One thing I find odd

[Romanov_fan]

Well, yes, any claimant who seemed logical was no doubt a welcome escape from an often drear reality. I don't think Olga A had succession issues on her mind when she was dealing with Anna Anderson. According to the laws, a female could not rule Russia if there were some legitmate male heir, even though it might not be the son of the last Czar. I think there was certainly the aspect of inheiritance if Anna Anderson could be proved to be Anastasia. That was a question. As for peopler being on her side, even though they knew she wasn't Anastasia, perhaps some did. But I think, most believed sincerely in her, who were her supporters.

[Annie]

I agree with Helen and Lemur. It surely would have been more profitable for Olga to support AA, if she were AN, than to deny her. If nothing else, they could have gotten the alleged money and had a great happy life together. That is, IF she had been AN, which she wasn't. Olga had nothing to gain by denying her. She was only telling the sad truth.

[Annie]

And, if they would have chosen one of the tsar's sisters, Xenia, who was marreid to a grand duke and the mother of 6 sons would have been a far more logical choice than Olga A.

By the rules of the British monarchy, Xenia would have been next in line for the throne after the deaths of her brothers and nephews. I personally think she would have been the best choice, she was the closest living relative in line, and she did have those 6 double Romanov blood sons.

[Romanov_fan]

Indeed, Olga was only telling the truth about AA. I think she would have accepted her as Anastasia, if she had been, and Olga could be convinced that she was. If you read Olga's biography, you realize she knew Anastasia relatively well, and had good memories of her. She was quite conflicted about Anna Anderson, indeed. But although Anastasia's appearance would have changed between when Olga A last saw her, and the time she saw Anna Anderson, ( if she had been Anastasia), then I still think that Olga A would have known.

[Ra-Ra-Rasputin]

Olga knew Anastasia 'relatively' well! I'd say a bit more than that! Olga was arguably the closest relative outside of their parents to the Imperial Children.  She took them out every weekend and made a real effort to spend time with them.  They regarded her as more of a sister because of her youth. If any Romanov were to recognise AA as being AN, it would have been Olga. Olga would have had to be a very callous woman to cast off AA if she had really believed her to be AN.  And, from reading her biography and from all other evidence I've ever seen of Olga's personality, I find it very difficult to believe that she could have been capable of such a thing.  I'd find it difficult to believe of anyone, really.  This is why the whole affair is so absurd. 

Rachel
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[Romanov_fan]

The last post is quite true. I think if there had been no doubts in Olga's mind, that Anna Anderson was Anastasia she would have been welcomed with open arms. She would not have considered anything else. But, as Olga A knew that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia, she never welcomed her with open arms. She knew the truth, and the whole affair was absurd. But many things in regards to Anna Anderson were so..

[Annie]

Anastasia really wouldn't have changed much from  1917 when Olga last saw her to 1920. Look at the pics of AA at asylum, she looks much older than the eighteen and a half that AN would have been. FS was five years older than AN, and had a hard life and was more aged beyond her years. Besides the fact that their faces look hardly anything alike if you compare the features one by one, and the bone structure. People may get older, but  their features don't change. As you young people get older, you'll find this to be true too. Why just yesterday morning I met up  with a girl from my seventh grade gym class in a gas station. We recognized each other immediately. We are 44 and hadn't seen each other in 30 years!

[Romanov_fan]

I agree that Anastasia's features would not have changed much. But Anna Anderson did kind of use her allegedly hard life after ''surviving'' as an excuse for why she did not seem to be more like/ look like Anastasia at times. That was not valid, but some people agreed. I think it would have been personality/outlook that would have changed more, and not appearance. But it is often said that Anastasia's appearance would have changed, had she survived. Obviously, Anna Anderson wasn't Anastasia.

[lori_c]

GD Olga Alexandrovna was Anastasia's Godmother.  She was also was known for being very kindhearted and was often the victim of people trying to scam her or convince her that they were her long lost "Malenkaya" (i think this is the Russian word for Little One but not quite sure as I don't have the book here).

She was, however, relatively unconvinced but like so many others, wanted so much to believe that MAYBE one of Nicky's daughters survived.  When she visited and knew it was FS, she could not bring her to be uncaring or unkind to such a "poor creature" and continued to stay in contact with the patient until it became unwise (as far as the family was concerned) to do so.

GD Olga was very involved in the GD lives and the only one to take an interest in their lack of a social life, bringing them to St. Petersburg to be around others closer to their own age.  She most definitely would have known an imposter.  Anastasia's basic features would not have changed in three years even in the most horrible of circumstances.  She still would have exhibited Romanov-Hessian features.

Lori

[Romanov_fan]

Indeed, that is very true. I think Grand Duchess Olga always tried to take an interest in her nieces and give them a social life they may not have had otherwise. She wasn't so much older than Olga N, herself. She was quite close to all her nieces, but perhaps especially Anastasia. She knew her well, and from that description of Anastasia in that biography of her, was quite on target about Anastasia's personality, and nature. She would never have made a mistake on who was her grandaughter or not. She was just being kind hearted, as you said, at first to AA. Her features would not have changed that much, but some people still thought AA resembled Anastasia. But from photos you can see she did not, even accounting for everything AA said happened to her. I don't  know why they thought so, but Anastasia and AA did not look at all alike.

[lexi4]

If anyone was going to recognize her, it would have been GD Olga Alexandrovna. I don't think she had any doubts about AA identity. She knew she was not who she claimed to be. The other thing is, that at first AA claimed to be another one of the czars daughters. Kind of like picking the flavor of the month at an ice cream parlor, don't you think?
Olga last say AN in 1917. I doune that her features changed that much in a two year period. Look at the photos. I could never see any resemblance between AA and AN. The question is, how did AA pull it off for so long.

[Annie]

Anastasia's basic features would not have changed in three years even in the most horrible of circumstances.  She still would have exhibited Romanov-Hessian features.

Lori

Some AA supporters have suggested her injuries would have changed her face, but to this I say it would have looked like a messed up version of AN's face, not change to the face of a completely different person!

[Annie]

If anyone was going to recognize her, it would have been GD Olga Alexandrovna. I don't think she had any doubts about AA identity. She knew she was not who she claimed to be. The other thing is, that at first AA claimed to be another one of the czars daughters. Kind of like picking the flavor of the month at an ice cream parlor, don't you think?

Yes! Once the other mental patient showed her the magazine and said she looked like Tatiana, she went along with it until Sophie B. pronounced her too short to be Tatitana (after pulling down the sheets she hid under!) Then she became "Anastasia", the only GD to match her height. Interesting, huh?

The question is, how did AA pull it off for so long.

This is THE biggest question remaining, and one we can never get to the bottom of because the same old rehased stuff about her still being AN always comes into every discussion and drags it down to the same place as all the other threads. The fact is she WAS NOT AN and the story of how AA and her supporters pulled it off for so long must be fascinating. I know frauds don't leave paper trails and I'm sure they all took their secrets to their graves, and all our speculation can't be proven, though we can assume quite a bit. I do hope someday something on this will be revealed to shut up alll the nonsense and let this story- and AN and FS- finally rest in peace.

[lexi4]

If anyone was going to recognize her, it would have been GD Olga Alexandrovna. I don't think she had any doubts about AA identity. She knew she was not who she claimed to be. The other thing is, that at first AA claimed to be another one of the czars daughters. Kind of like picking the flavor of the month at an ice cream parlor, don't you think?

Yes! Once the other mental patient showed her the magazine and said she looked like Tatiana, she went along with it until Sophie B. pronounced her too short to be Tatitana (after pulling down the sheets she hid under!) Then she became "Anastasia", the only GD to match her height. Interesting, huh?

The question is, how did AA pull it off for so long.

This is THE biggest question remaining, and one we can never get to the bottom of because the same old rehased stuff about her still being AN always comes into every discussion and drags it down to the same place as all the other threads. The fact is she WAS NOT AN and the story of how AA and her supporters pulled it off for so long must be fascinating. I know frauds don't leave paper trails and I'm sure they all took their secrets to their graves, and all our speculation can't be proven, though we can assume quite a bit. I do hope someday something on this will be revealed to shut up alll the nonsense and let this story- and AN and FS- finally rest in peace.

[/quote

Finding her body would help. Although I'm not sure anyone is actively looking right now. It seems it all got put to bed once the DNA tests were in.
I have had a thought...Let's just say that AN did escape to Germany. Do you think it possiblle that she met FS and that is how FS knew so much? Maybe the real AN died. Annie, don't yell at me  I've wanted to ask this for a long time.

[Annie]

Finding her body would help. Although I'm not sure anyone is actively looking right now. It seems it all got put to bed once the DNA tests were in.

Look at Belochka's signature. There are people actively looking right now, and hopefully they can be successful so that this ridiculous nonsense can finally be put to bed, though I'm sure there will still be those who claim tampering, conspiracy, etc.

I have had a thought...Let's just say that AN did escape to Germany. Do you think it possiblle that she met FS and that is how FS knew so much? Maybe the real AN died. Annie, don't yell at me  Smiley I've wanted to ask this for a long time.

I don't want to yell, but that is a stretch. And I must say again, she didn't know that much, and what she did say was often wrong. With the amount of Russian emigres in Berlin in those days, there were literally hundreds who could have given her the info, intentionally or incidentally. And of course you know I am certain some of her suppporters were her main source of 'memories.'

Like I said before, the 'how did she pull it off' story would be so interesting to explore, IF we can EVER get past the old, tired notion that she was still somehow AN. I feel like digging out my headbanger smilie.