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Portrait of the Most Serene Princess Elizaveta Saltykova

Artist: Karl Bryullov (Russian, 1799-1852)

Date: 1841

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: The State Russian Museum, The Mikhailovsky Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Princess Elizaveta Saltykova

Most Serene Princess Elizaveta Pavlovna Saltykova (1802–1863): Born Countess Elizaveta Stroganova. Daughter of adjutant-general Pavel Stroganov (1774–1817) and his wife Sofia Golitsyna (1775–1845). Married the Most Serene Prince Ivan Saltykov (1797–1832).

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Prince Otto of Bavaria, King of Greece (1833)

Artist: Joseph Karl Stieler (German, 1781–1858)

Date: 1833

Medium: Oil on canvas

Location: Munich, Bavarian Administration of State Palaces, Gardens and Lake

Otto of Greece

Otto (1 June 1815 – 26 July 1867) was King of Greece from the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed in October 1862.

The second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended the newly created throne of Greece at age 17. His government was initially run by a three-man regency council made up of Bavarian court officials. Upon reaching his majority, Otto removed the regents when they proved unpopular with the people, and he ruled as an absolute monarch. Eventually, his subjects' demands for a constitution proved overwhelming, and in the face of an armed (but bloodless) insurrection, Otto granted a constitution in 1843.

Throughout his reign, Otto tried to make significant reforms to modernize Greece, seeing himself as Enlightened absolutist. He established educational institutions and several state services but was unable to resolve Greece's major part of poverty and prevent economic meddling from outside. Greek politics in this era were based on affiliations with the three Great Powers that had guaranteed Greece's independence, Britain, France and Russia, and Otto's ability to maintain the support of the powers was key to his remaining in power. To remain strong, Otto had to play the interests of each of the Great Powers' Greek adherents against the others, while not irritating the Great Powers. When Greece was blockaded by the British Royal Navy in 1850 and again in 1854, to stop Greece from attacking the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War, Otto's standing amongst Greeks suffered. As a result, there was an assassination attempt on Queen Amalia, and finally, in October 1862, Otto was deposed while in the countryside. He died in exile in Bavaria in 1867.

Otto is depicted in the uniform of the Royal Bavarian Life Regiment. He wears the grand ribbon of the Order of St. Hubertus and the star of the Order of St. George. This portrays him as a member of the Bavarian royal family. The Acropolis in the background, however, indicates Otto's designated kingship in Greece.

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Queen Amalia of Greece

Artist: Joseph Karl Stieler German, (1781–1858)

Date: 1836-1837

Medium: Oil on canvas

Location: Neue Residenz Bamberg, Germany

Amalia of Oldenburg

Amalia of Oldenburg (Greek: Αμαλία; 21 December 1818 – 20 May 1875) was a Oldenburg princess who became Queen of Greece from 1836 to 1862 as the wife of King Otto Friedrich Ludwig. She was loved widely by the Greeks due to her patriotic love for the country and her beauty. During her tenure as queen, she was dedicated to social improvement and the founding of many gardens in Athens, and she was the first to introduce the worldwide Christmas tree to Greece.

When she arrived in Greece in 1837, she at first won the hearts of the Greeks with her refreshing beauty. After, she became more politically involved. She then became the target of harsh attacks—and her image suffered further as she proved unable to provide an heir to the throne, She and her husband were expelled from Greece in 1862, after an uprising. She spent the rest of her years in exile in Bavaria.

She acted as Regent of Greece in 1850–1851, and a second time in 1861-1862 during the absence of Otto.

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The Impress Josephine De Beauharnais Received The Tsar Alexandre I, 1864

Artist: Jean Louis Victor Viger du Vigneau (French, 1819-1879)

Date: 19th century

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Musée Napoléonien des Châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau, Malmaison, France

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Cosimo II de’ Medici with his Wife, Maria Maddalena of Austria and their Son, Ferdinando II

Artist: Justus Suttermans (Flemish, 1597-1681)

Date: c. 1640

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

The canvas seems to be a dynastic commemoration in honour of Cosimo II, a cultured, balanced ruler, with the allegory for Justice on his armour - perhaps in reference to the symbolic role of exemplum virtutis, which inspired both Maria Maddalena in her capacity as regent and Ferdinando, his legitimate successor.

The portrait also stands out for its extraordinary display of clothing and jewels, which are also extremely interesting in terms of costume history. The grand duchess is wearing a black dress with a petticoat in silver and gold, topped with a wide lace collar. Ferdinando wears a cloak with the cross of the Knights of St Stephen, an order created and supported by his great-grandfather, Cosimo I. The most interesting piece is the tiara in pearls and precious stones worn by Maria Maddalena, set with the Fiorentino, a 138-carat diamond purchased by Ferdinando I in 1601 and preserved among the Medici treasures until the end of the dynasty. It was taken to Vienna, where it remained in the imperial collection until the early 19th century, before disappearing into nothing, perhaps to make other gems or just sold and since then, nothing more is known about it.

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Cosimo II de' Medici (1590–1621), Grand Duke of Tuscany

Artist: Workshop of Justus Sustermans (Flemish, 1597–1681)

Date: 1597–1681

Medium: Oil on canvas, transferred from wood

Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, United States

Cosimo II de' Medici

Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine.

For the majority of his 12-year reign, he delegated the administration of Tuscany to his ministers. He is best remembered as the patron of Galileo Galilei, his childhood tutor.

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Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria-Styria

Artist: Christofano Allori (Italian, 1577-1621

Date: 1609 - 1610

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria

Maria Maddalena of Austria (German: Maria Magdalena von Österreich, Italian: Maria Maddalena d'Austria; 7 October 1589 – 1 November 1631) was Grand Duchess of Tuscany by her marriage to Cosimo II in 1609 until his death in 1621. With him, she had eight children, including a duchess of Parma, a grand duke of Tuscany, and an archduchess of Further Austria. Born in Graz, Maria Magdalena was the youngest daughter of Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria, and his wife Maria Anna of Bavaria. During the minority of her son, Grand Duke Ferdinando, she and her mother-in-law acted as regents from 1621 to 1628. She died on 1 November 1631 in Passau.

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Equestrian Portrait of Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein (1700–1771)

Artist: Anton Peter van Roy (Flemish, active in Austria, c. 1660-after 1738)

Date: 1706-1738

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Liechtenstein. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna, Austria

Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein (1700–1771)

Prince Emanuel Joseph Johann of Liechtenstein (2/3 February 1700 – 15 January 1771) was the father and brother to two of Liechtenstein's monarchs.

Prince Emanuel was born in Vienna on 2/3 February 1700. the second son of Prince Philipp Erasmus of Liechtenstein (1664–1704) and Countess Christina Theresa von Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (1665–1730). His elder brother was Josef Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein.

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Marie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Grand Duchess of Russia (1853-1920)

Artist: Gustav Karl Ludwig Richter (German, 1823-1884)

Date: 1873

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Trust Collection, London, United Kingdom

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (17 October [O.S. 5 October] 1853 – 22 October 1920) was the sixth child and only surviving daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she was Duchess of Edinburgh and later Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the wife of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the younger sister of Alexander III of Russia and the paternal aunt of Russia's last emperor, Nicholas II.

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The Marriage of Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia, 26th November 1894

Artist: Laurits Regner Tuxen (Danish, 1853-1927)

Dated 1895-1896

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom

Description

The wedding between Nicholas II and Princess Alix of Hesse took place in the Imperial Chapel of the Winter Palace on 26 November 1894, just over twenty years after the marriage of the Tsar's aunt in the same chapel. The wedding was announced in April that year and was to take place on the Empress Marie Feodorovna's birthday. Tragically, Emperor Alexander III died of kidney disease on 1 November, and the court was thrown into mourning with the exception of the day of the marriage.

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Portrait of Nicholas II

Artist: Ilya Repin (Ukranian-Russian, 1844-1930)

Date: 1895

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Alexander II of Russia

Alexander II (29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 2 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881. Alexander's most significant reform as emperor was the emancipation of Russia's serfs in 1861, for which he is known as Alexander the Liberator.

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Portrait of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna and her Daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, Horse Riding in the Peterhof Park

Artist: Karl Bryullov (Russian, 1799-1852)

Date: 1837

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse)

Alexandra Feodorovna (Russian: Александра Фёдоровна, born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine; 6 June 1872 – 17 July 1918) was the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Nicholas II from their marriage on 26 November [O.S. 14 November] 1894 until his forced abdication on 15 March [O.S. 2 March] 1917. A granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alexandra was one of the most famous royal carriers of hemophilia and passed the condition to her son, Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia.

Alexandra was deeply involved in the personal and political life of her husband, Tsar Nicholas II. Her reputation suffered due to her influence over Nicholas, particularly in her insistence on maintaining autocratic rule in the face of growing revolutionary pressures in Russia. Her relationship with the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin became a subject of controversy. Rasputin's alleged ability to alleviate Alexei's suffering from hemophilia increased Alexandra's reliance on him, damaging the public perception of the Romanovs and fueling rumors about Rasputin's power within the royal family. These associations with Rasputin and her opposition to political reform were seen as contributing factors to the collapse of the Romanov dynasty.

Following Nicholas II's abdication, the royal family were placed under house arrest by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. On 17 July 1918, they were murdered by Bolshevik forces in Yekaterinburg, marking the violent end of over three centuries of Romanov rule. Despite her unpopularity during her reign, Alexandra was canonized as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.

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Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna

Artist: Unknown, Russian

Date: 1790s

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Alexandra Pavlovna, Grand Duchess (1783-1801) - daughter of Emperor Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna. A favorite of her father, educated and talented, she inherited artistic inclinations from her mother — she drew, sculpted from wax, and was engaged in translations from French. In 1799 she married Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary.

The girl is shown in a festive brocade dushegreya and a silk blouse with lace. Catherine the Great, writing to her long-time correspondent Baron von Grimm in February 1796, raptly described a court masquerade ball where her granddaughters “danced a Russian dance to Russian music, which aroused everybody's delight… All of them … were dressed in splendid costumes”.

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Archduke Joseph of Austria

Artist: Anton Einsle (Austrian, 1801–1871)

Date: 1846

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Archduke Joseph of Austria (Palatine of Hungary)

Archduke Joseph Anton of Austria (German: Erzherzog Joseph Anton Johann Baptist von Österreich; Hungarian: Habsburg József Antal János Baptista főherceg, József nádor; 9 March 1776 – 13 January 1847) was the 103rd and penultimate palatine of Hungary who served for over fifty years from 1796 to 1847, after a period as governor in 1795.

The latter half of his service coincided with the Hungarian Reform Era, and he mediated between the government of Francis I, King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor and the Hungarian nobility, representing the country's interests in Vienna. He played a prominent role in the development of Pest as a cultural and economic centre; the neoclassical buildings constructed on his initiative define the city's modern appearance. The landscaping of the City Park of Budapest and Margaret Island happened under his supervision. He supported public education, technical higher education, the arts, the construction of railroads, and various progressive-thinking societies and associations. He donated substantially towards the establishment of the Hungarian National Museum, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the National Széchényi Library.

He was an archduke of Austria and a prince of Bohemia, Hungary, and Tuscany as the son of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. The Hungarian or Palatinal branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine descends from him. In the Imperial Army, and later in the Austrian Army, he bore the rank of Feldmarschall.

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Anastasia Ivanovna, Countess of Hesse-Homburg, Princess Trubetskaya

Artist: Alexander Roslin (Swedish, 1718–1793)

Date: 1757

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

Anastasiya Trubetskaya

Anastasiya Ivanovna, Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Trubetskaya (also Princess Anastasia of Hesse-Homburg)(1700-1755 CE), was a Russian Imperial noblewoman, courtier, Princess of Moldavia and Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg. She was a favourite of Empress Elizabeth, for whom she was a lady-in-waiting, and was seen as an honorary member of the Imperial Russian family.

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William V (1748-1806), Prince of Orange (after Hoppner)

Artist: Henry Bone (British, 1755–1834)

Date: 1801

Medium: Enamel on copper

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, London, United Kingdom

William V, Prince of Orange

William V (Willem Batavus; 8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806) was Prince of Orange and the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. He went into exile to London in 1795. He was furthermore ruler of the Principality of Orange-Nassau until his death in 1806. In that capacity, he was succeeded by his son William.

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Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina of Prussia (1751-1820). Wife of Prince William V, on Horseback

Artist: Tethart Philip Christian Haag (Dutch, 1737 – 1812)

Date: 1789

Medium: Oil painting

Collection: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange

Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia (Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina; 7 August 1751 – 9 June 1820) was the consort of William V of Orange and the de facto leader of the dynastic party and counter-revolution in the Netherlands. She was the daughter of Prince Augustus William of Prussia and Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Wilhelmina was the longest-serving princess consort of Orange.

Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia (Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina; 7 August 1751 – 9 June 1820) was the consort of William V of Orange and the de facto leader of the dynastic party and counter-revolution in the Netherlands. She was the daughter of Prince Augustus William of Prussia and Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Wilhelmina was the longest-serving princess consort of Orange.