Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna-elder, wife of GD Wladimir

[Kalafrana]

It is quite a jump from knowing that Alexandra could be a carrier to actively promoting her marriage to Nicholas in the hope that he would then have a haemophiliac heir. And we should not forget that at the time of the engagement Mikhail Alexandrovich was a healthy teenage boy who could be expected to make a proper marriage and produce sons, even though Georgi was already seriously ill with TB.

Ann

[Janet Ashton]

It is quite a jump from knowing that Alexandra could be a carrier to actively promoting her marriage to Nicholas in the hope that he would then have a haemophiliac heir.

Quite. It is far more likely that Miechen promoted the marriage in the hope of seeing a young, impressionable German girl who she could influence married to the Tsesarevich (and perhaps creating some domestic tensions for Marie F. at the same time). If she had had the least idea at this stage that her own sons might someday sit on the throne she'd have ben a lot less keen to hang onto her Proetstant faith as long as she did.

[Eric_Lowe]

I think it was well known that the family of Hesse had that disease. In John Rohl's book, it was that reason that Vicky oppose Wilhelm's wish to marry Ella. Her fears came true when Irene married Henry and the disease came to her family. Most certainly someone as knowledgeable as Miechen will have known the possibility of that. It was speculated that was the reason for her promotion of the match, especially she wasn't a fan of the British Royal Family or anything Britain for that matter...

[Janet Ashton]

I think it was well known that the family of Hesse had that disease. In John Rohl's book, it was that reason that Vicky oppose Wilhelm's wish to marry Ella. Her fears came true when Irene married Henry and the disease came to her family. Most certainly someone as knowledgeable as Miechen will have known the possibility of that. It was speculated that was the reason for her promotion of the match, especially she wasn't a fan of the British Royal Family or anything Britain for that matter...

"Vicky" was the sister and aunt of haemophilic boys, and it makes sense on every level that she'd want to avoid her grandhcildren having the disease. THis is a litle different to suggesting that Maria Pavlovna was versed in the issues on anything other than a vague level, and tried to introduce it to the Romanovs, depsite the many unknowable factors involved (e..g was Alix a carrier/ How many sons would she have who would inherit it? etc etc) in order to acquire the throne for a son of hers who was some distance from it anyway. I am sure that some people have "speculated" about her motives in retropsect, but without any plausible evidence at all.

[Eric_Lowe]

I would not underestimated anybody who had been a friend and ally of Bismark. She is well versed with the secrets of royal families. She also brokered the second marriage of "Foxy" Ferdinand of Bulgaria. Even if you do not think she had it proven beyond a reasonable doubt, I would pass her for doing that for that reason.  Miechen remained a suspect in my book.

[Maria_Pavlovna]

well Foxy Ferdinand of Bulgaria's second wife  Eleonore was MP's cousin, connections really with the powerful.  as for Alix, i think as a clever woman as MP, she would have known something.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. That is my suspicion. As a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alicky wasn't the most favorite person to the Anglophobe Miechen. I don't buy the fact she encourage the match because she wanted to annoy Minny (Marie Feodorovna) since she knew how close the Empress was to her sister,the Princess of Wales.

[QueenEna1887]

Does anyone have pics of Miechen as a child or living back in Schwerin and a wedding portrait of she and Vladimir in 1874?

[Eric_Lowe]

That hasn't surfaced yet...as far as I know.

[Maria_Pavlovna]

Miechen as a child:



i have seen some of her as a  teen with her little half-sister Anna, there somewhere on this forum.

[Eric_Lowe]

Thanks for sharing. Her facial features are fully developed. 

[QueenEna1887]

Does anyone have a photo of the Vladimir's first child Grand Duke Alexander Vladimirovich of Russia b. 1875 d. 1877? Ive never saw a photo of him however he was mentioned from time to time.

[Eric_Lowe]

Did not see one ever...

[Maria_Pavlovna]

In 1914, beside her are her granddaughters Elisabeth and Olga of Greece (in white)

[Eric_Lowe]

I think I also see Kirill on the side.