Alexandra Feodorovna: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of Russian Royalty); by Hourly History.

................................................................................................

Alexandra Feodorovna: A Life

From Beginning to End

(Biographies of Russian Royalty)

by Hourly History.

................................................................................................

Very badly written, as is the case with so many in Hourly History series.

A far better read is, written in first person with Princess Victoria as protagonist, The Royal Mob.

................................................................................................

Once again the idiotic author of this volume, as in many others in this series, not only makes asinine comments, but hurries to do so in the introduction.

"It’s sometimes hard to separate Alexandra Feodorovna from her husband, Tsar Nicholas II.

"From the moment of their first meeting, Alexandra was thrust down a path of destruction and instability. ... "

This is snidely insinuating to the effect that there was inescapable doom waiting as soon as she met him, which is nonsense.

And not because such concepts are nonsense, but rather because if anything, the doom had struck when Cousin Willie went after Alexandra, and took her rejection hard.

Alexandra was intended by her grandmother Queen Victoria for her second grandson who, due to subsequent demise of his elder brother, later ruled England as George V; but she, the grandmother, was reconciled to the choice of the granddaughter.

Not so Cousin Willie, who was chiefly responsible for the horrendous events perpetrated against Romanov clan that Alexandra married into, having fallen in love with Nicholas, a first cousin and lookalike of George V, so much so they were often mistaken for one another - even by close relatives.

................................................................................................

" ... There is no way she could have foreseen the events of the future, and it’s not abundantly clear that she would have done much in her life differently even if she had. Alexandra loved Nicholas with an impetuous, youthful, reckless abandon. That love would ultimately cost her her life."

Is the author, the series, advocating a marriage of a dry contractual relationship free of romance, or merely an old age love with caution? Unless they are counseling in favor of a political relationship modeled on that between, say, UK and Belgium, for example?

As to love costing her her life, didn't an arranged and supposedly loveless marriage cost her life to Marie Antoinette?

................................................................................................

"While there is a lot of speculation as to who is to blame for the Russian Revolution that caused the murder of the imperial family, Grigori Rasputin, the infamous mystic, certainly didn’t help matters. But the truth is that the wheels of revolution were set in motion decades before Alexandra came to Russia."

Oh, it was Cousin Willie all right. Not Rasputin, not anyone else, but the man responsible for sending Lenin in a diplomatic sealed train deep into Russia.

................................................................................................

"“We have got to know a man of God; Grigori.”

"—Nicholas II"

Having read somewhat on the topic, one gets the impression that he was murdered partly due to power equations within the Romanov clan, and the aura of fear or fisttudt thst was largely due to an abrahmic creed gripping the land that would not allow spirituality outside institutions sanctioned by church.

................................................................................................

"“Life is meant for work, and not for pleasure.”

"—Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland"

................................................................................................

"The girl who would become Alexandra Feodorovna, empress consort of Russia, was born on June 6, 1872. Christened Alix Viktoria Helene Luise Beatrix, she was the sixth out of seven children of Prince Louis of Hesse and Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland.

"Princess Alix grew up in the small German city of Darmstadt in a firm but loving home. She and her siblings spent time with governesses and nurses as was common for children of noble birth, but their mother was still very much involved in the day-to-day raising of her children. Alix and her four sisters often found themselves playing in their mother’s rooms while she read or maintained her correspondence.

................................................................................................

"Alix grew up in a surprisingly English household.... "

Surprising, why? A mother's upbringing isn't irrelevant!

" ... Her mother, Princess Alice, modeled the homelife in their Darmstadt palace after her childhood home in England, making sure to approve the staff and supervise her children’s religious and secular education. Additionally, the family vacationed in England at least once a year where the children spent time with their grandmother, Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland, at Windsor Castle, Balmoral, or Osborne."

For that matter, according to Edward VIII, the language of the household of his parents, George V and Queen Mary, would switch to German, as soon as any guests, servants or other outsiders - such as ministers of the British government - had taken leave, and it was only family together.

"Along with her sisters, Alix was groomed for her role as the future wife of a head of state from an early age. As a child, she would accompany her mother to visit hospitals and charitable institutions; this teaching helped prepare Alix for the day when she would be expected to do her own charitable works as the wife of a sovereign."

This is a nonsensical paragraph written with a 20-20 hindsight. In reality, these were four sisters, and Alix was youngest. There was no such guarantee or even expectation as "her role as the future wife of a head of state", since she could very well have selected to marry a different man. A royal match was usually then expected, in fact without alternatives, but head of state was not routine expectation.

Elder sisters of Alix married royal cousins, or others in clans, but it was only Alix who was not only married to a head of state, but it so happened, was proposed to by two others, or by heads of state on their behalf.

Queen Victoria had wanted her to marry the English prince that eventually ruled as George V, and cousin Willie - eldest grandson of Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia, was after marrying Alix too.

But she and Nicholas were in love as soon as they met.

................................................................................................

"In her early days, Alix’s cheerful disposition made her a favored child and earned her the nickname “Sunny” in much of her mother’s correspondence. She loved animals, preferring them to dolls, and enjoyed playing dress-up with her mother’s old clothes. However, at the mere age of six, the young princess’s life would take a dark turn when diphtheria broke out in the palace. Largely eradicated today, diphtheria is a bacterial infection ... which led to diphtheria being one of the major killers of the late nineteenth century. Despite these dangers, ever the hands-on mother, Princess Alice took care of her ill children herself, rather than handing their care off to governesses.

"The outbreak of diphtheria would change Alix’s life forever, taking the life of both her youngest sister Marie and her mother. Alix’s father and older sisters worked hard to step into the void left by her mother’s death, but losing her loving mother, her touchstone at such a young age, must have been a formidable loss for Alix. The contagion at the palace also meant that Alix was in a new home, and had lost, at least temporarily, all of her possessions while they underwent disinfection.

................................................................................................

"Some weeks after Alice’s death, the family went to England so that the children could be with their grandmother, Queen Victoria. But Alix would not be the happy and energetic young girl she had once been; after the deaths of her sister and mother, she withdrew and became increasingly shy. By the following winter, life had resumed with the family carving out a new definition of normal. Alix began schooling in earnest, learning handwriting, history, literature, and geography—all subjects she would be expected to be knowledgeable about once she married. She learned French, but—like generations after her—struggled with it for the rest of her life.

"In 1884, one of Alix’s older sisters, Elisabeth, married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia. While the family attended the wedding, Alix met Sergei’s nephew, the 16-year-old tsarevich, Nicholas Alexandrovich. Alix, the tsarevich, and his brothers and sisters spent a few days together after the marriage ceremonies, playing together in the gardens. Nicholas is said to have admired the young princess; although only 12 years old, Alix was already known for her beauty—her tall, slim stature, golden hair, and oftentimes serious expression made her appear older than she was. By the time Alix returned to visit St. Petersburg in 1889, Nicholas’s feelings of admiration had blossomed into love. He later explained his feelings in a diary entry, “It is my dream to one day marry Alix H. I have loved her for a long time, but more deeply and strongly since 1889 when she spent six weeks in Petersburg.” Alix, for her part, soon came to reciprocate his love.

"In 1889, it became clear that the young princess had gained another admirer, Prince Albert Victor, the duke of Clarence and Avondale. Second in the line of succession to the British throne, Albert Victor appeared to be the perfect match for Alix. Alix’s family, including Queen Victoria who would have loved to see her favorite granddaughter move closer to home, tried to convince her to accept his proposal of marriage, but she refused—her heart belonged to another man."

"Between 1889 and 1894, Alix and Nicholas did not see each other much but were often corresponding. She maintained her love for him, but the question of marriage was tricky. She had been raised in the Lutheran faith and had extensive religious training, as was typical for noble-born women at the time. Her faith had kept her steadfast as she recovered from the death of her mother and later her father. Marrying Nicholas, who was next in line to rule Russia, would mean converting to the Russian Orthodox religion."

................................................................................................

Author takes occasion here to write a long sermon about how people in that era did not marry for love, and royals did not fall in love with working people, and if Nicholas had been a labourer, alix would not have fallen in love with him.

This is all mostly trash talk.

While it's true thst European caste system was maintained with rigidity, there were more rungs than two, - and there were, even before time of Alix’s own, more than one "Morgantic" marriage, which means that someone royal had not only fallen in love with but chosen to marry a non-royal partner.

Two obvious examples are Battenberg family that Victoria, elder sister of Alix, married into; and Archduke of Austria-Hungary, an heir who wasn't called prince only due to a morganatic marriage.

This resulted in the said royal losing the privileges of royalty, for most part. Bartenders, for example, were treated to a very low table at family weddings in Prussia, despite Queen Victoria disapproving of such treatment.

................................................................................................

"It was in this environment that Alix was raised—the expectations that she would do her duty ranked above her personal happiness. While in her position she would not likely be expected to marry someone strictly for political gain, there certainly were unwritten rules about who would be a suitable suitor. Paired with the issue of religion, falling in love with Nicholas sent Alix down a slippery slope. The question of religion was not one to be taken lightly. The Russian people viewed their tsar as one step below God; their religious icons often depicted both God and the tsar—one being the God in heaven, the other being the God on earth. That kind of idolatry must have been difficult for Alix to understand, coming from a religious background that equated no man to God."

This is disgusting effort by author to insinuate that only European, but not Russian, version of a religion splintered into well over two dozen pieces, could be right. Which has an inherent assumption that no other religion is right or true.

Why assume this in the first place?

And the author just gave a sermon, however false, about how Alix was expected to marry a head of state and couldn't have married a labourer. Why wax eloquent about love if changing religion for sake of one's love were unacceptable?

As to idolatry, it's the usual garbage thrown by various abrahmics against others including other abrahmics. What's not idolatry about erecting memorials, putting up statues or posters, or holding sacred what's physically a bunch of squiggles on paper?

................................................................................................

" ... Her sister Elisabeth, who lived in Russia with her husband, approved of a union between the tsarevich and Alix, as did Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. ... "

First half may be correct, but latter half is as false as it can be.

" ... Nicholas’s father, Tsar Alexander III, on the other hand, had been opposed to his son marrying a German princess from the start. It was only when his health began to fail in 1894 that he considered allowing the match. Queen Victoria, who took great interest in Alix’s wellbeing, also expressed opposition to the union; while she liked Tsarevich Nicholas, she had her misgivings about Nicholas’s father and Russia as a whole."

Also, grandmother Queen Victoria had wanted Alix to marry the English grandson of hers, who at that time wasn't expected to rule England but eventually did, due to his elder brother's demise.

" ... Nicholas pursued Alix at every opportunity. Sometimes, those were few and far between. They had known each other for a decade when he was finally able to make his intentions clear. The wedding of Alix’s brother in April of 1894 offered the perfect opportunity for Nicholas to propose to Alix in person. With his father’s approval secured, Nicholas asked her to marry him. Initially, she refused; staunchly religious, she did not feel comfortable converting to the Orthodox faith. However, after discussing the matter with several people, including Elisabeth who very much wanted her sister to join her in Russia, Alix decided to follow her heart and accept Nicholas’s proposal. Overjoyed and relieved, she sent a letter to her old governess saying, “I am more happy than words can express; at last after these five sad years!” Nicholas, for his part, wrote a journal entry which stated, “A marvelous, unforgettable day in my life. The day of my engagement to my precious, beloved Alix. Walked around the entire day in a haze, not fully conscious, actually, of what happened to me.”

................................................................................................

" ... For most of their engagement they were apart, but they exchanged letters almost daily. While in England with her grandmother Queen Victoria, Alix began her instruction in the Russian Orthodox religion. At her grandmother’s urging, she met with the bishop of Ripon, who taught her that there were many similarities between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England. Later, Alix would train with the Russian emperor’s confessor, Father Yanishev.

"Alix also began to study the Russian language. Being the tsaritsa was not going to be an easy task seeing as the Russian Empire comprised one-sixth of the globe. Alix would be expected to have a presence at court and to serve as a volunteer or sponsor for charitable organizations. She had much to learn not only about the language of her new country but about their customs and traditions.

"In June of 1894, Nicholas was finally able to visit his bride-to-be. Nicholas and Alix spent time together horseback riding and attending parties as well as celebrating the birth and christening of their mutual cousin, who eventually would reign as King Edward VIII. ... "

Edward VIII did become king automatically on death of his father, but was never criwned, forced by his parliament to make a choice between throne of England and marrying a woman who had not only one but two prior, living, husbands at the time.

So "reign as King" seems not entirely appropriate a phrase.

"Queen Victoria made certain the pair was adequately chaperoned, sometimes even taking them around herself. After a few weeks, they were once again split up as Nicholas’s duties took him back to Russia.

"Whatever plans they may have had for the engagement or wedding were changed when, in October, Nicholas summoned Alix to Russia. His father, the reigning emperor, was dying."

................................................................................................

"“Never did I believe there could be such utter happiness in this world.”

"—Alexandra Feodorovna"

................................................................................................

" ... Alix’s consecration into the Russian Orthodox Church came at 10 am the morning after Alexander III died. At that moment, she officially became Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna, intended to marry the newly crowned Tsar Nicholas II."

"Nicholas and Alexandra chose the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg, as their home. The mood at Alexander Palace was much less formal than at the Winter Palace. The family could be a family. By and large, there was no court at the Alexander Palace, so there were fewer rules for behavior or demands for audiences. For Alexandra, the palace would become both a refuge from the pressures of the outside world and a prison."

The last mentioned was only after the revolution, something unexpected at the time of her wedding and until it happened.

To insinuate that it was a prison already is a desperate attempt by the author to create atmosphere that fidnt in reality exist, and stinks of very bad writing.

................................................................................................

"The palace was remodeled and in some areas completely reconstructed in order to serve as apartments for the royal family. Alexandra chose to decorate in an English style—a small bit of home in a country still very new to her. While it was considered at the time to be modern, many in the Russian court saw it as middle class at best, certainly beneath the class of the imperials. It was not the last modernization that Alexander Palace would see. Eventually, the palace was wired for both telephone and electricity. A hydraulic lift was installed, and a screening room was built.

"Within three months of her marriage to Nicholas, Alexandra was pregnant. The royal family took pleasure in knowing that an heir might well be on the way. Alexandra spent most of the spring and summer at the family’s seaside villa in Peterhof. As most first-time mothers are, Alexandra was a bit nervous about her impending child’s birth. Nevertheless, Grand Duchess Olga was born on November 15, 1895. Although the Russian people had hoped for a male heir to secure succession to the throne, her parents were overjoyed at her arrival. The guns at the Fortress of Saints Peter and Paul rang out with 101 shots to mark the event.

"Alexandra jumped into motherhood with both feet. She had a cradle for baby Olga in her room. She nursed the baby herself, although the family did employ a wet nurse just in case she would be needed. Alexandra bathed the baby herself, knit tiny baby clothes for her, and was very hands-on in her care, much as her own mother had been. Most royal families had a long list of nursery staff that would help raise the children. While Alexandra did employ a Russian nurse and brought her own nurse from Germany to oversee the nursery, it was considered very odd that Alexandra nursed the baby herself. It set her apart from the ladies of the Russian court."

"The expectations placed upon Alexandra were high. She was expected to be both a social butterfly and the image of a perfect mother. It’s very likely, after the rough beginning of her reign, that she was in a position where nothing she did was quite right. Had she hired staff and made the most of the social season that started with the New Year, she may well have been criticized for not taking her duties as Olga’s mother seriously."

Chances are her being foreign was chief thorn, magnified by those against her.

................................................................................................

"Although Nicholas and Alexandra were already the official tsar and tsaritsa, their coronation ceremony took more than a year to plan and was not scheduled until May of 1896. It was full of the usual pomp and circumstance, with the entire Romanov family as well as royalty from other countries in attendance. It was to be the last great coronation that Russia ever witnessed. The coronation of Nicholas and Alexandra also marked the first-ever Russian state occasion captured on film. The tsar and tsaritsa can be seen descending a staircase in all their finery. It was one of the few moments in Alexandra’s new life as tsaritsa where she wasn’t preceded by her mother-in-law. According to a royal edict handed down by Tsar Paul I, Dowager Empress Maria outranked Alexandra. In most other state functions, Maria accompanied Nicholas, while Alexandra walked behind. Having been raised the granddaughter of one of the most powerful monarchs in the world, Alexandra must have found it difficult to get used to her place behind the dowager empress."

The said dowager empress was erstwhile Princess Dagmar of Denmark, sister of Alexandra, then Princess of Wales and soon Queen of England.

" ... In letters to her sisters, Alexandra states that she felt the coronation to be some kind of mystic marriage to Russia.

................................................................................................

"A few days after the ceremony, a public celebration had been planned at the Khodynka Field in Moscow. The celebration was to include food and gifts to be handed out to attendees. The imperial family was expected to make an appearance, and everyone was eager to see the newly crowned emperor and empress. People began lining up to receive gifts and be present for the appearance several hours in advance. Estimates put the crowd at as many as 500,000 people. As the crowd grew, rumors began to circulate that there would not be enough food for everyone. Increasingly agitated, the crowd started to push towards the pavilions, causing a stampede that left more than 1,300 people dead.

"By the time Nicholas and Alexandra made their appearance at Khodynka Field, all evidence of the stampede had been cleared up. It took days before the full extent of the injuries were known. While Nicholas and Alexander wanted to cancel further celebration activities, they were encouraged by their ministers and staff to continue as planned. The planned celebrations were elaborate and expensive. The ministers counseled that canceling the parties may offend diplomatic guests. When Nicholas and Alexandra made their appearance at a ball, attendees remarked that it was obvious that the tsaritsa was upset.

"The Khodynka Tragedy became a public relations nightmare for the Russian court. It would not be the last time that advice from his ministers would be catastrophic for Nicholas. Alexandra took it upon herself to visit victims of the disaster, and Nicholas arranged for money to be sent to the families of victims. However, the events at Khodynka Field cast a pall on the rest of the coronation activities, which continued until June 7. The gifts and visitations were seen as too little, too late. ... "

................................................................................................

" ... Even though Nicholas and Alexandra had chosen where to make their home, many other aspects of their lives were dictated by the dowager empress. Because of the protocol involved, Nicholas’s mother outranked Alexandra in a number of areas. She had even chosen the household staff, including Alexandra’s ladies-in-waiting.

"Despite being the granddaughter of the British queen, Alexandra’s life had been relatively sheltered. While she had spent time within the walls of the monarchy, most of her life had been spent quietly at home in Darmstadt. She was utterly unprepared for the daily life of the tsaritsa. As tsaritsa, she had big shoes to fill. Her mother-in-law, Maria Feodorovna, was ebullient, vivacious, and charming. She had come to Russia from Denmark in 1866, making her formal introduction to Russian society in September and marrying Tsarevich Alexander in November. Maria was widely accepted by the Russian people from the start, winning their affection with her generous smile and pleasant mannerisms.

"Crowned in 1881, she played her role as tsaritsa perfectly. She presided over balls, entertained visiting dignitaries, and did social work as was expected of her. Maria was tactful and diplomatic and often ran interference between extended members of the royal family and her husband. Maria had, however, not approved of Alexandra as Nicholas had hoped. Both she and her husband found Alexandra shy and lacking in the skills needed to navigate the sophisticated Russian court. It was only at the end, when Alexander’s death was imminent, that they gave their blessing. They knew that it would be better for Nicholas to be married before his coronation as emperor.

................................................................................................

" ... While everyone was aware that Nicholas would take the throne one day, his father was only 49 years old when he died. Alexander had wrongly assumed that there would be plenty of time for his son to learn how to be a leader. It’s no wonder that Russians, as a whole, felt great unrest.

"As Alexandra attempted to find her footing as Russia’s tsaritsa, she found herself in a world she didn’t quite understand. While she had converted to the Russian Orthodox religion and endeavored to learn the Russian language, many Russian court events were carried out in French, another language that Alexandra struggled to master. Although Alexandra read Russian literature and worked with tutors and translators, she was still largely shunned by the Russian court because of her inability to adopt Russian culture.

"Because the marriage had happened so quickly, Alexandra had initially been squeezed into a few rooms of Nicholas’s bachelor quarters at Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg. They had no formal dining room and shared one formal sitting room. Alexandra had no opportunity to hold even small dinner parties or entertain even modest groups of people as would have been expected of her. Custom dictated that she hold audiences and invite the wives of Russia’s aristocracy to tea or other events, yet she was unable to do so. This would only have contributed to the view of Alexandra as cold and inhospitable.

................................................................................................

" ... Today, we would suggest that she had social anxiety, and a woman of Alexandra’s station would have aides who would help her navigate the cultural minefield that a royal court could be. She would be taught coping mechanisms to allow her to fulfill her role as tsaritsa in a more fitting manner. But in the late nineteenth century, none of these supports existed. Alexandra remained poorly trained for her role and mentally unable to carry out some of her royal responsibilities."

Surely that exposes the earlier lie by this author, namely, that she'd been expected to marry a head of state? For, had it been so, surely between England and Germany, they could train her for the role?

"Alexandra did have a passion for social work. She visited schools and hospitals with Nicholas and wanted to establish workhouses for the poor. Workhouses had been widely used in Victorian England since the establishment of the New Poor Law of 1834. Alexandra also set up a school for nurses and housemaids, modeled after Princess Christian’s School for Nurses in London. She often supported her charities out of her own pockets, as was the tradition in Russia. While she threw herself into charity work in between pregnancies, she did not have much to do with royal activities. This further perpetuated the notion that Alexandra was a recluse."

................................................................................................

"During the autumn of 1896, Nicholas and Alexandra began traveling. Finally, Alexandra was getting to see more of her adopted country as well as parts of Europe. Their travels took them to Vienna and then to England, where Alexandra presented her daughter to Queen Victoria. One can imagine the poignancy of that moment. It was important for Alexandra to be able to show off her own dear child to the grandmother that had molded and shaped her. Unfortunately, Olga was to be the only one of Alexandra’s children to meet their great-grandmother since this was the last time Alexandra would visit Queen Victoria before she passed away.

"While the tsaritsa may not have been popular in Russia, she and baby Olga were a hit in France. They visited Paris and Versailles in October of 1896, where they were cheered in the streets and given gifts. They then traveled to Darmstadt, a visit which Alexandra thoroughly enjoyed.

"Back in Russia, Alexandra’s sister Elisabeth advised her to host several gatherings during the coming social season. She scheduled events and was hopeful that her reception among the Russian aristocracy would be improved. This was not to be, however, as Alexandra was unable to play hostess. She became pregnant again and required extensive bedrest.

................................................................................................

"The fact that Alexandra was on bedrest was not publicly known; it was against custom to ask about the health of the emperor or empress. With no announcement to explain the absence of the tsaritsa, it was easy for many in the Russian aristocracy to assume that Alexandra was not interested in getting to know them. This pattern would continue for many years. Most of Alexandra’s pregnancies required some level of bedrest. Her frequent pregnancies created illnesses out of her control, but for which she was harshly judged."

This would be exaggerated due to Russian court adopting French fashions of society, which according to Balzac held social engagements and fashions higher, attempting to hide such natural matters as pregnancy, childbirth and children themselves, until the latter could be old enough to groom into society.

For that matter, the hands-on parenting by Diana, late Princess of Wales was a departure from norms of her in-laws traditions. She was, however, far too popular to be openly criticised for this.

................................................................................................

"When Tatiana was born on June 10, 1897, Alexandra again nursed the newborn. She considered it to be a mother’s sacred duty, but it kept her close to home, still unable to socialize or make any connections with anyone but her family. The timing of her pregnancies suggests that she nursed each baby for around two years; however, two years is a long time to be out of the public eye when entertaining and being social is part of your job description."

"A third daughter, Maria, was born on June 26, 1899. Again, Alexandra endured weeks of bedrest to ensure a healthy pregnancy and nursed and cared for the baby herself, missing social events. By now, people were starting to wonder when a male heir would arrive. As was common prior to medical advances in the twentieth century, Alexandra was blamed for the lack of a baby boy. While there is no written evidence to suggest that there was a resulting rift between Nicholas and Alexandra, it’s easy to imagine that Alexandra must have felt an increasing pressure to have a boy.

................................................................................................

"In 1900, Nicholas and Alexandra spent Easter in Moscow. This centuries-old tradition had been abandoned, likely due to safety concerns during the reign of Nicholas’s grandfather. Alexandra explored the five churches in the Kremlin with her brother-in-law, Grand Duke Sergei, as her tour guide. She attended Midnight Mass and the multitude of Easter week activities. Even though the court traveled with Nicholas and Alexandra, her religious fervor did nothing to win over the aristocracy. In fact, it likely contributed to their view of her as backward-striving—while the country was religious, the court was a bit more indulgent.

"When Alexandra’s beloved grandmother, Queen Victoria, died in January of 1901, mourning and sadness drove her even further into seclusion. Victoria had been Alexandra’s second mother, guiding her through her teen years and her first years of marriage. The loss was incredible. Alexandra was unable to attend the funeral; she was pregnant again, and travel was not advised. A funeral service was held in the English church in St. Petersburg, where Alexandra broke down publicly. She later wrote to her sister, Princess Victoria, “How I envy you being able to see beloved Grandmama being taken to her last rest. I cannot believe she is really gone, that we shall never see her any more.”"

That was the sister who married a Battenberg first cousin from the family ill-treated by their Prussian first cousin, Cousin Willie, due to his parent's morganatic marriage.

................................................................................................

" ... Once their apartments were finished, Nicholas and Alexandra occasionally had family style dinners with soldiers, government administrators, visiting ambassadors, or royalty. It was rare that the family sat down together for a quiet dinner.

"Nicholas would often continue working in the evenings, and Alexandra would spend time with the children. She was a voracious reader and also liked to play music. One of Alexandra’s rooms boasted a beautiful piano that can be seen today in the restored palace. A smaller piano resides in Alexandra’s famous Mauve Room, also at the Alexander Palace.

"Alexandra’s lack of popularity among members of the Russian aristocracy trickled down to the citizens of Russia. She had not made the grand entrance into St. Petersburg that her mother-in-law had when she entered Russian society from Denmark. Alexandra was far more socially inept than Maria had been. The women fundamentally disagreed on many points and were in many ways polar opposites. Maria, as well as the Russian people, undoubtedly viewed Alexandra’s failure to provide an heir to the tsar as a mark of her character.

"When a fourth daughter, Anastasia, was born on June 18, 1901, the tension was palpable. Nicholas even went on a long walk before he met his newest daughter. Alexandra, still in mourning for her beloved grandmother, must have felt saddened by her inability to produce an heir for the husband she loved."

................................................................................................

"On August 12, 1904, the much longed-for Russian heir made his appearance. As in many families, the youngest was doted upon, and Tsarevich Alexei Nicholaevich quickly earned the nickname “Baby” and was also lovingly called “Alyosha.” Russia rejoiced at the birth of a boy. His christening was a public holiday, celebrated by everyone. As a baby, he was already made colonel of several regiments. Gifts stacked up, and the Russian people also enjoyed amnesties and gifts of money from the royal family. The family was truly happy in the months after Alexei’s birth. Alexandra experienced a resurgence in her popularity—while she still wasn’t great at the social side, in the eyes of the Russian people, she had fulfilled her greatest duty.

"The tsaritsa’s newfound happiness would not be long-lived, however, as Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia before his first birthday. In the early twentieth century, hemophilia, or bleeder’s disease, was a death sentence, and the imperial family knew it. Alexandra’s brother Friedrich had died from the disorder, as had an uncle. Friedrich had died when he was only three years old. He fell through an open window, landing 20 feet below. The young boy survived the fall but died several hours later of a brain bleed. He probably would have survived had it not been for his affliction, so Alexandra was well aware of what Alexei’s diagnosis could mean for his future."

While rest of it is true, the bit about a three year old surviving a 20-foot fall from a window if it weren't for haemophilia is quite asinine, especially if he fell on a hard surface such as a stone paved flooring below, and was wounded in head, indicated by the "brain bleed" as author terms it.

................................................................................................

"By the mid-twentieth century, ten of Queen Victoria’s male descendants would be dead from hemophilia."

Considering how many intermarriages took place from Victoria onwards between her descendents and their cousins, it's hardly surprising.

"If the Russian people, who had so yearned for a male heir, found out that the tsarevich had what was at the time a fatal illness they would have been greatly unsettled. In a time of growing political instability, releasing the specifics of Alexei’s condition could also have given Nicholas’s enemies additional fuel to the fires of dissent. For those reasons, the tsarevich’s illness was kept a state secret. Only a select group of trusted staff and doctors were informed about the diagnosis—not even Alexei’s sisters and grandmother were aware."

" ... For Alexei, what should be inconsequential accidents caused seeping internal blood loss. The blood would sometimes leak into his joints, causing intense pain. The tsarevich spent a great deal of time bedridden, unable to walk or write because he was in too much pain. Even though he was constantly supervised, he had several severe bleeding accidents in his lifetime."

................................................................................................

" ... It’s also possible that after Alexei’s diagnosis, they weren’t willing to risk having another son with hemophilia. For whatever reason, there would be no more children and no second son.

"Thus, Alexandra became consumed with caring for Alexei. At a time when it was medically unlikely that he would grow to adulthood, Alexandra put tremendous pressure on herself to help him grow up to be emperor. Alexei’s education included studies that would prepare him for eventual leadership; Nicholas’s rough start as a tsar had at least taught them that much."

" ... In 1908, Alexandra developed heart problems. Her physician suggested she spend time in Nauheim, in Hesse. The entire family spent several weeks there in 1910, and Alexandra took the opportunity to spend time with her brother and some of her sisters. The trip could not be said to be terribly helpful, however, as the tsaritsa spent most of her time prostrate on her couch, with her siblings keeping her company."

................................................................................................

"“We have got to know a man of God; Grigori.”

"—Nicholas II"

................................................................................................

"Grigori Rasputin first entered the imperial family’s lives in 1905. By then, he had developed quite the reputation throughout Russia. Born Grigori Yefemovich in Pokrovskoye, Siberia, his roots were simple. He had undergone a religious transformation in his late twenties and had spent considerable time taking pilgrimages around the countryside. At the time that he left his village, he was the suspect in a horse theft, which may have played a role in his traveling."

Where would a thief hide a horse in country or village? Likely thst accusation was false, brought on due to his spiritual persona bothering those that couldn't take it.

Wasn't Jean D'Arc accused similarly falsely before being burned at stake, although not of horse theft?

................................................................................................

"By the turn of the twentieth century, Rasputin had gained several followers. He had returned to his native village and built a chapel in his father’s root cellar where he held prayer services on Sundays and Russian High Holy Days. It was rumored that these services included ritualistic bathing of Rasputin by his female acolytes, and there were even whispers that there were sexual orgies following the services. Investigations by the local police failed to find proof of these rumors."

Typical of false accusations in such cases.

"Rasputin’s reputation as a faith healer continued to grow. He again began traveling, this time as a staret, or holy man. He was said to be able to help those who were having a crisis of conscience to resolve their issues. Rumors of sexual infidelity continued to follow him, but by this time, Rasputin had the backing of several leaders within the church.

"Rasputin’s introduction to the Romanovs came at a time of great crisis. The Russo-Japanese War had just ended badly for Russia. Nicholas had been forced to grant concessions, and it was seen as a failure of his leadership. ... "

Henceforth author proceeds to accuse Rasputin, of fraud and manipulation.

................................................................................................

"For Alexandra, Alexei’s bleeding incident at Spala in 1912 had marked the end of her patience with doctors. At this point, she was spending hours each day in prayer. The best doctors in Russia, and possibly abroad, had been called in to consult on Alexei’s case. They all agreed that he was being cared for in the best way they knew how. There was nothing more to be done. Alexandra decided to call on Rasputin, who promised her that “God has seen your tears and heard your prayers. Do not grieve. The Little One will not die.”

"When Alexei began to improve the next day, Alexandra credited his improvement to Rasputin. It was then that Rasputin’s influence within the royal family began to grow. His visits to Alexander Palace increased, and he would often talk to the tsaritsa by phone or telegram. When Rasputin met with the empress, he was the very picture of a demure, responsive man of God. Although his visits to the palace were short, he acted as one would expect a religious figure to act with the royal family. He inquired after the health of the girls and took time to interact with Alexei.

"Outside of the royal sphere, however, Rasputin was a different man. He drank a lot and enjoyed his fair share of women. ... Despite all of that, Alexandra believed Rasputin to be her son’s savior. Because of the way he acted with her, she assumed that the rumors of his inappropriate behavior were simply rumors, not to be taken seriously. Using Alexei’s miraculous recovery from his bleeding incident in 1912 as proof of Rasputin’s powers, she would hear no unkind words about him."

What in heavens name do you want from a young mother of an only son and heir, a last child, whom this man and no one else seemed capable of healing? Was she to look at photographs, hear gossip, and behave as others wished, and risk letting her son die?

................................................................................................

"At the turn of the twentieth century, Russia was a country on the rise. Always looking to expand, Russia sought a warm water port to make it possible to ship goods year-round. Japan was threatened by Russia’s expansion and sought to limit their sphere of influence.

"At the time, Japan was seen as the “Yellow Peril.” Nicholas, on the other hand, was seen as the “savior of the white race” by European leaders, including Kaiser Wilhelm, who assured Nicholas that God himself had chosen Nicholas to stop the rise of the Japanese Empire. Nicholas, influenced by the implied offer of German support, pushed hard against Japan. The two countries attempted to negotiate a political stance that would neither increase the political tensions of two growing empires nor leave either of them looking powerless in the world view. However, negotiations broke down in 1904. The Japanese attacked Russia’s fleet at Port Arthur immediately after declaring war in February. The Russian navy was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War that lasted a year and a half. Peace was negotiated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, and the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed September 5, 1905."

Cousin Willie had just begun and finished step one of his revenge against the man Alix chose to marry, instead of himself.

................................................................................................

"The loss was staggering to Russia. Their expansionist policy had been in place since the sixteenth century, and they weren’t a country that was accustomed to losing wars. The loss helped fuel the feeling of revolution that was growing in Russia. In January 1905, a group of workers had marched on the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The group were striking and wanted to present a petition to Nicholas, asking for protection for workers and the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Police officers were deployed to ensure the safety of both the marchers and any bystanders. However, imperial troops opened fire on the unarmed marchers at several points throughout the day—reports of dead and wounded range from 100 to 350. The protest and ensuing violence became known as Bloody Sunday.

"The events of Bloody Sunday were a lynchpin for Russia. Nicholas himself had bemoaned his lack of preparation for being tsar, and many Russians were frustrated by the autocracy as a whole. Combined with Nicholas’s perceived weakness, outside influence, and cold response to events such as the Khodynka Tragedy, Bloody Sunday launched the earliest stages of the Russian Revolution. In an effort to appease the public, the tsar agreed to give up part of his previously unlimited power. Thus, in 1906, the First Duma was convened in Russia. Originally thought to be an advisory arm, not a legislative one, Nicholas agreed to its formation to stave off further unrest. His relationship with the Duma was strained from the start, however, with its members demanding universal suffrage, land reform, and power to appoint ministers. In an effort to retain his autocracy, Nicholas dismissed the First Duma in June. By 1907, the Duma had been convened twice more.

"Nicholas managed to circumvent full-blown revolution when he signed the Russian Constitution of 1906. The Constitution granted Russian citizens certain rights and laid the groundwork for a constitutional monarchy in Russia. Several years of relative calm followed the Constitution of 1906.

................................................................................................

"In August 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. It had been generally believed that the family ties that linked Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II would prevent all-out war. However, when Russia sided with Serbia after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Germany declared war on Russia in defense of its alliance with Austria. Overall, the Russians felt ready for World War I; the Russian army was larger and thought to be better able to mobilize against Germany. In reality, Germany was better equipped and had more experienced military leadership."

" ... As the expenses related to the war with Germany mounted, the Russian economy began a downward slide. With Russian farmers drafted into the army, no one was home to bring in the harvest, and people began to starve. With few shop owners, artisans, and factory workers left, the only products being manufactured were those needed for the war effort. The Russian economy slowed to a trickle. ... "

"On December 30, 1916, a group of nobles took matters into their own hands. Prince Felix Yusupov, who was married to Nicholas’s niece, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and politician Vladimir Purishkevich murdered Rasputin after luring him to Yusupov’s palace for a dinner party. The autopsy report has been lost, but it is known that Rasputin suffered three gunshot wounds, was poisoned with cyanide, beaten, and thrown into a river. His body was found two days later. Rasputin was buried in a small church at Tsarskoe Selo. His family was not invited to the funeral. His remains would eventually be exhumed and burned in March 1917 to prevent his burial place from becoming a rallying point for those who opposed the revolution."

" ... Nicholas’s disastrous leadership on the front during the war was the final nail in their coffin."

................................................................................................

"The new government was also unsure about what to do with Alexandra and her family. They were afraid that keeping them in the country could cause them to become a rallying point for monarchists and decided it would be better to have the imperial family out of Russia. However, getting the royal family out of the country was easier said than done. The Romanovs were suddenly very unwelcome in Europe. King George V was worried about his own reputation with the British people if he let his cousins claim sanctuary with him, and France’s anti-German sentiment made it highly unlikely that Alexandra would be welcome there."

Again author faults Alexandra for the eventual horror by insinuating that Alexandra was hated by Russians.

"In August of 1917, with security becoming more of an issue, the provisional government decided to move the royal family to Tobolsk, Siberia. Tobolsk was more sympathetic to the plight of the former tsar and tsaritsa, and the family was less likely to come to harm. Alexandra had been upset that the government had not sent them to the palace in Crimea. She felt that the move to Siberia was meant to exile the family, to shame them. Despite this, Nicholas and Alexandra hoped that the move would bring them a bit more freedom. Once they arrived in Tobolsk, the family moved into the governor’s residence. They weren’t allowed to leave the house except for church, quickly making it evident that the Romanovs remained prisoners under house arrest.

"On November 7, 1917, a second large-scale rebellion broke out as the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government. By November 15, the Bolsheviks, headed by Vladimir Lenin, were firmly in control of most of the country. Once they were in power, the treatment of the royal family at Tobolsk worsened. In April of 1918, Nicholas, Alexandra, and Maria were moved to Bolshevik-controlled Yekaterinburg. The rest of the family joined them there in May. After the move, the family was supervised by new guards, chosen from the most militant of the Bolsheviks. The royal family was no longer afforded luxuries or special treatment.

"On July 17, 1918, Alexandra, her husband and children, their doctor, and three remaining servants were marched into the basement of the house in which they were imprisoned. A firing squad of ten men under the command of Bolshevik officer Yakov Yurovsky was awaiting them there. Yurovsky announced that he had received an order to execute the family. It is said that Tsar Nicholas II’s final words were, “You know not what you do.” The men opened fire with revolvers and then finished the job with bayonets until all prisoners were dead."

................................................................................................

"After the execution of the Romanov family, their bodies were stripped of their clothing and buried in an unmarked grave outside Yekaterinburg. In 1998, the last tsar and tsaritsa’s remains were discovered and subsequently interred at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, in St. Petersburg. Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who was in attendance, said of the event, “Today is a historic day for Russia. For many years, we kept quiet about this monstrous crime, but the truth has to be spoken.”

"Two years later, in 2000, Alexandra and her immediate family were canonized as saints by the Russian Orthodox Church. It appears as though Alexandra Feodorovna found her place in the hearts of the Russian people at last."

................................................................................................

Table of Contents

................................................................................................

Introduction

Early Life and Losses

Engagement

Becoming the Tsaritsa

The Khodynka Tragedy

Trouble at Court

Struggling to Produce an Heir

The Tsarevich and His Illness

Rasputin and the Romanovs

The Russian Revolution and World War I

Imprisonment and Death

Conclusion

................................................................................................

REVIEW

................................................................................................

Introduction

................................................................................................

Once again the idiotic author of this bolume, as in many others in this series, not only makes asinine comments, but hurries to do so in the introduction.