A Life for the Tsar King/Ashton

[Kalafrana]

Edward VII.

I wouldn't have thought he was more of a security headache than anyone else.

Ann

[Janet Ashton]

I notice Ferdinand of Bulgaria went in person. He seems to have been a man who liked a spectacle, and, of cours, his heir, Boris, was a little young to go to Russia with a suite!

Ferdinand *was* a spectacle at the coronation! ;-) He managed to be the centre of a little drama or two - having recently had Boris baptised into the Orthodox Church, which didn't go down well in certain quarters.

He and Nicholas of Montenegro were both still princes at this stage, and Ferdinand was technically even a vassal of the sultan, though Bulgaria was independent in practice. But it seems to have meant they were not regarded as "full" sovereigns who were expected to stay away (Russian-born Queen Olga of Greece excepted). 

[Janet Ashton]

Edward VII.

I wouldn't have thought he was more of a security headache than anyone else.

Ann

I don't know - I'd imagine the Prince of wales would have been quite a significant scalp for some revolutionary - much more noticeable than, say, Nicholas of Montenegro.....But of course I'm just speculating as to why he wasn't chosen to go.

[Ortino]

I'm not sure why the Prince of Wales wasn't chosen; I suspect everyone felt he'd be a security headache. Of course, he'd been to Russia not too long ago for the funeral of Alexander III.

The future Edward VI, right?

You're off by one--Edward VII!

[Janet Ashton]

Here are some extracts from our introduction, as promised.....

https://coronationofnicholasii.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/the-opening-paragraphs-of-our-introduction/

More to follow over coming days!

[TimM]

You're off by one--Edward VII!

I hate those Roman numerals!

[Janet Ashton]

Extracts from chapter one: - https://coronationofnicholasii.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/extracts-from-chapter-one/

[TimM]

Interesting.

Thanks for posting, I enjoyed reading it.

[Janet Ashton]

Thanks, Tim!

Here are some tasters of chapter two, in which we discuss the preparations and begin to explore the coronation more broadly, adding humbler characters and explaining how it would all affect them: -

https://coronationofnicholasii.wordpress.com/2016/08/07/extracts-from-chapter-two/

You can start to read in this chapter about the city's residents and some of the less exalted participants in the coronation itself.

[Janet Ashton]

The tourists are arriving, and forming their views of the freshly-painted city: -

https://coronationofnicholasii.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/extracts-from-chapter-three/

[TimM]

All getting ready for the Main Event.

[rgt9w]

I am really enjoying the book, especially the insights of the various individuals who actually traveled to Russia and attended the coronation events.  If Aylmer Maude was as acerbic and bitter in person as his writing suggests, then he must have been very unpleasant to be around.  As soon as I see his name in the text, I know there is going to be a nasty comment of some sort by him.  But it is great to have all of these varying perspectives in one book.

[Greg_King]

Thanks rgt9w - that was one of the points we had hoped to offer - we quote from a multitude of sources, and Maude sort of serves as a counter-point to the official coronation book text we include as well as some of the more breathless witnesses like Therese de Vianzone from France.  Hopefully by the end - and after looking at what dozens of people had to say -- the book allows a reader to form their own impressions based on the evidence.

[Janet Ashton]

Here are some extracts from Chapter Four, in which we introduce many of the royal and diplomatic guests, and discuss their arrangements and accommodation.

https://coronationofnicholasii.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/extracts-from-chapter-four/

You'll read about a new friend of Empress Alexandra's in this chapter (we can bet that most people didn't know about this particular relationship), and a whole quiverful of interesting, difficult and influential characters.

[TimM]

Thanks for the new chapter extract.