Your favorite wacky Felix story

[Kalafrana]

I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Felix's father. Apart from the rumours of male lovers (don't know whether there is any truth in them), he sounds a pretty conventional man. Just imagine having someone like Felix to cope with! I am reminded of my very conventional father's reaction to my brother turning up one Christmas sporting a beard and an earring!

Ann

[Constantinople]

I would say your brother turnıng up with a beard and earing ,is nothing compared to appearing in his mothers clothes.

[Kalafrana]

Indeed. I'm making the point that what to us might seem quite minor can cause terrible shock to a traditionalist papa. I can only imagine the explosion and rapid ascent to 10,000 feet if my brother had taken to women's clothes!

Ann

[Constantinople]

My feeling is that Papa Felix felt so lucky to marry into Russia's richest family that he wasn't in a good position to assert his authority.

[ashdean]

My feeling is that Papa Felix felt so lucky to marry into Russia's richest family that he wasn't in a good position to assert his authority.

My feeling is the senior Felix was not particulary intelligent or educated apart from in military traditions....

[Constantinople]

Then he was doubly lucky to find such a lucrative marriage.

[ashdean]

But he was very handsome and I had no doubt perfect manners.

[Kalafrana]

Interesting that Zenaida, the greatest heiress of her day, surrounded by suitors, married Felix senior in the first place. Because most of our information about him comes from his son, who was out of sympathy with him to say the least, do we underestimate him?

Nowadays parents are supposed to love their children unconditionally, and be understanding of their foibles, but I can't see many Victorian fathers looking at the antics of a son like Felix with anything but horror, if not disgust.

Ann

[ashdean]

Interesting that Zenaida, the greatest heiress of her day, surrounded by suitors, married Felix senior in the first place. Because most of our information about him comes from his son, who was out of sympathy with him to say the least, do we underestimate him?

Nowadays parents are supposed to love their children unconditionally, and be understanding of their foibles, but I can't see many Victorian fathers looking at the antics of a son like Felix with anything but horror, if not disgust.

Ann

Zenaida married him because she no doubt fell in love with him..and love is blind.....she might have had much more in common with other suitors to whom she was less initially attracted such as the Obolensky brothers...Whatever she made her choice and seems to have been contented enough with it...

[Gorseheart]

I love Felix's "Character"!

[Calypto]

In his old age, having dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, wearing so much makeup that it cracked and fell onto his plate!

this is the first time i have heard of that can i please have more information on it.  thanks

I read about this in Gregory King's book The Man Who Killed Rasputin.  Essentially, it was that Felix was so vain he caked make up on his face to try and hide the fact that he was aging and his looks fading away.  Well, one night he was having some people over for dinner and the make up kept falling from his face into his food.

[Calypto]

I'd have to say my two favorite stories about him are how he would go around as a toddler asking "Isn't baby pretty?" and the one about how he and his brother would lock guests they didn't like in the elevator and leave them there for the servants to get.

[ashanti01]

I'd have to say my two favorite stories about him are how he would go around as a toddler asking "Isn't baby pretty?" and the one about how he and his brother would lock guests they didn't like in the elevator and leave them there for the servants to get.

If I recall correctly, Felix and Nicholas would lock up their paternal grandmother in the elevator. She would become hysterical, cry for help and they would eventually "rescue her". It seemed they enjoyed the attentions they received from her for their heroic acts.

[Kalafrana]

Deliberately failing the entrance exam for the Corps des Pages seems very Felix.