Grand Duchess Ksenia and Grand Duke Alexander

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Do remember Xenia sucessfully brought her jewelry (including the fabulous rubies and famous black pearls) and some Faberage objects on board.

[Kalafrana]

Xenia's poverty was relative. She was obviously living a good deal more modestly than she had before the Revolution, but quite comfortably by most people's standards. Yes, she was got at by fraudsters, but also she seems to have been somewhat naive about money (unlike her sister Olga). It would be going a bit far to describe her as profligate, but she didn't have much financial sense, and to judge by what John van der Kiste has to say, she was quite content for her sons to be a bunch of drones and live on her largesse.

'No heating' presumably means no central heating and managing with a open fires (basically a fire in the drawing room - with a 'back boiler' for hot water - and fires in the bedrooms only when someone was ill). For houses not to have central heating was far from unusual in Britain at the time Xenia lived here. From my own experience (I was born in 1959) central heating didn't become the norm until 1970 and after - and my grandparents' house in a middle class area of Liverpool didn't have electricity until the 1950s (the household managed with gas lighting).

[ashdean]

Yes. Do remember Xenia sucessfully brought her jewelry (including the fabulous rubies and famous black pearls) and some Faberage objects on board.

Xenia btook at least four of her famous pearl necklaces out of Russia but I have never heard of her salvaging her rubies..

[ashdean]

Xenia's poverty was relative. She was obviously living a good deal more modestly than she had before the Revolution, but quite comfortably by most people's standards. Yes, she was got at by fraudsters, but also she seems to have been somewhat naive about money (unlike her sister Olga). It would be going a bit far to describe her as profligate, but she didn't have much financial sense, and to judge by what John van der Kiste has to say, she was quite content for her sons to be a bunch of drones and live on her largesse.

'No heating' presumably means no central heating and managing with a open fires (basically a fire in the drawing room - with a 'back boiler' for hot water - and fires in the bedrooms only when someone was ill). For houses not to have central heating was far from unusual in Britain at the time Xenia lived here. From my own experience (I was born in 1959) central heating didn't become the norm until 1970 and after - and my grandparents' house in a middle class area of Liverpool didn't have electricity until the 1950s (the household managed with gas lighting).

I certainly agree with most of what you say...except that I think Olga was not particulary savvy with her finances..indeed I think that in later years..Xenia was more astute and much more of a wheedler as far as her rich connexions were concerned..

[Eric_Lowe]

Indeed. According to Olga herself, some of her valuable Faberage pieces were stolen during her many moves (Russia-Denmark-Canada). Xenia was more careful with her valuables and money, perhaps she had more children to save up for.

[Kalafrana]

Though Xenia was the one who depended on the generosity of relations, whereas as far as I'm aware Olga and Colonel Koulikovsky largely fended for themselves after the Dowager Empress's death.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Although Olga got some of her jewels out and sold them to support her family and also the money from the sale of her mother's jewels as well other inheritance from relatives.

[historylover]

I was quite shocked about Xenia living without central heating so thank you for telling me that it wasn't unusual at the time.

What do you think about her character?  She seemed to be a nice person.  I think that it was a pity that she had to rely on
the strange nun-like figure so much at the end.

[Eric_Lowe]

I think she needed someone to take care of her and cannot pay much. The fact that she was nun and Russian kept her links with her country.

[Grandduchess Valeria]

I've always thought that Xenia reminds me of somebody....now I've found the one.
Her Aunt Thyra. What do you think?

[Grandduchess Valeria]

[Eric_Lowe]

The painting on top was Princess Thyra of Denmark, Duchess of Cumberland. Therefore Aunt of Xenia.

[Ena]

The painting on top was Princess Thyra of Denmark, Duchess of Cumberland. Therefore Aunt of Xenia.

Eric, she knows.  Read her post.  Grandduchess Valeria posted the pics because she was making a comparison between Thyra and Ksenia in looks.

[Margot]

The painting on top was Princess Thyra of Denmark, Duchess of Cumberland. Therefore Aunt of Xenia.

I so agree Ena!

A typical example of an unnecessary post for the sake of it post from 'know all' Lowe! Not that he does know it all as I recall when he claimed that King Olaf of Norway came back from the dead to speak to Queen Elizabeth II....that was hysterical! I doubt Lowe even bothers to read anything anyone else posts half the time, as he seems all consumed with posting just for the sake of it again! It must be a like having some sort of disease that can only be supressed for short periods before the urge once more takes hold and the inane posting starts again!

[Grandduchess Valeria]

Thanks Ena! Just want to share my opinion about her resemblance to her aunt.