Show Posts
16
The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, discussion and pictures Part 2
« on: January 09, 2014, 06:50:06 PM »
Eric:
How DO you possibly concoct these fantastic segues into the absurd? lol
And how is it that you are inferring that Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, and her sister GD Xenia were of unequal status???
And thusly....how is it, and by whom is it perceived to be "natural" to compare?
And who do you believe was comparing, and to what purpose?
And if you are suggesting that GD Olga's children might have been regarded as common by anyone other than their granny, are you forgetting that they lived in Denmark where they were, above all, the great-grandsons of King Christian IX, and cousins to the regnant monarch?
And, that this was a foreign country which would have little use or interest in the dynastic validity or, the honorifics of a defunct empire.
I am not privy to GD Xenias situation, nor is this thread about her, however I can factually assert that HIH Olga Alexandrovna lived how, and where she did by HER choice. She had many offers presented to her following the passing of her husband, two of which were to return to either Demark or to England, and she had several options of where to live in and around Toronto, all of which she declined.
Like many seniors, she enjoyed her independence, her garden, and her pets. She delighted in spending her days painting, going for long walks, and visiting her many friends. It was only in her final days that she went (by her choice) to stay with friends where she could hear comforting Russian voices, and smell the aromas of Russian food, rather than to convalesce in the hospital. Do understand also that she was in complete possession of her mental faculties until mere days before the end. She had resigned herself to her final days and was quite happy and at peace.
Regretfully, her story was later twisted to proclaim that she "died in poverty" from more contemporary accounts of her life. The house she passed away in, is perhaps right now, in a more run down part of the city, but this was certainly not the case in 1960, nor was she "poor" at the time. Her bed was placed in a large sunny well appointed bedroom, where her every need was attended to. (This is the room you see in the photographs in the second floor, on the left side, with the large bay window). Prior to that, her Cooksville home was in a prosperous area, and despite not being large, was custom built for her (and remains to this day oddly preserved & un-altered, but now surrounded by modern McMansions) amidst a large garden, which she enjoyed immensely. It was well looked after, both inside and out by friends and family & hired help as required, and she received visitors often, as well as accepting invitations for dinners and weekends away. Basically, she was a typical senior citizen(with above-average knick-knacks ;-)
She was a Russian Grand Duchess to her dying day, and was regarded as such in the Russian community where she attended church, and banquets and charity balls with regularity, as well as by her various royal cousins from across the pond who also visited her often.
And finally, (and although I hesitate to conjecture without basis as you always seem to do) GD Olga lived at Hvidovre, with her family (and at her mother's insistence & her beck & call) whereas GD Xenia, "en famille", lived in far off London, hence "out of sight- and out of mind".
Although she treated Colonel Kulikovsky as a commoner, she certainly didn't think of her youngest daughter that way, nor at all in-equal to her sister.
I am puzzled why you even find that worthy of noting? Even if it were true or germane initially it may have not stayed that way.
I do know first hand, her grandson Tikhon actually had warm & fond memories of the dowager empress, for above all else, she was a grandmother.
How DO you possibly concoct these fantastic segues into the absurd? lol
And how is it that you are inferring that Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, and her sister GD Xenia were of unequal status???
And thusly....how is it, and by whom is it perceived to be "natural" to compare?
And who do you believe was comparing, and to what purpose?
And if you are suggesting that GD Olga's children might have been regarded as common by anyone other than their granny, are you forgetting that they lived in Denmark where they were, above all, the great-grandsons of King Christian IX, and cousins to the regnant monarch?
And, that this was a foreign country which would have little use or interest in the dynastic validity or, the honorifics of a defunct empire.
I am not privy to GD Xenias situation, nor is this thread about her, however I can factually assert that HIH Olga Alexandrovna lived how, and where she did by HER choice. She had many offers presented to her following the passing of her husband, two of which were to return to either Demark or to England, and she had several options of where to live in and around Toronto, all of which she declined.
Like many seniors, she enjoyed her independence, her garden, and her pets. She delighted in spending her days painting, going for long walks, and visiting her many friends. It was only in her final days that she went (by her choice) to stay with friends where she could hear comforting Russian voices, and smell the aromas of Russian food, rather than to convalesce in the hospital. Do understand also that she was in complete possession of her mental faculties until mere days before the end. She had resigned herself to her final days and was quite happy and at peace.
Regretfully, her story was later twisted to proclaim that she "died in poverty" from more contemporary accounts of her life. The house she passed away in, is perhaps right now, in a more run down part of the city, but this was certainly not the case in 1960, nor was she "poor" at the time. Her bed was placed in a large sunny well appointed bedroom, where her every need was attended to. (This is the room you see in the photographs in the second floor, on the left side, with the large bay window). Prior to that, her Cooksville home was in a prosperous area, and despite not being large, was custom built for her (and remains to this day oddly preserved & un-altered, but now surrounded by modern McMansions) amidst a large garden, which she enjoyed immensely. It was well looked after, both inside and out by friends and family & hired help as required, and she received visitors often, as well as accepting invitations for dinners and weekends away. Basically, she was a typical senior citizen(with above-average knick-knacks ;-)
She was a Russian Grand Duchess to her dying day, and was regarded as such in the Russian community where she attended church, and banquets and charity balls with regularity, as well as by her various royal cousins from across the pond who also visited her often.
And finally, (and although I hesitate to conjecture without basis as you always seem to do) GD Olga lived at Hvidovre, with her family (and at her mother's insistence & her beck & call) whereas GD Xenia, "en famille", lived in far off London, hence "out of sight- and out of mind".
Although she treated Colonel Kulikovsky as a commoner, she certainly didn't think of her youngest daughter that way, nor at all in-equal to her sister.
I am puzzled why you even find that worthy of noting? Even if it were true or germane initially it may have not stayed that way.
I do know first hand, her grandson Tikhon actually had warm & fond memories of the dowager empress, for above all else, she was a grandmother.
