They were certainly an interesting branch of the family.The book White Crow, while being a biography of Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovitch, has a lot of good general info on the family.Before I read that, I had not realized any member of the Romanov family considered trying to run for election after the Revolution, which Grand Duke Mikhail did consider until Kerensky told him no.If Nicholas II had had the abilities and outlook that Grand Duke Mikhail had, then the revolution might never have happened.He wasn't perfect, but he was a very able man, and a historian.Perhaps the fact that he was a historian, is what gave him the ability to see the possible future (of the dynasty among other things) clearly, as mentioned in his biography, White Crow.As the saying goes " Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it", which might also be " Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it". Knowing is one thing, understanding is another.He knew history, and understood, and therefore perhaps saw the future more clearly.It's interesting later in his 20s (after moving on from Victoria of Baden, his cousin) he considered marrying Amelie of France( Orleans, I think)( he loved anything and everybody French), but his parents disaproved, and her family did not want her to convert to Orthodoxy so he abandoned the idea.He did have a supporter though, in MF, who supported him marrying Amelie.Not surprising as she later wanted her own son Nicholas II to marry Helene of Orleans(not sure how they are related), which he howeer did not want.
