Young Alix - Before her Marriage

[Olishka Romanova]

About Alix always looking sad (or at least serious), The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna by Sophie Buxhoevden says in chapter three:

"...It was this sad expression, and not her ready smile, that was always seen in her photographs."

It doesn't really say why, but maybe she was just just generally serious-minded, and then there's also the thing about it not being fashionable to smile.  Also remember that she had a very sad life in general, what with her mother and sister dying when she was so young, then her father dying when she was in her teens (?) and Alexei having hemophilia.  Not to mention that many of Russian "high" society disliked her, feelings which turned to hatred during WWII since she was born in Germany.   

[Thomas_Hesse]

Not a tour, but I had the luck to be able to go through the rooms there..... fantastic house!!!

[jehan]

About Alix always looking sad (or at least serious), The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna by Sophie Buxhoevden says in chapter three:

"...It was this sad expression, and not her ready smile, that was always seen in her photographs."

It doesn't really say why, but maybe she was just just generally serious-minded, and then there's also the thing about it not being fashionable to smile.  Also remember that she had a very sad life in general, what with her mother and sister dying when she was so young, then her father dying when she was in her teens (?) and Alexei having hemophilia.  Not to mention that many of Russian "high" society disliked her, feelings which turned to hatred during WWII since she was born in Germany.   

I still say that Alix's early life wasn't all that much sadder than most of her generation.  Many children lost a parent young- look at QV (father) Albert (mother), all of QV's children (father) Vicky's  children (father), Leo and Beatrice's children (father), Alix's siblings (mother).  And it was a rare family indeed that did NOT lose at least one child in infancy or childhood.  And many foreign princes and princesses have had to deal with dislike in their adopted countries (Albert, Vicky etc.)

It's true it was not considered fashionable to smile in photos, and also that the photographic process did not necessarily lead to smiling, but Alix is the one with the reputation of being serious and sad, and not just in photos.  I'm sure shyness was a factor in this.  But she also didn't really try to connect with people that weren't in her immediate circle.  And that was a serious failing for someone in her position.

[tom_romanov]

didn't also scratch a swastika on the window of Ipatiev house? it would have benn great if that survived

[Helen]

Not a tour, but I had the luck to be able to go through the rooms there.....

Schön für dich.

[amartin71718]

How come Alix never went swimming? Did she not know how or what?

[Jebediha]

where dos it say she never went swimming ?

[amartin71718]

I haven't found anything that says she did swim. At least not as an adult.

[Lalee]

How come Alix never went swimming? Did she not know how or what?

She definitely didn't go very often due to her poor health, of course. However, on one occasion she wrote in a letter during her engagement to Nicholas that she did go swimming. She had a few lessons of swimming when she was eleven years old.

Source is A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas and Alexandra by Andrei Maylunas & Sergei Mironenko.

Alix wrote to Nicholas on 19 July 1894:

Good Morning Darling. It is very warm and fair. We have first come back from bathing in the large swimming bath.
The sailor held Thora from a bridge, with a cord to a belt around her waist and told her the movements, then he fastened a cord to me, made me try, and let it loose afterwards. I swam without anything through the place. 11 years ago I had three lessons in France and fancy I could do it, I was muchly frightened at first - but am delighted I can do it.

[Aliss_Kande]

Thora is Helena's daughter, Helena Victoria.  Toria is Edward VII's daughter.

[Rosamund]

I have used the search engine and scanned the thread but I cannot find any mention of Princess Alix’s Governess.

As Margaret Jackson was in daily contact with the young Princess for several years she must have had some considerable influence on her.

In Emily Loch’s memoirs there is a paragraph devoted to this.

Miss Jackson’s influence is seen in a negative light and blamed for the distaste that the Empress had for society.

Apparently Queen Victoria herself eventually came to think that Miss Jackson was not a fit person to be with Alix.

In ‘Alexandra The Last Tsarina’ she is a liberal and cultivated Governess who believes that girls should have the same education as boys.

Has the effect of Margaret Jackson’s principles on Princess Alix ever been explored on this forum?   

[Thomas_Hesse]

May I ask why you are specifically interested in Ms Jackson? I think other persons were important for her education etc as well. First of all: her mother Grand Duchess Alice was quite a modern mother spending as much time with her children as she could afford. She tought them reading herself, took them at the earliest possible age with her to the hospitals and poorer quarters of the city. She even took them to the theatre and they would be introduced to leading heads of the time such as Johannes Brahms, David F. Strauss.
Her letters reveal that she even supported their interest in flowers and plants and of course they had music lessons and painted with the court painter H.R. Kröh

This was the predominant influence on the children and Ernst Ludwig writes that his mother - as early as she died - pressed her stamp on all of them in the most positive ways.

Another important person was Mrs Orchard whom she dearly loved who went with her to Russia and died at the Alexanderpalace in her presence and nursed by her.
Not to forget Gretchen von Fabrice her own lady - I think she had the strognes influence on her concerning religion. The shared that very deep and absolute feeling of the Lutheran Church and especially the letters Gretchen wrote to Queen Victoria from Livadia in 1894 reveal that it caused her great pain seeing her former "Princess dear" converting to Orthodoxy. Toni Becker, another close friend, states that Fabrice's influence in that way was not good at all for the teenage princess.

Ms Jackson was without a doubt very dear to the Empress and we know a couple of precious Fabergé presents she sent her within the years. Buxhoeveden's book might reveal some facts for she - in the 1920ies - visited Jackson to discuss the Empress's childhhood etc. As far as I know she even got Jackson's letters from Alexandra. That might be an interesting source for you concern. I always wondered whether these documents are surviving....

[Helen]

I agree with you on those other influences, Thomas - even though Grand Duchess Alice died when Princess Alix was only 6 years old and the GD's influence was only indirect.

Not to forget Gretchen von Fabrice her own lady - I think she had the strognes influence on her concerning religion. The shared that very deep and absolute feeling of the Lutheran Church and especially the letters Gretchen wrote to Queen Victoria from Livadia in 1894 reveal that it caused her great pain seeing her former "Princess dear" converting to Orthodoxy. Toni Becker, another close friend, states that Fabrice's influence in that way was not good at all for the teenage princess.

Apart from these remarks from Margarethe von F. to QV and from Toni Becker about Margarethe von F., what specific details do you have on Margarethe von Fabrice's religious views and on her influence on Alix' religious views? I'm not sure Margarethe von Fabrice was sufficiently educated and sufficiently well-read to be the strongest influence in this field.  To me, the critical questions on dogmatic issues Alix is said to have asked Father Yanishev when he prepared her for her conversion rather show Dr Sell's influence.

[Thomas_Hesse]

Certainly Dr. Sell - as a pope - had more influence due to his teaching the confirmation lessons. But I think the deep dependance and belief was due to Gretchen Fabrice who as a close friend practically never left the princess's side and shared her concerns in those very important teenage years.
Her parents had not been that religious neither had her brother. Except from Princess Karl there was nobody in the family with such an attitude.

[Helen]

Certainly Dr. Sell - as a pope - had more influence due to his teaching the confirmation lessons. But I think the deep dependance and belief was due to Gretchen Fabrice who as a close friend practically never left the princess's side and shared her concerns in those very important teenage years.
Her parents had not been that religious neither had her brother. Except from Princess Karl there was nobody in the family with such an attitude.

The serious religious crisis Grand Duchess Alice went through, shows to me that she was a religious person. Ella was a religious person, and the role of religion in Ernst Ludwig's life was important enough for him to have a private chapel built in the park of Schloss Wolfsgarten. 

I wonder whether you aren't crediting Gretchen with too much influence. Alix commented on sermons  and going to Church with her father or Miss Jackson even before Gretchen came into her life. Gretchen came when Alix was already 16 years old, that is, at an age when most people have formed views on religion, have developed an inclination towards religiosity - or a disinclination for religion. Alix' religiousness did not 'fade' once she was no longer influenced by Gretchen. This suggests to me that Alix' religiousness was something she had already in her. Gretchen and Dr Sell may have intensified some views and inclinations she already had and Dr Sell, as a theologian, most certainly could expand her knowledge, but I think it rather implausible that Gretchen instiled in Alix a "deep dependance and belief" that wasn't there yet. Most people do not become religious simply because a friend is a religious person; they don't start to 'depend on' religion due to influences of a friend/staff member.

As regards the questions Alix is said to have asked Father Yanishev, I think the type of questions makes it quite unlikely that this kind of thinking came from Gretchen.

Apart from the remarks from Gretchen to QV and from Toni Becker about Gretchen's influence, what specific details do you have on Gretchen's  religious views and what evidence do you have of her influence on Alix' religious views?