Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna-elder, wife of GD Wladimir

[grandduchessella]

Miechen

[Svetabel]

Wonderful Miechen seemed look pretty only in the photos. Many contemporaries said that GDss Maria Pavlovan-elder (Miechen, if a Romanov was describing her) was a corpulent lady who often looked ill and too fat for her age. GDss Xenia A. in her letter to a friend told how flabby Miechen tried to pose elegantly on horseback: that was funny and somewhat shockingly...At the same time Miehen's husband didn't care about his spouse's weight and adored her in any state.

Looking over some of Miechen photos I do see that her weight seemed to vary at times. Perhaps she had struggled with her weight throughout her life? She seemed a little fuller before her marriage in one photo and again seems heavy after she has children then in another she looks slim.

 

She really had problems with her weight throughout her life. Seemed there was an endocrine disbalance and actually she very often looked somehwat ill - the spiteful critics around her of course didn't understand that the problems were real and considered Miechen's simulating when she went to Europe for cure heaps of time. In fact her problems were genetic as her brothers of the venter had disblance in health too - especially GD Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenbourg-Schwerin.

In spite of her bad health Maria Pavlovna  did look pretty in her photos -  mother-nature didn't give her physical strentgh but graced photogenic features.

[ashanti01]

 
[/quote]

She really had problems with her weight throughout her life. Seemed there was an endocrine disbalance and actually she very often looked somehwat ill - the spiteful critics around her of course didn't understand that the problems were real and considered Miechen's simulating when she went to Europe for cure heaps of time. In fact her problems were genetic as her brothers of the venter had disblance in health too - especially GD Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenbourg-Schwerin.

In spite of her bad health Maria Pavlovna  did look pretty in her photos -  mother-nature didn't give her physical strentgh but graced photogenic features.
[/quote]

She really does come off as a very handsome woman in some of her pictures even photographs taken in later life, she appears very 'royal'. She knew how to present herself in manner where you knew she was royalty. Thanks for the info about the endocrine. Never heard of that before.

[Valmont]

"One ought to know how to do ones job" <GD Maria Pavlovna the elder>

I think this summarizes all.. She knew who she was, her place in society and what it was expected of her.....

Arturo Vega-Llausás

[Terence]

"One ought to know how to do ones job" <GD Maria Pavlovna the elder>

I think this summarizes all.. She knew who she was, her place in society and what it was expected of her.....

Arturo Vega-Llausás

I understand what is said here, but for discussion's sake I thought of posting the other side of the coin here.  I'm not that familiar w/ the details, just going by what I've read here...wasn't part of Miechen's "job" to support the monarchy and extended Romanov family?  It seems she conspired to advance her own line, established a rival court practically and undermined the reigning Emperor and Empress?  Or is that exaggerating the case?

Wondering,
T

[Svetabel]

"One ought to know how to do ones job" <GD Maria Pavlovna the elder>

I think this summarizes all.. She knew who she was, her place in society and what it was expected of her.....

Arturo Vega-Llausás

I understand what is said here, but for discussion's sake I thought of posting the other side of the coin here.  I'm not that familiar w/ the details, just going by what I've read here...wasn't part of Miechen's "job" to support the monarchy and extended Romanov family?  It seems she conspired to advance her own line, established a rival court practically and undermined the reigning Emperor and Empress?  Or is that exaggerating the case?

Wondering,
T

No exaggerating as GDss Maria P. was an ambitious woman who hated to be background. She really established a rival court and with zest tried to be the first lady of the Empire - that's a fact all contemporaries admitted. You are right that a part of her "job" was to support and glorify the Romanov monarchy - actually she just glorified but not supported. In other words she supported only her course and her vain ambitions.

[Valmont]

"One ought to know how to do ones job" <GD Maria Pavlovna the elder>

I think this summarizes all.. She knew who she was, her place in society and what it was expected of her.....

Arturo Vega-Llausás

I understand what is said here, but for discussion's sake I thought of posting the other side of the coin here.  I'm not that familiar w/ the details, just going by what I've read here...wasn't part of Miechen's "job" to support the monarchy and extended Romanov family?  It seems she conspired to advance her own line, established a rival court practically and undermined the reigning Emperor and Empress?  Or is that exaggerating the case?

Wondering,
T

I wonder what would have happened if Michen would have been successfull in be throwing Nichols II? She was as Regal and Elegant as  the Dowager Empress but I believe Michen was much more involved in Politics. Who knows?, maybe the Romanov would still be ruling Russia...

[Svetabel]

Which brother is this?

Friedrich Franz III, GD of Mecklenbourg-Schwerin. GDss Maria Pavlovna was very close to her siblings.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Is Friedrich Franz III the one that Anastasia Michaelovna married?  I keep getting all these German Grand Dukes mixed up;
especially the ones with the same or similar names.

Larry

[brnbg aka: liljones1968]

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notice she's wearing one of the Cartier aigrettes
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click on the images for larger version
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the aigrette:


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she's also wearing it in this well-known foto:
(it's sticking through the holes in her headdress.)




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[brnbg aka: liljones1968]

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duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and her brother, grand duke Friedrich Franz III.

here's another from the same set of them in costume as Fanny & Bligny, respectively, for a family theatrical.

click on image for larger version




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[Svetabel]

Is Friedrich Franz III the one that Anastasia Michaelovna married?  I keep getting all these German Grand Dukes mixed up;
especially the ones with the same or similar names.

Yes, he was married to GDss Anastasia Mikhailovna, thanks to his sister GDss Maria Pavlovna.

[Marc]

Does anyone know what kind of relation did Michen have with Queen Olga of Greece...we know that she is from Konstantinovichi branch and was rather close and loved by a main branch(maybe as sister in law to Maria Fyodorovna) who didn't have a great relation with Michen-whose daughter married Olga's son....

[Eric_Lowe]

I think Queen Olga got on well with Miechen. She was more with "the family" than someone like Alicky. She look on the IF as a whole. When her grandson Dimitri murdered Rasputin, Queen Olga put her name to a petition to Nicholas II for clemency, in direct opposition to the empress.

[Marc]

Well,Olga as a Queen and aunt of Emperor was always in the "first row" of Imperial family in some gatherings,often with Imperial couple...was Michen as the "grandest lady" of Imperial Russia ever jealous because of that?