Children and descendants of GD Alexander Mikhailovitch

[Eric_Lowe]

I think that may be a factor. Imagaine Minny coming for the birth and four times a girl ! Even if she did not express her disapointment, Alicky who was very sensitive could still have detected in her gestures. The creation of Misha as heir to the throne was a vote of no confidence on Alicky to bear a son, even if Minny had acted more on practical consideration. However I found that Minny's favouring Xenia's children was no surprise at all. Alicky was quite pocessive of her children and her mother-in-law did not recieve unrestrictive access to tham as Xenia's. Therefore they were closer to her than Nicky's children.

[Janet Ashton]

The creation of Misha as heir to the throne was a vote of no confidence on Alicky to bear a son, even if Minny had acted more on practical consideration.

Are you confusing this with the creation of George as Tsesarevich? - that was a mistake, not something intended a slight on Alexandra; but when Michael was (correctly) NOT given this title in turn some took it as a sight on HIM.

However I found that Minny's favouring Xenia's children was no surprise at all. Alicky was quite pocessive of her children and her mother-in-law did not recieve unrestrictive access to tham as Xenia's. Therefore they were closer to her than Nicky's children.

We have been around this subject once, and hopefully you remember that I don't really agree with your view on Alexandra's "possessiveness" being at the root of her children's distance form MF. I don't think it's usual for a grandparent to be as involved with her grandchildren as Maria was with Xenia's children - and if you want a possessive parent, just consider the dramas MF made when Xenia married - until she realised that Sandro would not be able to break her own dominion over her daughter.

[Eric_Lowe]

I think it is established that the IF lived a very closeted life. Alexandra seemed to created a world inside the palace for her children. Missy did feel that the girls were well behaved but not exposed much to the outside world. I personally think that Minny was not given as much excess to Nicky's children as Xenia. Given BOTH Minny & Alicky were pocessive mothers, I guess that make sense. Also Xenia's children were only Prince & Princess of Russia and have less duties than Nicky's. I would not pass Minny to drop by at Sandro's palace and visit the children at a whim. That is something that Alicky would not allow (I am sure of that, Alicky was anything but spontanious).

[larri*]

Irina Alexandrovna circa1898 by Fabergé: (she reminds me a lot of Nicholas II when he was little)

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/otmaprivatealbums/irinaalexandrovnacirca1898.jpg

[larri*]

Irina Alexandrovna circa 1898 by Fabergé: (I posted this picture yesterday on the "Romanovs portraits" thread)

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/otmaprivatealbums/irinaalexandrovnacirca1898.jpg

[Carolath Habsburg]

eautiful but it doesnt look like her

[Eric_Lowe]

Hard to tell when a baby...

[Carolath Habsburg]

im comparing the image with pictures of Irina as a baby,. Im not saying it isnt her but surely the portrait doesnt lo9ok at all like the real baby irina.

[Sara Araújo]

If I had to take a guess, I'd say the baby in that portrait looks a bit more like her brother Andrei.

[Carolath Habsburg]

i was thinking the same. Maybe the portrait was wrong labelled abnd its andrei.

[PAVLOV]

Does anyone know where their decendants are today, and if they were present at the funerals in St Petersburg ?

[Eric_Lowe]

Some of them settled and died in France. Yes they (decendents of Sandro) did attend the furneral in St. Petersburg.

[Svetabel]

Does anyone know where their decendants are today

France,USA,Great Britain..around the world.

[PAVLOV]

One wonders whether the family stay in contact with each other ? I wonder how life has treated them, and if they use their titles. Must be 4th generation by now.

[Eric_Lowe]

For those who wanted to know more about the decendents of Sandro and Xenia. Corynne Hall's book "Once A Grand Duchess" shed some light on their lives in exile. The photo books by Jacques Ferrand (can still be bought in Paris) are the best source of images on them.