Olga's official suitors, marriage prospects, and proposals

[JBenjamin82]

I'm in agreement they might not have been the best husbands. They would have saved Olga though being murdered in Ekaterinburg. That would have had to have been a happier fate.

I hope this doesn't sound too harsh or too disturbing, but I think I'd prefer death versus living with the knowledge that my entire family was brutally murdered while I was safely -- and lovelessly -- married.  Perhaps Olga would have felt differently, but there's no way to know for sure.

[Janet_W.]

It doesn't sound harsh or disturbing to me--not in context--and in fact I agree with you, and also am inclinded to think Olga, if given the choice, would have preferred death with her family to marriage with the disaster that was Carol. Yes, it is the "romantic" choice, and certainly Elena (a.k.a. Helen) lived a worthwhile life, ultimately saving many Romanian Jews from Hitler, but the sadness in her face shows up in so many photos, and to have lived through the humiliation she endured . . . well, given the closeness of "We Seven," I think for six to die and one to survive would be unimaginable torture.   

[loulia]

I like to imagine that if Olga got married, Alix would have learn to see her daughters as adults and may be Tatiana and Maria would have get married before their tragic and sad death,as they were old enough, and may be it would have saved them...

[Justine]

I think that marriage might save Olga, or even Tatiana and Maria as they  were  old enough to marry someone, but I think that none of OTMA would like to live somewhere safe while they parents and brother were killed. I guess that they would chose death instead of unhappy marriage.

[royaltybuff]

Dmitri wrote: "Boris was a long way from being heir. Alexis was the heir after Nicholas II and then Grand Duke Michael and then Grand Duke Cyril. Olga herself was not an heir unless Nicholas II chose to rescind the Pauline Law of Succession. "

I believe that in order to succeed to throne of Russia one's parents must have been of the Orthodox faith and Grand Duke Boris' mother was not if I remember correctly.

[dmitri]

I'm not sure whether anybody would willingly choose death unless they had enormous problems. Olga would have been a survivor like her Aunts Olga and Xenia and of course her grandmother Maria Feodorovna would have provided her with much support.

[Ally Kumari]

How very sad it is that the two possible candidates for marriage were turned down. Either Boris or Carol of Romania would have ensured Olga escaped the Ekaterinburg massacre. I wonder whether Alexandra would have ever accepted anybody as good enough for any of her daughters?

I actually thought aboutthis too. If Olga married Boris and Nicky didn´t refuse Carol´s proposal for Maria´s hand. two daughters would be saved. But on the other hand ,what gave IF strength was in that they were togehter. I´ve even heard Kerensky offered to children to leave Tsarskoe Selo to go to their grandmother, but NOT parents but CHILDREN refused.

[mr_harrison75]

I don't think the children would've been able to live with themselves after learning that their parents had been killed in Siberia; on the other hand, they would've been safe with Maria Feodorovna...and perhaps Olga N. would've been able to marry for love...instead of dynastic reasons.

[Olishka~ Pincess]

 I remember reading that the girls, like to get in the sun and make their skin more than so that someone would not think, their that attractive. Becuase of how tan, they got from the sun. They honestly were not ready for marriage. Flurting would be a sign of a crush. Anastasia was not into that, as much wihile the other girls were. I don't think marriage was their main focus, escaping from Lenin's bolsheviks, their outcome, circumstances and being rescued was their main concern. Marriage would be something the would have discussed later. They had their own, wishes about marrying. You realy think Olga would not marry for love, and just for a reason? that sounds odd, I would think she would want to marrt ro have a happy life

[jehan]

I don't think the children would've been able to live with themselves after learning that their parents had been killed in Siberia; on the other hand, they would've been safe with Maria Feodorovna...and perhaps Olga N. would've been able to marry for love...instead of dynastic reasons.

Of course they could have lived with themselves, and they would have.  People survive such tragedies all the time.  There would have been "issues" of course- certainly sadness, even depression perhaps, and things would not have been easy for them, but they would have survived and gone on, and perhaps married and had children, which would have given their life meaning again.  And I'm sure that their parents would have wanted it that way.

[loulia]

I agrre with you, Jehan, during this period (and others in history of coursy) alot of people had to deal with that tragedies, it's terribly hard but life has to go  on.

[matushka]

As well known, prince Carol visited Russia and stayed in Petrograd at the beginning of 1917. I found a very interesting notice in Spiridovitch "The Great war and the Revolution of February".
I try something like a translation: "The war change the prince. He looked more as a serious man. The Emperor met him. THeir Majesties received him with attention. 4 times he was invited for lunch, in his honnor was given a dinner (...) It was spoke about a possible mariage with the GD Olga Nikolaevna. Parents of both agreed with this project. The prince stayed by us 8-17 of Jannuary, nothing official was announced. Our ambassador general Mossolov was charged of realizing the project. The GD Viktoria Fedorovna, aunt of the prince on her way from Roumania to Petrograd met the prince in Kiev. The spoke about this mariage. Le prince really desire it, but exprime his sadness that he could not in Tsarskoe Selo speak even one time only with GD ON."
Chebotareva related that at this periode Olga was very sad and nervous. She asked her, was that the perspective of this possible mariage. Olga answered : "In war time, there is no danger".

[Janet_W.]

Thank you so much, Matushka! I confess to being unaware of this visit; I was aware Carol visited Russia in early 1914, but not in 1917, 2 1/2 years after both he and Olga—according to all accounts—showed apparent disinterest in each other.

Anyway, according to what Spiridovitch wrote, Carol’s visit would have been  just prior to the children’s bout with the measles. And Nicholas and Alexandra invited him to four luncheons. I’m wondering if these luncheons were formal or informal; I’m also wondering if Carol actually attended the luncheons! And then there was a formal dinner in his honor. But he did not speak once with Olga? Did he mean that he saw her at these luncheons and the dinner but did not speak privately with her?

I’m thinking that since Carol previously had been disinterested in Olga, and his mother apparently favored Tatiana, the war may have brought about a change of attitude of both prince and queen. This change undoubtedly would have been motivated by reasons of practicality rather than actual interest in Olga.  Any thoughts on this, anyone?

[nena]

lostfan, WW1 began on 28th july 1914(day when AUgarian sent document to Serbia, in which is AU monarchy decided to began war against Serbia)....on 2th August 1914 Nicholas II declarated that Russia is in war, too. so, that are two different dates....
so, about Olga and Carol, Ithink they would be good pair, but Olga would gave Romania Heir, but, unfournatelly, Heir might be sick, because disease hemophilia, as her brother, Tsarevich Alexei.....

[Raegan]

Olga briefly touched on the 1917 visit in her diary. On January 8 she wrote that Caroll of Romania had breakfast and on January 9 she wrote that she prepared for the Romanian ceremony and that it made her angry. That's about it.