An undeserving, disgusting link between a rotten man and a prostitute...
In this words about Katia- a selfish, naive, dumb bitch. Katia practically (by accident of course!) killed her second son Boris, running to the winter palace with a maid and IN Labor! So the Imperial Bastard would be born in a palace- very Stupid of her and selfish! That possible a reason why poor Boris died as a baby!
Wow! At least no one on the board can be accused of being dispassionate.
Lisa makes an excellent point - Alexander II had just lost his favorite son and heir. His wife retreated from the world leaving him emotionally isolated. From what I've read Maria Alexandrovna was quite a depressing figure, very morbid, in her later years. I can understand her reasons, I’m not trying to condemn MA, but I can also see his side of things. Lonely, grief-stricken, instead of withdrawing Alexander went searching for whatever happiness he could still find in life. Apparently, he found happiness with Ekaterina.
Do I find his behavior admirable? No, I don't. Especially, the way he handled MA's death. His behavior at that point was disgraceful. It may be explained in part, however, by the well-founded fear he had of Ekaterina and their children being physically harmed. He felt that they would be safer inside the palace.
To refer to Ekaterina as a prostitute and a b**** (who knew such language was allowed on this site!) is a bit harsh. She seems to have genuinely loved Alexander and remained faithful to him even after his death. Their relationship wasn’t something simply based on a desire for wealth or power. I agree that she was naïve, but I hesitate to label her a b****.
Regarding the child’s death, is there a credible source for this claim that she caused Boris’ death? I understand that it was in a book, but what source did the author cite? I just wonder if this claim was true or malicious gossip. Lord knows there was more than enough gossip to go around in St. Petersburg.
Whatever sins Alexander II committed he certainly paid for them in spades with his death. I don't applaud adultery, but I find it difficult to begrudge the man whatever bit of happiness he was able to find before meeting his gruesome end. To dismiss Alexander II as simply as a “rotten man” is overly simplistic. His affair with Ekaterina was only one part of his life. There were many more facets to his character, some of them quite admirable (especially during his youth).