Alix & Ella & the Hessian Siblings

[bluetoria]

 As it turned out, however, the one who could live without her husband, did.  The other died with hers.

What a wonderful line! It makes me wonder what Alix would have done had she been widowed? Probably shewould have completely withdrawn like Queen Victoria after Albert's death.  

It does seem very likely that the circumstances and their different social status severely strained their relationship. To Ella, I think, Alix remained always a little sister.
To Alix, having become Empress, the situation had greatly changed. I think perhaps she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was always the little sister, and yet she was socially superior to Ella. Being unable to really deal with this situation, Alix often behaved in a high-handed manner towards Ella - perhaps unintentionally.

Considering how very close the Hessian children were to one another, and particularly after the death of their mother, it is, I think, so sad that Ella & Alix - who doubtlessly loved one another - were torn apart by their different understanding of their world.

[dp5486]

Does anybody know of the relationship between Alexandra and her sisters Irene of Prussia and Victoria of Battenberg. Were they close and visit each other often? I know that the war had put Alexandra and Ella against their sisters and brother. Did this strain their relationship in any way?

Thanks!

[lovy]

I really don't know about that one, dp5486.
    I don't recall of Alexandra keeping contact with her sisters Victoria and Irene. She kept contact with Elizabeth, of course, but in 1916, Elizabth visited Alexandra to talk to her about Rasputin, which ended tragically. That was their last meeting and they argued.
    I also don't recall much contact with her brother, Ernest.
    Sorry if I wasn't much help.

Love,
Lovy.  

[Georgiy]

There's photos of I think Irene visiting them (or them her?) before WW1. Ella is already a nun in those photos. Also photos of them visiting with Ernie in Germany.

The photos in Jewel Album of TSar Nicholas were taken by Irene on her visits, and also ones sent to her from the Empress.

[Madal]

What Irene and Victoria think about Rasputin? I read that Alix and Ella argued. Did they agree with Ella or with Alix

[darius]

I think they were all relatively close - Victoria and her family certainly visited the Empress quite regularly and was I believe in Russia at the outbreak of war. I have seen many pics of the sisters together at various times.
She was also close to Ernie as well as they were the children closest in age. Remember Ernie´s daughter died while staying with Alix at Spala.
The war certainly reduced contact - however I´m sure some was maintained through relatives in neutral countries.

[Eddie_uk]

I believe Alexandra was close to her sisters Victoria and especially Irene was was apparently the most affected by Alixs death. They wrote often to each other, Irene destroyed her letters in 1918. I don't have the book to hand but Victorias feelings on Alixs murder are documented.

[David_Newell]

They were close they kept in contact, Victoria Milford Haven was in St Petersburg in 1914

[Eddie_uk]

They were close they kept in contact, Victoria Milford Haven was in St Petersburg in 1914

Yes, she left her jewels their and never got them back!  disgraceful!!

[Emyrna]

Hi, I"m just curious.  I know that Alexandra and her sister Ella were cannonized as saints in the Orthodox Church.  During their lives they held different opinions regarding Rasputin.  To Alexandra, Rasputin was a miracle worker, a man of God, to Ella he was evil.  Now if you were looking for their guidance regarding Rasputin, who would you go to??

[otmafan]

Well, remember both Alix and Ella were coming at the situation from two completely different angles. Alix believed in Rasputin's healing powers for her son Alexei, while Ella was looking at the political aspects. I don't think either of them were wrong in their beliefs. While I know that Alix's heart was in the right place regarding Alexei, I think she was wrong in getting Rasputin too mixed up in politics. Ella was also right in her and her family's concern about Rasputin's influence, however, by the time she herself actually talked to Alix, the damage to Russia was done.

[Romanov_fan]

Ella was right about him in the political sense; he was damaging the prestige of the Romanov dynasty, one of the factors that led to the revolution. She was also right about him in the personal sense; his life was unsavoury. She saw him as evil, and she was a good woman, who was right in her views. At the same time, Alexandra might have known these things at the back of her head, but never admitted them. She did need Rasputin, he helped her son's health, amd also took much stress off her. Without him, these would have been much more difficult for Alexandra than there were. But with him, there were things that were bad as Ella knew. It is perhaps easiest to see that it was a quandry, and both women had reasons to act and think the way they did.

[Annie]

I had thought about that too, that with Ella being a nun, didn't it mean anything to Alexandra that she thought Rasputin evil? It apparently didn't, and they fell out over it, arguing the last time they ever saw each other. I wonder if Alix thought Ella an inferior nun for not recognizing his healing powers and what a great holy man he was! It's obvious she was totally devoted to Rasputin and believed in him fully and what Ella said only angered her.

[Romanov_fan]

Alexandra really needed Rasputin, and she put that above the rumours of his life outside the palace, which she may have regarded as just rumours. She heard things though, whether she believed them or not is hard to say. It seems she always dismissed them in light of how much she needed Rasputin. To her there was no other choice, no matter what Ella a good, well intentioned woman said. Alexandra herself had the best intentions as well; she didn't want to see, or coudn't see the more negative side of Rasputin.

[gem_10]

I was reading the book "Confessions of the Czarina" by Catherine Radziwill and came across this passage:

"[Alexandra] dearly loved her two sisters, the Princess Victoria of Battenberg and the Princess Irene of Prussia, far more, indeed, than she did her other one, the Grand-Duchess Elisabeth, whom she considered more or less as a rival and whom in the secret of her heart she could not forgive for having won in Russia a popularity which had always been denied to her own self."

Is it true that Alix felt some sort of a 'rivalry' to her sister Ella? I know they were close when they were young but when they lived in Russia, things certainly changed between the two of them.