Were other Royal Houses intimidated by the Romanovs?

[RomaFan96]

They were the richest Royals at the time so I was just wondering what other monarchies thought of them. I read somewhere (cannot remember, where, sorry!) that the British royals thought their palaces were like beach huts compared to the Russian palaces. There is a lot of truth behind this. Everything in Imperial Russia just seeme like it was on a much grander scale in terms of Pomp, lavishness, even beauty. I'm guessing there may have been some envy amongst the other royal house of Europe, but I would be wrong.

[Превед]

Other royals thought the Romanovs were reckless, for disregarding public opinion they way they did. I don't think many other royals were jealous of the Romanovs' position, because they (the Romanovs) had to live with a constant threat of terrorism and assassination, imprisoned in a golden cage, something which was not the case in most constitutional monarchies in Western and Central Europe, where royals enjoyed much more personal freedom of movement.

Queen Victoria was a sharp critic of everything Russian, ranging from Russian foreign policy (Crimean War, the Great Game etc.) to barbaric displays of pomp and opulence.

[RomaFan96]

I never thought of it like that. You make a great point about the threat of assassination.

[Превед]

I never thought of it like that. You make a great point about the threat of assassination.

Yes, that's the impression I've gotten from Tor Bomann-Larsen's excellent biography of Nicholas and Alexandra's cousins Haakon VII and Maud of Norway. They all get impressed when they visit their relatives in Russia, but then they see how much the Romanovs enjoy themselves on holiday in Denmark, when they can relax and take a shopping stroll through Copenhagen etc. instead of being isolated in their huge palaces and guarded by armies of servants and Okhrana agents. Only the most reactionary royals (like NII's Danish grandmother Queen Louise) uphold Russian autocracy as a monarchic principle to look up to.

Most royals were more keen on privacy than huge palaces and pomp around 1900, but royals from smaller monarchies, like Denmark, Hesse, Greece etc. were envious of how lavishly junior royals in Russia (and to some extent Britain) were provided for, both with regard to money and positions. Hence the attraction to marry into those dynasties seems to have been as much financial as political.

[davidov]

Also of note is that there was a sort elitism, or rather legitimacy, connected to the older stable monarchies of industrialised nations. This was undoubtedly lead by the British royal family and Queen Victoria, as she was the Head of the largest and most powerful Empire in the world.

The Tsars were regularly criticised in the free press as tyrant autocrats (AIII & NII were particularly unpopular). Their excessive wealth and pomp was often viewed as vulgar, and the political uncertainties often provoked a sort of sympathy. 

I imagine a likely parallel in modern times would be Arab princes, Emirati or Saudi.  They often mix with the British Royal Family, and I'm sure QEII has some envy at the amounts these Monarchs are able to spend on their stables, not to mention their billions, however I don't imagine they'd readily swap places.