Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

[Janet_W.]

I believe Alix's Aunt Victoria was at times a bit exasperated with her. I'd have to find the exact passages, though.  Possibly a personality clash, and  I seem to remember that Alix's willfulness challenged her Aunt Vicky!

[Lisa]

Dear Thomas,
you can find a lots information about Victoria (it's in German)

http://www.kaiserinfriedrich.de/literatur.html

[RomanovFan]

I never really understood the relationship between Victoria, Princess Royal and Alix. I've read bits and peices about it in books but I'm still a little confused...

[grandduchessella]

I never really understood the relationship between Victoria, Princess Royal and Alix. I've read bits and peices about it in books but I'm still a little confused...

She could be a little blunt and critical of Alix, and Ella. She says in letters to her daughter Sophie that she much prefers Victoria & Maud of Wales--they're so much prettier (!) more graceful, natural, clever, etc....and also the looks of Victoria & Marie of Edinburgh. OTOH, she writes very sympathetically about Alicky at the time of her father's death and the blow it must've dealt and how alone she and Ernie must feel in the great Schloss. She seems to have been very fond of Nicholas and rather exasperated by Alix's waffling but says she could tell by the look on her face when Nicky arrived at the Coburg wedding that she KNEW she would accept him (I found that romantic). She also expresses sympathy for Alix's position in Russia (though she says it's better than being 2nd to Ducky in Darmstadt) and for her inability to produce the longed-for heir.  All in all, there seems a rather exasperated fondness for her--she often speaks critically but then fondly, much the way relatives often do. It seems to be a trait picked up from Queen Victoria!  

[Sunny]

I really enjoyed Hannah Pakula's biography of Vicky.
As much as Victoria's Daughters was a page turner,
it seemed that the only times Jerrold Packer had  sympathy for Vicky was when writing of the deaths of Sigi, and Waldemar...

Sunny

[grandduchessella]

I really enjoyed Hannah Pakula's biography of Vicky.
As much as Victoria's Daughters was a page turner,
it seemed that the only times Jerrold Packer had  sympathy for Vicky was when writing of the deaths of Sigi, and Waldemar...

Sunny

Hannah Pakula is the best! I also love her Missy of Romania bio. I wish she would write more since the really insightful royal biographers seem few and far between now. I wonder if her husband's death threw her off of writing?

[Janet_W.]

Good question. I agree with you, she is a marvelous biographer. Her husband's death was shocking, and I felt so awful about it . . . both because he was a marvelous creative force himself, and also because it seemed, after reading her bio of Marie of Romania, as if I'd gotten to know a little bit about Hannah Pakula as well.  

[Lisa]

Victoria and her husband Frederic III

[Lisa]

In 1874 by Angeli

[Lisa]

Again by von Angeli

[Ilana]

I've been to Kronberg and it's beautiful.  If you arrange it in advance, you can have a tour of Vicky's private rooms.  I and my friends were shown her bedroom, and a bedroom used by Willy, as well as sitting rooms, where some of Vicky's paintings were hung. The bathrooms were comparatively modern, and you can actually sleep in Vicky's bedroom, however, as you can imagine, it's extremely expensive.  Don't expect the guide to be conversant in the history of the place, he showed us many photos which he mis-identified (we kept our mouths shut, afterall, they were showing us hospitality!). The grounds are gorgeous, but because it's a hotel there are golf links and places you're not supposed to walk.  We did take shots of the famous steps where Vicky, her children and grandchildren were photographed. As we had lunch there (unbelievably exquisite and worth every Euro), we were allowed to look around.  It's very homey for a castle, and I understand why Vicky liked it.

[Sunny]

Thomas, I so appreciate the lovely photograph of Vicky.
That was such a sad, and painful time in her life. It is beyond belief that under the guise of "lengthening" her life, proper amounts of morphine were withheld to the point of her screaming for hours during her final days.
Lisa, you always post such luminous beauties...thank you.
Ilana, what a wonderful trip. Maybe your picture on the steps can be posted?

Sunny

[Lisa]

Frederic III by von Angeli:

[Martyn]

Ilana, it is good to know that Friedrichshof is still beautiful and being looked after.  I'm glad that its heritage is being respected  and remembered even though it is now a hotel.
I'm pretty sure that Friedrichshof suffered some damage at the end of WW2 when it was occupied by US troops and that Vicky's jewellery, which had been hidden there by one of her daughters(?) was discovered and illegally removed to the US.  Anyone know if this is correct and whether  the jewels were returned to their rightful owners?

[grandduchessella]

It certainly is true, unfortunately. The home was occupied by her youngest child, Margaret, who inherited it and was in possession of a good bit of her late mother's jewellry. Upon the occupation of Germany, the home was used as a HQ. Apparently, a female soldier and 2 male soldiers came across the jewellry in the basement (?) and absconded with it. It was smuggled or attempted and the perpetrators were busted and tried. Unfortunately, part of the collection remains unaccounted for, those the majority, I believe, was returned to the Hesse family. I'll try to find out more.