Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig and his nieces & nephews

[Helen]

Not sure, but Alexei looked like he was happy to get all the kissing over with!  He ran back to join his sisters....

LOL Yeah, I noticed that, too.

[Eric_Lowe]

Alexei was too small to enjoy girls. Wonder if he wrote letters to his cousins Don & Lu ?

[Thomas_Hesse]

I do not think that it is Mino - I think she smaller and more "frail" by that time - one year before she died.

But who else went? Perhaps Gräfin Seinsheim?

[Eric_Lowe]

Love to know more about Ernie and his nieces and nephew...Did he wrote to them ?

[Helen]

But who else went? Perhaps Gräfin Seinsheim?

They had one or two nurses/nannies with them. Which Countess Seinsheim do you mean?
I should have checked it in the newspapers.

[Eric_Lowe]

They were listed in the newspapers ?

[Helen]

Not always, but this particular departure from Darmstadt for several weeks must have been reported in the local newspapers, such as the Darmstaedter Tagblatt and Darmstaedter Zeitung, and the most important people accompanying them were often mentioned, too.

[Rodney_G.]

Re the photo of Ernie and little Tatiana in reply 54. I find this just a remarkable, stunningly beautiful photo, capturing the spontaneous love of a beautiful innocent child for a man she knows loves her. The white period clothes and Tatiana's slightly frizzy hair make it even more poignant somehow. I doubt it's just me who reacts this way.

As we've noted it  also seems this great affection continued even into their later years.

[Helen]

I am deeply touched. For the very first time I saw a film of Ernst Ludwig. It is only a short moment - but he is kissing Nicholas II goodbye when leaving Livadia for Darmstadt in 1911.
The footage includes Grand Duchess Eleonore and little Prince Ludwig as well.

You can see more of Ernst Ludwig in part I of "A Host of White Duchesses" as posted on Laura Mabee's "Frozen Tears" website : http://www.frozentears.org/Pages/Doc.html. There is some footage of the IF's 1910 visit to Friedberg, if I'm not mistaken, and the clip also includes footage of the arrival at Livadia in 1912, starting at about 33 minutes.