Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna-elder, wife of GD Wladimir

[RealAnastasia]

Very flattering. 

I agree...In this portrait we are seeinga really beatiful and regal lady...but she doesn't like anything like the real Miechen. Just my little thoughts there...

RealAnastasia.

[Eric_Lowe]

It might be painted by her command as gift to her family. That is why you see the good side. :-)

[ashanti01]

Screen shot from "The Royal Jewels".

[Eric_Lowe]

The face of ambition and power...

[QueenEna1887]

the face of greed, deception, and lies...too...dont forget that Eric.

[Eric_Lowe]

I don't know about deception. Miechen had been very open about her ambition and opposition to the throne headed by her nephew Nicholas II. She considered him weak and ineffective (he was) and thought her family was better than that (she was wrong).Without Alexander III to rein them in, her opposition was pretty much to the surface.

[ashanti01]

GD Maria c. 1874

[Eric_Lowe]

She was nice looking but no beauty.

[QueenEna1887]

I sense a chill about her in this portrait. I dont know but in most of her pics...she looked as if she had this mean streak about her.

[Eric_Lowe]

She was formidable there was no doubt.

[QueenEna1887]

I'll drink to that lol

[ashanti01]

I actually believe GD Maria was attractive in her youth. Granted she wasn't a celebrated beauty like other members of royalty but in photos of her youth, she actually appears pretty.  I have to admit, she is one of those characters I wish more was written about. 

[bestfriendsgirl]

She was out for what she could get, as were a lot of Grand Duke's wives, especially the morganatic ones.

[Maria_Pavlovna]

a little bit of topic but I'll get to my point -

A lot of great and grand women married into the Imperial Romanov House, to me the most humble of them all -Grand Duchess to marry into the family- NOT Ella of Hesse but  Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg (Grand Duchess Nicholas the elder), a Russian born German Duchess and and a  great-granddaughter of Tsar Paul I, whom was a plain, unsophisticated and saintly person from the very start. she became a nun as 'Sister Anastasia' taking Holy Orders on 3 November 1889 in Kiev, while her husband was still alive.

While Maria Pavlovian the Elder was the opposite- ambitious, charming, stylish and greedy. besides her nasty habits, i do like her, very intersting person.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. She was a very fascinating person. She was well dressed, clever and had great charm when she exercised it. One must not forget Miechen was one of those who persuaded Alix of Hesse to marry Nicholas. She did it for sinister reasons (Alix's family has the dreaded "family" disease, and that will increase the chances of her sons to move closer to the throne). Nonetheless she was successful. She also played matchmaker for "Foxy" Ferdinand of Bulgaria.