Princess Alexandra Nikolayevna Lobanova-Rostovskaya, another more or less famous l-i-w of the Grand Duchess, can be seen in many memoirs of her contemporaries. She was very vivid, lively and eccentric person.
She was born in 1868 year in a large family, whose male members very often were diplomats, ambassadors, ministers, and women form the family often found their husbands within the diplomatic corps. In 1889 year Alexandra - her nickname was Fafka - became a l-i-w of GDss Alexandra Georgievna and after her death she didn't left the court but became a l-i-w of GDss EF. She resigned in 1902 year (the reasons I still can't find) - she never married and often lived with the family of her eldest sister Lady Olga Egerton (whose husband was a minister in Greece and Vatican). The sisters continued to be together after the death of Olga's husband and lived in London, where Fafka died in 1946.Olga Egerton moved to the USA and died there in 1947.
Fafka was indeed an eccentric person as every memoirist who mentions her writes about her jovial character, funny jokes and endless chatting.
There is also an interesting fact about Fafka - when I was beginning my research on the Grand Ducal courtiers I realized that in every source (Russian or English) Fafka is mixed up with her cousin Lyudmila Lobanova - first l-i-w of the Grand Duchess. Even Mr.Warwick in his bio on the GDss EF writes about Fafka's being a l-i-w in 1885 year...no...it was Lyudmila.
Here's Fafka:
with the GDss
And here's Lyudmila Lobanova, Fafka's cousin:
in 1884
and in 1885 with the GD pair and her future husband Konstantin Balysniy.
