Aunt Ella’s desk full of correspondence, had a telegram signed Princess Irene - Prince Henry of Prussia, Aunt Ella’s sister. Marie was with Dmitri and Marie looked more closely and read the telegram. The text was the Crown Princess of Sweden was asking for Marie’s latest photograph and requested to send it as soon as Aunt Ella was able. Marie, perceptive and inquisitive as she was, said out loud to her brother, that this was an “indication of a project of marriage,” as the Swedish family was slightly related and only by marriage.
Marie had forgotten about this telegram and not to long after, went to Tsarskoie-Selo for an Easter celebration. Soon after Easter, Aunt Ella had let Marie and Dmitri know that they must go back to Moscow immediately, as it was “urgent business” (page 92) that needed attention. Then, Aunt Ella proceeded to ask Marie to keep her afternoon free of engagements, as Aunt Ella was expecting a guest for tea and for Marie to wear a suitable dress.
At 4:00 in the afternoon, Ella walked down to the drawing room. She discovered the expected guest was Prince William of Sweden. Aunt Ella had noted that he was traveling to see the country “incognito”. Minutes later, the door opened and Marie slowly looked over and connected with his eyes. Aunt Ella seemed to do all the talking and Marie felt she should be quiet unless asked otherwise. After a short time of conversation between the Prince and Aunt Ella and while Dmitri had popped in following an earlier request of Marie, Aunt Ella had invited the Prince for dinner and he accepted. The essence was the Prince had come to meet Marie and he wanted to marry her.
Marie felt shocked that while she knew that her marriage would be a traditional political marriage, she felt the approach rather cold and uninviting. While Aunt Ella asked Marie not to speak of the conversation, Marie found she could not help herself and spoke to Mlle. Hélène all that transpired earlier. Mlle. Hélène advised Marie to not be rushed.
That evening Marie had gone to bed and had nightmares and woke-up with severe pain and her fever increased. A specialist was summoned and said it was her sinuses.
Aunt Ella’s elder sister, Princess Victoria of Battenberg, had arrived in Moscow and came to Marie’s bedside. By then, surgery was not longer necessary as Marie’s temperature had fallen.
Marie had been thinking about how she did not want to leave Dmitri, for they had much fun over the years and it was painful for Marie to think about parting. Then, Marie began thinking that Dmitri will be sent off to military school and he will be gone anyway, so they eventually will be parting from their special time together.
Marie decided to accept under the condition that she would not marry before 18 years of age. The Emperor was her guardian and his approval would be required. Aunt Ella understanding this, let Marie know that the Prince would ask for Marie’s hand the next day.
Early the next day, both Marie and the Prince were at ease with each other. In the afternoon, both were not at ease, when he asked her to marry him. Then the dog was at the door and Marie suggested that the Prince let the dog into the room where they were. The Prince then kissed Marie on her forehead and left. Aunt Ella came in to congratulate Marie on her engagement. Then, Marie went back to bed as she had not fully recovered and her fever did return.
As the Sovereigns of the two countries had to receive the announcement first, before Marie could speak of the engagement, Marie did let Dmitri, Mlle. Hélène , and the Laimings know. None of the four showed any enthusiasm. When Marie’s hair was being brushed by her “old maid Tania”, she also revealed her news. Tania had begun to shed some tears. Dmitri, younger than Marie, had not taken the news seriously.
Marie was well before the Prince was to leave Moscow and they had spent the last 2 afternoons and evenings together enjoying each other’s company.
Marie was bothered that she was not able to ask her father’s advice and he had yet to learn of the news which was after the decision was considered final. Days onward, Aunt Ella would speak of “happiness” in so many tones and numerous times and in different aspects of Marie’s future life. Marie had appreciated having a princely education and now she would follow what would be expected of her as a young woman with Aunt Ella’s guidance.
Marie realized that she must infer how “madly in love” she was with her fiancé and that love had come upon her like a “thunderclap”. A letter was dictated to Marie’s father who was still living outside the country. Once he received it, he resented not being consulted. Thing is Marie also realized he had been gone a long time and left her to marry the divorcée.
Marie’s grandfather, King of Greece, also spoke that Marie was barely 17 and asked for the marriage to be postponed until Marie’s 18th year. So in the Spring of 1908, her wedding ceremonies took place. Marie began to adopt to the expectations of her, versus speaking her emotions and feelings.
On the official announcement, a Te Deum was chanted in the private chapel of the Emperor. During the service, as the doors were opened, the aroma of the lilies and hydrangeas were perfume-like and traveled to where they were in the chapel. Following the service, all went to the Emperor’s villas for champagne and Marie received congratulations from those attending.
Not too long after, Marie left Peterhof and all went to Ilinskoie. Being in the country, the Prince and Marie grew closer to her fiancé. Soon after she was engaged, she began her Swedish language studies. Just in 2 months, Marie began to speak Swedish somewhat. Also she was starting to notice that there were times where the Prince and her speak differently on races, education and other areas, where she felt some barriers and they experiencing empasses.
The Prince was an officer of the Swedish Navy and soon left for America. Then not long after he left, she came down with measles and Dmitri came down with them worse than her condition. Marie was in bed for weeks and was not allowed to write back to her Prince as for the concern for her eyes. Both Dmitri and Marie were taken to Crimea with Aunt Ella, in the Autumn. They stayed in the villa at Koreiz, a Tatar village and where Marie’s fiancé soon arrived. The Prince brought with him the plans of the home Aunt Ella was having built in Stockholm for the couple. While discussing these house plans, there were noticeable differences of opinion, yet Marie chose to remain quiet.