#grand duchess alexandra iosifovna

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

Queen Olga of Greece with her mother, Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna! 🥺✨🤍

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (née Princess of Saxe-Altenburg) with her granddaughters Princesses Alexandra and Marie “Minnie” of Greece and Denmark, 1880s 🤍✨

The two young girls would both end up marrying back into the Romanov family. Alexandra to Pavel Alexandrovich and Marie to Georgy Mikhailovich.

[adini-nikolaevna]

“The Princess of Altenburg, the wife of Grand Duke Konstantin, is dazzlingly beautiful. She is tall, with a beautiful figure, a beautiful face, dark brown hair and was dressed in a dark blue with a white dress.”

- Count Helmut Moltke on Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia.

[loiladadiani]

Emperor Nicholas I (1796 - 1855) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1798 -1860 - nee Princess Friederike Luise Charlotte Wilhelmine of Prussia

Nicholas I, the Iron Tzar, and his sons

This couple was the first “Nicholas and Alexandra” in the Romanov Dynasty. They were Nicholas II's great grant-parents.

It was said that he was the best-looking man in Europe. She was tall and fair and enjoyed jewels, gowns, and balls. They loved each other, and their union was not unhappy, but he did not remain faithful to her (after he died, his last mistress was employed as Alexandra’s lectrice, and they became friends.) Nicholas and Alexandra had seven children, four sons, and three daughters. Those four sons would ensure that the generation of Romanovs following them would not want for male heirs. As a matter of fact, there would be too many Grand Dukes, making it necessary for his grandson, Alexander III, to change the Pauline laws, re-defining who would be considered a Grand Duke or Duchess, among other things (only grandsons/grandaughters of a Tzar would be Grand Duke/Duchesses; great-grandsons and so on would be Princes and Princesses of the blood).

Nicholas I with his four sons: Tsarevich Alexander Nikolayevich (1818 - 1881 - future Alexander II), Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich (1827 - 1882), Grand Duke Nikolay Nikolayevich (1831 - 1891), and Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich (1832- 1909.)

According to the literature, Nicholas raised his two elder sons very strictly but had more of a paternal relationship with the younger two. His priority was to bring them up so that they were true soldiers and so that when Alexander inherited the throne, the other three would help and support him. And they did. Nicholas I adored his daughters and was devastated when his youngest daughter Alexandra (better known as Adini), died. (His daughters would be discussed in another post.)

Below are the sons of Nicholas I and their spouses:

1. Emperor Alexander II and his first wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna (born Princess Wilhemine Marie of Hesse); Issue listed below (Only legitimate issue surviving to adulthood listed; not in birth order)

Grand Duchess Marie

Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich

Alexander III

Grand Duke Vladimir

Grand Duke Alexei

Grand Duke Sergei

Grand Duke Pavel

2. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (Princess Alexandra of Saxe Altenburg); Issue listed below (Only legitimate issue surviving to adulthood listed; not in birth order) - They would be known as the "Konstantinovichi"

Grand Duke Nicholas

Grand Duke Konstantin

Grand Duke Dmitry

Grand Duke Vyacheslav

Grand Duchess Olga

Grand Duchess Vera

3. Grand Duke Nikolay Nikolayevich (the Elder) and Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Russia, born Duchess Alexandra Frederica Wilhelmina of Oldenburg. Issue listed below (Only legitimate issue surviving to adulthood listed; not in birth order); Known as the "Nikolayvichi”

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolayevich

Grand Duke Peter Nikolayevich

4. Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (nee Princess Cecilie of Baden) Issue listed below (Only legitimate issue surviving to adulthood listed; not in birth order) They were known as the "Mikhailovichi" (although they preferred to be called the "Michels;" the family called them the "Wild Caucasians" because they grew up in the Caucus and had strong opinions that they voiced loudly)

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Mikhail

Grand Duke George

Grand Duke Alexander

Grand Duke Sergei

Grand Duke Alexei

The children and grandchildren of these couples would be directly involved in one way or the other in the Great War, the Russian Revolution, the Civil War in Russia, and the overthrow of the monarchy and the Romanov Dynasty. Some would lose their lives, others would lose children, brothers, and spouses, and all would lose their country, status, and privileges.

[krasivaa]

Little Grand Duke Vyacheslav Konstantinovich Romanov with his mother, Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia.

[gogmstuff]

1840s dresses (from top to bottom) -

1840 Marie-Thécle de Monttessuy, Comtessede Nieuwerkerke by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (Landesmuseum Mainz - Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany) 2069X2830.

1842 Christine Dieckhoff by Georg Wittemann (location ?). From pinterest.com/pin/366550857185910796/ 878X1200. Coral and also gold jewelry were fashionable.

Grand Duchess Maria Mikhailovna of Russia by ?. From tumblr.com/imperial-russia; fixed tear and some spots w Pshop 1553X2048.

1847 Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (née Princess of Saxe-Altenburg) by Hau (location ?). From tumblr.com/roehenstart 943X1220.

ca.1848-1860 Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine lithograph by Valentin Schertle after Joseph Hartmann (Royal Collection). From Wikimedia 1296X1840.

1849 Anne-Arsene Charton by Édouard-Louis Dubufe (auctioned by Christie's). From Wikimedia; fixed spots & flaws w Pshop 2136X3072.

[drosera-nepenthes]

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873) "Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia" (1859) Oil on canvas Currently in the Royal Collection of the British royal faamily

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (née Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg) with daughter Queen Olga of Greece (née GD Olga Konstantinovna), and granddaughters Princesses Alexandra and Marie of Greece and Denmark (later GD’s Alexandra and Maria Georgievna), 1880s

[graceofromanovs]

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia and her children, 1863.

Source Royalty In Colour

[la-belle-histoire]

Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia (later Queen Olga of Greece) with her mother, Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (born Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg). 1865.

[classicalcanvas]

Title: Alexandra Iosifovna, Grand Duchess of Russia

Artist: Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Date: 1859

Style: Rococo

Genre: Portrait

[sophiebernadotte]

April 18, 1890 - Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was born in St. Petersburg as the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna. This means she was a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. She was named after her late grandmother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and her aunt, grandaunt, and godmother, Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Maria was not yet two years old when her mother died from complications after giving birth to Maria's younger brother, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. Grand Duke Paul was so distraught by the unexpected death of his wife that he neglected his two small children, who were left in the care of his elder brother, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Growing up without a mother and a frequently absent father, Maria and her brother Dimitri became very close, relying on each other for affection and companionship.

Shortly after Easter 1907, Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, visited St. Petersburg and was introduced to the 16-year-old Maria Pavlovna. The prince was tall, thin, dark, and distinguished-looking "with beautiful grey eyes," Maria recalled in her memoirs. He stayed for dinner, and the following day, Maria was told that he wished to marry her. The official betrothal was announced in June 1907 at Peterhof Palace.

Maria Pavlovna later wrote that she felt her aunt had rushed her into the marriage. In her memoirs, Maria wrote: "I was using Wilhelm, in a sense, only to obtain my freedom." She and Prince Wilhelm married the following year in Tsarskoye Selo, and she became Princess Maria, the Duchess of Södermanland. The couple had one child together in 1909, Prince Lennart (later Lennart Bernadotte).

Their marriage was not happy, and they dissolved in March 1914. Maria returned to her home country in the same year as the divorce. After the revolution, she fled to France, and towards the end of her life, she lived in Konstanz, West Germany, near her son Lennart and his family.

Photo 1: Prince Wilhelm and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna photographed on their wedding day in 1908. Photo 2: Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna photographed with Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich and his children Dmitri and Maria in 1892. Portrait taken from Wikimedia Commons. Photo 3: Photograph of Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, her daughter Queen Olga of the Hellenes, her great-granddaughter Princess Maria and her great-great-grandson Prince Lennart of Sweden. Princess Maria is holding a photograph of her mother, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna. The photograph was taken in 1909. Photo 4: Prince Wilhelm and Princess Maria were photographed together in 1908 at their home, Stenhammar Castle. Maria is pictured wearing the Sweden dress. Portrait taken from Wikimedia Commons.

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[adini-nikolaevna]

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (née Princess of Saxe-Altenburg) by Hau.

[loiladadiani]

Grand Duchesses at the Coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna

Nicholas II and his consort Empress Alexandra, were crowned on Tuesday, 14 May (O.S., 26 May N.S.) 1896, in Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. The magnificence of the occasion was never again seen in Russia. The Grand Duchesses were in full regalia. Here are two great photographs of them.

Above:

Sitting: Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (who had been present at the coronation of Alexander III); sitting on the floor at her knees is Princess Olga of Wurttenberg; sitting next to Alexandra Iosifovna is Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught

Back Row Standing from Let to Right: Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the elder), Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna, and Princess Elena of Saxe-Altenburg

Above:

In the center of this group, is Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, (daughter of Tzar Alexander II, wife of Queen Victoria's second son Alfred, Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, who is standing behind her.)

On the right side of Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, is her daughter Victoria Melita, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Sitting to the left of her mother is the Crowned Princess of Romania, Marie (same name as her mother; known by the family as Missy). Her husband the Crowned Prince of Romania, Ferdinand, is standing slightly to the side, behind Missy.

Next to Ferdinand of Romania is Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and By Rhine, husband of Victoria Melita at the time and brother of the Empress being crowned, Alexandra Feodorovna. To the right of Victoria Melita is her brother, Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who died at age twenty-four.

[ykzzr]

Tsesarevich Nicholas, Grand Duchess Elizabeth feodorovna, Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, Queen Olga Constantinovna, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, Prince Constantine of Greece and Denmark 1886