Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia was a daughter of Tsar Alexander III of Russia
and the elder of Tsar Nicholas II
two sisters. She married her cousin Grand Duke Alexander Mikailovich of Russia
, with whom she had seven children.
During her brother's reign she lived a private life, uninterested in politics. At the fall of the monarchy, she escaped revolutionary Russia. In exile, she eventually settled in England.
in St. Petersburg. She was the fourth child and eldest daughter among the six children of Alexander III of Russia
and his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark).
After the assassination of her grandfather Tsar Alexander II of Russia
, when Xenia was six years old, her father Alexander III ascended to the Russian throne. It was a difficult political time, plagued with terrorist threats and for security reasons Alexander III moved with his family from the Winter Palace
to Gatchina Palace
. Xenia and her siblings were raised mostly there with simplicity.
As a child, Xenia was a tomboy and was very shy.
Xenia, like her brothers, received her education from private tutors. A special emphasis was laid on the study of foreign languages.
Apart from her native Russian, Xenia studied English, French and German. Xenia learnt cookery, joinery and making puppets and their clothes for their theatre. She also enjoyed riding and fishing in the nearby river on the Gatchina estate, drawing, gymnastics, dancing and playing the piano.
Her entire family enjoyed family holidays at the home of her Danish maternal grandparents, Fredensborg Castle. It was on such a visit that she met her cousin and lifelong friend, Princess Marie of Greece
, daughter of King George I of Greece and his Russian born wife, Queen Olga. The Danish composer, Valdemar Vater, paid Xenia a tribute by writing the 'Xenia Polka Mazurka'.
, her eventual husband, played together as friends in the 1880s. Alexander was also a friend of her brother Nicholas. In 1886, twenty year old Alexander was serving in the navy. Eleven year old Xenia sent him a card when his ship was in Brazil
, "Best wishes and speedy return! Your sailor Xenia". In 1889, Alexander wrote of Xenia, "She is fourteen. I think she likes me."
At age 15, though Xenia and Alexander wanted to marry, her parents were reluctant to trust because Xenia was too young and they were unsure of Alexander's character. The Tsarina Maria Feodorovna had complained of Alexander's arrogance and rudeness. It was not until January 1894 that Xenia’s parents accepted the engagement after Alexander's father, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia intervened. The couple finally wed on 6 August 1894 at Peterhof Palace
. Xenia's younger sister, Olga, wrote about the joy of her wedding, "The Emperor was so happy. It was the last time I ever saw him like that." They spent their wedding night at Ropsha Palace
, and their honeymoon at Ai-Todor (Alexander’s estate in Crimea
). During the honeymoon, Xenia’s father Alexander III became ill and died on 1 November 1894. Her eldest brother on the death of her father had inherited the crown
and became the new Tsar Nicholas II.
The children were grandchildren of a tsar (Alexander III) through their mother (female-line), but only great-grandchildren of a tsar (Nicholas I
) through their father (male-line). So they were not titled Grand Dukes or Grand Duchesses of Russia, but Princes and Princesses of Russia, and were not styled “Imperial Highness
”, but just “Highness
”.
One of Xenia's descendants would become the Head of the Imperial House of Russia
, but all of her children are regarded to have married morganatically
; therefore, none of them currently holds that position in an uncontested accordance with old succession laws of Russia.
In 1913, Xenia and Sandro's daughter Irina expressed her intention of marrying Prince Felix Yussupov. He was heir to the largest private fortune in Russia. Felix had decided that Irina would make the perfect wife. Xenia was not happy at the prospect of giving approval to such a marriage as Felix had a notorious reputation. It was rumoured he had had an affair with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia
. The Dowager Empress had heard of the rumours and summoned Felix to meet with her, but Felix's charms won her over. She stated, "Do not worry, I will do all that I can for your happiness." Xenia's only daughter was married on 9 February 1914 in the presence of the Tsar who gave her away. Xenia walked behind with Sandro and her mother.
During Xenia’s last pregnancy in 1907, Alexander had an affair with a woman identified only as 'Maria Ivanovna' in Biarritz
. One year later, Xenia also began to have an affair, with an Englishman named 'Fane.' Xenia referred to him as simply "F." in her diaries. They corresponded with one another as late as the first world war. After Xenia and Alexander admitted the affairs to each other, their marriage began to fall apart. Though still in love with each other, they began sleeping in separate rooms and went their different ways. Prior to the revolution, Alexander had become disenchanted with the course of events in Russia and the court life. Both he and Xenia spent considerable periods of time outside of Russia; both returned before the start of the first world war. Following the Revolution
, they separated and managed to escape Russia.
. The relative health of Xenia's sons were a constant source of antagonism in the mind of Alexandra. It was only in 1912 that Xenia learnt from her sister Olga that Alix had admitted that Alexis had hemophilia.
The birth of Alexis led to Alexandra obtaining total control over her husband; Trying to find a cure for her son's illness, Alexandra fell under the influence of Rasputin. Like all her family, Xenia was highly skeptical of Rasputin. Family relations were strained. Xenia did remain close to her brother, who often visited when he was in the Crimea, walking with her nieces Olga and Tatiana; her sister-in-law visited rarely.
Apart from Nicholas, Xenia was devoted to her other two brothers, Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia
and Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
. In 1899, George died from tuberculosis
and his death, although expected, was traumatic. Grand Duke Michael married without the permission of the Tsar, Natasha Sergeyevna Wulffert
. The couple were exiled as punishment. Xenia was willing to overlook this, as her own marital problems had made her more understanding. She received both Michael and Natasha in 1913 in Cannes
in France. Xenia tried to talk to her brother Nicholas about Michael and was told that he could return to Russia at any time, but that Natasha could not. Xenia helped to restore relations between Michael and their mother, The Dowager Empress.
Xenia was heavily involved in charitable works. She was a member of the Women's Patriotic Association. From 1903 Xenia was patron of the Creche Society which looked after poor working class children while their families were at work in St.Petersburg. She took a particular interest in hospitals for patients suffering from tuberculosis in the Crimea, perhaps influenced by the death of her brother George from the disease in 1899. She was also patron of the Maritime Naval Welfare Association which took care of widows and children of naval personnel. Xenia also founded the Xenia Association for the Welfare of Children of Workers and Airmen. In addition she was patron of the Xenia Institute
, a St. Petersburg boarding school for 350 students.
had been declared between Russia and Japan. The previous December, Xenia had told the War Minister, Kuropatkin that there would be no war and that her brother did not want war. The War Minister said the whole matter might be outside of the control of Russia. As war broke out, there was unrest in Russia. On a cold Sunday in January 1905, over 150,000 peaceful people approached the Winter Palace
under the leadership of Father Gapon. The people wanted to present the Tsar with a petition. The St.Petersburg Police had asked for help from the army, which fired into the crowd, resulting in 2,000 casualties. The day would be known as "Bloody Sunday
" and mark a turning point in the relationship between Tsar and people. In February, Xenia's uncle Serge was killed by a bomb in Moscow. She wished to be with her aunt Ella but was told the situation was too dangerous.
Xenia was exasperated on hearing of the military defeat in Korea. She had been angry about the start of the war and recorded her thoughts on the end, "and ended even more stupidly!" Xenia was in the Crimea
at their home at Ai-Todor with her husband and children, when news of the mutiny of the Black Sea fleet reached them. In October, her brother was forced to agree to the establishment of a Duma
as a concession to the people. Some of Xenia's family saw it as "the end of Russian autocracy". Her husband Sandro had resigned his position at the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Xenia and her family spent Christmas at Ai-Todor as it was not safe to travel north, or from their estate. Christmas service was even held in the house with the priest being driven there and back "in a closed landau under an escort of cavalry posse".
where the private train of the Dowager Empress was waiting to take them to Russia, being confident that Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany would let them through. Arriving in Berlin they found the line to Russia had been closed. Hearing that the Youssoupovs were also in Berlin, the Dowager Empress ordered that they join the train. An ugly situation occurred in Berlin and finally the train was allowed to travel to Denmark, and then onto Finland.
Arriving back in Russia, Xenia threw herself into war work, providing her own hospital train and opened a large hospital for the wounded. She also chaired the Xenia Institute which provided artificial limbs for the maimed. In 1915, learning that Nicholas intended to take command of the armed forces, she accompanied her mother to Tsarskoe Selo in an attempt to dissuade him. The Dowager Empress had recorded her lack of confidence in her diary, and this was borne out. Xenia returned disheartened to the Yelagin Palace
. In February 1916, Xenia travelled to Kiev
after an illness to see her mother and sister. Olga finally had her shell of a first marriage dissolved by the Tsar and was married in November 1916 to Nikolai Kulikovsky in the presence of the Dowager Empress in Kiev. Xenia was absent. On 28 October 1916, increasingly depressed by Russia's predicament, Xenia wrote to her the Dowager Empress, speculating what her father would have done. Xenia, her mother, and her sister Olga urged Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia
to write to the Tsar warning him about the influence of the Tsarina in government affairs. Nicholas did not even open the envelope. She read it and accused the Grand Duke of "crawling behind [his] mother and sisters". Realising the danger, Xenia and her family moved to Ai-Todor in the Crimea. From there, Xenia heard of Rasputin's murder and was embarrassed by the episode. She wrote to her mother in Kiev, "Sleep little. There is rumour that Rasputin is murdered!" Xenia's son-in-law had been one of the murderers. At the beginning of 1917, Xenia hoped her mother could make her brother see sense about the collapsing situation in Russia. She wrote in despair, hoping she would persuade him. Her mother felt she could not do anything and that she had no intention of returning to St.Petersburg from Kiev.
On 19 February 1917, Xenia was back in St.Petersburg at her Palace. On 25 February, she wrote in her diary, "There are disturbances in the city, there was even shooting into the crowd, [they] say, but everything is quiet on the Nevsky. They are asking for bread and the factories are on strike." On 1 March 1917 she wrote of rumours circulating that Nicholas' train had been stopped, and that he had been forced to abdicate. The Dowager Empress wrote to her about her meeting with Nicholas in Mogiliev, "I still can't believe that this dreadful nightmare is real!" Xenia tried to see her brother but was refused permission by the Provisional government
. Seeing no future where she was in St.Petersburg, Xenia left for Ai-Todor on 25 March, her forty-second birthday.
in Siberia, "The heart bleeds at the thought of what you have gone through, what you have lived and what you are still living! At every step undeserved horrors and humiliations. But fear not, the Lord sees all. As long as you are healthy and well. Sometimes it seems like a terrible nightmare, and that I will wake up and it will all be gone! Poor Russia! What will happen to her?" In 1918, while in Crimea, Xenia learnt that her brother Nicholas II, his wife and his children had been murdered by the Bolshevik
s. Her last surviving brother, Michael, was also shot to death in 1918 outside of Perm
.
While the Red Army
was coming closer toward Crimea, Xenia and her mother Dowager Empress Maria escaped from Russia on 11 April 1919 with the help of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (née Princess Alexandra of Denmark)
, Dowager Empress Maria’s sister. King George V of the United Kingdom
sent the British warship HMS Marlborough
which brought them and other Romanovs from the Crimea over the Black Sea
to Malta
and then to England. Xenia and her mother were later joined by Xenia’s sister Olga. Xenia remained in Great Britain, while Dowager Empress Maria, after a stay in England, went with Olga to Denmark.
as eldest sister and heir to her brother Nicholas's estate in England worth five hundred British pounds sterling. Her husband Sandro was living at this time in Paris. By 1925, Xenia's financial situation had become desperate. King George V, who was her first cousin, allowed her to settle in Frogmore Cottage
, a grace and favour
house, in Windsor Great Park
for which she was grateful to her cousin. Later she had to deal with the fraudulent claims of Anna Anderson
to be her niece, the murdered Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
. Her sister Olga had pointed out if there had been any Romanov monies left, the Dowager Empress would not be receiving a pension from the British King. In July 1928, ten years after the death of Nicholas and Alexandra, his family were now legally presumed dead. Xenia and her family had hoped to take possession of the Langinkoski
estate in Kotka
, Finland, but this however came to nothing.
Xenia visited her mother, the Dowager Empress, in Denmark as often as she could. Her mother was living in the Hvidovre
Villa that she and her sister Alexandra had built on the Danish coast north of Copenhagen. In 1928, Xenia's mother fell seriously ill and died on 13 October. After the death of her mother, the sale of the Hvidore estate and the jewels of the Dowager Empress brought in some income. No sooner had the Dowager Empress died, Xenia received a letter from Gleb Botkin
, son of her late brother's doctor, claiming that she was trying to steal from her niece, Anastasia. Her husband declared in a letter to her his disdain for the "vileness" of Botkin.
On 26 February 1933, Xenia's husband Sandro died. Xenia and her sons were present at his funeral on 1 March, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
in the south of France. By March 1937, Xenia had moved from Frogmore House
in Windsor Great Park to Wilderness House in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace
, where she continued to live until she died on 20 April 1960. Despite reduced circumstances during her lifetime, Xenia left a small estate to her remaining relatives.
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
and the elder of Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
two sisters. She married her cousin Grand Duke Alexander Mikailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
, with whom she had seven children.
During her brother's reign she lived a private life, uninterested in politics. At the fall of the monarchy, she escaped revolutionary Russia. In exile, she eventually settled in England.
Early life
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna was born on 6 April 1875 at Anichkov PalaceAnichkov Palace
Anichkov Palace is a former imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, at the intersection of Nevsky Avenue and the Fontanka.-History:The palace, situated on the plot formerly owned by Antonio de Vieira, takes its name from the nearby Anichkov Bridge across the Fontanka...
in St. Petersburg. She was the fourth child and eldest daughter among the six children of Alexander III of Russia
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
and his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark).
After the assassination of her grandfather Tsar Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
, when Xenia was six years old, her father Alexander III ascended to the Russian throne. It was a difficult political time, plagued with terrorist threats and for security reasons Alexander III moved with his family from the Winter Palace
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
to Gatchina Palace
Gatchina
Gatchina is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov...
. Xenia and her siblings were raised mostly there with simplicity.
As a child, Xenia was a tomboy and was very shy.
Xenia, like her brothers, received her education from private tutors. A special emphasis was laid on the study of foreign languages.
Apart from her native Russian, Xenia studied English, French and German. Xenia learnt cookery, joinery and making puppets and their clothes for their theatre. She also enjoyed riding and fishing in the nearby river on the Gatchina estate, drawing, gymnastics, dancing and playing the piano.
Her entire family enjoyed family holidays at the home of her Danish maternal grandparents, Fredensborg Castle. It was on such a visit that she met her cousin and lifelong friend, Princess Marie of Greece
Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark
Maria or Marie Georgievna, Princess of Greece and Denmark , was the fifth child and second daughter of George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia and thus a family member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.-Early life and family: She was born in Athens as a younger...
, daughter of King George I of Greece and his Russian born wife, Queen Olga. The Danish composer, Valdemar Vater, paid Xenia a tribute by writing the 'Xenia Polka Mazurka'.
Marriage
Xenia and her first cousin once removed, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of RussiaGrand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
, her eventual husband, played together as friends in the 1880s. Alexander was also a friend of her brother Nicholas. In 1886, twenty year old Alexander was serving in the navy. Eleven year old Xenia sent him a card when his ship was in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, "Best wishes and speedy return! Your sailor Xenia". In 1889, Alexander wrote of Xenia, "She is fourteen. I think she likes me."
At age 15, though Xenia and Alexander wanted to marry, her parents were reluctant to trust because Xenia was too young and they were unsure of Alexander's character. The Tsarina Maria Feodorovna had complained of Alexander's arrogance and rudeness. It was not until January 1894 that Xenia’s parents accepted the engagement after Alexander's father, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia intervened. The couple finally wed on 6 August 1894 at Peterhof Palace
Peterhof Palace
The Peterhof Palace in Russian, so German is transliterated as "Петергoф" Petergof into Russian) for "Peter's Court") is actually a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the...
. Xenia's younger sister, Olga, wrote about the joy of her wedding, "The Emperor was so happy. It was the last time I ever saw him like that." They spent their wedding night at Ropsha Palace
Ropsha
Ropsha is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 20 km south of Peterhof and 49 km south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of 80 metres to 130 metres above sea level.-History:...
, and their honeymoon at Ai-Todor (Alexander’s estate in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
). During the honeymoon, Xenia’s father Alexander III became ill and died on 1 November 1894. Her eldest brother on the death of her father had inherited the crown
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and became the new Tsar Nicholas II.
Children
Xenia and Alexander had seven children together, one daughter followed by six sons:- Princess Irina Alexandrovna of RussiaPrincess Irina of RussiaPrincess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia was the only daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia...
(15 July 1895 – 26 February 1970) m. Prince Felix Yussupov. - Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Andrei Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia was a member of the Imperial Family of Russia. A son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia he was also the eldest nephew of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia...
(24 January 1897 – 8 May 1981) m. 1. Donna Elisabetta Ruffo-Sasso , m. 2.Nadine McDougall. - Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Feodor Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. He was a nephew of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia-Russian prince:...
(23 December 1898 – 30 November 1968) m. Princess Irina PaleyIrina Pavlovna PaleyPrincess Irina Pavlovna Paley, , was the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and his second wife Olga Valerianovna Paley.-Early life:...
. - Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Nikita Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia was a descendant of the Russian Imperial Family.-Russian prince:Prince Nikita Alexandrovich was born in Saint Petersburg the son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia...
(16 January 1900 – 12 September 1974) m. Countess Maria Vorontsova-Dashkova - Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Dmitri Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. He was a nephew of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.-Russian prince:...
(15 August 1901 – 7 July 1980)m. 1. Countess Marina Sergeievna Golenistcheva-Koutouzova, m. 2. Margaret Sheila MacKellar - Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Rostislav Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Rostislav Alexandrovich of Russia was a member of the Imperial Family of Russia.-Russian prince:Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich was the son of HIH the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich ‘Sandro’ and HIH the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna . His parents were first cousins once removed...
(2 November 1902 – 31 July 1978) m. 1. Princess Alexandra Pavlovna Galitzine m. 2.Hedwig von Chappuis - Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Vasili Alexandrovich of RussiaPrince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia...
(6 July 1907 – 23 June 1989) m.Princess Natalia Galitzine
The children were grandchildren of a tsar (Alexander III) through their mother (female-line), but only great-grandchildren of a tsar (Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
) through their father (male-line). So they were not titled Grand Dukes or Grand Duchesses of Russia, but Princes and Princesses of Russia, and were not styled “Imperial Highness
Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King .Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of...
”, but just “Highness
Highness
Highness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
”.
One of Xenia's descendants would become the Head of the Imperial House of Russia
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
, but all of her children are regarded to have married morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
; therefore, none of them currently holds that position in an uncontested accordance with old succession laws of Russia.
In 1913, Xenia and Sandro's daughter Irina expressed her intention of marrying Prince Felix Yussupov. He was heir to the largest private fortune in Russia. Felix had decided that Irina would make the perfect wife. Xenia was not happy at the prospect of giving approval to such a marriage as Felix had a notorious reputation. It was rumoured he had had an affair with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia was a Russian imperial dynast. He is known for being involved in the murder of the mystic peasant faith healer Grigori Rasputin, who he felt held undue sway over Tsar Nicholas II.-Early life:Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich was born at Ilinskoe near Moscow, the...
. The Dowager Empress had heard of the rumours and summoned Felix to meet with her, but Felix's charms won her over. She stated, "Do not worry, I will do all that I can for your happiness." Xenia's only daughter was married on 9 February 1914 in the presence of the Tsar who gave her away. Xenia walked behind with Sandro and her mother.
During Xenia’s last pregnancy in 1907, Alexander had an affair with a woman identified only as 'Maria Ivanovna' in Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
. One year later, Xenia also began to have an affair, with an Englishman named 'Fane.' Xenia referred to him as simply "F." in her diaries. They corresponded with one another as late as the first world war. After Xenia and Alexander admitted the affairs to each other, their marriage began to fall apart. Though still in love with each other, they began sleeping in separate rooms and went their different ways. Prior to the revolution, Alexander had become disenchanted with the course of events in Russia and the court life. Both he and Xenia spent considerable periods of time outside of Russia; both returned before the start of the first world war. Following the Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, they separated and managed to escape Russia.
Family relations
Xenia had a close relationship with her brother Nicholas II and his wife before they married. When Nicholas and Alexandra moved into the Winter Palace after their own marriage, Xenia and Alexander (known in the family as 'Sandro') spent the evenings together in the new billiard room. A source of gradual resentment grew up between Xenia and Alexandra due to the fact that Xenia had given birth to two healthy sons, whilst Alexandra had four daughters and her only son, Alexei Nikolaievich was diagnosed to have haemophiliaHaemophilia
Haemophilia is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the body's ability to control blood clotting or coagulation, which is used to stop bleeding when a blood vessel is broken. Haemophilia A is the most common form of the disorder, present in about 1 in 5,000–10,000 male births...
. The relative health of Xenia's sons were a constant source of antagonism in the mind of Alexandra. It was only in 1912 that Xenia learnt from her sister Olga that Alix had admitted that Alexis had hemophilia.
The birth of Alexis led to Alexandra obtaining total control over her husband; Trying to find a cure for her son's illness, Alexandra fell under the influence of Rasputin. Like all her family, Xenia was highly skeptical of Rasputin. Family relations were strained. Xenia did remain close to her brother, who often visited when he was in the Crimea, walking with her nieces Olga and Tatiana; her sister-in-law visited rarely.
Apart from Nicholas, Xenia was devoted to her other two brothers, Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia, , was the third son of Alexander III and Empress Marie of Russia. He was named George after his mother's younger brother, King George I of Greece...
and Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
. In 1899, George died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and his death, although expected, was traumatic. Grand Duke Michael married without the permission of the Tsar, Natasha Sergeyevna Wulffert
Natalia, Princess Brassova
Natalia Brasova, Countess Brasova was a Russian noblewoman who married, as her third husband, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia.-Early life:...
. The couple were exiled as punishment. Xenia was willing to overlook this, as her own marital problems had made her more understanding. She received both Michael and Natasha in 1913 in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
in France. Xenia tried to talk to her brother Nicholas about Michael and was told that he could return to Russia at any time, but that Natasha could not. Xenia helped to restore relations between Michael and their mother, The Dowager Empress.
Charitable works
Nicholas Palace
Nicholas Palace was one of several St Petersburg palaces designed by Andreas Stackensneider for the children of Nicholas I of Russia...
, a St. Petersburg boarding school for 350 students.
Russo-Japanese war
Like other members of her family, Xenia had been thankful to her father for keeping Russia out of wars. On 25 January 1904, Xenia recorded in her diary that warRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
had been declared between Russia and Japan. The previous December, Xenia had told the War Minister, Kuropatkin that there would be no war and that her brother did not want war. The War Minister said the whole matter might be outside of the control of Russia. As war broke out, there was unrest in Russia. On a cold Sunday in January 1905, over 150,000 peaceful people approached the Winter Palace
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
under the leadership of Father Gapon. The people wanted to present the Tsar with a petition. The St.Petersburg Police had asked for help from the army, which fired into the crowd, resulting in 2,000 casualties. The day would be known as "Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1905)
Bloody Sunday was a massacre on in St. Petersburg, Russia, where unarmed, peaceful demonstrators marching to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II were gunned down by the Imperial Guard while approaching the city center and the Winter Palace from several gathering points. The shooting did not...
" and mark a turning point in the relationship between Tsar and people. In February, Xenia's uncle Serge was killed by a bomb in Moscow. She wished to be with her aunt Ella but was told the situation was too dangerous.
Xenia was exasperated on hearing of the military defeat in Korea. She had been angry about the start of the war and recorded her thoughts on the end, "and ended even more stupidly!" Xenia was in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
at their home at Ai-Todor with her husband and children, when news of the mutiny of the Black Sea fleet reached them. In October, her brother was forced to agree to the establishment of a Duma
Duma
A Duma is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. The State Duma in the Russian Empire and Russian Federation corresponds to the lower house of the parliament. Simply it is a form of Russian governmental institution, that was formed during the reign of the...
as a concession to the people. Some of Xenia's family saw it as "the end of Russian autocracy". Her husband Sandro had resigned his position at the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Xenia and her family spent Christmas at Ai-Todor as it was not safe to travel north, or from their estate. Christmas service was even held in the house with the priest being driven there and back "in a closed landau under an escort of cavalry posse".
World War One and the collapse of Tsardom
The outbreak of war caught Xenia and her mother unaware: Xenia was in France while the Dowager Empress was in London. They arranged to meet in CalaisCalais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
where the private train of the Dowager Empress was waiting to take them to Russia, being confident that Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany would let them through. Arriving in Berlin they found the line to Russia had been closed. Hearing that the Youssoupovs were also in Berlin, the Dowager Empress ordered that they join the train. An ugly situation occurred in Berlin and finally the train was allowed to travel to Denmark, and then onto Finland.
Arriving back in Russia, Xenia threw herself into war work, providing her own hospital train and opened a large hospital for the wounded. She also chaired the Xenia Institute which provided artificial limbs for the maimed. In 1915, learning that Nicholas intended to take command of the armed forces, she accompanied her mother to Tsarskoe Selo in an attempt to dissuade him. The Dowager Empress had recorded her lack of confidence in her diary, and this was borne out. Xenia returned disheartened to the Yelagin Palace
Yelagin Palace
Yelagin Palace completed in 1822 is a palace in Saint Petersburg which is situated on Yelagin Island in the Neva River and served as a royal summer palace during the reign of Tsar Alexander I...
. In February 1916, Xenia travelled to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
after an illness to see her mother and sister. Olga finally had her shell of a first marriage dissolved by the Tsar and was married in November 1916 to Nikolai Kulikovsky in the presence of the Dowager Empress in Kiev. Xenia was absent. On 28 October 1916, increasingly depressed by Russia's predicament, Xenia wrote to her the Dowager Empress, speculating what her father would have done. Xenia, her mother, and her sister Olga urged Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia , 26 April 1859 – 28 January 1919 was the eldest son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Alexander III....
to write to the Tsar warning him about the influence of the Tsarina in government affairs. Nicholas did not even open the envelope. She read it and accused the Grand Duke of "crawling behind [his] mother and sisters". Realising the danger, Xenia and her family moved to Ai-Todor in the Crimea. From there, Xenia heard of Rasputin's murder and was embarrassed by the episode. She wrote to her mother in Kiev, "Sleep little. There is rumour that Rasputin is murdered!" Xenia's son-in-law had been one of the murderers. At the beginning of 1917, Xenia hoped her mother could make her brother see sense about the collapsing situation in Russia. She wrote in despair, hoping she would persuade him. Her mother felt she could not do anything and that she had no intention of returning to St.Petersburg from Kiev.
On 19 February 1917, Xenia was back in St.Petersburg at her Palace. On 25 February, she wrote in her diary, "There are disturbances in the city, there was even shooting into the crowd, [they] say, but everything is quiet on the Nevsky. They are asking for bread and the factories are on strike." On 1 March 1917 she wrote of rumours circulating that Nicholas' train had been stopped, and that he had been forced to abdicate. The Dowager Empress wrote to her about her meeting with Nicholas in Mogiliev, "I still can't believe that this dreadful nightmare is real!" Xenia tried to see her brother but was refused permission by the Provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
. Seeing no future where she was in St.Petersburg, Xenia left for Ai-Todor on 25 March, her forty-second birthday.
Exile from Russia
Xenia arrived at Ai-Todor where she joined her mother, husband and sister on 28 March 1917. At the end of November, Xenia wrote to her brother Nicholas in TobolskTobolsk
Tobolsk is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh Rivers. It is a historic capital of Siberia. Population: -History:...
in Siberia, "The heart bleeds at the thought of what you have gone through, what you have lived and what you are still living! At every step undeserved horrors and humiliations. But fear not, the Lord sees all. As long as you are healthy and well. Sometimes it seems like a terrible nightmare, and that I will wake up and it will all be gone! Poor Russia! What will happen to her?" In 1918, while in Crimea, Xenia learnt that her brother Nicholas II, his wife and his children had been murdered by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s. Her last surviving brother, Michael, was also shot to death in 1918 outside of Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
.
While the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
was coming closer toward Crimea, Xenia and her mother Dowager Empress Maria escaped from Russia on 11 April 1919 with the help of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (née Princess Alexandra of Denmark)
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, Dowager Empress Maria’s sister. King George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
sent the British warship HMS Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1912)
HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and launched in 1912. In World War I she served in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow...
which brought them and other Romanovs from the Crimea over the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and then to England. Xenia and her mother were later joined by Xenia’s sister Olga. Xenia remained in Great Britain, while Dowager Empress Maria, after a stay in England, went with Olga to Denmark.
Later years
On 17 May 1920, Xenia had been granted Letters of AdministrationLetters of Administration
Letters of Administration are granted by a Surrogate Court or probate registry to appoint appropriate people to deal with a deceased person's estate where property will pass under Intestacy Rules or where there are no executors living having been validly appointed under the deceased's will...
as eldest sister and heir to her brother Nicholas's estate in England worth five hundred British pounds sterling. Her husband Sandro was living at this time in Paris. By 1925, Xenia's financial situation had become desperate. King George V, who was her first cousin, allowed her to settle in Frogmore Cottage
Frogmore House
Frogmore House is a 17th-century country house standing at the centre of the Frogmore Estate, amongst beautiful gardens, about a half a mile south of Windsor Castle in the Home Park at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is a Grade I listed building.-Early tenants:The original house on...
, a grace and favour
Grace and favour
A grace and favour home is a residential property owned by a monarch by virtue of their position as head of state and leased rent-free to persons as part of an employment package or in gratitude for past services rendered....
house, in Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
for which she was grateful to her cousin. Later she had to deal with the fraudulent claims of Anna Anderson
Anna Anderson
Anna Anderson was the best known of several impostors who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia...
to be her niece, the murdered Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna....
. Her sister Olga had pointed out if there had been any Romanov monies left, the Dowager Empress would not be receiving a pension from the British King. In July 1928, ten years after the death of Nicholas and Alexandra, his family were now legally presumed dead. Xenia and her family had hoped to take possession of the Langinkoski
Langinkoski
Langinkoski is a rapid on the Kymi river in Kotka, Finland.-Imperial fishing lodge:Alexander III of Russia had a very small manor or a medium sized log house built there, between the branches of the Kymi river. He would take relatively rustic vacations there, along with his family...
estate in Kotka
Kotka
Kotka is a town and municipality of Finland. Its former name is Rochensalm.Kotka is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of Kymi River and it is part of the Kymenlaakso region in southern Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water....
, Finland, but this however came to nothing.
Xenia visited her mother, the Dowager Empress, in Denmark as often as she could. Her mother was living in the Hvidovre
Hvidovre
Hvidovre Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden near Copenhagen on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 22 km², and has a total population of 49,380...
Villa that she and her sister Alexandra had built on the Danish coast north of Copenhagen. In 1928, Xenia's mother fell seriously ill and died on 13 October. After the death of her mother, the sale of the Hvidore estate and the jewels of the Dowager Empress brought in some income. No sooner had the Dowager Empress died, Xenia received a letter from Gleb Botkin
Gleb Botkin
Gleb Evgenievich Botkin was the son of Dr. Eugene Botkin, the court physician who was murdered at Ekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks with Tsar Nicholas II and his family on July 17, 1918....
, son of her late brother's doctor, claiming that she was trying to steal from her niece, Anastasia. Her husband declared in a letter to her his disdain for the "vileness" of Botkin.
On 26 February 1933, Xenia's husband Sandro died. Xenia and her sons were present at his funeral on 1 March, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
in the south of France. By March 1937, Xenia had moved from Frogmore House
Frogmore House
Frogmore House is a 17th-century country house standing at the centre of the Frogmore Estate, amongst beautiful gardens, about a half a mile south of Windsor Castle in the Home Park at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is a Grade I listed building.-Early tenants:The original house on...
in Windsor Great Park to Wilderness House in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
, where she continued to live until she died on 20 April 1960. Despite reduced circumstances during her lifetime, Xenia left a small estate to her remaining relatives.
Ancestry
Sources
- Korneva, Galina; Tatiana Cheboksarova (2006). Empress Maria Feodorovna's Favourite Residences in Russia and Denmark. St.Petersburg: Liki Rossii. ISBN 5-87417-232-7.
- Van der Kiste, John; Coryne Hall (2002). Once a grand duchess: Xenia, sister of Nicholas II. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-2749-6. OCLC 49593798.