I felt it was only right to post this correction.
One of my best friends, and an expert historian whose judgement I rely on, pointed out my characterization of Anna's status as persona non grata was only temporary; pointing to evidence in the OTMA diaries which I had missed. I had the OTMA diaries in three different files but had not incorporated into my chronology of events as I had the Tsar, Dow Emp. diaries and Alix's letters; a mistake I have worked all this weekend to correct.
According to Spiridovich, as a result of Anna's outrageous behavior, Olga and Tatiana had urged their mother to distance herself from Anna and exclude her from their annual Summer cruise. However by the time of the July cruise Anna had managed to make amends for her actions in some way or other and Alix included her on the cruise. Anna tells us, "We sailed on July 6 (Russian Calendar)" the actual cruise occurred on Tuesday, July 1/14 - Sunday, 6/19, 1914.
It is often hard to recall the actual timing of traumatic events such as those leading up to the outbreak of war, however it is odd that Anna remains silent about the injury Alexis sustained the first day of the cruise or that it was the same day the Tsar and Empress received word that Rasputin had been stabbed by Khoioniya Guseva, an follower of Iliodor. Anna says that news of Rasputin stabbing came after the cruise. (See Memoirs of the Russian Court, p. 102-103.)
However Gillard remembers that Alexis' serious condition from his accident which Alix and Dr. Botkin attended during the entire cruise, as occurring on July 1, the first day of the cruise; the same day that word reached the Tsar and Empress about Rasputin's stabbing (See, Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, pp. 97-98.)
This is reliable testimony as that same day, July 1, Miliukov's Kadet newspaper, Rech published two articles on the stabbing, one on the front page saying he was injured, and one on the third page saying that a evening telegram just received stated that he was dead. (See Margarita Nelipa, The Murder of Grigorii Rasputin, pp. 43-44.)
After also reviewing negative excerpts from the Empress's letters from Sept 1914 - March 1915 and beyond, I would say that while Anna could not be described as being persona non grata, the Empress was maintaining a false peace with Anna whom she continuously found to be cold, rude and self-centered. At the same time, as Helen Rappaport says, it is clear from the OTMA diaries that Anna took the place of the girl's Aunt Olga who had provided entertainments for the girls every Sunday. It is clear from the diaries that Anna offered similar kinds of fun for the girls at her home. But again, nothing really softens Alix's view of Anna until she comes under attack in 1916. And I owe Anna the recognition of her loyalty, as flawed as she was, she was really devoted to the Empress and I am sure that Alix felt that her friendship with Anna had brought her such misfortune and persecution.
