Nicholas and Alix's reaction to her birth/Did the Tsar cry?

Even the more serious of historians makes mistakes in their work. So, it's possible that Robert K. Massie had written what it was wrong. Otherwise, the book is great.

RealAnastasia.

In Nicholas and Alexandra it says on page 144 it was Anastasia's birth which caused him to take the long disappointed walk. Is this book wrong then?

It is not surprising he was not in the room when the babies were born. This was very uncustomary until actually the last 25-30 years or so. Even in the 1950's-60's men did not come into the room, not even the father. Usually only the woman's mother and the doctors and nurses were present, if even the mother was allowed. Some hospitals allowed no one.

On the contrary - when Nicolas himself was born , not only his father, but also Alexander II. was present in the room!

I believe that in this matter "Nicolas and Alexandra" is wrong. The original source for this information is from memoir by Sophie Buxhoeveden. In addition - Anastasia was born in early morning hours and Nicolas mentioned in his diary that thanks to that they had the feeling of calm and solitude, so it´s not likely he ventured somewhere. Maria was born at 12:10.

It was not unusual that "half of the court" was present when a royal child was born. When Marie Antoinette's children were born, they almost made a show out of it.

In Nicholas and Alexandra it says on page 144 it was Anastasia's birth which caused him to take the long disappointed walk. Is this book wrong then?

It is not surprising he was not in the room when the babies were born. This was very uncustomary until actually the last 25-30 years or so. Even in the 1950's-60's men did not come into the room, not even the father. Usually only the woman's mother and the doctors and nurses were present, if even the mother was allowed. Some hospitals allowed no one.

On the contrary - when Nicolas himself was born , not only his father, but also Alexander II. was present in the room!

I believe that in this matter "Nicolas and Alexandra" is wrong. The original source for this information is from memoir by Sophie Buxhoeveden. In addition - Anastasia was born in early morning hours and Nicolas mentioned in his diary that thanks to that they had the feeling of calm and solitude, so it´s not likely he ventured somewhere. Maria was born at 12:10.

It was not unusual that "half of the court" was present when a royal child was born. When Marie Antoinette's children were born, they almost made a show out of it.

It all depends on which court a birth happens. I don't think that in the British court, everybody would attend the birth of a child.
In French court, privacy didn 't exist at all.

There is a difference between being present at the birth and being in the same room where the woman is giving birth, and it shouldn't be taken so lilterally. It's like families and friends hanging around the hospital, in the waiting rooms and halls, waiting for a baby to be born. They are technically "there when the baby is born", but they aren't all in the birthing room staring at the woman as she screams, cries, lies there with her legs spread out so her privates show, pushing  until the blood-covered baby comes popping out. I seriously doubt just anyone, anywhere, was permitted to be that close. It would have been considered improper, as well as unhealthy and stressful to the mother. Having multiple people in the birthing room witnessing the actual birth is a very new phenomenon from the late 20th century.

Unfortunatelly I don´t have my copy of "The Romanovs - Love, power and tragedy" here with me, but there is a direct quotation from Alexander III. diary about Nikolai´s birth. He writes there that his father was helping him to hold and support Minnie, and I even got the impression Empress Maria Alexandrovna may have been in the room too.

Thank you. And I'll check my copy of Little Mother Russia and see what it says about that day.