Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, Duchess of Edinburgh and Coburg

[Grace]

It would seem that MA and her family were also naive if they expected her to be top of the pecking order once she joined the British Royal Family! 

[Katherine_The_O.K.]

"After a three year courtship pushed forward by the politically-minded Prince of Wales, the marriage lapsed due to the Tsar's (Alexander II) lack of interest.

Then in January 1873 word reached the Queen that the young Grand Duchess had "compromised" herself with one Russian prince "if not others" and that her parents were ready to see her safely married.  Finally, news of the betrothal arrived [to England}.

Huh! Interesting! I wonder who it was?! MA must have had a great deal more pizzaz then I thought- she certainly dosen't look it, especially as she grew older. Was she faithful to Alfred, I wonder? 

[ilyala]

"After a three year courtship pushed forward by the politically-minded Prince of Wales, the marriage lapsed due to the Tsar's (Alexander II) lack of interest.

Then in January 1873 word reached the Queen that the young Grand Duchess had "compromised" herself with one Russian prince "if not others" and that her parents were ready to see her safely married.  Finally, news of the betrothal arrived [to England}.

Huh! Interesting! I wonder who it was?! MA must have had a great deal more pizzaz then I thought- she certainly dosen't look it, especially as she grew older. Was she faithful to Alfred, I wonder? 

she most definitely was! and i don't think the rumours were true either. she simply wasn't the type to do anything of the sort.

about her thoughts on the british court, we must remember: she didn't have many suitors . her mother had tried to fix her up with ludwig 2nd (!!!!!) of bavaria, but apparently the bloke was more interested in the mother than the daughter (imagine the match!!!  ). her options were pretty much spinsterhood, alfred or, maybe, just maybe, some russian aristocrat. in the case of the russian aristocrat she would have definitely lost precedence at the russian court and that would have probably been worse (losing a precedence over a court you have always been a favorite at - think of minnie). so maybe she wasn't delusional, she just chose the smallest bad thing.

[lori_c]

It would seem that MA and her family were also naive if they expected her to be top of the pecking order once she joined the British Royal Family! 

Another quote from "Marie of Romania":

When Marie Alexandrovna discovered athat not only the Princess of Wales, but all of her husband's sisters took precedence before her, she withdrew from court.  The Tsar [AII] asked that his daughter continue to be called an Imperial rather than a Royal Highness, but agreed she couldn't take precedence over the heir's wife.  Both father and daughter, howeveer  held out for Marie's position ahead of the Queen's daughters."

[Eddie_uk]

I think she believed it would be because she was an Imperial Highness whereas the other royal women were 'just' Royal Highnesses.

Also a quote from the book "Marie of Roumania" by Terrence Elsberry:

"Victoria was naive to think a young woman raised as the second lady of Tsarist Russia would submit graciously to becoming a subservient fixture at her own rigid monotonous court. 

Victoria naive?! Never!! It was Marie who should have done without the haughty opinions! "When in Rome....."

Besides Victoria was not happy with her as Affies choice of bride, referring to it as "The murder is out"!!

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, she may just have been naive, although I wonder if it was more than that. I think she may have thought she was above all that, and would always be the most important. She had been not only the tsar's daughter, but his only one who lived, and thus it was easier for her to think she was important. It wasn't really a fault, as it was so natural that she would think so. Despite her status, she might have found it hard to get a match, right. That kind of makes you wonder if royal marriages of the time weren't all about status,l but also included looks or personality. But, I think the marriage was in part a love match, even so, there were just many issues concerning it.

[Katherine_The_O.K.]

It probably helped that she was taught (unlike her english relatives) that her family had a mandate from God to rule (or something to that effect).

[Eddie_uk]

I really wasn't being sarcastic. I don't believe Victoria was ever naive. She was far to shrewd!

[Romanov_fan]

It probably helped that she was taught (unlike her english relatives) that her family had a mandate from God to rule (or something to that effect).

That seems to have been what some Romanovs thought. It depended on which, but it was a mentality native to the family. Another thing is Empress Alexandra certainly had this mentality after she married Czar Nicholas. She was a grand daughter of Queen Victoria though, and Grand Duchess Marie A. was the only daughter of a Czar, so it is easier to see her thinking this way.

[Leuchtenberg]

It would seem that MA and her family were also naive if they expected her to be top of the pecking order once she joined the British Royal Family! 

Another quote from "Marie of Romania":
  Both father and daughter, howeveer  held out for Marie's position ahead of the Queen's daughters."

And I believe that precedence over the Queen's daughters did not occur until after Marie became Duchess of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha.

[Katherine_The_O.K.]

Ha, came across this rather interesting quote in 'Victoria's Daughters'

Marie supposedly commented thus about the bomb thrown during Princess Ena's wedding to Alfonso that she didn't understand what all the fuss was about because "these things happen in Russia all the time."

That gave me a kind of a surprised chuckle!

[Romanov_fan]

Well, she was right! All Romanovs lived their life in danger of this sort of thing to some degree. Marie Alexandrovna's own father died from this. Maybe, she felt safer in a foreign country than Russia, and thus wanted to marry abroad, whoever it was, and whatever chance it was? But, then she wasn't the kind of woman to be imtimdated by these sorts of things.

[grandduchessella]

Ha, came across this rather interesting quote in 'Victoria's Daughters'

Marie supposedly commented thus about the bomb thrown during Princess Ena's wedding to Alfonso that she didn't understand what all the fuss was about because "these things happen in Russia all the time."

That gave me a kind of a surprised chuckle!

I think George V commented on it in a letter--it supposedly didn't help anyone's frayed nerves.

Marie had not only lost her father by a bomb, but her brother Serge the same way just the prior year. Unlike many Romanovs, she went to Serge's funeral in defiance of the security threat. She wasn't cowed by much.

[ilyala]

Ha, came across this rather interesting quote in 'Victoria's Daughters'

Marie supposedly commented thus about the bomb thrown during Princess Ena's wedding to Alfonso that she didn't understand what all the fuss was about because "these things happen in Russia all the time."

That gave me a kind of a surprised chuckle!

 
she reminds me of that annoying aunt that always interferes and comments on everything and has something to say on every subject and mumbles in a world of her own - annoying and funny at the same time. someone that might irritate you on the spot but years later you remember her and have a good laugh

[Katherine_The_O.K.]

Apparently Tennyson wrote an ode to her, too- it sounds like he didn't know her very well, though!  I'd post it, but it's very long. Just google: Marie Alexandrovna Tennyson and it should come up.