The Vladimirovitchi - discussion and pictures Part 1

[grandduchessella]

Yes, it's true. It's discussed somewhere on here--I quoted the passages myself--but it's lost to my memory as where.  :-/

It basically boiled down to Miechen feeling that her daughter--the only daughter of an immensely wealthy and influential Grand Duke, beautiful and well-connected--should be able to make a glittering match. Her first engagement, to Prince Max of Baden (himself an heir to a Grand Duchy, wealthy, attractive and connected), seemed to fit the bill. Max broke off that engagement for whatever reason.

Miechen then proceeded to embarrass her daughter somewhat by her increasingly public attempts to find her daughter a 'suitable' husband. She tried to entice Prince Albert (future King Albert I) of Belgium but he became engaged to someone else.

In the meantime, Helen had fallen for Nicholas of Greece, and he for her. They had met on some of his visits to Russia--his mother, Queen Olga, being a Russian Grand Duchesses, and his Aunt Minny being the Dowager Empress. Nicholas was very popular with his Romanovs relatives but Miechen tried to put the kibosh on the romance. Prince Nicholas might be good-looking and popular and the son of a Grand Duchess but he was also the 3rd son (and his elder brother Crown Prince Constantine had sons) of a relatively impoverished 'nouveau' King.

Miechen hoped that time & distance would dampen their feelings. It didn't though, and when she couldn't find anyone else, she gave in.

[frimousse]

GD Boris Wladimirovich during a visit to ( may be) Cruiser Aurora 1917. He is sitting in the midde.

[pentetorri]

Dear Frimousse,

We are always nicely surprised by your knowledge of the "lesser known facts" about the Romanov family. And the pictures you post are really wonderful and hardly seen before. Thanks a lot!!!

By any chance do you have a picture of the son of Grand Duke Boris Wladimirovich.? Do you know if his son inherited his father'estate in France or personal property? Was he ever recognized or acknowledged by the Grand Duke Boris?

Thanks.

[frimousse]

 :-/ Thank you Pentetorri ! Hope to post other photographies...

No Boris didn't recognize legally his son, who was raised in France in his mother's family. His mother Jeanne died before the twenties, and was burried in Père Lachaise cemetery ( Paris). GD Boris visited her grave when he came back from Italy to France in exile.
But Boris very often would see his son in France ( and grand sons), who visited him regurlarly till GD Boris's death. He supported financially Lacroix's own family.
I think the Lacroix discreetly relate to this past and don't give publicity to their  father's birth. So I don't have photographies of them.

The estate was sold during German Occupation, and GD Boris and his wife moved to a house (hôtel particulier)in the elegant XVIth arrondissement in Paris which was destroyed in the seventies to build a large building.  
Sans Souci in Meudon was also destroyed and in the park were built modern buildings and compounds...
Sad indeed...only photos remain.

[ALEXEI_P]

Does anyone have any "Formal (or informal, for that matter) Photos" of the Vladimirovichi in a familygroup.  I've seen individual photos of Vladimir, Meichen, Kyrill, Boris, Andrew and Helen, but not a "family portrait".  I did a search of the site, but nothing came up.  Thanks for any information any of you might have.

Alexei

[Svetabel]

Like these ones?

[frimousse]

GD Boris ( on the left ) beginning his world tour in January 1902 on board the German ship " Bremen ".  He had left Russia in autumn to Cannes- where he lived at Gd Michael and Countess de Torby's house.
He was escorted from Russia to Genoa-Italy ( where he boarded) by Count Stackelberg who was Aide de Camp of his father GD Wladimir.

They are en route to Egypt . In the middle Lieutenant A. Greaves, on the right Paul Demidoff.
He would visit Egypt, India, Ceylon,  Siam ( where he represented Russia at the King's coronation as did Gdss Maria Pavlovna his cousin who represented Sweden with her husband...Remember it was a last chance journey with her husband as her marriage failed) then he visited French Indochina, Japan ( It was before the Russo-Japonese war), Honolulu,  California, Chicago, New York and back to Europe in October.
He was accompanied by His friends Lieutenant Nicholas Strandtmann from the 4th battalion of the Imperial Family Fusiliers, elegant Lieutenant A Frederici Hussar of the Guard, the hunter Lieutenant A Greaves-same regiment-, Constantine Greaves his brother the younger, Ivan de Schaeck, and many members of his suite.  

It was told that his world tour was planned by his parents, with Emperor Nicholas' approval, to make him forget his French mistress and strengthen his moral nature...


  

[grandduchessella]

Picture of Boris and his wife aboard the Olympic in New York in 1925

[joye]

re the photo of the Siamese coronation 1910, Linnea has all the people correct.  I had seen this photo before, but had difficulty finding it.  Royalty Magazine had a 3 or 4 part series a few months back on the Siamese Kings which  was interesting, and featured  Rama VI.

The Earl of Athlone and his wife, Princess  Alice of Athlone, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, the younger and her husband, Prince Willem of Sweden, and the Danish princes, AAge, Erik, and Valdemar plus  Boris the Japanese prince.

Signed  HRH

[frimousse]

You are right. I made a mistake about his travel to Siam. His first one in May 1902 was in Bangkok from Singapore to pay a visit to Prince Chira who was educated in Saint-Petersburg. He visited also King Chulalongkorn...
GD Boris and his suite later pursued their travel to Saigon.

His second trip I've mentioned above for the Coronation was in 1910. Thank you for the correction.

[bell_the_cat]

You are right. I made a mistake about his travel to Siam. His first one in May 1902 was in Bangkok from Singapore to pay a visit to Prince Chira who was educated in Saint-Petersburg. He visited also King Chulalongkorn...
GD Boris and his suite later pursued their travel to Saigon.

His second trip I've mentioned above for the Coronation was in 1910. Thank you for the correction.

The first trip would have been the year his son was born. Did it work, did he forget about Jeanne for a time?

As for the coronation trip - I would have loved to have been there! This was the time Maria Pavlovna was beginning to realise her marriage was a sham - she came home determined to divorce! She looks a bit uncomfortable sitting next to Boris.

In the younger pre-war pictures he always looks a bit lacking in self confidence (just my opinion). In later pictures (including the one during the war with the soldiers), he looks more relaxed.

[frimousse]

Yes he doesn't seem very happy..I don't know why.

To give you an idea about protocol on his first Siamese trip:

GD Boris and his suite were welcomed by the royal yacht "Agaret" decorated with flags, with Siamese dignitaries and a Russian diplomat on board. After hearing the hymns, they navigated on River Menam to Bangkok. On the banks of the river cannons shot in his honour.
At 9 PM they arrived at the royal pier where Prince Chira and members of the Court welcomed them. Fireworks began and the palaces all around were illuminated.

[frimousse]

They came in horse drawn coaches escorted by a company to the Saranrom Palace, where private appartments with European furniture were put at their disposal with a Siamese officer educated at the Wiener Neustadt Military Academy who therefore spoke perfectly German, plus another officer who spoke Russian for the suite.
They had supper during which Siamese pages from the nobility dressed in red tunics and black silk breeches would wait on. They had the visit of different princes who hold official functions for their country.

[frimousse]

The day after a royal carriage was sent to GD Boris to pay a visit to King Chulalongkorn who waited for him in the courtyard of the Royal Palace which was considered a special mark of esteem.
Military and Court dignitaries were introduced to GD Boris.

In the afternoon the king gave him back his visit at Saranrom Palace. In the evening an official gala was given by the king in presence of the Court, ministers, and Diplomatic Body.

The trip would last one week before going to Indochina.

[bell_the_cat]

Sounds like a great trip!  8-)