Reburial of Empress Marie & her final resting place in Russia

[Ursula C]

In The Article on the Alexander Palace about the return of the Dowager Empress it says " The Romanovs, and our royal family will be involved" which royal family is that? i thought that this site was American?

[Forum Admin]

If you read the article closely, you would have seen that this information was sent to us from Denmark, and was referring to the Danish Royal Family.

[grandduchessella]

From the North County Times (in California)
Denmark to return remains of Czarina Maria Feodorovna to Russia

By: Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark ---- The remains of Danish-born Czarina Maria Feodorovna, mother of the assassinated Nicholas II, will be returned to Russia and laid to rest with her family in St. Petersburg, Denmark's government said Wednesday.

Born in 1847 in Copenhagen, Feodorovna, originally Danish Princess Dagmar, married Czar Alexander III in 1866 and had six children, including Nicholas II. When the Bolshevik revolution swept Russia in 1917, she fled St. Petersburg.

"I am happy, very happy," said Prince Dmitry Romanov, a descendant who lives in Denmark. "Finally she can be put to rest next to her husband which was her wish."

Feodorovna was the sister of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Britain's Queen Alexandra and King George I of Greece. She returned to Denmark in 1919 and lived there until her death in 1928.

She was buried at the Roskilde Cathedral ---- 25 miles west of the capital where dozens of Danish kings and queens are buried.

In a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Danish Queen Margrethe wrote that she "would not stand in the way" of the Romanov's family wishes.

The letter was given to Russian Ambassador Dmitry B. Ryurikov Wednesday by Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller.

In the missive, Denmark asked that the reburial be "carried out in a dignified and respectful way."

Moeller said the remains cannot be touched and any DNA analysis is forbidden.

In 1991, the remains of Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, and their five children were exhumed and reburied in the gilded, 18th-century cathedral in 1998. They were killed by a firing squad in 1918 in the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg. Their bodies were burned, doused with acid, and thrown into a pit outside the city.

After the 1991 Soviet collapse, Romanov family members had asked Margrethe to repatriate Maria Feodorovna's remains, Romanov told the AP. Romanov is the great-great grandson of Czar Nicholas I who was the great-grandfather of Nicholas II, Russia's last emperor.

[good-doctor]

I am interested in attending the reburial of Empress Marie in St. Petersburg next year.  Anyone have knowledge as to how the public may acquire admission to the cermony?

[Lucien]

From the website of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,dd october 10th 2005.

A memorandum was signed in Moscow on the 10th of this month 2005 regarding the re-burial
of HIM The Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna.

The schedule(so far):

Saturday september 23th 2005:

A memorial service at Roskilde Cathedral,the Danish Royal Family will be in attendance.

A Danish warship will take the coffin to Russia.

Tuesday the 26th of september:

Arrival of the coffin at Peterhof,and Laying-in-State at the Alexander Newskij Cathedral,
where the public can pay their last respects.

Thursday,september 28th 2005:

The coffin of HIM will be transferred to the Cathedral of St.Isac,St.Petersburg and from there
in a procession to the Cathedral of St.Peter and St.Paul.

TTRRHH The Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will be in attendance in St.Petersburg
as the representatives of the Danish Royal House.

website of the Danish Foreign Ministry:
http://www.um.dk/da/servicemenu/Nyheder/ForsideNyheder/

(please click on Genbegravelse Kejserinde Dagmar)

[Lucien]

As she is referred to in Danish.

Monday the 10th of october 2005,a memorandum was signed between representatives of the Danish and Russian Foreign Ministries regarding the re-burial of HIM The Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna,néé Princess Dagmar.

The schedule(so far):

Saturday,september 23rd 2006:
A memorial service at Roskilde Cathedral with the Danish Royal Family in attendance.

A Danish warship will take the coffin to Russia.

Tuesday,september 26th:
Arrival of the coffin at Peterhof,and Lying-in-State at the Alexander Newskij Cathedral,
were the public can pay their last respects the following day.

Thursday,september 28th:
The coffin will be transferred to the Cathedral of St.Isac in St.Petersburg,
and from there in procession to the Cathedral of St.Peter and St.Paul.

TTRRHH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will be in attendance as the representatives of the Danish Royal House.

The website of the Danish Foreign Ministry(sorry,only in Danish):

http://www.um.dk/da/servicemenu/Nyheder/ForsideNyheder/

please click on:Genbegravelse af Kejserinde Dagmar.

(Note:I've tryed to post this under the Marie Feodorovna thread,but somehow that is impossiblee).

[grandduchessella]

It showed up on there L. I'm the moderator and so I went to check to see the problem but your message was already there.

[doug__h]

There seems to be some confusion regarding the year. I understood the return was for Sept 2006. The timing was to celebrate the 140th anniversary ....to the day....of her arrival in Russia.

[nichka]

Hello.  According to this site and a couple other royalty sites, it seems like this momentous occasion is scheduled for September 26, 2006.  But the most recent date of such postings is January 2004.  Does anyone know if September 26 is still valid?  And if so, does anyone know in particular what parts of the proceedings will be open to the public?  I am interested in participating.  Thank you!

[Kristin]

I also want to be in St. Petersburg for that event.  I have started working with a private guide there for other activities as well.

She was surprised at the September date.  She thought it was in July.  Here's her info back to me.

I finally managed to speak with the proper person and here is what I learned;

- you are right that at the moment the burial ceremony is set for the 26th of September, BUT the official date of Nicolas the Second family funeral changed 4(!) times so there is no guarantee that this time the date will not change. Besides there is NOTHING ready at the moment – even a plan of the ceremony, so…

- On the date of funeral the fortress will be closed for the visitors. Only officials with the special pass and Romanov family members (again with the pass) will be allowed in. There is no doubt about it.

I was surprised that the burial was the 26th, I thought the remains were coming into Peterhof on the 26th.  So it's still anybody's guess.  I am going to hedge my bets and go with whatever the Danes say.

[nichka]

Thank you!  Let's all try to remember to update this posting if we hear any further details.  Scary that they don't even have anything planned yet, and September is not that far off.

[Zanthia]

I don't think there's any chance that I can be in Skt. Petersburg for her reburial , but I hope I'll be able to at least visit her grave in Roskilde Cathedral, before she is moved back to Russia and her dear Alexander.

[DeAnna_Frantz]

This is probably too old, from the looks of the previous posts, but this was on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark’s website.  It was edited on 11/13/2005, but it does state the date is on September 28, 2006.  If this has already been posted I apologize.

http://www.ambmoskva.um.dk/en/menu/Embassy/news/ReburialOfTheEmpressDowagerMariaFeodorovnaSigningDanish-RussianMemorandum.htm

[DeAnna_Frantz]

I am also interested in attending the public service.  If anyone is planning to attend and would like some company, let me know.  I am planning on attending, but would rather go in a group since I am a BIG chicken.  

[Lemur]

I don't like the idea of digging up and reburying her. It's rather macabre. Let her rest in peace, it's been such a long time.