I agree that the book "Little Mother of Russia" is a wonderfully crafted biography on Empress Maria.
I have wondered about Minnie and Alix and the dominating influence that they asserted over their children. Motherly and attentive to their sons, and in my personal opinion, a mean spirited inclination towards their daughters. In the fishbowl that was royal life, their time, public and private was not really their own.
Their lives were controlled my strict court etiquitte. Their lives were scheduled from the moment they awoke until they closed their doors. Public events, ceremonies were planned in advance for months on end. This said, could the two sister who had little influence or control over their lives, acted in such a way that they asserted their control over their children?
Also with the sisters, they were both married to powerful dominating men. From what I have learned here, Alexander was an alcoholic who Minnie had to flee from time to time, and Edward was a philanderer.
Again, the two women had their children to turn to for comfort and love.
Just my humble opinion on Minnie and Alix.
This however does not take away from the brillance of Empress's Maria's influence on Russian Society and the Russian monarchy and autocracy.
I can't wait for the Empress to be brought back to Russia to lay next to her Sasha.
Louise