Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia (Russian: Императрица Александра Фёдоровна), born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (German: Viktoria Alix Helena Luise Beatrice Prinzessin von Hessen und bei Rhein) 6 June 1872 – 17 July 1918, was Empress consort of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russian Empire. Born a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, she assumed the name Alexandra Feodorovna upon blessing into the Russian Orthodox Church, which canonised her as Saint Alexandra in 2000. Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Nicholas II of Russia (Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov) (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July [O.S. 4 July] 1918) (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[1] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (Olga Nikolaevna Romanova) (in Russian Великая Княжна Ольга Николаевна; November 15 [O.S. November 3] 1895 – July 17, 1918) was the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of the Russian Empire, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia. ... Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna of Russia (Tatiana Nikolaievna Romanova) (In Russian Великая Княжна Татьяна Николаевна), (May 29 (O.S.)/June 10 (N.S.), 1897 - July 17, 1918), was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra. ... Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (Maria Nikolaevna Romanova) (In Russian Великая Княжна Мария Николаевна), (June 14 (O.S.)/June 26 (N.S.), 1899 – July 17, 1918) was the third daughter of Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. ... Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia (Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, (Russian: (June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 — July 17, 1918), was the youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna. ... Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov (Russian: ), full title: Heir, Tsarevich and Grand Duke (Russian: ) (12 August [O.S. 30 July] 1904 — July 17, 1918), of the House of Romanov, was Tsarevich - the heir apparent - of Russia, being the youngest child and the only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and... The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt came into existence in 1568, as the portion of George, youngest of the four sons of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse. ... Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine Louis IV (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl) (12 September 1837 - 13 March 1892), was the fourth Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 13 June 1877 until his death. ... Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary; later The Grand Duchess of Hesse; April 25, 1843 – December 14, 1878), was a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nicholas II of Russia (Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov) (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July [O.S. 4 July] 1918) (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[1] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

Alexandra is best remembered as the last Tsaritsa of Russia, as one of the most famous royal carriers of the haemophilia disease, as well as for her support of authoritarian control over the country. Her notorious friendship with the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was also an important factor in her life. A Tsaritsa (Цари́ца), also called tsarina, czarina, or czaritsa, was the title of Tsars wife or a female autocratic ruler(monarch) of Russia or Bulgaria. ... Haemophilia figured prominently in the history of European royalty. ... Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (or Grigori Yefimovich Novyh) (Russian: ) (January 22 [O.S. January 10] 1869–December 29 [O.S. December 16] 1916) was a Russian mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, his wife the Tsarina Alexandra, and their only son...

Early life

She was born Princess Viktoria Alix Helena Luise Beatrice in Darmstadt, Hesse and by Rhine, a grand duchy that was then part of the German Empire. Her father was Grand Duke Louis IV, and her mother was the former Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Alix was baptized on 1 July 1872 according to the rites of the Lutheran Church and given the names of her mother and each of her mother's four sisters, some of which were transliterated into German. Her godparents were the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, the Tsarevich of Russia, the Tsarevna of Russia, Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Landgravine of Hesse. Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland (federal state) of Hesse in Germany. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE7 Capital Wiesbaden Largest city Frankfurt Minister-President Roland Koch (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 5 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  21,100 km² (8,147 sq mi) Population 6,077,000 (08/2006)[1]  - Density... A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. ... Motto Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Danish, French, Frisian, Polish, Sorbian Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871–1888 William I  - 1888 Frederick... Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine Louis IV (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl) (12 September 1837 - 13 March 1892), was the fourth Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 13 June 1877 until his death. ... Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary; later The Grand Duchess of Hesse; April 25, 1843 – December 14, 1878), was a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Francis Augustus Charles Albert Emanuel, later HRH The Prince Consort) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity which follows the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... Princess Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen Consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom and thus Empress of India during her husbands reign. ... Alexander III (10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) reigned as Emperor of Russia from 14 March 1881 until his death in 1894. ... Maria Feodorovna, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (November 26, 1847–October 13, 1928) was Empress Consort of Russia. ... The Princess Beatrice, (Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore), (14 April 1857 - 26 October 1944), was a member of the British Royal Family, the fifth daughter and the youngest child of Queen Victoria. ... Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel, later Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, (July 25, 1797 – April 6, 1889) was the consort of Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge, the tenth born child and seventh son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte. ... Anna, Duchess of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg (3 July 1576 - 30 August 1625) was the daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia and Marie Eleanore of Cleves and became the wife of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg. ...

In November of 1878, diptheria swept through the tiny duchy of Hesse. While Alix's older sister, Ella, had been sent to live with their paternal grandmother, Princess Elizabeth of Prussia, Alix herself, her sisters, Irene and May and brother Ernie fell ill. While her sisters and brother recovered, little May did not. She died aged 4 shortly before the end of the month. In the meantime, Alix's mother, now the Grand Duchess of Hesse, fell sick after caring for Ernie when he came down with the disease. When little Alix was just six, Princess Alice died on December 14, 1878, the anniversary of her own father's death seventeen years before. Princess Alix became very close to her maternal grandmother and was often thought to be Victoria's favourite granddaughter. As a result, Alix spent many of her early years in the United Kingdom and frequently stayed with her British relatives at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. As a little girl, she was called Sunny. But after the loss of her mother and younger sister, May, she became more sullen and withdrawn. In 1892 when she was twenty, her father died, and her brother, Ernst Ludwig, succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Balmoral Castle. ... This article is about the country. ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. // History The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire, between the Solent and the English Channel. ... Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Marie of Hesse and the Rhine (24 May 1874 - 16 November 1878) was the youngest daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse. ... Ernest Louis Charles Albert William (de: Ernst Ludwig Karl Albert Wilhelm), (25 November 1868-9 October 1937) was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until his abdication in 1918. ...

Marriage

Alix was married relatively late for her rank in her era, having refused a proposal from Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) despite strong familial pressure. She had, however, already met a relative by both blood and marriage, the Tsarevich of Russia, whose mother was the sister-in-law of Alix's uncle, the Prince of Wales, and whose uncle Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was married to Alix's sister Elizabeth. At first, Nicholas' father, Tsar Alexander III, refused the prospect of marriage, but later relented as his health began to fail. Alix was troubled by the requirement that she renounce her Lutheran faith, as a Russian tsaritsa had to be Orthodox; but she was persuaded and eventually became a fervent, even fanatical convert. She and Nicholas became engaged in April 1894. Alexander III died in November of that year, and Nicholas became Tsar of all the Russias at the age of twenty-six. Thus, her older sister Ella, was not only her sister, but her aunt by marriage! In fact, she, like Nicky was a first cousin to England's King George V; Nicky was a first cousin to three other monarchs as well: Christian X of Denmark, George II of Greece, and King Haakon VII of Norway. This article or section includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... Nicholas II of Russia (Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov) (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July [O.S. 4 July] 1918) (Russian: , Nikolay II) was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland,[1] and Grand Duke of Finland. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... Sergei Alexandrovich Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov (April 29, 1857 - February 4, 1905, Old Style) was the seventh child and fifth son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and his first Empress-consort Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. ... HIH The Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna (Russian: ), (1 November 1864 - 18 July 1918) was a German princess of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse and was the wife of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, the fifth son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse... Alexander III (10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) reigned as Emperor of Russia from 14 March 1881 until his death in 1894. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Christian X of Denmark (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) (September 26, 1870 – April 20, 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and of Iceland between 1918 and 1944. ... George II (Greek: Γεώργιος [Geōrgios]; 20 July 1890 — 1 April 1947), King of the Hellenes (Greece) ruled from 1922-1924 and 1935-1947. ... His Majesty King Haakon VII of Norway, Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel (August 3, 1872–September 21, 1957) was the first King of Norway after the dissolution of the personal union with Sweden in 1905. ...

Alix of Hesse accompanied the Imperial family as they returned to St. Petersburg with the body of the Tsar, and it is said that the people greeted their new Empress-to-be with ominous whispers of "She comes to us behind a coffin." ^[1]

Portrait by L. Tuxen of the wedding of Tsar Nicholas II and the Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, which took place at the Chapel of the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, on November 14/26, 1894. Among those also depicted in this portrait, against the wall and to the right of the window, from left to right - King Christian IX of Denmark, the Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna, the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, Olga Konstantinovna, Queen of the Hellenes, the future King Edward VII, the Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich (son of Tsar Alexander III), and Prince Heinrich of Prussia (son of Kaiser Friedrich III). Today this portrait hangs at Buckingham Palace.

Image File history File links Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927). ... Image File history File links Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927). ... Tsar Nicholas II (18 May 1868 to 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... Christian IX of Denmark (April 8, 1818 – January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 15, 1863 to January 29, 1906. ... Princess Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar (November 26, 1847 - October 13, 1928) was born as the second daughter of Louise of Hesse and Christian of Glucksburg. ... The flag of the House of Romanov Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia (Russian: ; Olga Alexandrovna Romanova) (June 13, 1882–November 24, 1960) was the last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia under the reign of her elder brother, Czar Nicholas II. Her father was the reformer of 19th century Russia... Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia (April 6, 1875 – April 20, 1960) was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. ... Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia is the name and title used by three relatively prominent members of the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. ... Olga, Queen of Greece Olga Konstantinovna of Russia later Queen Olga of Greece (in Russian Великая Княжна Ольга Константиновна in Greek Βασίλισσα Όλγα της Ελλάδος) (3 September 1851 - 18 June 1926), was the queen consort of King George I of Greece and briefly in 1920, Regent of Greece. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... Grand Duke George Alexandrovitch as a young man in the early 1890s // Grand Duke George Alexandrovich Romanov, (In Russian Великий Князь Георгий Александрович Романов),((May 6, 1871 in Tsarskoe Selo - August 9, 1899 in Abbas Tuman, Caucasus) was the third son of Alexander III and Empress Marie of Russia. ... Alexander III (March 10, 1845 – November 1, 1894) reigned as Emperor of Russia from March 14, 1881 until his death in 1894. ... Heinrich, Prince of Prussia (1726-1802) Heinrich, Prince of Prussia (1862-1929) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Frederick III (Frederick William Nicholas Charles; October 18, 1831 – June 15, 1888), (German: Friedrich III., Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen) was German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling for 99 days until his death in 1888. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ...

Relationship With Her Children

Alexandra, to the Russian people, was a cold-hearted German woman, with no ability to see the needs of those around her, unless they were family. This was only true to a certain extent, as Alexandra was, like her husband, was very focused on family. The empress, from her childhood, was painfully shy; a trait shared by her grandmother, Queen Victoria. She hated public appearances, and when she was required to be present, the empress did her best to retreat to the sidlines, allowing her mother-in-law to be the center of attention; something upon which Maria Feodorovna thrived. This shyness and desire to be alone had a deep impact on her five children. Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ...

Almost one year after her marriage to the tsar, Alexandra gave birth to the couple's first child: a girl, named Olga, was born on November 3/15, 1895. Although she was not the coveted heir, Olga was well-loved by her young parents. However, three more girls were to follow Olga: Tatiana on May 29/June 11, 1897, Maria on June 14/26, 1899 and Anastasia on June 18/5, 1901. Three more years passed before the empress gave birth to the long-awaited heir. Alexei Nikolaevich was born at Gatchina on July 30/August 12, 1904. But to his parents' dismay, Alexei was born with hemophilia---the bleeding disease.

With her eldest daughter, Olga, Alexandra had a difficult time. She did not understand her well, and was often critical of Olga, Maria and Anastasia during their adolescence. Tatiana, her second daughter, was often considered to be Alexandra's favorite child, aside from Alexei, the hemophiliac heir.

Tatiana was very obedient, especially towards her mother. She kept an eye on Alexei in place of their mother. During the family's final months alive, Tatiana helped the empress move from place to place, pushing her about the house in a wheelchair. Maria, who was considered the angel of the family, was unintentionally ignored by her mother. Being the 'good child', she, unlike her sister Anastasia, did not need to be looked after and kept out of trouble. Anastasia, the youngest and most famous daughter, was the 'infant terrible', or 'shvibzik'---the Russian word for 'imp'. Although she greatly resembled the empress in looks, Anastasia was closer to her father, the tsar, as was Olga.

However, Alexandra doted on Alexei. Having to live with the knowledge that she had given him the bleeding disease, Alexandra was obsessed with protecting her son; she kept a close eye on him at all times and consulted several mystical people to heal him during his nearly fatal attacks. Alexandra spoiled her only son and let him have his way. She seemed to pay more attention to him that any of her four 'unwanted' daughters. When Alexei's illness was finally announced to the public in 1912, Alexandra became an unpopular figure with her people. The Great War only made this hatred grow.

Empress Alexandra

On May 14th 1896, Nicholas and Alexandra were crowned Emperor and Empress of Russia in Moscow.^{[2] [3]} The coronation celebrations were marred by the deaths of several thousand peasants who were trampled to death at the Khodynka Tragedy when they thought there were not enough gifts for everyone to receive. The Khodynka Tragedy was a mass panic that occurred on May 18, 1896 on Khodynka Field during the festivities of the crowning of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and resulted in the deaths of 1389 people. ...

Alexandra was unpopular at court and with the Russian people. She was hurt by their unenthusiastic reception, and declared herself to be tired of the loose morals and etiquette of the Russian court. She did not attempt to forge bonds with the other members of the large Romanov family and she generally attended as few court occasions as possible. She was unfavourably compared to her popular (and still youthful) predecessor, The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and a sister of the Princess of Wales, who had a higher court precedence. In Russia, Dowager Empresses outranked Empress Consorts, unlike at most royal courts of Europe. Alexandra's stubborn attitude did not allow her to make any attempt to learn from her more experienced mother-in-law who could have helped her so much. She was not good at establishing happy family relationships with her husband's family. Her failure to produce an heir to the Russian throne in her first four attempts was also judged harshly. Maria Feodorovna, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (November 26, 1847–October 13, 1928) was Empress Consort of Russia. ... Christian IX of Denmark (April 8, 1818 – January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 15, 1863 to January 29, 1906. ... Princess Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen Consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom and thus Empress of India during her husbands reign. ...

Alexandra was fiercely protective of her husband's role as Tsar, and actively supported his rights as an autocratic ruler. She was a fervent advocate of the divine right, and believed that it was unnecessary to attempt to secure the approval of the people.

Rasputin

Alexei was born during the height of the Russo-Japanese War on August 12, 1904. The Tsarevitch was the Heir Apparent to the throne of Russia, and Alexandra had fulfilled her most important role as Tsaritsa by bearing a male child. The excitement was short-lived, when it was discovered Alexei suffered from hemophilia, which could only have been transmitted from Alexandra's side of the family. Hemophilia was generally fatal in the early 20th century, and had entered the royal houses of Europe via the daughters of Queen Victoria, who was a carrier. Alexandra had lost a brother, Friedrich, to the disease, as well as an uncle, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; her sister Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine was also a carrier of the gene and, through her marriage to her cousin Prince Heinrich of Prussia, spread it to the Prussian royal family. Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, another of Queen Victoria's granddaughters and a first cousin of Alexandra's, was also a carrier of the haemophilia gene. She married King Alfonso XIII of Spain and two of her sons were haemophiliacs. As an incurable and life threatening illness, suffered by the sole male heir, the heir's disease was kept secret from the Russian people. As a carrier of the haemophilia gene, Alexandra was not a haemophiliac but she likely produced lower-than-normal clotting factor, having only one normal copy of the gene instead of two. Her status as a carrier, in addition to her worry over her son's health, might have been one reason for her reportedly poor health. Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov (Russian: ), full title: Heir, Tsarevich and Grand Duke (Russian: ) (12 August [O.S. 30 July] 1904 — July 17, 1918), of the House of Romanov, was Tsarevich - the heir apparent - of Russia, being the youngest child and the only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and... Combatants Russian Empire Montenegro[1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: , Chinese: , February 10, 1904 – September 5, 1905) was a conflict that grew out of the rival imperialist ambitions of... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ... Haemophilia or hemophilia is the name of any of several hereditary genetic illnesses that impair the bodys ability to control bleeding. ... Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (Friedrich Wilhelm August Victor Leopold Ludwig), (October 7, 1870 - May 29, 1873), was the haemophiliac second son of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. ... His Royal Highness The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (Leopold George Duncan Albert) (7 April 1853 - 28 March 1884), was a member of the British Royal Family, a son of Queen Victoria. ... Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine (Irene Luise Marie Anna) (11 July 1866-11 November 1953) was the third child and third daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. ... Heinrich, Prince of Prussia (1726-1802) Heinrich, Prince of Prussia (1862-1929) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Princess Victoria Eugénie of Battenberg later Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain (24 October 1887-15 April 1969), a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, was the consort of the exiled King Alfonso XIII of Spain and the paternal grandmother of the current King of Spain, Juan Carlos. ... Alfonso XIII (May 17, 1886 – February 28, 1941), King of Spain, posthumous son of Alfonso XII of Spain, was proclaimed King at his birth. ...

At first Alexandra turned to Russian doctors and medics to treat Alexei; however, their treatments generally failed, and Alexandra increasingly turned to mystics and holy men. One of these, Grigori Rasputin, appeared to have a success still inexplicable today. Rasputin's unpopularity, however, and the rumours about him led Nicholas to distance him from the family. Image File history File links RomanovGreatDuchesses. ... Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (or Grigori Yefimovich Novyh) (Russian: ) (January 22 [O.S. January 10] 1869–December 29 [O.S. December 16] 1916) was a Russian mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, his wife the Tsarina Alexandra, and their only son...

In 1912, Alexei suffered a life-threatening haemorrhage in the thigh and groin while the family were at Spala, Poland. At this point Alexandra took the advice of her intimate friend Anna Vyrubova and sent a telegram to Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin's response, that Alexei was over the worst and the doctors should leave him to recover, coincided with his revival. From 1912 onwards, Alexandra came to rely increasingly on Rasputin, and to believe in his ability to ease Alexei's suffering. This reliance enhanced Rasputin's political power, which was seriously to undermine Romanov rule during the First World War ^[4], ^[5] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, neé Taneyeva (Russian: Анна Александровна Вырубова, Танеева) (16 July 1884 — 20 July 1964, Helsinki), was a lady-in-waiting, best friend and confidante to Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna. ...

Rasputin was eventually murdered in December 1916. Amongst the conspirators was a noblemen Prince Felix Yusupov, married to Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna's daughter, Princess Irina of Russia, and a member of the Romanov family Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia (April 6, 1875 – April 20, 1960) was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. ... Princess Irina of Russia (1895-1970) Princess Irina of Russia (In Russian Княжна Ирина Александровна Романова) (July 3, 1895 - February 26, 1970) was the daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. ... Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, of the Imperial House of Romanov (Дмитри Павлович Романов) (September 18, 1891 – March 5, 1941) was a Russian imperial dynast, one of the few Romanovs to escape execution by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution. ...

World War One

The outbreak of World War I was a pivotal moment for Russia and Alexandra. The war pitted the Russian Empire of the Romanov dynasty against the much stronger militarily German Empire of the Hohenzollern dynasty. ^[6] The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, ruled by her brother, formed part of the German Empire. This was, of course the place of Alexandra's birth. This made Alexandra very unpopular with the Russian people, who accused her of collaboration with the Germans. ^[7] The German Kaiser, William II, was also Alexandra's first cousin. Ironically, one of the few things that Empress Alexandra and her mother-in-law Empress Maria had in common was their utter distaste for Kaiser Wilhelm II. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... William II or Wilhelm II (born Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm Albert Viktor von Preußen; English: Prince Frederick William Albert Victor of Prussia) (27 January 1859–4 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia (German: Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen), ruling both the German...

When the Tsar travelled to the front line in 1915 to take personal command of the Army, he left Alexandra in charge of St. Petersburg. Alexandra was not gifted at government, and constantly appointed and reappointed incompetent new ministers, which meant the government was never stable or efficient. This was particularly dangerous in a war of attrition, as neither the troops nor the civilian population were ever adequately supplied. She paid great attention to the self-serving advice of Rasputin, and their relationship was widely, though falsely, believed to be sexual in nature. She was the focus of ever increasing and extremely negative rumours, and widely believed to be a German spy in the Russian court. ^[8]

Revolution, Imprisonment and Murder

A page from the Illustrierte-Zeitung featuring portraits by M. Bajetti of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna and Tsar Nicholas II. Berlin, 1901

World War I put what proved to be unbearable burden on Imperial Russia's government and economy, both of which were dangerously weak. Mass shortages and hunger became the daily standard of living of tens of millions of Russians due to the disruptions of the war economy. Fifteen million men were diverted from agricultural production to fight in the war, and the transportation infrastructure (primarily railroads) were diverted towards war use, exacerbating food shortages in the cities as available agricultural products could not be brought to urban areas. Inflation was rampant which, combined with the food shortages and the poor performance by the Russian military in the war, generated a great deal of anger and unrest among the people in St. Petersburg and other cities. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1497x1035, 272 KB) Photos taken by A. Bajetti of the last rulers of Russia - Empress Alexandra and Tsar Nicholas II taken from the Illustrierte Zeitung, 1901. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1497x1035, 272 KB) Photos taken by A. Bajetti of the last rulers of Russia - Empress Alexandra and Tsar Nicholas II taken from the Illustrierte Zeitung, 1901. ... Tsar Nicholas II (18 May 1868 to 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

The decision of the Tsar to take personal command of the military did not improve its performance. His relocation to the front, leaving the Tsaritsa in charge of the government, helped undermine the Romanov dynasty. The poor performance of the military led to rumors believed by the people that the German-born Tsaritsa was part of a conspiracy to help Germany win the war. The severe winter of 1916–17 essentially doomed Imperial Russia. Food shortages worsened and famine gripped the cities. The mismanagement and failures of the war turned the soldiers against the Tsar, whose personal command of the military made him personally responsible for the defeats. The mood of the army is captured by one scene in Jean Renoir's movie, La Grande Illusion. Alexandra sends boxes to Russian prisoners of war. Thrilled to think they are receiving vodka, they open them to discover bibles, and promptly riot. A Tsaritsa (Цари́ца), also called tsarina, czarina, or czaritsa, was the title of Tsars wife or a female autocratic ruler(monarch) of Russia or Bulgaria. ... A famine is a social and economic crisis that is commonly accompanied by widespread malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. ... Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... Grand Illusion (1937) poster for American release, depicting actors Jean Gabin (as Lt. ... Vodka bottling machine, Shatskaya Vodka Shatsk, Russia Vodka is one of the worlds most popular distilled beverages. ...

By March 1917, conditions had worsened. Steelworkers went out on strike on March 7th, and the following day, International Women’s Day, crowds hungry for bread began rioting on the streets of St. Petersburg to protest food shortages and the war. After two days of rioting, the Tsar brought in the Army to restore order, and the next day, on the 11th, they fired on the crowd. That very same day, the Duma, the elected legislature, urged the Tsar to take action to ameliorate the concerns of the people. The Tsar responded by dissolving the Duma. International Womens Day 2006 logo. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with State Duma. ...

On the March 12th soldiers sent to suppress the rioting crowds mutinied and joined the rebellion, thus touching off the February Revolution (like the later October Revolution of November 1917, the Russian Revolutions of 1917 get their names due to the Old Style calendar). Soldiers and workers set up the "Petrograd Soviet" of 2,500 elected deputies. Anarchy was rampant. An assembly of the Petrograd Soviet, 1917 The Petrograd Soviet, or the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, was the council set up in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg, Russia) in March 1917 as the representative body of the citys workers. ... Anarchy (from Greek: anarchía, no authority) has a popular meaning of disorder[1]. However it has a more precise meaning in political philosophy to describe any human society which exists without a state. ...

During the snowballing crisis, the badly stressed Tsar suffered a nervous breakdown and failed to take further action. As, under the divine right of kings doctrine in which he and his Tsaritsa feverently believed, HE was the government, there was no government. On the 13th, the Duma threw its lot in with the rebels, establishing a Provisional Government, led by the liberal Alexander Kerensky. The Duma informed the Tsar that day that he must abdicate. The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ... Alexander Kerensky This article is about the Russian politician. ...

Nicholas tried to get to St. Petersburg by train from army headquarters at Mogiliev. The route was blocked so he tried another way. His train was stopped at Pskov where, after receiving advice from a number of different sources, he first formally abdicated the throne for himself and later on seeking medical advice for himself and his son the Tsarevich Alexei. Alexandra was now in a perilous position as the wife of the deposed Tsar, hated by the Russian people. Nicholas finally was allowed to return to the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo where he was under arrest with his family. Despite the fact he was a cousin of both Alexandra and Nicholas, King George V refused to allow them to evacuate to the United Kingdom, as he was alarmed by their unpopularity in his country and the potential repercussions to his own throne. Tsar, (Bulgarian цар�, Russian царь; often spelled Czar or Tzar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires since 913, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to 1917. ... Alexei is a popular Russian males personal name. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

Portrait by Alexander Sokolov of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. St. Petersburg, 1901.

The Provisional Government formed after the revolution kept Nicholas, Alexandra, and their children confined in their primary residence, the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, until they were moved to Tobolsk in Siberia in August 1917, a step by the Kerensky government designed to remove them from the capital and possible harm. They remained in Tobolsk until after the Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917, but were subsequently moved to Red-controlled Yekaterinburg. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1360x1872, 461 KB) Portrait by Alexander Sokolov of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, St. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1360x1872, 461 KB) Portrait by Alexander Sokolov of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, St. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... View of the corps de logis from the cour dhonneur. ... Catherine Palace and Park Tsarskoye Selo (Russian: ; may be translated as Tsar’s Village) is a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility 24 versts (km) south from the center of St. ... View of Tobolsk in the 1910s Tobolsk (Russian: ; Tatar: Tubıl) is a historic capital of Siberia, now an ordinary town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia. ... “Siberian” redirects here. ... Alexander Kerensky This article is about the Russian politician. ... “Red October” redirects here. ... Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ...

The Tsar and Tsaritsa and all of their family, including the gravely ill Alexei, along with several family servants, were executed by firing squad and bayonets in the basement of the Ipatiev House, where they had been imprisoned, early in the morning of July 17, 1918, by a detachment of Bolsheviks led by Yakov Yurovsky. Alexandra watched the murder of her husband and two servants before military commissar Peter Ermakov killed her with a gun shot to the left side of her head before she could finish making the sign of the cross. Ermakov, in a drunken haze, stabbed her dead body and that of her husband's, shattering both their rib cages. Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Yakov Yurovsky Yakov (Yankel) Mikhailovich Yurovsky (June 19 [O.S. June 7] 1878 in Tomsk, Siberia, Russia – before 2 August 1938 in Moscow) is best known as the chief executioner of Russias last emperor Tsar Nicholas and his family after the Russian Revolution of 1917. ... Peter Ermakov was a Russian military commissar assigned at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg and charged with guarding the deposed Tsar Nicholas II and his family. ...

Identification and burial

After the execution of the Romanov family in the Ipatev House, Alexandra's body, along with Nicholas, their children and some faithful retainers who died with them, was stripped and the clothing burnt according to the Yurovsky Note. Initially the bodies were thrown down a disused mine-shaft at Ganina Yama, 12 miles (19 km) north of Yekaterinburg. A short time later they were retrieved, their faces were smashed and the bodies dismembered and disfigured with sulphuric acid were hurriedly buried under railway sleepers with the exception of two of the children whose bodies have still not been located. The bodies missing are assumed to be those of a daughter- Maria or Anastasia- and Alexis. In the early 1990s, following the fall of the Soviet Union, the presumed bodies of the majority of the Romanovs were located along with their loyal servants, exhumed and formally identified. A secret report by Yurovsky, which came to light in the late 1970s, but did not become public knowledge until the 1990s, helped the authorities to locate the bodies. Ganina Yama (Russian: Ганина Яма) is a disused mine shaft near the village of Koptyaki, 15 km north from Yekaterinburg. ...

DNA analysis represented a key means of identifying the bodies. A blood sample from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (a grandson of Alexandra's oldest sister, Princess Victoria of Hesse and the Rhine) was employed to identify Alexandra and her daughters through their mitochondrial DNA. They belonged to Haplogroup H (mtDNA). Nicholas was identified from DNA obtained from among others his late brother Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia. Grand Duke George had died of tuberculosis in the late 1890s and was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St.Petersburg. Alexandra, Nicholas and their children (except Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia and one daughter, whose remains were missing) were reinterred in the Romanov family crypt in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in 1998, with much ceremony, on the eightieth anniversary of the execution. Sleeping Beauty character (actually spelled Phillip), see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, née Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie) (5 April 1863-24 September 1950) was the eldest daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1837-1892) and his wife Alice, Princess of Great Britain and... Mitochondrial DNA (some captions in German) Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria. ... Haplogroup H is a mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA) haplogroup. ... Grand Duke George Alexandrovitch as a young man in the early 1890s // Grand Duke George Alexandrovich Romanov, (In Russian Великий Князь Георгий Александрович Романов),((May 6, 1871 in Tsarskoe Selo - August 9, 1899 in Abbas Tuman, Caucasus) was the third son of Alexander III and Empress Marie of Russia. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov (Russian: ), full title: Heir, Tsarevich and Grand Duke (Russian: ) (12 August [O.S. 30 July] 1904 — July 17, 1918), of the House of Romanov, was Tsarevich - the heir apparent - of Russia, being the youngest child and the only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and... The Peter and Paul Cathedral is located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. ...

In 2000 Alexandra was canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church together with her husband Nicholas II, their children, the servants who died with them and other her sister Grand Duchess Elisabeth and her fellow nun Varvara. This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

A rather romanticised version of Alexandra's life was dramatised in the 1971 movie Nicholas and Alexandra, based on the book by the same title written by Robert Massie, in which the tsaritsa was played by Janet Suzman. An episode devoted to the fall of the Romanov dynasty is featured in the Danish television A Royal Family, a series about the descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark. Nicholas and Alexandra, ... is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last of Russias monarchs, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra. ... Robert K Massie An American historian. ... Janet Suzman (born February 9, 1939) is a South African actress. ...

Ancestors

Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine Louis IV (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl) (12 September 1837 - 13 March 1892), was the fourth Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 13 June 1877 until his death. ... Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (23 April 1809 - 20 March 1877) was the second son of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and Wilhelmine of Baden. ... Louis II (26 December 1777, Darmstadt – 16 June 1848, Darmstadt) was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1830 until his death. ... Wilhelmine of Baden (September 10, 1788--January 27, 1836) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and the Rhine. ... Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1783–1851) was the son of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. ... Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary; later The Grand Duchess of Hesse; April 25, 1843 – December 14, 1878), was a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Francis Augustus Charles Albert Emanuel, later HRH The Prince Consort) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Luise Dorothea Pauline Charlotte Friederike Auguste von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg, Herzogin von Sachsen, Princess of Gotha and Altenburg (1800-31), was a German Princess. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... HRH The Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn The Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (2 November 1767 – 23 January 1820) was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria. ... Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent Marie Luise Viktoria, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony (b. ...

Titles

• Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine
• Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia (created prior to marriage)
• Her Imperial Majesty Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna, Empress of Russia.

See also

• Romanov sainthood

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his wife Tsarina Alexandra, and their five children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei are saints of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and passion bearers of the Russian Orthodox Church. ...

Notes

1. ^ The Last Empress by Greg King p.76
2. ^ Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II at Google Video
3. ^ Template:The Last Coronation of a Russian Tsar
4. ^ Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie
5. ^ The Last Empress by Greg King
6. ^ The Last Tsar by Virginia Cowles, p.4
7. ^ The Last Empress by Greg King p.223
8. ^ ibid

Google Video logo Google Video is a free video sharing and video search engine service from Google that allows anyone to upload video clips to Googles web servers as well as make their own media available free of charge; some videos are also offered for sale through the Google...

External links

• (Russian) The Murder of Russia's Imperial Family, Nicolay Sokolov. Investigation of murder of the Romanov Imperial Family in 1918.
• FrozenTears.org, A media library on the Last Imperial Family.
• Alexander Palace Time Machine, Alexandra's home in Tsarskoe Selo.
• Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna, Sophie Buxhœveden.
• The Real Tsaritsa, Lily Dehn.
• The Religious Character of Alexandra Feodorovna, Vladimir Gurko.
• God in All Things, the Religious Beliefs of Russia's Last Empress by Janet Ashton.
• Letters of Alexandra in Exile, in English and Russian.
• Letters of Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914–17.
• Marriage Ceremony of Nicholas and Alexandra.
• Jewels of the Romanovs.
• Nicholas and Alexandra Exhibition.
• Hemophilia A (Factor VIII Deficiency)
• The Romanovs in Film, a complete filmography.
• A short biography of the Alexandra
• Margaretta Eagar