Marie Feodorovna and her grandchildren

[grandduchessella]

I agree with you there. Nieces and nephews left various accounts of how playful he was at family gatherings in Denmark--squirting people with hoses, practical jokes and romps. Plus, what a big bear! He would've been perfect to be toted around by. Plus the whole separate issue of Alexandra being allowed to not only have time to be engaged but also to grow into the role of Tsarevna before being thrust into that of Empress. Also that Alexander III wasn't bullied by his brothers, whereas they tried to push Nicholas around.

[Teddy]

Does there excist pictures of MF with their grand childeren? Once I have seen one picture of her sitting with her granddaughters on the deck of the Standart.

[elisa_1872]

Hello!

Yes, there do exist photos of Empress Marie with her grandchildren, the one on the Standart i remember best, when the family were celebrating the name day of the Empress Dowager, and little Maria. The picture has Empress Marie, Nicholas and the four daughters. But there exist several pictures with MF and Grand Duchess Olga, e.g one has them in a field picking flowers, another just after her birth. Im sure there must be  more! Maybe someone can post one or two here?

[Teddy]

And photo's of MF and Irina and her brothers or with George Brassov?

[Jane]

Boy, I've never seen a photo of MF with George Brassov.  Did she ever even see him?  I think I read in the Crawford book that MF met Michael's wife on one occasion, but I don't recall whether George was ever presented to the Dowager Empress.  Perhaps someone else will know.

[Angie_H]

MF, her daughter Olga & OTMA

MF, Nicholas & OTMA

[Angie_H]

MF holding Olga

[Angie_H]

MF with Xenia & Irina

[mariefeodorovna]

Hello,

What date would the Olga and Irina be?

Thanks,

MF

[Teddy]

Did she had regular contact with her grandchilderen?

[Katia]

In Massie's book "Nivholas and Alexandra" they tell that GD Olga Alexandrovna regulary took her nieces (Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia) to dinner with Maria Feodorovna (every week if I rememeber!) After that, Olga arranged little parties for OTMA, with suitable young people to play and dance with.
I have read that her oldest grandchild, Irina, was MF's favorite although.

[neva]

I have read bits here and there  (unsure if true) that Maria Feodorovna was not very pleased about the amount of time and attention given to the children by their parents (Alexandra and Nicholas). I think at one point she has referred to one of the girls as "ugly", complaining they are girls etc...
In other words, she may have preferred glory vs family life. Did this grandmother have these types of feelings or this is only fiction?

Thanks,

neva

[Annie]

I've never heard that.

But I have heard that Irina was her favorite, and that she gloated over Xenia's six boys and had a full Grand Duke salute shot at their births instead of just prince. (after all they were double Romanov!)

[Lanie]

I read somewhere MF commenting on Maria's lips being too thick, thus making her ugly, or something like that. MF obviously preferred Ksenia's children.

[hikaru]

But if we will see from the common point of view: the children of daughter and daughter family are always closer to mother than the son's family and son's children.