A Few Questions

[Almedingen]

Here are my questions:

1.  Does anyone know if David Chavchavadze, who wrote the book The Grand Dukes, plans to do a companion volume on the grand duchesses?  I've always felt this book was nicely laid out because it gave information on the lesser-known Romanovs.

2.  Do you think there will ever be a book on Marie, the wife of Paul I?  The only book that comes close is the "Chere Annette" book that contains her letters to her daughter.  I've always wondered how she dealt with her difficult husband, mother-in-law and all her children.

3.  Do you think that Tsarina Alexandra's brother, Ernie's, autobiography which is written in German will ever be published and appear in English?  Bob, do you have any plans to put it on your site?  Also, did Alexandra's sister, Victoria, also write some sort of "unofficial biography"?

4.  Do you know if the authors of The Lifelong Passion of Nicholas and Alexandra plan to write any other books?

Any responses to these questions will be much appreciated.

[Janet_Ashton]

Here are my questions:

1.  Does anyone know if David Chavchavadze, who wrote the book The Grand Dukes, plans to do a companion volume on the grand duchesses?  I've always felt this book was nicely laid out because it gave information on the lesser-known Romanovs.

2.  Do you think there will ever be a book on Marie, the wife of Paul I?  The only book that comes close is the "Chere Annette" book that contains her letters to her daughter.  I've always wondered how she dealt with her difficult husband, mother-in-law and all her children.

3.  Do you think that Tsarina Alexandra's brother, Ernie's, autobiography which is written in German will ever be published and appear in English?  Bob, do you have any plans to put it on your site?  Also, did Alexandra's sister, Victoria, also write some sort of "unofficial biography"?

4.  Do you know if the authors of The Lifelong Passion of Nicholas and Alexandra plan to write any other books?

Any responses to these questions will be much appreciated.

Hello Almedingen -

To answer your second question, there have been a couple of recent biographies in Russian of Maria Feodorovna. I can provide details if you like, but I have the impression you are mainly interested in English? One of them is by Sergei Mironenko, who edited "Lifelong passion", which may partially answer your other question about his plans, I suppose....

There was an English-language biography published in 1905 (Publisher: John Murray), and entitled "Mother to Czars". The author was a "Mrs Grant Colqhoun", but I know nothing else about it I'm afraid. It comes up quite regularly in on-line book shops, though, so you should be able to pick up a copy.

On question 3, Victoria did indeed write a set of memoirs; they are in the Broadlands archives, but only small extracts have ever been published.

Janet

[Thierry]

Almedingen,

A book called "The Grand Duchesses" will be published this year by Eurohistory.com.

It indeed means to be a companion to the book written by David Chavchavadze.

[Ilana]

Just to answer some of your question #3.  I've seen "Ernie's" biography in Darmstadt, but know of no plans (unfortunately!!!) to translate it into English.  Publishers seem very reluctant to do translations.  A friend wrote a biography of Queen Sophia of Spain and was unsuccessful getting it translated and published in English.

Yes, in 1942, Victoria Milford Haven wrote (with the help of Sophie Buxhoveden) her Memoirs.  They remain unpublished.