Marie Feodorovna, her correspondence - letters, diaries etc

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

I've heard this story too;  but have always wondered how & why the Empress got hold of this telegram in the first place....
Was she snooping through the Czar's correspondence (something I cannot visualize her doing)  She wouldn't enter his office without him being there, surely...

And, as stated, a lot of the Royals didn't necessarily use (nor understand) punctuation, except for the exclamation mark-!!!- and the underline....

Larry

[Robert_Hall]

I am with you, Larry,  just another hagiography or mistranslation,  IMO. The Empress Marie never  would have  interfered with either her husband or son. Well until the end perhaps, I think that was one of her criticisms of Alexandra. Marie was a very kind and generous woman [as all the Danes that I know are!] but she knew her place, It was high enough as it was !

[Eric_Lowe]

This incident was recorded in several books. In the end people do not know where it came from, it most certainly merits more investigation. Marie did offer her advice to her husband and knew a lot about the inside of ruling. It is possible that her husband bounce off ideas onto her, but unlike Alexandra, she never directly ruled. At the begining of the reign of Nicholas II, she played a major role in being her son's advisor in politics. As Nicholas II wanted to continue the way his father ruled, who was more qualified than his mother. The memoirs of Count Witte did recorded this. Yet she never did cross swords with her son when she knew it was Alexandra who ruled.

[Dominic_Albanese]

Eric - there is an enormous difference between advising her son and changing an actual government order.  I suspect you would agree.  Much is written, but this one doesn't pass (my) smell test!

best regards,

dca

[abbigail]

Could she possibly have been writing something for her husband (if this was even allowed), and then made the grammar mistake? If I remember correctly this wasn't during the reign of her son. And it was stated as being an accidental comma error, not as something she did on purpose to save the man's life.

[Eric_Lowe]

I suspect it was a one off thing. Minny did NOT rule. That was very true, but it did not deter her from influencing the person (her husband & son) who did. The moral of this story is that Minny was "the angel of mercy" who saved a man's life. As Alexander III always refer his wife in such terms, it would be such a story that he would not mind retelling, but of course it would not be something he allow all the time. It would be the exception rather the usual.

[Naslednik Norvezhskiy]

And, as stated, a lot of the Royals didn't necessarily use (nor understand) punctuation, except for the exclamation mark-!!!- and the underline....

Early 20th-century Danish linguist Otto Jespersen opined that while contemporary women were rather ignorant of the correct use of "proper punctuation" like commas, he characterized exactly that pair of "emotional ones" as women's preferred punctuation marks, along with ellipsis (....)! :-)

[Eric_Lowe]

Doesthat mean that Dagmar's action id fully understandtable.

[kmerov]

Letter from MF to Grand Duke Kyrill Vladimirovich, 1924. About his proclamation as Emperor.

Dear Kyrill
I am sending you my answer to your letter. In asking me for my blessing, you evidently didn't need, nor expect it as you never waited. You can see by my enclosed telegram, that you even gave me no time to answer.
You can imagine my feelings when I read the whole thing in the papers.
think of the false position you have put yourself in and all the others and the disquiet you have sown in so many minds and hearts.
God bless us! your affectionate and sorrowful Aunt Minny.

[Margot]

Another priceless jewel from our dear Kmerov!

Good for Marie F. I do like the way she didn't mince her words! It must have hurt her so deeply that he couldn't be bothered to even wait for her opinion when he declare himself Czar, the loathsome, repellant traitor! I am surprised Marie F. even managed the civility of an 'affectionately' actually! But then again she was a genuine Empress after all, so she had 'manners' naturally!

[kmerov]

You are welcome!

She did handle it quite well I think.

MF's telegram to Kyrill after learning about his proclamation.
Grand Duc Kyrill Coburg
I deplore your letter arrived same day as I read your declaration in papers. My only answer is that as I am convinced that my two beloved sons are alive, I can't look upon your act as un fait accompli (the last phrase has been corrected, and originally ran: I consider your act premature).
Aunt Minny

[Eric_Lowe]

She was sadly mistaken of course since her two sons did die and Kyrill was next in line. However he could have waited until her death to proclaim Emperor. It is just poor taste on his part.

[kmerov]

Yes, and GD Kyrill was disappointed, also of the fact that she turned to GD Nicholas Nicholaivich.
When she learned of Kyrill's action she immediately send a telegram to Nicholas.

"Grand Duke Nicholas. Choigny, Sautenay (France)
Have just learned with astonishment of K.W's action. Deplore great new trouble that this will cause among all the emmigrants. What do you intend doing?
Mari (signature crossed out)."

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. She trust him better since "Nicholasha" (as he was called in the family) was loyal to her son till the last (unlike Kyrill who deserted to the revolutionaries).

[kmerov]

Yes. She trust him better since "Nicholasha" (as he was called in the family) was loyal to her son till the last (unlike Kyrill who deserted to the revolutionaries).

Nikolasha was more loyal, but Kyrill wrote back to MF "...I cannot believe that rather than see another man, myself in this instance, take up your son's duties, you side with Nicholacha who proved himself in the past a traitor through and through to Nicky and who continues his destructive work up to the present moment..."
Kyrill was not happy about MF's decision to say the least.