Friends and servants of Marie Fedorovna

[dp5486]

She was still the Dowager Empress's principal lady-in-waiting even though she had married? I thought most ladies-in-waiting left after they were married or due to her husband's position in the court, did she stay on?

These women seem so devoted. They must have been very close to the Dowager Empress.

Do photos exist of her or Countess Mengden in Corynne Hall's biography?

[lancashireladandre]

She was still the Dowager Empress's principal lady-in-waiting even though she had married? I thought most ladies-in-waiting left after they were married or due to her husband's position in the court, did she stay on?

These women seem so devoted. They must have been very close to the Dowager Empress.

Do photos exist of her or Countess Mengden in Corynne Hall's biography?

No, but I have seen pic's in some of Jacques Ferrands marvellous photo albums.

[kmerov]

Two pictures of Countess Mengden.

[Svetabel]

Was Princess Eugenie of Oldenburg still a close friend of the Dowager Empress's or did the annulment of Olga's marriage to Eugenie's son Peter but a damper on this?


Thanks again!

Princess Eugenie was not a close friend of MF. Just a friend.

[dp5486]

Kmerov, those pictures of Countess Mengden were great! Thank you!

Also, very interesting about Princess Eugenie.

Did the Dowager Empress correspond often with her sister Thyra, brother Valdemar, or her nieces and nephews. It seems odd that Thyra was not included in the purchasing of Hvidore.

Thanks again everyone!

[royal_netherlands]

Found this beatifull picture of the Dowager Empress.

RN

[dp5486]

Besides Countess Mengden, the Dowager Empress had another lady in waiting, Countess Olga Alexandrovna Heyden. According to "Little Mother of Russia", Countess Heyden was with the Dowager Empress in Kiev before her flight to the Crimea. I was wondering if anyone knew what became of Countess Heyden after the revolution.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hello,

I believe one of The Dowager Empress' closest friends was her brother-in-law, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich...
He was her favourite in the Romanov Family.  Sadly, he died in 1910 but fortunately for him, he missed the upheaval.

Larry

[ashdean]

Besides Countess Mengden, the Dowager Empress had another lady in waiting, Countess Olga Alexandrovna Heyden. According to "Little Mother of Russia", Countess Heyden was with the Dowager Empress in Kiev before her flight to the Crimea. I was wondering if anyone knew what became of Countess Heyden after the revolution.

In the book "Louisa,lady in waiting" about the Countess of Antrim a member of Queen Alexandras household..it mentions a Countess Heyden "who died of starvation during the revolution " perhaps this was the same Countess...

[dp5486]

Ashdean, you are probably right. I do find it odd that she didn't accompany the Empress to the Crimea and out of Russia. I couldn't find any details on her in "Little Mother of Russia". I was disappointed to find that this book does not contain any information on her servants (i.e. "Kiki" Greenveld, her Cossack bodyguards, and her manservant Vigiss). I did find out in "Lost Fortunes of the Tsars" that the latter three were with the Dowager Empress until her death.

[dmitri]

'Little Mother of Russia' is not bad. There are other biographies and books on the subject that fill in the picture of the Dowager Empress better. Try these :

Empress Maria Fiodorovna, by A.I. Barkovets and V.M.Tenikhina, Abris Publishers, St.Petersburg, 2006

Empress Maria Feodorovna's Favourite Residences in Russia and Denmark, by Galina Korneva and Tatiana Cheboksarova, Liki Rossi, St.Petersburg, 2006

A Royal Family - The Story of Christian IX and his European descendants, by Anna Lerche and Marcus Mandal ISBN 87-15-10957-7 - chapter entitled 'Love and Revolution - Maria Feodorovna's Fate during the Greatness and Fall of the Russian Empire' - an excellent account with privileged access to private royal archives and interviews with members of various European Royal Families

[ashdean]

Ashdean, you are probably right. I do find it odd that she didn't accompany the Empress to the Crimea and out of Russia. I couldn't find any details on her in "Little Mother of Russia". I was disappointed to find that this book does not contain any information on her servants (i.e. "Kiki" Greenveld, her Cossack bodyguards, and her manservant Vigiss). I did find out in "Lost Fortunes of the Tsars" that the latter three were with the Dowager Empress until her death.

There might be a reason the Countess did not go to the Crimea and eventually abroad...she may have wanted to remain with family members...perhaps she had elderly dependants..Count & Countess Tastichev safely in Finland with their children & some jewels returned because of their elderly mothers (madame Narishkine,mistress of the robes being one).The Count was later shot..Countess Vera was only able to leave in the 1930's !.Princess Sophie Volkonsky returned to the north because her husband would not leave his elderly mother....There must have been many such stories..the Countesses sadly was lost...and the price for her loyalty was her life.

[dp5486]

The poor Count and Countess Tastichev! From what I remember, Mme. Naryshkina found her own way out of Russia!

Was the Princess Sophie Volkonsky you refer to the mother of Sofka Dolgoruky and her second husband?

[ashdean]

The poor Count and Countess Tastichev! From what I remember, Mme. Naryshkina found her own way out of Russia!

Was the Princess Sophie Volkonsky you refer to the mother of Sofka Dolgoruky and her second husband?

Yes  Madame Narishkina was allowed to leave in the 1920s ,her later life is mentioned on a thread on here in the Imperial families retainers section...Sophie V was indeed Sofkas mother..she wrote memoirs in 1932 & commited suicide in 1948.

[ashdean]

The thread on Madame Narishkina is under "Madame Zizi" the Empress Alexandra's pet name for her.