Duchess Marie’s mom passed due to childbirth of Marie’s brother, Dmitri, when the Duchess was 1-1/2 years old. Her mother had married her father, the Grand Duke Paul of Russia just 3 years earlier. Her mother’s name was Princess Alexandra of Greece, daughter of King George and Queen Olga. Princess Alexandra passed at the age of 21 and the whole of Russia mourned her passing. There had been an eight mile procession of peasants carrying her coffin to the railway station from the country property of the Grand Duke Serge, Marie’s father’s brother.
Dmitri was frail and the antidote was bathing this infant in bouillon which did aid in his strength and growth. There were no incubators at that time, so hot water bottles were used for this infant. Once Dmitri was strong enough to travel several months later, Marie and Dmitri went to St Petersburg where their father met them. They were at the Palace on the Neva which was a wide river in summer “alive with ships.” (p10)
While at Ilinskoe for several months, she and Dmitri lived with nurses and attendants in rooms on the second floor of the nursery suite. Her English nurse, Nannie Fry and her assistant, Lizzie Grove, managed these 2 children along with the chambermaids, valets, and assistant nurses. Her father would visit 2 times a day to see them. Her father commanded the Imperial Horse Guards. She admired the “magnificent uniforms” (p11) which were all white with gold braid. The gilded helmet had the Imperial eagle.
She spoke admiringly of her father who she felt was charming, elegant, exuded “gaiety and goodness of heart.” (p11) At Christmas, her father was in a joyous spirit. When he wanted to calm both she and her brother, they would be taken driving where the Christmas lights, decorations, and crowds were along the streets where their carriage traveled.
Another story Grand Duchess Marie shared was when her father would surprise them at Christmas. There were 2 long tables parallel to each other and with white tablecloths were draped over each table. This is where the gifts lay. The right table was for the children and family adults. The left table was for the those they employed.
Marie and Dmitri, in their earlier years, created gifts using needlepoint to give their father - book covers, pen wipers, cushions, clippers. Those gifts evolved to items purchased at shops with money these 2 saved.
During Christmas, what seemed a short time, was also a joyous time. with their father. He left the day after Christmas, and Marie and Dmitri would stay with their Uncle Serge and Aunt Ella in Moscow.
Marie had noted that few were allowed to visit her and Dmitri, as a protective measure. Occasionally, members of the imperial family came to visit briefly at the nursery area of the palace or country homes. There was certain of her father’s aide-de-comp who would also come by to see them.
Her first real understanding of death came when Baron Schilling had passed. She described as “the mysterious dissolution and disappearance of a human being.” (p14). Another family member had passed as she described him as a giant with a light beard. That was her Uncle Sasha who was her father’s eldest brother. He was known as the Emperor Alexander III. She met him once and later learned of his death through circumstance of why she should not wear a red coat on a certain day.
In 1896, her father felt that despite the young ages of both Marie and Dmitri, that this would be an important event to attend. This event was the coronation of cousin Nicholas II. Marie was barely 6 years old. When writing her autobiography later on in life, she remembered the related events so clearly. She also reflected how grateful she was to her father for supporting them to attend as it was the last coronation ceremony in history in Russia. She went with Nannie Fry and stayed at the palace of Governor General with her Uncle Serge.
On the day of the coronation, she was taken to the Kremlin and watched from the window the procession coming out of the Cathedral of the Assumption and crossing the interior court.
She recalled the magnificence. Emerged from the Church were 2 Empresses - mother and consort. They were carried under a canopy decorated with ostrich plumes and carried by court dignitaries. There was her Uncle Serge behind the Emperor and her father behind the young Empress.
The palaces of Moscow were full of relatives. Numerous sovereign and foreign princes were government representatives or connected by marriage with Marie’s family.
After the final coronation ceremonies, the new Emperor and Empress stayed at Ilinskoie with Marie’s Uncle and Aunt. Their closest relatives all came. Thus, the children spent a week at Usovo - her Uncle Serge’s other country place.
There had been a coronation incident despite extensive planning for those attending the ascension of the youn Emperor and Empress. The incident was that there had been gifts ready to give to the people at Khodensky Meadows, but the crowd was much larger than expected. Thousands were killed and mourned due to panic and a stampede, all precipitated by the police managing the crowds “carelessly” (p16) Marie shared that following the coronation there was a “cloud of sadness and premonition.” (p16) at the beginning of the new reign.
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