i'm not talking about how she was viewed. i'm talking about how she was, or how i think she was since i've never met her personally. but the facts speak for themselves: she had a louzy marriage and she dealed with it and she faced all the stones thrown at her when she divorced. yes, it was ugly, but she did the right thing and she had the guts to do it. it took a long time for her marriage to kyrill to be recognized by she stood by it and maintained her decision because she knew that was the right thing for her (and even taking in consideration her last dissappointment i still think the long years of happy marriage were worth it). the revolution came, she was stripped penniless but she stood by her husband and children and they overcame all that and, yes, i believe that ducky's strength of character had an important role in how the family came out of the whole thing. her husband decided to play tsar - i'm sure she must have realized how useless it was since there was no chance of any tsar ever again in russia - she stood by him and she was a great support to him, rather than continuously nagging him and everyone around her 'oh dear, my daughter died in 1903, remember? oh dear, i had to face a divorce and years of misery, why can't anyone sympthize with me?' etc. etc. insert sobs