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81-436: Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (Russian: Ксения Александровна Романова ; 6 April [ O.S. 25 March] 1875 – 20 April 1960) was the elder daughter and fourth child of Tsar Alexander III of Russia and Dagmar of Denmark . She was the sister of the last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II . She married her father's cousin, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia , with whom she had seven children. She

162-642: A calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 1582 and 1923. In England , Wales , Ireland and Britain's American colonies , there were two calendar changes, both in 1752. The first adjusted the start of a new year from 25 March ( Lady Day , the Feast of the Annunciation ) to 1 January,

243-544: A change which Scotland had made in 1600. The second discarded the Julian calendar in favour of the Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days in the month of September to do so. To accommodate the two calendar changes, writers used dual dating to identify a given day by giving its date according to both styles of dating. For countries such as Russia where no start-of-year adjustment took place, O.S. and N.S. simply indicate

324-537: A concession to the people. Some of Xenia's family saw it as "the end of Russian autocracy". Her husband Sandro had resigned his position at the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Xenia and her family spent Christmas at Ai-Todor as it was not safe to travel north, or from their estate. A Christmas service was held in the house, with the priest being driven there and back "in a closed landau under an escort of cavalry". The outbreak of war caught Xenia and her mother unaware: Xenia

405-564: A cure for her son's illness, Alexandra fell under the influence of Rasputin . Like all her family, Xenia was highly skeptical of Rasputin. Family relations were strained. Xenia did remain close to her brother, who often visited when he was in the Crimea, walking with her nieces, Olga and Tatiana; her sister-in-law visited rarely. Apart from Nicholas, Xenia was devoted to her other two brothers, Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia and Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich . In 1899, George died from

486-565: A full and speedy recovery, and to comfort you because it is so much more difficult to be alone after such great sorrow than it is for us who are at least together!" George also missed the christenings of Nicholas' elder daughters, Olga and Tatiana . Shortly after the birth of Nicholas' third daughter, Maria , in June 1899, George wrote to his brother, "I am terribly sad that I have not yet been able to see your daughters and get to know them; but what can I do? It means it's not my fate, and everything

567-459: A letter dated "12/22 Dec. 1635". In his biography of John Dee , The Queen's Conjurer , Benjamin Woolley surmises that because Dee fought unsuccessfully for England to embrace the 1583/84 date set for the change, "England remained outside the Gregorian system for a further 170 years, communications during that period customarily carrying two dates". In contrast, Thomas Jefferson , who lived while

648-476: A love of sport, particularly shooting and fly-fishing. They also spoke fluent French and passable German and Danish . George displayed signs of a promising career in the Navy before falling ill with tuberculosis in 1890. The Emperor and Empress decided to send both Nicholas and George on a nine-month-long trip to Japan in 1890. George would go as a naval cadet and Nicholas to complete his education by seeing

729-558: A motorcycle accident, which was traumatic. Grand Duke Michael married without the permission of the Tsar, Natalia Sergeyevna Wulfert . The couple were exiled as punishment. Xenia was willing to overlook this, as her own marital problems had made her more understanding. She received both Michael and Natalia in 1913 in Cannes in France. Xenia tried to talk to her brother Nicholas about Michael and

810-467: A petition. The St. Petersburg police had asked for help from the army, which fired into the crowd, resulting in 143 casualties. The day would be known as " Bloody Sunday " and mark a turning point in the relationship between the Tsar and his people. In February, Xenia's uncle Sergei , was killed by a bomb in Moscow. Xenia wanted to be with her aunt Ella , but was told the situation was too dangerous. Xenia

891-478: A relatively simple childhood: sleeping on cot beds, waking at 6 a.m., and taking cold baths every morning. Their rooms were simply furnished, albeit comfortable. Like her brothers, Xenia was educated by private tutors, with special emphasis on the study of foreign languages. Apart from her native Russian, Xenia studied English, French, and German. She learnt cookery, joinery , and making puppets and their clothes for their theatre. She also enjoyed riding and fishing on

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972-476: A result, George was forbidden to smoke and was confined to his bed until he was fit enough to return to Likani . Writing to Nicholas back home once again, George said about his trip to Denmark, "Of course, it was good to see the family after 4 years, but it did not really do me any good, as I lost more than 5 pounds which I had put on with such difficulty in May and June. I also get out of breath more easily. So these are

1053-427: A small estate to her remaining relatives. Xenia and Alexander had seven children together, one daughter followed by six sons: The children were grandchildren of a tsar (Alexander III) through their mother (female line), but only great-grandchildren of a tsar ( Nicholas I ) through their father (male line). Due to Imperial Family Statutes brought in by Alexander III to limit the rank of Grand Duke and Duchess, they held

1134-911: A start-of-year adjustment works well with little confusion for events before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. For example, the Battle of Agincourt is well known to have been fought on 25 October 1415, which is Saint Crispin's Day . However, for the period between the first introduction of the Gregorian calendar on 15 October 1582 and its introduction in Britain on 14 September 1752, there can be considerable confusion between events in Continental Western Europe and in British domains. Events in Continental Western Europe are usually reported in English-language histories by using

1215-549: A tribute by writing the "Polka Mazurka". Xenia and her paternal first cousin once removed Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia , her eventual husband, played together as friends in the 1880s. Alexander, usually called Sandro, was also a friend of her brother, Nicholas. In 1886, 20-year-old Alexander was serving in the navy. Eleven-year-old Xenia sent him a card when his ship was in Brazil, "Best wishes and speedy return! Your sailor Xenia". In 1889, Alexander wrote of Xenia, "She

1296-470: A warm bath in their mother's bathroom). Breakfast usually consisted of porridge and black bread, mutton cutlets or roast beef with peas. Baked potatoes were served for lunch and bread, butter and jam at teatime. George and Nicholas , his brother and later emperor, had a sitting-room, dining room, playroom and bedroom, all simply furnished. The only trace of ostentation was an icon surrounded by pearls and precious stones. Because of his parents' happy marriage he

1377-560: Is not shy. That is in kissing her husband. Whenever she can, she flies at him, her arms around his neck." Xenia contributed strongly to charitable works. She was a member of the Women's Patriotic Association. From 1903, Xenia was patron of the Creche Society of St. Petersburg, which looked after poor working-class children while their parents were at work. She took a particular interest in hospitals for patients with tuberculosis in

1458-536: Is 9 February 1649, the date by which his contemporaries in some parts of continental Europe would have recorded his execution. The O.S./N.S. designation is particularly relevant for dates which fall between the start of the "historical year" (1 January) and the legal start date, where different. This was 25 March in England, Wales, Ireland and the colonies until 1752, and until 1600 in Scotland. In Britain, 1 January

1539-619: Is Xenia Alexandrovna's correspondence with her brother, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, and her mother Empress Maria Feodorovna. In addition, Xenia Alexandrovna's correspondence with the Romanian diplomat George I. Duca between 1950 and 1960 is preserved in the "George I. Duca Papers" collection in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives (Stanford, California, USA). Xenia Alexandrovna's correspondence with her cousin, Princess Tatiana Constantinovna, between 1927 and 1939

1620-452: Is fourteen. I think she likes me." At age 15, though Xenia and Alexander wanted to marry, her parents were reluctant because Xenia was too young and they were unsure of Alexander's character. The Tsarina Maria Feodorovna had complained of Alexander's arrogance and rudeness. It was not until 12 January 1894 that Xenia's parents accepted the engagement, after Alexander's father, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia , intervened. The couple

1701-452: Is murdered!" Xenia's son-in-law Felix Yusupov had been one of the murderers. At the beginning of 1917, Xenia hoped her mother could make her brother see sense about the collapsing situation in Russia. She wrote in despair, hoping she would persuade him. Her mother felt she could not do anything and that she had no intention of returning to St. Petersburg from Kiev. On 19 February 1917, Xenia

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1782-480: Is preserved in the "Romanov Family Papers" collection in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives (Stanford, California, USA). Xenia Alexandrovna and her staff kept illustrated, hand-written records of her jewellery and objets d'art which survived into her exile. Old Style and New Style dates Old Style ( O.S. ) and New Style ( N.S. ) indicate dating systems before and after

1863-658: Is real!" Xenia tried to see her brother but was refused permission by the Russian Provisional Government . Seeing no future where she was in St. Petersburg, Xenia left for Ai-Todor on 6 April, her 42nd birthday. Xenia arrived at Ai-Todor where she joined her mother, husband, and sister on 28 March 1917. At the end of November, Xenia wrote to her brother Nicholas in Tobolsk in Siberia, "The heart bleeds at

1944-478: Is the will of God." George was visited by his mother in Likani. In 1895, George and his mother visited Denmark and nearby Danish relatives. Suddenly, his health started to deteriorate. "Yesterday, in the garden, he expectorated some blood...that frightened me more than I can tell – the surprise of it was shocking because he had been so well of late...I am quite desperate that this should have happened here . " As

2025-655: The Bolsheviks . Her other surviving brother, Michael, had been murdered (by shooting) a month earlier outside Perm . While the Red Army was coming closer to the Crimea, Xenia and her mother, the Dowager Empress Maria, escaped from Russia on 11 April 1919 with the help of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (née Princess Alexandra of Denmark ), Dowager Empress Maria's sister. King George V of

2106-609: The Russian Empire and the very beginning of Soviet Russia . For example, in the article "The October (November) Revolution", the Encyclopædia Britannica uses the format of "25 October (7 November, New Style)" to describe the date of the start of the revolution. The Latin equivalents, which are used in many languages, are, on the one hand, stili veteris (genitive) or stilo vetere (ablative), abbreviated st.v. , and meaning "(of/in) old style" ; and, on

2187-699: The United Kingdom . Her great-grandson Alexis Romanoff has been a head of the Romanov Family since November 2021. Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna was born on 6 April [ O.S. 25 March] 1875 at the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg. She was the elder daughter among the six children of the Tsesarevich Alexander and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna of Russia (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark) . After

2268-474: The 19th century, a practice that the author Karen Bellenir considered to reveal a deep emotional resistance to calendar reform. Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia George was named after his uncle, King George I of Greece . He was brought up in a spartan fashion with his siblings in the English manner. They slept on camp beds, rose at six and usually took cold baths (being occasionally allowed

2349-539: The 4th century , had drifted from reality . The Gregorian calendar reform also dealt with the accumulated difference between these figures, between the years 325 and 1582, by skipping 10 days to set the ecclesiastical date of the equinox to be 21 March, the median date of its occurrence at the time of the First Council of Nicea in 325. Countries that adopted the Gregorian calendar after 1699 needed to skip an additional day for each subsequent new century that

2430-583: The Boyne was commemorated with smaller parades on 1 July. However, both events were combined in the late 18th century, and continue to be celebrated as " The Twelfth ". Because of the differences, British writers and their correspondents often employed two dates, a practice called dual dating , more or less automatically. Letters concerning diplomacy and international trade thus sometimes bore both Julian and Gregorian dates to prevent confusion. For example, Sir William Boswell wrote to Sir John Coke from The Hague

2511-462: The British Isles and colonies converted to the Gregorian calendar, instructed that his tombstone bear his date of birth by using the Julian calendar (notated O.S. for Old Style) and his date of death by using the Gregorian calendar. At Jefferson's birth, the difference was eleven days between the Julian and Gregorian calendars and so his birthday of 2 April in the Julian calendar is 13 April in

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2592-410: The British colonies, changed the start of the year from 25 March to 1 January, with effect from "the day after 31 December 1751". (Scotland had already made this aspect of the changes, on 1 January 1600.) The second (in effect ) adopted the Gregorian calendar in place of the Julian calendar. Thus "New Style" can refer to the start-of-year adjustment , to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar , or to

2673-834: The Crimea, perhaps influenced by her brother George who suffered from the disease. She was also patron of the Maritime Naval Welfare Association, which took care of widows and children of naval personnel. Xenia founded the Xenia Association for the Welfare of Children of Workers and Airmen. In addition, she was patron of the Kseniinsky Institute , a St. Petersburg boarding school for 350 students. On 25 January 1904, Xenia recorded in her diary that war had been declared between Russia and Japan. The previous December, Xenia had told

2754-693: The Dowager Empress would not be receiving a pension from the British King. In July 1928, ten years after the death of Nicholas and Alexandra, his family were legally presumed dead. Xenia and her family had hoped to take possession of the Langinkoski estate in Kotka , Finland , but this came to nothing. Xenia visited her mother, the Dowager Empress, in Denmark as often as she could. Her mother

2835-544: The First World War. After Xenia and Alexander admitted the affairs to each other, their marriage began to fall apart. Though still loving each other, they began sleeping in separate rooms and living separate lives. Prior to the Revolution, Alexander had become disenchanted with the course of events in Russia and court life. Both he and Xenia spent considerable periods of time outside Russia, but both returned before

2916-511: The Gatchina estate, drawing (for which she supposedly had a particular talent), gymnastics, dancing, and playing the piano. Her entire family enjoyed family holidays at the home of her Danish maternal grandparents, Fredensborg Castle . On such a visit she met her cousin and lifelong friend, Princess Marie of Greece , daughter of King George I of Greece and of his Russian-born wife, Queen Olga . The Danish composer, Valdemar Vater , paid Xenia

2997-623: The Gregorian calendar. For example, the Battle of Blenheim is always given as 13 August 1704. However, confusion occurs when an event involves both. For example, William III of England arrived at Brixham in England on 5 November (Julian calendar), after he had set sail from the Netherlands on 11 November (Gregorian calendar) 1688. The Battle of the Boyne in Ireland took place a few months later on 1 July 1690 (Julian calendar). That maps to 11 July (Gregorian calendar), conveniently close to

3078-466: The Gregorian calendar. Similarly, George Washington is now officially reported as having been born on 22 February 1732, rather than on 11 February 1731/32 (Julian calendar). The philosopher Jeremy Bentham , born on 4 February 1747/8 (Julian calendar), in later life celebrated his birthday on 15 February. There is some evidence that the calendar change was not easily accepted. Many British people continued to celebrate their holidays "Old Style" well into

3159-430: The Julian and Gregorian dating systems respectively. The need to correct the calendar arose from the realisation that the correct figure for the number of days in a year is not 365.25 (365 days 6 hours) as assumed by the Julian calendar but slightly less (c. 365.242 days). The Julian calendar therefore has too many leap years . The consequence was that the basis for the calculation of the date of Easter , as decided in

3240-581: The Julian calendar had added since then. When the British Empire did so in 1752, the gap had grown to eleven days; when Russia did so (as its civil calendar ) in 1918, thirteen days needed to be skipped. In the Kingdom of Great Britain and its possessions, the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 introduced two concurrent changes to the calendar. The first, which applied to England, Wales, Ireland and

3321-517: The Julian date of the subsequent (and more decisive) Battle of Aughrim on 12 July 1691 (Julian). The latter battle was commemorated annually throughout the 18th century on 12 July, following the usual historical convention of commemorating events of that period within Great Britain and Ireland by mapping the Julian date directly onto the modern Gregorian calendar date (as happens, for example, with Guy Fawkes Night on 5 November). The Battle of

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3402-514: The Tsar and was married in November 1916 to Nikolai Kulikovsky in the presence of the Dowager Empress in Kiev. Xenia was absent. On 28 October 1916, increasingly depressed by Russia's predicament, Xenia wrote to her mother, speculating what her father would have done. Xenia, her mother, and her sister Olga urged Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich to write to the Tsar warning him about the influence of

3483-522: The Tsarina in government affairs. Nicholas did not even open the envelope. The Tsarina read it and accused the Grand Duke of "crawling behind [his] mother and sisters." Realising the danger, Xenia and her family moved to Ai-Todor in the Crimea. From there, Xenia heard of Rasputin 's murder and was embarrassed by the episode. She wrote to her mother in Kiev, "Sleep little. There is rumour that Rasputin

3564-628: The United Kingdom sent the British warship HMS Marlborough which brought them and sixteen other Romanovs (including five of her sons) from the Crimea through the Black Sea to Malta , and then to England. Xenia remained in Great Britain, while Dowager Empress Maria, after a stay in England, was joined by Olga at Villa Hvidøre outside Copenhagen in Denmark. On 17 May 1920, Xenia had been granted Letters of Administration as eldest sister and heir to her brother Nicholas's estate in England worth five hundred British pounds sterling. Her husband Sandro

3645-579: The War Minister, Kuropatkin , that there would be no war and that her brother did not want war. The War Minister said the whole matter might be outside the control of Russia. As war broke out, there was unrest in Russia. On a cold Sunday in January 1905, over 150,000 peaceful people approached the Winter Palace under the leadership of Father Gapon . The people wanted to present the Tsar with

3726-488: The armed forces, she accompanied her mother to Tsarskoe Selo in an attempt to dissuade him. The Dowager Empress had recorded her lack of confidence in him in this role in her diary, and this was borne out. Xenia returned disheartened to the Yelagin Palace . In February 1916, Xenia travelled to Kiev after an illness to see her mother and sister Olga. Her sister finally had her shell of a first marriage dissolved by

3807-492: The assassination of her paternal grandfather Tsar Alexander II of Russia (13 March [ O.S. 1 March] 1881), when Xenia was five years old, her father ascended to the Russian throne as Emperor Alexander III. It was a difficult time politically, plagued with terrorist threats. For security reasons, Alexander III moved with his family from the Winter Palace to Gatchina Palace . There Xenia and her siblings enjoyed

3888-459: The birth of Nicholas' son Alexei in 1904. In 1910 Michael named his newborn son George after his late brother. Decades later, George's body was disinterred from the grave in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul so that a sample of DNA could be taken from his remains to determine whether some unidentified skeletal remains belonged to his older brother, Nicholas II. The DNA sample obtained from

3969-492: The combination of the two. It was through their use in the Calendar Act that the notations "Old Style" and "New Style" came into common usage. When recording British history, it is usual to quote the date as originally recorded at the time of the event, but with the year number adjusted to start on 1 January. The latter adjustment may be needed because the start of the civil calendar year had not always been 1 January and

4050-529: The daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich Romanov, whose mother was from a family recognised as non-dynastic by the last ruling Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II, are born of a Dynastic Marriage, under the old succession laws of Russia. However, her descendants are the only Romanov descendants of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and the closest Romanov blood relations of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia. In 1913, Xenia and Sandro's daughter Irina expressed her intention of marrying Prince Felix Yussupov . He

4131-654: The difficult task of telling their family. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich wrote, "Everyone was struck, as if by lightning, by this sad and unexpected news. Queen Victoria wrote to Nicholas II, "Pray to accept the expression of my sincerest sympathy in this great sorrow, for I know the affection you had for your poor brother Georgy, whose life was so sad and lonely." The Dowager Empress telegraphed Queen Victoria, "Thank you so much for kind sympathy in this terrible sudden bereavement... My poor dearest son died quite alone. I am heartbroken." On 14 July 1899 George

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4212-543: The end of the following December, 1661/62 , a form of dual dating to indicate that in the following twelve weeks or so, the year was 1661 Old Style but 1662 New Style. Some more modern sources, often more academic ones (e.g. the History of Parliament ) also use the 1661/62 style for the period between 1 January and 24 March for years before the introduction of the New Style calendar in England. The Gregorian calendar

4293-469: The fact that Xenia had given birth to six healthy sons, whilst Alexandra had four daughters and her only son, Alexei Nikolaevich , was diagnosed with haemophilia . The robust health of Xenia's sons was a constant source of antagonism in the mind of Alexandra. It was only in 1912 that Xenia learnt from her sister Olga that Alix had admitted that Alexei had haemophilia. The birth of Alexei led to Alexandra obtaining total control over her husband; Trying to find

4374-456: The other, stili novi or stilo novo , abbreviated st.n. and meaning "(of/in) new style". The Latin abbreviations may be capitalised differently by different users, e.g., St.n. or St.N. for stili novi . There are equivalents for these terms in other languages as well, such as the German a.St. (" alter Stil " for O.S.). Usually, the mapping of New Style dates onto Old Style dates with

4455-520: The ottoman and generally behaved in the most improper way. For instance, they would lie down on top of each other, even in my presence, in what you might call an attempt to play Papa and Mama. " The couple finally wed on 6 August 1894, when Xenia was 19, in the SS Peter & Paul Chapel of the Peterhof Palace . Xenia's younger sister, Olga , wrote about the joy of the wedding, "The Emperor

4536-560: The results of my trip. Very annoying." George died suddenly in Abastumani on 10 July 1899 at the age of 28. He had been out alone on his motorcycle and some hours later, when he failed to return, his worried staff sent out a search party. By the time they found him, a peasant woman had already discovered him collapsed at the side of the road, blood oozing from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. She supported him in her arms until he died. The news reached Nicholas by telegram, who had

4617-592: The start of the First World War. Following the Revolution , they separated and managed to escape Russia. Xenia had a close relationship with her brother Nicholas II and his wife before they married. When Nicholas and Alexandra moved into the Alexander Palace after their own marriage, Xenia and Alexander (known in the family as "Sandro") spent the evenings together in the new billiard room. A source of gradual resentment grew between Xenia and Alexandra due to

4698-519: The thought of what you have gone through, what you have lived and what you are still living! At every step undeserved horrors and humiliations. But fear not, the Lord sees all. As long as you are healthy and well. Sometimes it seems like a terrible nightmare, and that I will wake up and it will all be gone! Poor Russia! What will happen to her?" In 1918, while in Crimea, Xenia learnt that her brother Nicholas II, his wife, and their children had been murdered by

4779-534: The time, Nicholas had no children, thus, according to the laws of succession of the Russian Empire, the Grand Duke George became Tsesarevich , the heir presumptive to the throne. George's ill-health had forced him to relocate to Likani , making it impossible for him to return to St. Petersburg for the funeral of his father. Nicholas wrote to his brother, "Constantly pray to God to send you

4860-586: The title Princes and Princesses of Russia with the style of “ Highness ”. One of Xenia's descendants could have become the Head of the Imperial House of Russia , but all of her children, like all the other Romanovs, married morganatically , making them ineligible, in accordance with the old succession laws of Russia. As a result, none of the current descendants of the Romanov Family, including Maria,

4941-532: The train. An ugly situation ensued in Berlin until finally the train was allowed to travel to Denmark, and then on to Finland. Arriving back in Russia, Xenia threw herself into war work, providing her own hospital train and opening a large hospital for the wounded. She also chaired the Xenia Institute, which provided artificial limbs for the maimed. In 1915, learning that Nicholas intended to take command of

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5022-495: The world. They left Gatchina on 4 November 1890. Nicholas and George first went by warship to Athens where they were joined by their cousin, Prince George of Greece . From there, they traveled to Egypt , then to India. From Bombay in India , Nicholas telegraphed that his brother George had to remain on the ship because he had trouble with his leg. George's family was informed that he had a fever and would have to return home. George

5103-480: Was altered at different times in different countries. From 1155 to 1752, the civil or legal year in England began on 25 March ( Lady Day ); so for example, the execution of Charles I was recorded at the time in Parliament as happening on 30 January 164 8 (Old Style). In newer English-language texts, this date is usually shown as "30 January 164 9 " (New Style). The corresponding date in the Gregorian calendar

5184-637: Was back in St. Petersburg at her palace. On 25 February, she wrote in her diary, "There are disturbances in the city, there was even shooting into the crowd, [they] say, but everything is quiet on the Nevsky. They are asking for bread and the factories are on strike." On 1 March 1917 she wrote of rumours circulating that Nicholas's train had been stopped, and that he had been forced to abdicate. The Dowager Empress wrote to her about her meeting with Nicholas in Mogilev , "I still can't believe that this dreadful nightmare

5265-419: Was brought up in an atmosphere of love and security that was missing in many royal households at the time. On 27 May 1883, George's parents were crowned in a ceremony in the Uspensky Cathedral at the Kremlin in Moscow . The Emperor and Empress received the homage of the Imperial Family, including their sons, Nicholas and George. The family lived mostly in the security of the palace at Gatchina . George

5346-488: Was celebrated as the New Year festival from as early as the 13th century, despite the recorded (civil) year not incrementing until 25 March, but the "year starting 25th March was called the Civil or Legal Year, although the phrase Old Style was more commonly used". To reduce misunderstandings about the date, it was normal even in semi-official documents such as parish registers to place a statutory new-year heading after 24 March (for example "1661") and another heading from

5427-469: Was considered to be the most clever of the Imperial children and outgoing like his mother. George and Nicholas shared the same tutors but studied in adjoining rooms. They followed the course of the Academy of the Russian General Staff, their tutors being distinguished professors. Their English teacher, Charles Heath, had once been tutor to their uncles, Grand Dukes Sergei and Pavel . Both brothers spoke and wrote perfect English . From Mr. Heath they acquired

5508-477: Was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and was sent back to Athens where he could be examined by Imperial doctors. The Empress was distressed for both her sons: George, whose sickness affected her deeply, and Nicholas, who was now deprived of his brother's company. Nicholas also later returned home early following a failed assassination attempt on his life by Tsuda Sanzō , known as the Ōtsu incident . In November 1894 Alexander III died and Nicholas became Emperor. At

5589-404: Was exasperated on hearing of Russia's military defeat in Korea. She had been angry about the start of the war and recorded her thoughts on the end, "and ended even more stupidly!" Xenia was in the Crimea at their home at Ai-Todor with her husband and children, when news of the mutiny of the Black Sea fleet reached them. In October, her brother was forced to agree to the establishment of a Duma as

5670-507: Was heir to the largest private fortune in Russia. Felix had decided that Irina would make the perfect wife. Xenia was not happy at the prospect of giving approval to such a marriage, as Felix had a notorious reputation. It was rumoured he had had an affair with Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich of Russia . The Dowager Empress had heard the rumour and summoned Felix to meet with her, but Felix's charms won her over. She said, "Do not worry, I will do all that I can for your happiness." Xenia's only daughter

5751-496: Was implemented in Russia on 14 February 1918 by dropping the Julian dates of 1–13 February 1918 , pursuant to a Sovnarkom decree signed 24 January 1918 (Julian) by Vladimir Lenin . The decree required that the Julian date was to be written in parentheses after the Gregorian date, until 1 July 1918. It is common in English-language publications to use the familiar Old Style or New Style terms to discuss events and personalities in other countries, especially with reference to

5832-644: Was in France while the Dowager Empress was in London. They arranged to meet in Calais , where the private train of the Dowager Empress was waiting to take them to Russia, being confident that the German Kaiser Wilhelm II would let them through. Arriving in Berlin, they found the line to Russia had been closed. Hearing that the Yusupovs were also in Berlin, the Dowager Empress ordered that they join

5913-558: Was laid to rest in the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, not far from his late father, Alexander III. When the coffin was lowered into the tomb, Maria Feodorovna stood next to Xenia holding her arm-in-arm, but quickly left the service as a result of her grief. Maria retrieved George's hat and took it with her as she left in-carriage. George's title as heir presumptive was passed to his younger brother Michael until

5994-654: Was living at this time in Paris. By 1925, Xenia's financial situation had become desperate. King George V, who was her first cousin, allowed her to settle in Frogmore Cottage , a grace and favour house, in Home Park, Windsor , for which she was grateful. Later she had to deal with the fraudulent claims of Anna Anderson to be her niece, the murdered Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia . Her sister Olga had pointed out if there had been any Romanov monies left,

6075-558: Was living in a villa, Hvidøre , that she and her sister Alexandra had bought on the Danish coast north of Copenhagen . In 1928, Xenia's mother fell seriously ill and died on 13 October. After the death of her mother, the sale of the Hvidøre estate, and the jewels of the Dowager Empress brought in some income. Upon the death of the Dowager Empress, Xenia received a letter from Gleb Botkin , son of her late brother's doctor, claiming that Xenia

6156-603: Was married on 9 February 1914 in the presence of the Tsar, who gave her away. The wedding was held at one of the smaller palaces due to a falling out between Xenia and Tsarina Alexandra. Xenia walked behind with Sandro and her mother. During Xenia's last pregnancy in 1907, Alexander had an affair with a woman identified only as "Maria Ivanovna" in Biarritz . One year later, Xenia also began to have an affair, with an Englishman named "Fane." Xenia referred to him simply as "F." in her diaries. They corresponded with one another as late as

6237-620: Was so happy. It was the last time I ever saw him like that." They spent their wedding night at Ropsha Palace , and their honeymoon at Ai-Todor (Alexander's estate in Crimea ). During the honeymoon, Xenia's father, Alexander III, became ill and died on 1 November 1894. After his death, Xenia's eldest brother inherited the Crown and became the new Tsar Nicholas II . Grand Duchess Xenia continued her public displays of affection after her wedding. Tsar Nicholas wrote to his fiancé: "Of one thing she [Xenia]

6318-476: Was the mother-in-law of Felix Yusupov and a cousin of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia who, together, killed Grigori Rasputin , holy healer to her nephew, the haemophiliac Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia . During her brother's reign she recorded in her diary and letters increasing concern about his rule. After the fall of the monarchy in February 1917 , she fled Russia , eventually settling in

6399-465: Was told that he could return to Russia at any time, but that Natalia could not. Xenia helped to restore relations between Michael and their mother, the Dowager Empress. Xenia Alexandrovna's personal papers (including family correspondence, diaries and photographs) are preserved in the "Grand Duchess Ksenii͡a Aleksandrovna Papers" collection in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives (Stanford, California, USA). Of particular interest in this collection

6480-666: Was trying to steal from "Anastasia". Her husband declared in a letter to her his disdain for the "vileness" of Botkin. On 26 February 1933, Xenia's husband Sandro died. Xenia and her sons attended his funeral on 1 March, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the south of France. By March 1937, Xenia had moved from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park to Wilderness House in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace . She lived there until her death on 20 April 1960. Despite reduced circumstances during her lifetime, Xenia left

6561-400: Was very attached to each other. In a letter to their brother George , Xenia's brother Nicholas wrote: "They have become quite impossible, presumably from prolonged yearning and being so used to each other. They spend the whole day kissing, embracing and lying around on the furniture in the most improper manner. Xenia in particular is completely impossible." George responded: "They almost broke

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