirely in Russia, served in the Russian military, and was considered part of the Russian Imperial Family.

Peter’s mother Eugenia was the daughter of Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, a daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. Although she was a member of the French House of Beauharnais, Eugenia was born and raised in Russia, her mother’s native country. She was a great-granddaughter of Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie (Empress Joséphine, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French) through Joséphine’s first marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais.

Peter’s parents Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg and Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Eugenia had a long-standing friendship with Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Dagmar of Denmark), wife of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia. The two helped arrange the marriage of Eugenia’s son to Maria Feodorovna’s youngest child Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna so that Olga would not have to marry a foreign prince and could always be on call for her mother. Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, Olga’s second cousin, was fourteen years older than her. After Olga’s society debut in 1899, Peter escorted her to social events.

In the spring of 1901, Peter proposed to Olga. As Olga told her official biographer, Ian Vorres, “I was just tricked into it.” Olga was brought into a room where Peter stammered through a proposal. Their engagement, announced in May 1901, was unexpected by family and friends, as Peter had shown no prior interest in women and it was assumed he was homosexual. The wedding quickly followed on August 9, 1901. Olga told Vorres, “I shared his roof for fifteen years and never once were we husband and wife.” Obviously, there were no children. Olga and Peter lived in a 200-room mansion in St. Petersburg and had bedrooms at opposite ends of the building. Peter was always kind and considerate towards her but Olga longed for love, a normal marriage, and children.

Olga and Peter; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Two years after their marriage, Olga met Nikolai Kulikovsky, an army officer her own age. Olga said to Vorres, “It was fate. It was also a shock. I suppose I learned on that day that love at first sight does exist.” Olga asked Peter for a divorce, which he refused but said he might reconsider after seven years. Nikolai was promoted to captain of the Blue Cuirassier Guards and sent far away to the provinces. Olga and Nikolai regularly corresponded. In 1906, Peter appointed Nikolai as one of his aides-de-camp. Nikolai was told that his quarters would be in the Oldenburg mansion in St. Petersburg. The living arrangements at the mansion were a well-kept secret and continued until the start of World War I when Olga went to be a nurse at the front and Nikolai went to war with his regiment. Peter did not keep his promise to reconsider a divorce after seven years.

Over the years, Olga continued to ask her brother Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia for permission to marry Nikolai. Nicholas II always refused because he believed that marriage was for life and that royalty should only marry royalty. In 1912, when Olga’s brother Michael married a commoner without permission, Nicholas banished him from Russia. Fearing for Nikolai’s safety in the war, Olga pleaded with her brother Nicholas II to transfer him to the relative safety of Kyiv, where she was stationed at a hospital. In 1916, after visiting Olga in Kyiv, Nicholas had a change of heart and he officially annulled her marriage to Peter. On November 16, 1916, Olga and Nikolai were married at the Kievo-Vasilievskaya Church in Kiev.

Since 1880, Peter had a career in the Russian Imperial Army and attained the rank of Major-General. At the time of the February Revolution in 1917, Peter resigned from the army and settled on his estate in the Voronezh province. After the October Revolution in 1917, Peter, his father, and his mother emigrated to France, where he lived in Paris and on a farm near Bayonne, France. In 1922, Peter married Olga Vladimirovna Ratkova-Rognova. Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg died at the age of 55 on March 21, 1924, in Antibes, France, and was buried in the crypt of St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church in Cannes, France.  Both of Peter’s parents survived him.

Peter’s tomb; Credit – Wikipedia

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Peter_Alexandrovich_of_Oldenburg [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ольденбургский, Пётр Александрович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ольга Александровна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Vorres, I. (2018). The Last Grand Duchess. Toronto: Key Porter Books Limited.

Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky, Second Husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Nikolai Kulikovsky and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna; Credit – Wikipedia

The second husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky was born on November 5, 1881, in Evstratovka, Voronezh Province, Russian Empire. His parents were Alexander Nikanorovich Kulikovsky, a Major General in the Russian Imperial Army, and Evdokia Nikolaevna Kharina. The members of the Kulikovsky family were minor nobility and owned a large estate and horse farm in Nikolai’s birthplace. Nikolai’s great-grandfather from his mother’s side, Kirill Ivanovich Gudovich, was a Major General in the Russian Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars.

Nikolai learned to ride at an early age and became an excellent horseman. From 1900 – 1902, he attended the Nikolaev Cavalry School, the top military school in the Russian Empire, which was established to train young noblemen who entered the Life Guards regiments from universities or private boarding schools and did not have military training. After graduation, Nikolai joined the Blue Cuirassier Guards where one of the commanders was Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia.

In April 1903, Grand Duke Michael’s sister, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, attended a military review of the Blue Cuirassier Guards. Grand Duchess Olga was in an unsuccessful marriage with Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg. At the military review, Olga saw a tall, handsome man in the uniform of the Blue Cuirassier Guards – Nikolai – and their eyes met. Olga said to her official biographer Ian Vorres, “It was fate. It was also a shock. I suppose I learned on that day that love at first sight does exist.” Michael arranged for Nikolai and his sister Olga to meet. A few days later Olga asked her husband for a divorce. Peter Alexandrovich refused, saying that he would reconsider his decision after seven years.

Nikolai was promoted to captain of the Blue Cuirassier Guards and sent far away to the provinces. Olga and Nikolai regularly corresponded. In 1906, Olga’s husband Peter appointed Nikolai as one of his aides-de-camp. Nikolai was told that his quarters would be in the Oldenburg mansion in St. Petersburg. The living arrangements at the mansion were a well-kept secret and continued until World War I began when Olga went to be a nurse at the front and Nikolai went to war with his regiment. Peter did not keep his promise to reconsider a divorce after seven years.

Over the years, Olga continued to ask her brother Nicholas II for permission to marry Nikolai. Nicholas II always refused because he believed that marriage was for life and that the royalty should only marry royalty. In 1912, when Olga’s brother Michael married a commoner without permission, Nicholas banished him from Russia. Fearing for Nikolai’s safety in the war, Olga pleaded with her brother Nicholas II to transfer him to the relative safety of Kyiv, where she was stationed at a hospital. In 1916, after visiting Olga in Kyiv, Nicholas had a change of heart, and officially annulled her marriage to Peter. On November 16, 1916, Olga and Nikolai were married at the Kievo-Vasilievskaya Church in Kyiv. Olga’s mother Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, her sister’s husband Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), two fellow nurses from the hospital in Kyiv. and four officers of Nikolai’s regiment attended the wedding.

Olga and Nikolai on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Olga and Nikolai had two sons:

  • Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky (1917 – 1993), married (1) Agnet Petersen, no children, divorced (2) Libya Sebastian, had one daughter, divorced (3) Olga Nikolaevna Pupynina, no children
  • Guri Nikolaevich Kulikovsky (1919 – 1984), married Ruth Schwartz, had three children, divorced (2) Aze Gagarin, no children

Guri, Olga, Tikhon and, Nikolai, circa 1920; Credit – Wikipedia

The February Revolution was the first of two revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917. The February Revolution was caused by military defeats during World War I, economic issues, and scandals surrounding the monarchy. The immediate results were the abdication of Olga’s brother Nicholas II, and the end of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire. Later in 1917, the October Revolution occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Soviet Union.

After Nicholas II abdicated, many members of the Romanov family, including Nicholas, his wife, and their children, were placed under house arrest. In search of safety, Olga and Nikolai along with Olga’s mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Olga’s brother-in-law Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro) traveled to the Crimea where they were joined by Olga’s sister (Sandro’s wife) Grand Duchess Xenia. They lived at Sandro’s estate, Ai-Todor, where they were placed under house arrest by the local Bolshevik forces. On August 12, 1917, Olga’s first child Tikhon Nikolaevich was born during their house arrest.

The Romanovs under house arrest at Ai-Todor in the Crimea in 1918. Standing: Colonel Nikolai Kulikovsky, Mr. Fogel, Olga Konstantinovna Vasiljeva, Prince Andrei (Xenia’s son). Seated: Mr. Orbeliani, Prince Nikita (Xenia’s son), Grand Duchess Olga (Xenia’s sister), Grand Duchess Xenia, Empress Maria Feodorovna (Xenia’s mother), Grand Duke Alexander (Xenia’s husband). On the floor: Prince Vasili (Xenia’s son), Prince Rostislav (Xenia’s son), and Prince Dmitri (Xenia’s son); Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Olga and Nikolai refused to leave Russia. One of Empress Maria Feodorovna’s personal bodyguards, Timofei Ksenofontovich Yatchik, took Olga, Nikolai, and their son Tikhon to his hometown Novominskaya where Olga gave birth to her second child Guri Nikolaevich in a rented farmhouse on April 23, 1919. As the White Army was pushed back and the Red Army approached, the family set out on their last journey through Russia. Yatchik, the former bodyguard, accompanied Nikolai, Olga, and their sons as they traveled to Rostov-on-Don and then to Novorossiysk where the Danish consul Thomas Schytte gave them refuge in his home. Finally, they arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 2, 1920, and Olga was reunited with her mother. Yatchik, the former imperial bodyguard, guarded Empress Maria Feodorovna until she died in 1928 and lived the rest of his life in Denmark.

Timofei Ksenofontovich Yatchik who assisted Nikolai, Olga, and their sons in leaving Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Nikolai, Olga, and their sons lived with her mother in Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark where Olga’s first cousin King Christian X of Denmark was quite inhospitable. Eventually, they all moved to Hvidøre, the Danish country house Empress Maria Feodorovna and her sister Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom had purchased together in 1906. Nikolai and Marie Feodorovna did not get along. He was resentful of Olga acting as her mother’s secretary and companion and Marie Feodorovna was distant toward him.  After Maria Feodorovna died in 1928, Hvidøre was sold and with Olga’s portion of the proceeds, Olga and Nikolai purchased Knudsminde Farm, outside of Copenhagen. The farm became a center for the Russian monarchist and anti-Bolshevik community in Denmark.

Olga and Nikolai; Credit – http://www.theromanovfamily.com

After World War II, the Soviet Union notified the Danish government that Olga was accused of conspiracy against the Soviet government. Because she was fearful of an assassination or kidnap attempt, Nikolai and Olga decided to move their family across the Atlantic to the relative safety of rural Canada. On June 2, 1948, Olga, Nikolai, Tikhon, and his Danish-born wife Agnete, Guri and his Danish-born wife Ruth along with their two children and Olga’s devoted companion and former maid Emilia Tenso (Mimka) started their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The family lived in Toronto, Canada until they purchased a 200-acre farm in Halton County, Ontario, near Campbellville.  Nikolai was relieved to move out of Toronto and escape media attention.

By 1952, Olga and Nikolai’s sons had moved away and the farm became a burden so they sold it and moved to a five-room house at 2130 Camilla Road, Cooksville, Ontario, Canada, a suburb of Toronto.  Nikolai’s health worsened and by 1958, he was virtually paralyzed and had difficulty sleeping. At the end of his life, he was sleeping on the sofa in the living room to avoid waking Olga. On August 11, 1958, Nikolai Kulikovsky died at his Cookvsille home at the age of 76.  He was buried at the  York Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Olga survived him by a little more than two years, dying on November 24, 1960, at the age of 78. She was buried next to her husband Nikolai at York Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Grave of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and Nikolai Kulikovsky; Credit – By Alex.ptv – Self-photographed, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38411347

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Nikolai Kulikovsky. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Kulikovsky [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Куликовский, Николай Александрович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B9_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Ольга Александровна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
  • Vorres, I. (2018). The Last Grand Duchess. Toronto: Key Porter Books Limited.

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

The first of the eighteen Romanovs executed during the Russian Revolution, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was born December 4, 1878, at the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Michael was the fourth of the four sons and the fifth of the six children of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Maria Feodorovna).

Michael’s mother was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and among his maternal first cousins were King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, King Christian X of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway.

Michael had five siblings:

The family of Alexander III – seated (L to R): Alexander III with Olga, George; standing (L to R): Michael, Maria Feodorovna, Nicholas & Xenia; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1881, when Michael was three years old, his paternal grandfather Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia was assassinated when a bomb was thrown at his carriage as he rode through St. Petersburg, and Michael’s father became Emperor. Concerned about the security of his family, Alexander III moved his family to Gatchina Palace located 28 miles (45 km) south of St. Petersburg. Gatchina Palace became the family’s prime residence.

Like his other siblings, Michael was raised in a simple manner considering his status. He slept in a cot, woke up at 6:00 AM, took cold baths, ate simple, plain meals, and his rooms were furnished with simple furniture. The Imperial children had a large extended family and often visited the families of their British, Danish, and Greek cousins.

The children’s parents believed that their children should spend their spare time in a useful manner and so they learned cooking, woodworking, and how to make puppets for their puppet theater. Alexander III believed that his children should learn about the outdoors and so they were taught to ride, gardened, and kept animals that they had to look after themselves.

Because of their ten-year age gap, Michael and his eldest brother, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, would not share much of their childhood. Michael’s younger sister Olga was his childhood companion and the two would always remain close. They were educated together and played together.

Michael and Olga; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Michael’s father Alexander III unexpectedly died at the age of 49 and his brother Nicholas became Emperor. Since Nicholas did not yet have children, his next brother George was declared Tsesarevich of Russia, the heir to the throne. In 1899, George died of tuberculosis. At that time, Nicholas had only daughters who could not inherit the throne and Michael was named the heir to the Russian throne. He remained the heir until the birth of Nicholas’ hemophiliac son Alexei in 1904. Michael was named to be co-regent for Alexei, along with Alexei’s mother Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in the event of Nicholas II’s death.

After his father’s death, Michael’s mother moved back to Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg with Michael and Olga. In St. Petersburg, Michael completed training at a gunnery school and joined the Horse Guards Artillery. In 1901, Michael represented his brother at Queen Victoria’s funeral, and in 1902, he was made a Knight of the Garter in King Edward VII’s coronation honors. In June 1902, Michael transferred to the Blue Cuirassier Regiment and moved to Gatchina, where the regiment was based.

In 1902 during a summer holiday, Michael met Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg. Beatrice was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s second son Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of Russia. Michael and Beatrice fell in love. Michael’s father and Beatrice’s mother were siblings and that made Beatrice and Michael first cousins. It was not unusual for royal first cousins to marry. Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were first cousins and Beatrice’s sister Victoria had married a first cousin, Ernst, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. However, the Russian Orthodox Church prohibited the marriage of first cousins and Nicholas II refused to grant permission for the marriage.

Next, Michael fell in love with a commoner, Alexandra Vladimirovna Kossikovskaya, a lady-in-waiting to his sister Olga. In 1906, Michael asked Nicholas II for permission to marry Alexandra. Nicholas and his mother Empress Maria Feodorovna were appalled as they felt that royalty should marry only royalty. According to Romanov House Law, any children from a marriage between a royal and a commoner would not be in the line of succession to the Russian throne. Nicholas threatened to revoke Michael’s army commission and exile him from Russia if he married without his permission. Empress Maria Feodorovna dismissed Alexandra as Olga’s lady-in-waiting and took Michael to Denmark for two months.

Wulfert, Natasha, and Michael; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1907, Michael first met Natalia Sergeyevna Wulfert (called Natasha), the wife of Vladimir Vladimirovich Wulfert, an officer in Michael’s regiment, the Blue Cuirassier Regiment. Born Natalia Sergeyevna Sheremetyevskaya, Natasha was the daughter of a Moscow lawyer, Sergei Alexandrovich Sheremetevsky, an untitled minor Russian noble. By August 1909, Michael and Natasha were lovers and by November 1909, Natasha was living in an apartment in Moscow paid for by Michael. Nicholas II had Michael transferred to the Chernigov Hussars 250 miles from Moscow in an attempt to stop the relationship. However, Michael traveled back to Moscow several times a month to see Natasha.

On August 6, 1910, Natasha gave birth to Michael’s son named George after Michael’s deceased brother. At the time of George’s birth, Natasha was still legally married to her husband and George was not legally his son. Michael and Natasha started divorce proceedings because they feared that Natasha’s husband would try to claim custody of their son. There is speculation that Wulfert allowed the divorce because he received a bribe of 200,000 rubles. The date of the divorce was back-dated, meaning that George was recognized as Natasha’s illegitimate son and would inherit her status. Nicholas II issued a decree giving George the surname Brasov after Michael’s estate at Brasovo. In May 1911, Nicholas II granted Natasha permission to use the surname Brasova and allowed her to live with Michael at his estate Brasovo. This all indicated Nicholas II’s tacit permission for his brother’s affair.

Natasha and Michael with their son George; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Michael was second in the line of succession after his nephew, Tsesarevich Alexei. However, since Alexei suffered from hemophilia, perhaps he would not live long enough to inherit the throne. Romanov House Law required that members of the Imperial Family obtain the permission of the Emperor before marrying. Michael knew that his brother would not grant permission to marry Natasha. In September 1912, Alexei suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage in the thigh and groin. Michael feared that Alexei would not survive and that he would become the heir which would make the possibility of his marriage to Natalia even more remote. By marrying Natasha before Alexei died, Michael would be removed from the line of succession early which would prevent him from losing Natasha. Therefore, while on holiday in Vienna, Austria, Michael and Natasha were married on October 16, 1912, in a Serbian Orthodox Church.

Natasha and Michael in 1912; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Nicholas II and the rest of the Imperial Family were horrifyingly shocked. They saw Michael’s actions as a betrayal of duty especially since Alexei was so close to death. (Alexei did survive the incident.) Nicholas stripped Michael of his military rank, froze all his assets in Russia, seized control of his estates, removed him from becoming regent, and banished him from Russia. Until September 1913, they stayed in grand hotels throughout Europe before settling in England. While in England, they were visited by Michael’s mother Empress Maria Feodorovna, Michael’s sister Grand Duchess Xenia, and Michael’s cousin Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich.

Upon the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Michael asked his brother Nicholas II for permission to return to Russia and return to the army. He further requested that Natasha and George accompany him. Nicholas agreed with the condition that Natasha would not live in any of the imperial palaces. Michael, Natasha, and George lived in a villa on Nikolaevskaya Street in St. Petersburg. Michael was given command of the Caucasian Native Cavalry which was considered a demotion as it consisted of new Muslim recruits rather than the elite troops. Nevertheless, the Caucasian Native Cavalry was very effective and Michael received the military’s highest honor, the Order of St. George.

Grand Duke Michael (in the light-colored coat) with the Caucasian Native Cavalry; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1915, Michael requested that Nicholas II legitimize his son George so that in the event of his death in the war, George would be provided for, and Nicholas agreed. George was legitimized and created Count Brasov but neither he nor his descendants could be in the line of succession. At the same time, Natasha was created Countess Brasova.

The February Revolution was the first of two revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917. The February Revolution was caused by military defeats during World War I, economic issues, and scandals surrounding the monarchy. The immediate result was Nicholas II’s abdication, the end of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire. Later in 1917, the October Revolution occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Soviet Union.

On March 15, 1917, when Nicholas II signed his abdication manifesto, he decided to abdicate in favor of his son Alexei but 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 Michael. However, Michael declined to accept the throne unless the people were allowed to vote for the continuation of the monarchy or for a republic. Of course, that vote never happened.

After going through several periods of house arrests, Michael was arrested on March 7, 1918, along with his British secretary Nicholas Johnson, and imprisoned at the Bolshevik headquarters in St. Petersburg. Four days later, Michael and Johnson were sent to Perm, a thousand miles to the east. In Perm, the Bolshevik orders were that “Michael Romanov and Johnson are entitled to live in freedom under the surveillance of the local Soviet authorities.” Meanwhile, Natasha obtained a travel permit so she could join Michael in Perm. However, Michael and Natasha’s reunion did not last long. Because the Bolsheviks and the White Army were fighting in the area, Michael and Natasha feared that she could become trapped in Perm in a dangerous situation and Natasha left on May 18, 1918, for Moscow. On May 21, 1918, Michael made the first of a number of required visits to the Perm office of the Cheka, the Soviet secret police.

Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson in Perm in 1918; Credit – Wikipedia

Fears that the White Army might move into Perm and an unsuccessful White Army raid in Ekaterinburg, where Michael’s brother Nicholas and his family were being held, made the Cheka leaders in Perm develop a plan to abduct and kill Michael. Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, the leader of the Perm Cheka who had spent seven years in a Siberian labor camp after the Russian Revolution of 1905, gathered a team of four men who, like him, were all former prisoners of the Tsarist regime. The five men met on the evening of June 12, 1918. The plan was simple – Michael was to be abducted from his room, taken into the woods, and shot. To avoid complications, the official story would be that Michael attempted to escape and was therefore shot. The conspirators’ meeting ended at 9:30 PM and Michael’s abduction was set for midnight.

Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, in the middle, with his four conspirators; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

With forged orders to evacuate Michael, the group made their way to Michael’s room. The guards there said they needed to telephone the Cheka to confirm the evacuation orders which the armed men would not allow them to do. Michael also refused to cooperate. Eventually, the armed men had enough. One of them grabbed Michael, ordered him to go outside, and motioned Johnson to follow. The armed men, Michael and Johnson drove three miles in horse-drawn carriages to the execution site.

Michael had been told they were going to a railroad crossing where he would board a train. The carriages stopped and Michael was told they would walk to the railroad crossing. After Michael and Johnson took only a few steps, two of the armed men simultaneously shot them. Johnson was wounded and the gun that was intended for Michael misfired. Michael, with his arms outstretched, ran to Johnson begging to say goodbye to him. Michael was shot and as he fell, he pulled Johnson down with him. Guns were then put to their temples and fired. It was approximately 2:00 AM on June 13, 1918. Michael was 39 and Johnson was 40.  Before the bodies were buried, they were stripped of all their clothes and possessions to prove that the executions had taken place. The remains of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and Nicholas Johnson have never been found.  In 1981, Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.  In 1996, a local group in Perm erected a simple wooden cross in the woods where it is presumed Michael’s remains lie.

Michael’s wife and son, Natasha and George, escaped Russia. In 1931, George died in a car accident in Sens, France shortly before his 21st birthday. In 1952, Natalia died penniless in a charity hospital in Paris, France. Natalia and George were buried next to each in Passy Cemetery in Paris, France.

Memorial plaque in memory of Grand Duke Michael on the building in Perrm where he was detained; Photo Credit – Автор: Аноним Инкогнитович – Собственная работа, GFDL 1.2+, https://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2069431

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

  • Crawford, R. and Crawford, D. (2000). Michael and Natasha. New York: Post Road Press.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Michael_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Natalia Brasova. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Brasova [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].
  • Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The Flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Михаил Александрович (сын Александра III). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87_(%D1%81%D1%8B%D0%BD_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0_III) [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].

Natalia Sergeyevna Sheremetyevskaya, Countess Brasova

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Natalia Sergeyevna Sheremetyevskaya, Countess Brasova; Credit – Wikipedia

Natalia Sergeyevna Sheremetyevskaya was the morganatic wife of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, the son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and the brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Called Natasha, she was born on June 27, 1880, at a rented summer dacha outside of Moscow to Sergei Alexandrovich Sheremetyevsky and Yulia Vyacheslavovna Sventsitskaya. Natasha’s father was a lawyer and an untitled Russian noble. Natasha grew up in Moscow with maids, a nurse for her and her two older sisters, Vera and Olga, and then a French governess when the three sisters were older. Natasha and her sisters were educated at a private day school.

In 1901, Natasha married Sergei Ivanovich Mamontov (1877 – 1938), a musician. Sergei was a pianist and conductor at the Mamontov Opera House, founded by his uncle, and then at the famous Bolshoi Theater.

Natasha and Sergei had one daughter:

  • Natalia Sergeevna Mamontova, known as Tata (1903 – 1969), married (1) Val Gielgud, writer, actor, editor, and BBC producer, brother of actor Sir John Gielgud, no children, divorced (2) Cecil Gray, composer and music critic, had one daughter, divorced (3) Michael Majolier, naval officer, had one daughter

Natasha and her daughter Tata; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Through her husband’s connections, Natasha became friendly with several Russian musicians including pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and opera singer Feodor Chaliapin. Natasha was quite social, enjoyed entertaining, and attending social events. Her husband Sergei was the opposite. He had a retiring nature and preferred to stay home. Natasha started going out on her own and met a childhood friend, cavalry officer Vladimir Vladimirovich Wulfert. Soon Natasha and Vladimir were in the midst of an affair and Natasha wanted a divorce so she could marry Vladimir. Divorce was only possible in cases of adultery where the husband was the guilty party. Playing the gentleman, Sergei agreed to provide Natasha with the grounds for divorce, and in 1905, Natasha and Vladimir were married.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Wulfert was an officer in the Blue Cuirassier Regiment. The social life of an officer and his wife was just the life that Natasha desired, Vladimir enjoyed their social life as much as his wife did. The height of the regiment’s social season in 1907 was the winter ball and Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, one of the commanders of the regiment, always attended the regiment balls. Natasha and Michael had met once before and Natasha wondered if he would remember her. Michael did remember her and over the course of the evening, he asked Natasha to dance and sat at her table.

Vladimir Wulfert, Natasha, and Grand Duke Michael; Credit – Wikipedia

At first, Natasha was always accompanied by her husband when socializing with Michael. By August 1909, Michael and Natasha were lovers and by November 1909, Natasha was living in an apartment in Moscow paid for by Michael. Nicholas II had Michael transferred to the Chernigov Hussars 250 miles from Moscow in an attempt to stop the relationship. However, Michael traveled back to Moscow several times a month to see Natasha.

On August 6, 1910, Natasha gave birth to Michael’s son named George after Michael’s deceased brother. At the time of George’s birth, Natasha was still legally married to her husband and George was legally his son. Michael and Natasha started divorce proceedings because they feared that Natasha’s husband would try to claim custody of their son. There is speculation that Vladimir Wulfert allowed the divorce because he received a bribe of 200,000 rubles. The date of the divorce was back-dated, meaning that George was recognized as Natasha’s illegitimate son and would inherit her status. Nicholas II issued a decree giving George the surname Brasov after Michael’s estate at Brasovo. In May 1911, Nicholas II permitted Natasha to use the surname Brasova and allowed her to live with Michael at his estate Brasovo. This indicated Nicholas II’s tacit permission for his brother’s affair.

Natasha and Michael with their son George; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael was second in the line of succession after his nephew Tsesarevich Alexei. However, since Alexei suffered from hemophilia, it was thought that he would not live long enough to inherit the throne. Romanov House Law required that members of the Imperial Family obtain the permission of the Emperor before marrying. Michael knew that his brother would not grant permission to marry Natasha. In September 1912, Alexei suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage. Michael feared that Alexei would not survive and that he would become the heir which would make the possibility of his marriage to Natasha even more remote. By marrying Natasha before Alexei died, Michael would be removed from the line of succession, preventing him from losing Natasha. While on holiday in Vienna, Austria, Michael and Natasha were married on October 16, 1912, in a Serbian Orthodox Church.

Nicholas II and the rest of the Imperial Family were horrifyingly shocked. They saw Michael’s actions as a betrayal of duty especially since Alexei was so close to death. (Alexei did survive the incident.) Nicholas stripped Michael of his military rank, froze all his assets in Russia, seized control of his estates, and banished him from Russia. Until September 1913, they stayed in grand hotels throughout Europe before settling in England.

Natasha and Michael, circa 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Michael asked his brother Nicholas II for permission to return to Russia and return to the army. He further requested that Natasha and George accompany him. Nicholas agreed with the condition that Natasha would not live in any of the imperial palaces. Michael, Natasha, and George lived in a villa on Nikolaevskaya Street in St. Petersburg. Michael was given command of the Caucasian Native Cavalry. In 1915, Michael requested that Nicholas II legitimize his son George so that in the event of his death in the war, George would be provided for, and Nicholas agreed. George was legitimized and created Count Brasov but neither he nor his descendants could be in the line of succession. At the same time, Natasha was created Countess Brasova.

The February Revolution was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. The February Revolution was caused by military defeats during World War I, economic issues, and scandals surrounding the monarchy. The immediate result was the abdication of Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire. Later in 1917, the October Revolution occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Soviet Union.

Natasha in 1917; Credit – Wikipedia

After going through several periods of house arrests, Michael was arrested on March 7, 1918, along with his British secretary Nicholas Johnson, and imprisoned at the Bolshevik headquarters in St. Petersburg. Four days later, Michael and Johnson were sent to Perm, a thousand miles to the east. In Perm, the Bolshevik orders were that “Michael Romanov and Johnson are entitled to live in freedom under the surveillance of the local Soviet authorities.” Concerned for her son’s safety, Natasha smuggled George and his nanny out of Russia to Denmark with the help of the Danish Embassy.

Natasha obtained a travel permit so she could join Michael in Perm. However, Michael and Natasha’s reunion did not last long. Because the Bolsheviks and the White Army were fighting in the area, Michael and Natasha feared that she could become trapped in Perm in a dangerous situation and Natasha left on May 18, 1918, for Moscow. On June 13, 1918, Michael and his secretary were taken to the woods near Perm and shot. Their bodies have never been found.

Grand Duke Michael and his secretary Nicholas Johnson in Perm, April 1918; Credit – Wikipedia

Returning to Petrograd, the new name for St. Petersburg, Natasha immediately began to plan a second trip to be with Michael but she received a telegram from Perm about his “disappearance”. When she met with the Cheka, the Soviet secret police, Natasha accused them of killing Michael and she was put in prison. Ten weeks later she feigned illness and was transferred to a nursing home from which she managed to escape. The Germans believed the widespread rumors that Michael was still alive and decided to help Natasha escape Russia to gain influence with Michael. Through the German-controlled Ukrainian consulate, Natasha and Tata, her 15-year-old daughter from her first marriage, were provided with false passports. They then traveled to Kyiv, then under German occupation, and on to Odessa where they boarded the British ship HMS Nereide which took them to Constantinople.

George, Count Brasov; Credit – Wikipedia

Natasha and her children settled in England. George attended a British boarding school and Tata attended a convent school in France. Natasha was able to use money in Michael’s bank accounts in Paris and Copenhagen, and also started selling her jewelry. In 1920, Tata was sent to Cheltenham Ladies’ College and George was enrolled at Harrow School. In England, Natasha had a courteous meeting with Michael’s mother Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Dagmar of Denmark) who had also escaped and would live out her life in her native Denmark. There were still conflicting rumors about Michael’s fate.

In 1924, Natasha had Michael declared legally dead. Michael’s first cousin Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who also escaped, had declared himself Emperor and head of the Romanov family.  He gave Natasha the style and title Her Serene Highness Princess Romanovskaya-Brasova and made George a Prince. Natasha moved to Paris in 1927 because it was cheaper to live there and a large Russian émigré population lived there. Tata, who had married, remained in England. George joined his mother in France and attended the Sorbonne University in Paris.

In 1928, Michael’s mother Empress Maria Feodorovna died in Denmark and the house she owned jointly with her sister was sold. The proceeds were equally divided between the Empress’ two daughters and her grandson George who used some of the money to buy a new sports car. In July 1931, George finished his university exams and went on a driving holiday in the south of France with a friend. Not too far from Paris, in Sens, France, George’s car skidded off the road and crashed into a tree. George’s friend, who had been driving, was instantly killed. George was taken to the hospital with two broken legs and severe internal injuries. Natasha reached George’s bedside before he died on July 21, 1931, without regaining consciousness. He would have celebrated his 21st birthday in two weeks. George was buried at the Passy Cemetery in Paris. Although George had no succession rights due to the morganatic marriage of his parents, he was the last male-line descendant of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia.

Natasha continued to have financial difficulties. Recovering Romanov assets in the Soviet Union, formerly Russia, was impossible. Natasha unsuccessfully attempted to recover some of Michael’s Polish assets. She did receive some funds from Michael’s German assets but inflation had made them almost worthless. To survive, Natasha sold her possessions. By the time World War II started, Natasha was nearly broke and living in a one-room attic apartment. Tata was living in London and the war made travel and communication with her mother in Paris impossible. In 1946, Tata’s daughter Pauline went to Paris to find her grandmother and was shocked by her grandmother’s living conditions. The Mamontov family, the family of Natasha’s first husband, did what they could for her. Sometimes other émigrés from Russia living in Paris gave her money and Pauline started sending her grandmother money from her small salary. In 1951, Natasha found out she had cancer and her landlady evicted her. Natasha was taken to the Laënnec, a charity hospital in Paris, France, where she died on January 23, 1952, at the age of 71.

Natasha was buried in Passy Cemetery in Paris, France next to her son George. Their grave is marked by a Russian Orthodox cross and the inscription Fils et Epouse de S.A.I Grand Duc Michel de Russie – Son and Spouse of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Michael of Russia.

Natasha and George’s grave; Photo Credit – By Thomon – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42995429

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

  • Crawford, R. and Crawford, D. (2000). Michael and Natasha. New York: Post Road Press.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Michael_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Natalia Brasova. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Brasova [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].
  • Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The Flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Михаил Александрович (сын Александра III). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87_(%D1%81%D1%8B%D0%BD_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0_III) [Accessed 15 Mar. 2018].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Шереметьевская, Наталья Сергеевна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A8%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F,_%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F_%D0%A1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].