Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

[Arleen_Ristau]

You are so right Robert...as I was writing I was waiting for the ax to fall on my head.  

Bless her heart, Maria just doesn't seem to fit in as it were....or is it something else and I just attributed it to overweight?  She just does not seem Royal....and I know as I write that it is a STUPID premiss and totally shallow....but the feelings are there anyway.  Maybe the way she dresses is part of it.....none of the REGAL little coats, suits and by all means HATS of the Brit crowd.  

I think that she has a beautiful face.  But then again it has no stark regal cheekbones, etc.  Are we programmed as to what REGAL is????
Maybe that is what is wrong with me.  I have nothing against fat people in general at all....most of America is now FAT!

..Arleen

[Robert_Hall]

Thank you, Arleen. As Nerdycool so appropriately pointed out, the GD was at home, with her dog    heaven's sake. Not likely  dressed up for a reception at the Winter Palace.
I have not met the woman, but I do know of her generosity and good works in Russia. She is very active with her Church and has a kind nature. This is far more "royal" than some silly obsession of "looking" royal, it is "being" royal.

[Arleen_Ristau]

Thanks Robert, I am much pleased that she is a lovely and giving person.  Sort of makes up for her Grandfather in my estimation.  I hope that her son will be exactly like she is.....he is very good looking in the last pictures I've seen of him, and HE even looks regal to me.

..Arleen

[jackie3]

I think it was in The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert Massie that Massie writes that like her father before her (Vladimir) even those who don't agree with her claims to the throne (presumably the other Romanovs, because by the House Laws the claim is indeed hers) find GD Maria a very likable person herself.

[David_Pritchard]

It took me a few weeks to decide if I should post a few of the pictures of the Grand Duchess. I was afraid that some members of this forum would not be as courteous as they should be. My misgivings certainly were proven to be credible. It is very unfortunate for those members of the forum who are fully acquainted with good manners and breeding because I have many more photographs of the Grand Duchess and many of her son which I am sure that they would like to see. I will not subject the Grand Duchess and her son to more disparaging comments from the groundlings.

I will write however, that I am very glad that I did not post any photographs of myself with the Grand Duchess or other Romanovs because it would only inspire an idiotic comment such as: "He's too fat to be a true scholar of Russian History."

One of my greatest complaints about a forum like this one is that very few of the members are held accountable for their less than intelligent comments. By posting under anonymous names, they are free to insult and be generally vulgar without their comments reflecting upon them in real life.

David Ashley Pritchard

[rvinson]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is her relationship to the Russian royal family? I believe that's a portrait of Alexander II she is photographed with, so I assume he is a (great) grandfather of hers.

[David_Pritchard]

Emperor Aleksander II Nikolaievich
Great Great Grandfather

Grand Duke Vladimir Aleksandrovich
Great Grandfather

Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich
Grandfather

Grand Duke Vladimir Kyrilovich
Father

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

[rvinson]

Thank you.

[Robert_Hall]

Very well said, David.

Cheers,
Robert

[Moonlight_Densetsu]

She looks very Spanish or maybe more Latin American....IMO the Romanov she resembles most would be Catherine I. I was told that the Grand Duchess was recieved by President Putin were there any pictures taken of the event?

[Svetabel]

I think that she looks very Russian
Arleen

IMHO she looks more like a Georgian, like her mother.

[cimbrio]

She looks very Spanish or maybe more Latin American....IMO the Romanov she resembles most would be Catherine I. I was told that the Grand Duchess was recieved by President Putin were there any pictures taken of the event?

I've read she looks like her mum's family and not too much like the Romanov side (plus Catherine I is too far away to be compared with her physically, plus there's no photos of Cathgerine, just paintings, but still... Maria cannot "look" Spanish since she has no Spanish blood (well, she does but very distant evidently), but I know what you mean Here is a thread to see a photo of her mum:

http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=es;m=IMH;d=1039950111;i=91095;k=/leonida.0.bagration_moukhrani

Here is one of her cousin Maria de la Paz Bragation-Moukhransky y Wittelsbach (daughter of Irakli and Fernando of Bavaria and his Spanish wife, Teresa de Borbón, sister of Alfonso XIII)

http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=es;m=IMH;d=1039900194;i=209040;k=/maria_de_la_paz.0.bagration_moukhransky

If you follow the following thread you'll see the blood connection between Vladimir Kyrillovich and Leonida of Georgia (yes, even they were related!):

http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=es;m=RL;i=93563;l1=23;i1=91095;l2=22;i2=42981

I hope you find it interesting, though it's just one of the linesyou can find to see how they're related. Regards

Cimbrio

[YaBB_Jose]

Are there any photos oy young Maria Vladimirovna, when she was not so    robuste ?

How was she prepared for her future role ?
What did she studied ? Did she go to University ?

[Marlene]

She was certainly not nearly as Rubenesque when she married - and she was thin as a teenager.  

Are there any photos oy young Maria Vladimirovna, when she was not so    robuste ?

How was she prepared for her future role ?
What did she studied ? Did she go to University ?

[YaBB_Jose]

She was certainly not nearly as Rubenesque when she married - and she was thin as a teenager.  

I know that !
That's why I asked.
What about her studies ?