Grand Duke Konstantin (KR) and his family- discussion and pictures, Part II

[Aglaya]

KR

[kmerov]

I'm not sure if the other thread on KR and his family is just a picture thread, so I started a new topic.

I just read an interesting account from Empress Maria Feodorovna about GDss Elizaveta Mavrikievna and her troubles with Orthodox rituals when she first arrived in Russia to marry GD Konstantin. Appearantly she caused quite a few scandals and laughs. Has anybody heard about this before? I will try and quote some of MF's letter when I have time.

[katmaxoz]

I'm not sure if the other thread on KR and his family is just a picture thread, so I started a new topic.

I just read an interesting account from Empress Maria Feodorovna about GDss Elizaveta Mavrikievna and her troubles with Orthodox rituals when she first arrived in Russia to marry GD Konstantin. Appearantly she caused quite a few scandals and laughs. Has anybody heard about this before? I will try and quote some of MF's letter when I have time.

This does ring a bell. She kissed icons at the wrong time etc.  I don't think this was in a letter from Empress Marie that I read this though..can't recall at the moment where I read this but it does sound familiar.

[ashanti01]

During a Orthodox service, Elizabeth offended everyone when she refused to kiss the cross that was held up during the service. She later wrote KR a letter, "...I promise you, that I will never do anything to anger or hurt you through our divided religions....I can only tell you again, how very much I love you."

Story was in Charlotte Zeepvat's "The Camera and the Tsars"

[Svetabel]

I'm not sure if the other thread on KR and his family is just a picture thread, so I started a new topic.

Actually that topic is a discussion as well as pictures : ). I've just corrected the titles, so this is Part II.

[Svetabel]

I just read an interesting account from Empress Maria Feodorovna about GDss Elizaveta Mavrikievna and her troubles with Orthodox rituals when she first arrived in Russia to marry GD Konstantin. Appearantly she caused quite a few scandals and laughs. Has anybody heard about this before? I will try and quote some of MF's letter when I have time.

I don't have now at hand the correspondence of Empress MF, but I remember something like that you said. I think such behaviour of any non-Orthodox can make a start for laughs - more laughs than scandals I guess as every member of the Romanov family knew Elizaveta was Lutheran and couldn't at once learn all Orthodox' rules. Moreover they loved to make fun at her in their inner circle behind her back.

[Kalafrana]

'more laughs than scandals'

Yes - surely we've all been in a church we're not used to and got up or knelt down when the rest of the congregation is doing something else!

Ann

[kmerov]

Thank you for all your replies.

Here is what Empress Maria Feodorovna wrote.
About Elizaveta Mavrikievnas arrival in Russia, " I drove her in my state carriage drawn by four horses from the railway station to the Marble Palace. She talked all the way and greeted people on the streets to left and right and even waved her white muff, which was less fortunate. In the Marble Palace, Uncle Costy received her on the steps, as he is suffering terribly from headache and toothache and dare not to go out, and then- after the whole family had been gathered, we went up to the church for a Te Deum. There, there was a bad moment (a false note), for when the priest came with the cross, she held back and did not kiss it, which made an extremely unfortunate impression on us all, I must say, for it was of course silly. Had it been an image of a saint or relics, I could understand that she would not do it, but the cross with Our Saviour on, in whom we all believe after all, I do not understand why she could not kiss it, it was foolish and made a very unfortunate impression!  You have always done it when you have been here. What amused me afterwards was Miechen's indignation at it, le contre coup, for of course she always does it now and has forgotten that she herself was very reluctant at first and is now mostly reasonable,naturally.
Sasha was the best of all, for he said to the others: it isn't her fault she has been formed and brought up with these ideas. And this is indeed the case, for she, Elisabeth, said that her priest in Altenburg had forbidden her to do it, so what was the poor little thing to do, I think that deep down she was upset about it. Afterwards, she spoke to the Protestant priest here, who furtunately also comes from Altenburg, and he calmed her down and said to her that it was a Russian custom to which she must submit, so she declared that in that case she would do it, but not before she was a Russian Grand Duchess. Imagine if she had done it during the wedding ceremony, it would have been a terrible scandal!"

I will post the rest of MF's letter tomorrow.

[Kalafrana]

Who was Marie Feodorovna's letter written to?

Ann

[kmerov]

It was written to her mother, Queen Louise.

About the wedding MF wrote. " The wedding toke place at one o'clock after she first had to go through the dressing ceremony in the presence of the entire family and all the ladies in waiting, as is the custom. The diadem and crown were placed on her head, and the great purple cloak fixed to her shoulders, and then we went to church, where on this occasion she wanted to make amends for what had first shocked people, and went to the other extreme, for she was forever making the sign of the cross, poor thing, and always the wrong way round, which again is not her fault, but the family's, who ought to have told her how you do it, and that she need not overdo it, I almost burst out laughing in the church and dared not look at her, as she was doing it all the time and always wrongly to the amazement of the priest who was standing in the front of the couple. Afterwards, there was a Protestant ceremony in one of the rooms, and then we withdraw to the inner rooms, where we had tea, and at five o'clock, still wearing the same clothes, we went to the great banquet, where all the court stewards served us."
    

[Carolath Habsburg]

Oleg



 

[Carolath Habsburg]

Gd Konstantine in a play

[Teddy]

Kmerov, where did you got that letter from?

[Marie Valerie]

Has somebody got a photo of Princess Tatiana's second husband Alexander Korochenzov(?) ?

I've never seen one.

[Kalafrana]

Tatian Konstantinovna had a difficult life by any standards.

In less than a year her first husband and one brother were killed in WW1, and her father died. Then, in another short period, three brothers and her favourite uncle were killed by the Bolsheviks. Finally, her second husband died after only three months of marriage.

I hope she found some happiness in later life.

Ann