Author Topic: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful  (Read 121659 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline edubs31

  • Velikye Knyaz
  • ****
  • Posts: 1014
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #225 on: January 25, 2012, 11:14:20 PM »
I sort of agree with the sentiment that Maria sort of gets lost in the shuffle, sadly. Possibly middle child syndrome. She's darling cute much like Anastasia but possesses more natural beauty. I think we can all mostly agree on the fact that all four daughters were absolutely beautiful both inside and out and yet they all had their own unique set of personality traits to go along with distinct physical features. Judging their looks alone I'm going to categorize them in three life stages (should have been many more of course).

Cutest Baby/Toddler
1) Anastasia
2) Maria
3) Olga
4) Tatiana

Prettiest Girl
1) Olga
2) Anastasia
3) Maria
4) Tatiana

Most beautiful young lady
1) Tatiana
2) Olga
3) Maria
4) Anastasia

Anna was a doll baby and cute as a button as a little girl. She was also a pretty young lady, who sadly we didn't see develop into adulthood, but just not as attractive as her sisters...beautiful just the same though. Olga was a real stunner as a girl and a beautiful young woman. Tatiana's more exotic look doesn't translate quite as well for me in her youth, albeit certainly cute, but as an adult she was a divine beauty! Maria on the other hand has a more conventional and timeless pretty girl next door appeal. I also think she was the "physically/developmentally" consistent of the sisters. Alas I hate to choose between and adore them all, but for the sake of making lists...
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right...

perdita

  • Guest
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #226 on: July 11, 2012, 04:15:25 PM »
The "most beautiful" were the usual suspects.

Male--

Grand Duke Dimitri
Tsarvich Alexis
Vladimir Paley
Prince Felix Yussupov

Many Romanov men were very handsome in their youths but became excessively fat, thin, or dissipated when adults.

Victorians aged badly.

Grand Dukes Serge & Paul had unique personalities, were elegant, and when not too emaciated had supurb physiques when wearing Russian costumes.

Women--

Singular in allure and beauty were:

Grand Duchess Elizabeth
Irina Yussupov
Princess Olga of Yuguslova
Marina, Duchess of Kent
Natalie Paley
Princess Alice of Greece
Princess Cecilia of Hesse
Grand Duchess Tatiana

Magnetic.

The women in the Rumanian royal family were lovely when children.

Still, beauty and glamour can't best the mystique of the iconic OTMA. As historians point out it's virtually impossible to find a photograpgh of the four grand duchess' that is not uniquely charming. A feat when considering that OTMA's formal photographs make evident that their best features are their extraordinary eyes, translucence, and the details of their paper doll attire which is obliterated in the vast majority of their HAZZY candids. In informal shots the daughters of the Tsar wing it by the force of their distinctly expressive personalities and enchanting countenances. i.e., Innocence and charm without guile personified. Unfortunately, the gauze factor of most of OTMA's candid photos is a minus.

Qualifier. Anastasia is deficit the gracefulness that came naturally to her sisters. The youngest grand duchess has very fine eyes and regular features but she occasionally carried herself awkwardly and when posing for informal photographs squints, squirms, and grimaces more than was warrented. Arguably, afflicted with bird-in-a-cage syndrome.

Arturo Beeche's book "Dear Ellen" was entertaining (more photo albums PLEASE)--but he was blindsided when he lauded Queen Alexandra's "legendary beauty" but dissed; "Many considered Elizabeth Fedeorvna Europe's most beautiful princess. Of course our conception of beauty has changed MUCH since then." Granted, everyone takes an occasional bad photograph, but as depicted in clear formal shots the Grand Duchess Serge's features are singularly exquisite. A work of art--absolutely unique. By contrast, Queen Alexandra's looks are merely above average in beauty. The same is true of the Empress of Austria, although the later chose her clothing well and wore them magnificiently as did the Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Alexandra losifovna, the mother of Queen Olga of Greece.

« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 04:31:36 PM by perdita »

perdita

  • Guest
Re: Family Beauties
« Reply #227 on: July 11, 2012, 05:17:07 PM »
The more I hear of Ella the more I like her. That lady had guts and sense along with good looks.

Physical courage the very beautiful Ella did have.

There are some however who wish that the Grand Duchess Sergei had demonstrated less pride & more guts throughout her marriage (for both their sakes) and greater timidity when snubbing initially Marie & Dimitri and condoning the lynching of Rasputin.

Few are perfect in a complicated private & public world. Ella had many characteristics that were admirable--some less so. For all the Empress' well documented warts & blindsided obstinancy she was arguably more straight forward & fair minded. Certianly, Alexandra was consistently principled in a Christian sense and was a sincerely honest, "open", and loving wife, mother, & friend. Her husband, children, and intimates attest to that.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2012, 05:43:17 PM by perdita »

Offline Stardust

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #228 on: July 11, 2012, 05:58:04 PM »
The "most beautiful" were the usual suspects.

Male--
 ;)
Grand Duke Dimitri
Tsarvich Alexis
Vladimir Paley
Prince Felix Yussupov



You couldn't have put that better!  ;)







perdita

  • Guest
Re: Family Beauties
« Reply #229 on: July 11, 2012, 11:19:35 PM »
The more I hear of Ella the more I like her. That lady had guts and sense along with good looks.

Physical courage the very beautiful Ella did have.

The Grand Duchess Elizabeth also showed remarkable heroism in the aftermath of her husband's assassination and during the Russian revolution, her internment, & execution.

Nicholas 11 had unusually luminous eyes--almost mystical. The Empress Alexandra's eyes were luxurient and their expression infinitely sad.

violiningirl

  • Guest
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #230 on: June 30, 2013, 10:47:12 PM »
Don't get me wrong, I mean all of them were beautiful and are now resting with the angels. But, I have to say my favorite is Maria, because I'm a lot like her in more ways than one!

AngelAnastasia

  • Guest
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #231 on: May 14, 2014, 12:54:44 AM »
Maria, conventionally, is the prettiest of OTMA, but in some pictures there's something about Anastasia that just makes her a striking, unique beauty, IMO. I think she was generally prettier than Olga and, on some occasions, prettier than Tatiana.
This picture of her next to Olga best conveys it:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68919024@N07/14179415181/


AngelAnastasia

  • Guest
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #232 on: May 15, 2014, 08:50:52 PM »
Also, I think Xenia was pretty, and Minnie was beautiful.
I think Nicholas II was the most handsome of the Romanov men until age and stress took their toll on his appearance in the last 5-10 years of his life.

Offline edubs31

  • Velikye Knyaz
  • ****
  • Posts: 1014
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #233 on: May 15, 2014, 09:09:22 PM »
Also, I think Xenia was pretty, and Minnie was beautiful.
I think Nicholas II was the most handsome of the Romanov men until age and stress took their toll on his appearance in the last 5-10 years of his life.

I feel like Nicholas aged somewhat predictably. He was after all 50-years old at the time of his death and didn't have the luxuries (cosmetics, health routine, Hair Club for Men) men of his age have in this day and age...particularly during the last sixteen-months of his life.

Alexandra on the other hand aged considerably over the last 10-15 years of her life. Her chronic health issues and the emotional wear & tear of Alexei's illness along with other internal & external struggles were a major reason for this. I think she looks like a pleasant looking woman in her late-50s or 60s in some of those 1916-18 period photos (when in reality she was only in her mid-40s). This a far cry from the beautiful younger women of her twenties to (roughly) mid-30s we see in numerous pictures.
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right...

AngelAnastasia

  • Guest
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #234 on: May 15, 2014, 10:41:29 PM »
I remember reading in Nicholas and Alexandra that people described him as looking sallow with innumerable wrinkles in 1917, shortly before his abdication, caused by stress.
And I feel so sorry for Alexandra. How terrible it must be to live with that kind of guilt.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 10:48:32 PM by AngelAnastasia »

Offline Lochlanach

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 64
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #235 on: March 08, 2016, 11:55:20 AM »
Prettiest ?  Maria  . Not many women , or males for that matter , can still manage to look amazing with a shaved head !!

Offline Kalafrana

  • Velikye Knyaz
  • ****
  • Posts: 2912
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #236 on: May 12, 2016, 10:32:56 AM »
To my eyes, the last adult generation of Romanov men are better looking than their fathers, since they have short hair and moustaches, or tidy beards, rather than voluminous side whiskers.

My choice for the best-looking would be Mikhail Alexandrovich, before he lost his hair, followed by Andrei Vladimirovich (ditto). Nikolai Nikolaievich was also very good looking, and Alexander III was a fine figure of a man before he lost his hair (yet again!) and put on a lot of weight.

Ann

Offline TimM

  • Moderator
  • Velikye Knyaz
  • *****
  • Posts: 1940
    • View Profile
Re: The Prettiest/Handsomest/Cutest/Most Beautiful
« Reply #237 on: February 07, 2019, 12:16:58 AM »
Sometimes it's hard to pick just one.
Cats: You just gotta love them!