Nicholas I mistresses

[Romanov_fan]

I believe they all were, yes.

[Janet Ashton]

Burke's royal families of the world lists the following children of Nicholas and Alexandra (I've only put the years of birth of the children who lived):

1. Alexander b.1818
2. Maria b. 1819
3. A daughter, stillborn at Peterhof, 1820
4. Olga b. 1822
5. A daughter, b and d at St Petersburg, 4 Nov 1823
6. Alexandra b. 1825
7. Elisaveta b 7 June 1826; d young
8. Constantine b. 1827
9. A daughter, b and d at St Petersburg 17 October 1829
10. Nicholas b. 1831
11. Mihail b. 1832

I wondered whether 'Elisaveta' was mistaken for Nicholas' niece Elizabeth who was born in 1826, and died in 1845.  However, Burke lists the latter in the proper place and as having born in Moscow on 26 May 1826 and marrying Adolf Duke of Nassau.  So Burke clearly saw two Elizabeths somewhere - but it is very strange not to have a date of death.  For the first stillborn daughter, in 'Romanov relations' a letter from Grand Duke Nicholas to his sister Anna says "You already know from Mama about the cruel accident which happened to my wife which was followed by a miscarriage" and in 'Chere Annette', their mother's letters to Anna, she says "our dear Alexandrine was delivered safely and easily of a baby girl, already two weeks dead." In October 1823 Maria Feodorovna wrote to Anna that "Charlotte [Alexandra] is a little indisposed with stomach cramps and being a little delayed but its not serious" and there is no further information on what might have been another stillbirth in November and Maria Feodorovna writes in the same month rather cheerfully about a visit Anna's husband was making at the time to St Petersburg.  The birth of Elizabeth Mihailovna ('Elisa') is mentioned in May 1826, coinciding with the death of the Empress Elizabeth - but no mention is made of the birth of another Elizabeth to Alexandra in June.  Nicholas writes to Anna in the autumn of 1829 with much information about the state of Alexandra's health, which was poor, but there was no mention of a pregnancy or any child.  So I haven't been able to find any other supporting evidence for any of the stillbirths or daughters who allegedly died young except for the one in 1820.

This is the same list I've seen, but I forgot about the daughter supposed to have been born between Olga and Alexandra. The last pregnancy is also omitted from Burke's, but in addition to the source mentioned by Svetabel, there is also a reference in one of the Jackman books (though I forget which without checking) to this last, post-Mikhail pregnancy. Like you I wondered whether Elizaveta Nikolaevna might be a case of confusion with Elizaveta Mikhailovna........At any rate, it's not a happy history - we know that Alexandra had at least two late miscarriges or stillbirths - and small wonder her health became so bad.....

[CountessKate]

Yes, I've also combed Jackman although alas the 1830s correspondence is all on Nicholas' side and he doesn't go into any detail except general remarks upon his wife's ill-health (although she outlived him, and for all her frailty, survived 12 or 13 pregnancies and had 7 children who lived and except for Alexandra, were reasonably healthy).

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

Was Alexander II conktat with Barbar Nelidova after Nikolas dead?

According to the biography of Tsar Nicholas I by Henri Troyat, Alexander II continued to be in contact with Nelidova, and also, between Tsarina Alexandra and B. Nelidova began a sincere friendship...but I don't know if it is historical truth, usually I prefer to take with caution this type of informations...

[Joanna]

3. A daughter, stillborn at Peterhof, 1820
For the first stillborn daughter, in 'Romanov relations' a letter from Grand Duke Nicholas to his sister Anna says "You already know from Mama about the cruel accident which happened to my wife which was followed by a miscarriage" and in 'Chere Annette', their mother's letters to Anna, she says "our dear Alexandrine was delivered safely and easily of a baby girl, already two weeks dead." ...  So I haven't been able to find any other supporting evidence for any of the stillbirths or daughters who allegedly died young except for the one in 1820.

An excellent small volume "A czarina's story, being an account of the early married life of the Emperor Nicholas I of Russia written by his wife" [1948], are the memoirs Alexandra F. from 1817 to 1820. It is about 25 pages and she starts by stating "...impressions form part of my private diary while these notes are intended to be a species of 'memoires'..." Her voice travels these two hundred years with an immediacy that is rare to encounter.

On the death of her stillborn baby - "...and I had to be bled much sooner than in my other pregnancies. Bad weather in camp at Krasnoi Selo also did me harm, and I arrived in St. Petersburg for the 25th of June with my feet swollen and a horrible sick headache which lasted three days. My attacks of giddiness prevented me from appearing at dinners and dances. The Emperor [Alexander I] came to see me one evening and kissed my foot in bed, which made me laugh. Two nights later, on the 27th of June, I was at death's door. While I was unconscious a congestion of blood seized me and apparently caused the death of the child to which I gave birth on the 10th of July, 1820. In the wooden Constantine Palace I spent six very sad weeks, but I was well looked after by my husband and the Empress Mother..."

These memoirs are incredible and it is easy to imagine how exciting it would be to read her diaries!

Joanna