Messages

1

The Imperial Family / Re: identification

« on: January 13, 2016, 11:32:44 AM »

Thank you for the clarification Rodney.

2

The Imperial Family / Re: identification

« on: January 10, 2016, 01:50:09 PM »

Thanks very much to both!!

3

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / Re: Books on the Hesse Royals

« on: January 09, 2016, 07:14:07 PM »

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a good biography of princess Alice. I've read through this thread and I gather that "Alice Grand Duchess of Hesse; Princess of Great Britain and Ireland; Biographical Sketch and Letters with Portraits" is a good place to start (thank you ever so much Joanna for the link to download it!!). Have also read all the previous posters' praise on "Hessian Tapestry", can't wait to get a copy of this book.

As for "Alice, The Enigma: Queen Victoria's Daughter", does anybody know if it's any good?

Any further recommendations would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

4

The Imperial Family / Re: identification

« on: January 09, 2016, 05:10:56 PM »

Hello everyone! I recently saw this picture of the costume ball that took place at the the Winter Palace in 1903, and the woman on the right (behind Alix) seems so familiar to me.

Does anybody know who she is?



Thanks in advance!!

5

Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Marie Antoinette and Alexandra--Who's more tragic?

« on: July 10, 2009, 01:20:47 PM »

When one considers them as ‘characters’, I believe Alexandra presents as more tragic.  AF faced numerous hardships in her life which resulted in her becoming a fragile and neurotic character, she had joy in the form of her children, and her isolated household, but ultimately she was at odds with her ‘lot in life’.  Just as Nicholas was better suited to the life of a country squire, Alexandra would have been found contentment as the pious wife of a home counties village vicar. 

Marie Antoinette on the other hand, for many periods of her life was relatively happy.  Whilst she also endured hardships and was forced to retreat into her household in a manner similar to Alexandra, she enjoyed an idyllic childhood (well until it was prematurely cut short and she became a royal child bride!) and throughout many periods of her reign she was celebrated and admired, and genuinely content.

Marie Antoinette’s ultimate fate however was far more tragic compared to Alexandra!  M.A was publicly humiliated and consistently taunted, deprived and molested; such treatment would have been unbearable for a match stick girl, let alone the Queen of France, who had been conditioned (‘by the grace of god’) to expect reverence from her subjects. 

In comparison Alexandra’s demise in the basement of Ipatiev House was almost civilised, and perhaps a lesser fate, had N&A actually been returned to Moscow for trial at some stage, in which there surely would have been public displays of humiliation and degradation, something which I am grateful they never faced.

I absolutely agree with everything, and think it can be considered almost 100% true.

Last year, I read a Marie Antoinette biography, and couldn't help comparing both women's stories. After all, there are several objective facts they have in common (thrones, revolution, people's dislike of them, etc.) I got to the same conclusion as James: the end of Marie Antoinette was far more tragic, not only the time she spent in prison before her "judgement", but also before that. Even though she couldn't be called a loving mother, she definitely had to care about her children, and the loss of two of them must have been a real torment for her.

Plus, even though she lead an apparently happy, careless life during most of her existence, it cannot be forgotten that she got married without being in love, and that didn't change as the years passed by. Despite I trully believe she ended up loving Louis (in terms of affection and care) she was never in love with him, and that's another point where Alix "beats" her. In addition, Alix found happiness being with his family, Marie Antoinette hardly ever spend much time with her husband/children. I think that the happiness Alix got from her time with her family had to be greater and more complete than the easy, shallow satisfaction Marie Antoinette got from her parties and her misspent life.

And obviously, what Marie Antoinette had to cope with in her lasts months alive is far more tragic, way harder than Alix's situation. Marie Antoinette was first separated from her husband, knowing that they would never meet again. Then from her son, Louis Chaerles, whom she felt especially attached to (her daughter Marie Therese was more reserved). And finally, from her daughter and sister-in-law, when she was transferred to the Conciergerie. There, she was kept "buried alive" for several weeks, and she could hardly see the sunlight. After all that, she had to suffer an exhausting, humilliating public judgement, with no use, for she was decided to be executed beforehand.

Her pain throughout all her captivty is clearly evident reading the last letter she wrote, the night before her execution, addressed to her sister-in-law (though she would never receive it). I honestly think Marie Antoinette finally understood her many mistakes; not the will of the people, certainly, but at the end she was aware of what was really important in life, and probably she would've acted differently, had she had the opportunity.

6

Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Alexei had Hemophilia - Why Didn't Alix and Nicholas try Again?

« on: July 10, 2009, 12:13:03 PM »

A little OT but - just imagine a woman who has 12 children has been pregnant for nine years of her life.  Yet, there are those who do produce such large families even today.

I does seem interesting that Nicholas and Alexandra did have a childbirth schedule.  Not many in Victorian times would have any idea how to do that.

And I forgot something I heard (I think) from a Romanov family member. Nicholas and Alexandra were told after Alexei's birth that it would be best for her to not have any more babies. They practiced birth control thereafter.

As I sidebar, I was told to not have any more after my second and I did basically the same thing.

I didn't know any of those facts, the childbirth schedule and the birth control. It almost seems hard to believe, considering the time we're talking about. I wonder how pregnancies were controlled back then. Also, does anyone know why Nicholas and Alexandra had that births' schedule? 

7

Q&A and Interviews / Re: 90th Anniversary of the executions.

« on: July 17, 2008, 02:43:00 PM »

Thanks for the information Ilias_of_John, it's very interesting.

I also hope there's wolrdwide press coverage, so that we, from all parts of the world, can be informed as the event take place.

8

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna / Re: GDss Ella and GD Sergei's childlessness

« on: January 15, 2008, 09:08:51 AM »

Of course, it's true. I'll do it when I have more time, now I'm too busy with exams.

9

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Good biographies of Alix?

« on: January 15, 2008, 09:04:56 AM »

I already have Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra", and I liked it, but I was looking for a book more focused on Alexandra and not so much on politics. I agree that a general vision of the country and its situation is necessary to understand her, just the same as Nicholas  but I want to know more about personal issues and her personality.

I'll for King's book in Spanish, but I'm sure it's not easy to find...

Thanks for the help.

10

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna / Re: GDss Ella and GD Sergei's childlessness

« on: January 14, 2008, 04:29:55 PM »

This will seem a pretty obvious question after all your posts, but, was Ernie an homosexual for sure? I had read something about it, but nothing truly confirmed.

I really don't know much about Ernie's life, to my regret. Anyone could help me with this?

11

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Good biographies of Alix?

« on: January 14, 2008, 04:18:42 PM »

I've been looking for an advisable Alix's biography for a while now, but I can't find anything in Spanish. Could someone tell me the best books about the life of Alexandra? I mean in English, of course. I've lost hope about finding something in my language.

Thanks in advance.

12

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, Queen of Spain

« on: January 11, 2008, 09:49:58 AM »

In 2003. It's a book that supposedly shows the letters of Ena to her childhood's friend Lady Alice Waldegrave.

13

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie

« on: January 11, 2008, 09:41:12 AM »

Thank you so much! What a wonderful site, it's a treasure!

14

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, Queen of Spain

« on: January 10, 2008, 05:43:48 PM »

Some books in Spanish with information about Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg:

Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg: un amor traicionado by José Infante
La Reina Victoria Eugenia by Marino Gómez Santos
Las Reinas de España by Fernando González Doria
Reinas viudas de España by José Calvo Poyato

Does anyone know if the letters to Lady Alice Waldegrave of the book "Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg: un amor traicionado" by José Infante are real? Or is it everything a story imagined by the author?

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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Alejandra Feodorovna (Revelaciones de Alejo Dobrovitz. Correo secreto....)

« on: November 10, 2007, 06:08:37 AM »

I've finally found a book about Alexandra in Spanish, whose title is: "Alejandra Feodorovna (Revelaciones de Alejo Dobrovitz. Correo secreto de la Emperatriz)". I write the title in Spanish because I haven't found it in English, but I guess you can tell if you know it or not just by the author.

If it's worthy to buy and read, I'll definetely ask for it in Christmas. So, can anyone help me with this?



[edited to add title info to subject line]