Princess Xenia Georgievna Romanova of Russia
Encyclopedia
Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia (22 August 1903, Mikhailovskoe, Russia – 17 September 1965, Glen Cove, New York
) was the daughter of Grand Duke George Mihailovich of Russia and Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark
.
, born in 1901. She and her sister left Russia in 1914 to spend the war years in England
with their mother.
/Anastasia Tchaikovsky affair by telephoning Gleb Botkin with an invitation for Anna to live as a guest at Kenwood. Xenia explains her hospitality: "I had heard that Botkin was arranging to bring 'the invalid' to the United States
through a newspaper organization. This bothered me because I had heard so many conflicting stories. It then occurred to me that I should take her myself and avoid all this proposed publicity. For if she were indeed an impostor
it would save much unpleasantness for my family, and if she were the real Anastasia it was ghastly to think that nothing was being done for her.... This solution would be simple, so it seemed to me."
As children, Xenia and her sister Nina had played frequently with the two youngest daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nicholaevna
, as well as the youngest child and only boy, Tsarevitch Alexei
. Both sisters possessed vivid memories of their second cousin, once removed Anastasia, who they described as "frightfully temperamental" and "wild and rough". According to Xenia, Anastasia "cheated at games, kicked, scratched, pulled hair, and generally knew how to make herself obnoxious."
Princess Nina even said, "Anastasia was madly jealous of me because I was taller than she was. As the daughter of the Emperor she thought she ought to tower over everyone."
Xenia was on a cruise with her husband William in the West Indies at the time of Anna's arrival in New York
. She had arranged for Anna to stay with Annie Burr Jennings, a friend of Xenia's who lived in a Park Avenue
townhouse. Upon her return, Xenia sneaked unannounced into Annie Jennings's crowded salon to observe Anna. After watching Anna offer her hand to Gleb Botkin, Xenia declared that she knew she was watching an equal. She stated, "It was so matter-of-course, so unforced--in no way a theatrical gesture. With it she radiated a natural grandeur and I was impressed on the spot."
Xenia recognized Anna Anderson as the Grand Duchess Anastasia at once, asserting that Anna was herself at all times, never giving the slightest impression of playing a part. The two remained great friends for life even after Anna Anderson to leave Xenia's home after quarreling. Prince Christopher of Greece described the stay:
, Swiss citizen
and French
tutor for the five children of Tsar Nicholas II from 1905 to 1918, pointed out that Princess Xenia had last seen her second cousin when Xenia was 10 and Anastasia was 12. Xenia responded that she did not recognize Anastasia visually, but felt she was qualified to tell the difference between a member of the Romanov family and a "Polish peasant woman." Anderson bore a strong family resemblance to Tsarina Alexandra's family and her moodiness and temper also reminded Xenia of her cousin Anastasia. It is interesting to note what Prince Dmitri
, son of Grand Duchess Xenia
, wrote about what Princess Xenia had stated,
. They wed in Paris on 9 October 1921. Theirs was seen as a splendid match and the couple was an influential one in New York's Long Island North Shore society, where they lived at their estate, Kenwood, in Oyster Bay. Xenia and William had a daughter on 25 February 1925, Nancy Helen Marie Leeds, who married Edward Judson Wynkoop, Jr. in December 1945.
Xenia and William Leeds divorced in 1930. Her second marriage was with Herman Jud (14 February 1911 - 22 August 1987). The wedding took place at Glen Cove, New York
on 10 August 1946. The couple had no children.
A common mistake in listing this family is to identify the daughter of Nancy Helen Marie Wynkoop (née Leeds) incorrectly as being, instead, the daughter of Princess Xenia Georgievna by her second husband. This daughter, Alexandra Leeds Wynkoop, is erroneously and often listed as Alexandra Leeds Jud, born 30 March 1959. Alexandra is the granddaughter of Princess Xenia Georgievna, born when her grandmother was 56 years of age.
Glen Cove, New York
Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 26,964....
) was the daughter of Grand Duke George Mihailovich of Russia and Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark
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...
.
Youth
Her older sister was Nina GeorgievnaPrincess Nina Georgievna of Russia
Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia, , was the eldest daughter of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia. A great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, she left her native country in 1914, before World War I...
, born in 1901. She and her sister left Russia in 1914 to spend the war years in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with their mother.
Anna Anderson controversy
In the summer of 1927, Xenia involved herself in the Anna AndersonAnna Anderson
Anna Anderson was the best known of several impostors who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia...
/Anastasia Tchaikovsky affair by telephoning Gleb Botkin with an invitation for Anna to live as a guest at Kenwood. Xenia explains her hospitality: "I had heard that Botkin was arranging to bring 'the invalid' to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
through a newspaper organization. This bothered me because I had heard so many conflicting stories. It then occurred to me that I should take her myself and avoid all this proposed publicity. For if she were indeed an impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
it would save much unpleasantness for my family, and if she were the real Anastasia it was ghastly to think that nothing was being done for her.... This solution would be simple, so it seemed to me."
As children, Xenia and her sister Nina had played frequently with the two youngest daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nicholaevna
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....
, as well as the youngest child and only boy, Tsarevitch Alexei
Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia
Alexei Nikolaevich of the House of Romanov, was the Tsesarevich and heir apparent to the throne of the Russian Empire. In English, his title is usually given as Tsarevich, a title that has a separate meaning in Russia. Alexei was the youngest child and only son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress...
. Both sisters possessed vivid memories of their second cousin, once removed Anastasia, who they described as "frightfully temperamental" and "wild and rough". According to Xenia, Anastasia "cheated at games, kicked, scratched, pulled hair, and generally knew how to make herself obnoxious."
Princess Nina even said, "Anastasia was madly jealous of me because I was taller than she was. As the daughter of the Emperor she thought she ought to tower over everyone."
Xenia was on a cruise with her husband William in the West Indies at the time of Anna's arrival in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She had arranged for Anna to stay with Annie Burr Jennings, a friend of Xenia's who lived in a Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
townhouse. Upon her return, Xenia sneaked unannounced into Annie Jennings's crowded salon to observe Anna. After watching Anna offer her hand to Gleb Botkin, Xenia declared that she knew she was watching an equal. She stated, "It was so matter-of-course, so unforced--in no way a theatrical gesture. With it she radiated a natural grandeur and I was impressed on the spot."
Xenia recognized Anna Anderson as the Grand Duchess Anastasia at once, asserting that Anna was herself at all times, never giving the slightest impression of playing a part. The two remained great friends for life even after Anna Anderson to leave Xenia's home after quarreling. Prince Christopher of Greece described the stay:
Criticisms of her behaviour
Pierre GilliardPierre Gilliard
Pierre Gilliard was a Swiss academic, who was French language tutor to the five children of Tsar Nicholas II from 1905 to 1918. Years after the Imperial Family was assassinated by the Bolsheviks in July 1918, Gilliard wrote a book Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, about his time with the family...
, Swiss citizen
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
tutor for the five children of Tsar Nicholas II from 1905 to 1918, pointed out that Princess Xenia had last seen her second cousin when Xenia was 10 and Anastasia was 12. Xenia responded that she did not recognize Anastasia visually, but felt she was qualified to tell the difference between a member of the Romanov family and a "Polish peasant woman." Anderson bore a strong family resemblance to Tsarina Alexandra's family and her moodiness and temper also reminded Xenia of her cousin Anastasia. It is interesting to note what Prince Dmitri
Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia
Prince 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:...
, son of Grand Duchess Xenia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
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....
, wrote about what Princess Xenia had stated,
Personal life
Xenia married twice, both times with men of unequal birth, first to William Bateman Leeds (19 September 1902 - 31 December 1971) at the age of eighteen, the son and heir of the American tin magnate. William was also the stepson of Xenia's maternal uncle Prince Christopher of Greece and DenmarkPrince Christopher of Greece and Denmark
Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark was a member of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Royal House.-Family background:...
. They wed in Paris on 9 October 1921. Theirs was seen as a splendid match and the couple was an influential one in New York's Long Island North Shore society, where they lived at their estate, Kenwood, in Oyster Bay. Xenia and William had a daughter on 25 February 1925, Nancy Helen Marie Leeds, who married Edward Judson Wynkoop, Jr. in December 1945.
Xenia and William Leeds divorced in 1930. Her second marriage was with Herman Jud (14 February 1911 - 22 August 1987). The wedding took place at Glen Cove, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 10 August 1946. The couple had no children.
A common mistake in listing this family is to identify the daughter of Nancy Helen Marie Wynkoop (née Leeds) incorrectly as being, instead, the daughter of Princess Xenia Georgievna by her second husband. This daughter, Alexandra Leeds Wynkoop, is erroneously and often listed as Alexandra Leeds Jud, born 30 March 1959. Alexandra is the granddaughter of Princess Xenia Georgievna, born when her grandmother was 56 years of age.
Death
Princess Xenia Georgievna Romanova Leeds Jud died on 17 September 1965, aged 62, survived by her second husband and by her daughter, Nancy Leeds Wynkoop, and by granddaughter Alexandra. Nancy Helen Marie Leeds Wynkoop died in Woodstock, Vermont on 7 June 2006, aged 81, survived by her husband Edward Judson Wynkoop, Jr. and their daughter Alexandra Wynkoop.Ancestry
Sources
- "Anastasia" by Peter Kurth
- http://web.archive.org/web/20091028121426/http://www.geocities.com/henrivanoene/genrussia4.html
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E0DE113AF936A25755C0A9609C8B63
- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wynkoop/webdocs/9181945.htm