Tsarina Alexandra’s Brutal Ending Was Just the Last Event in a Life of Tragedy
The story of Tsarina Alexandra and Tsar Nicholas has been told in a variety of different ways, ad it makes sense, as the true history of their family reads more like a tragic fairy tale.
Alexandra was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and became the tsarina of Russia upon marrying Nicholas. Join us as we learn more about her fascinating life.
Alexandra Was Born in Germany
Initially known as Princess Alix of Hesse, the future Tsarina Alexandra was born on June, 1872, in the German city of Darmstadt. Her father was Louis IX, the Grand Duke of Hesse, and her mother was Princess Alice of England, the daughter of Queen Victoria.
Alix was the sixth of seven children. She spent her early days in the German Empire, and her baptism was held in a Lutheran Church on her parents' 10th Wedding Anniversary.
Born Into a Royal Family
Alix of Hesse was born into two families with deep royal roots. Her father had connections in Hesse and had succeeded his uncle as the Grand Duke of Hesse in 1877, when his daughter was five years old.
Alix's grandmother, Queen Victoria, reigned over England for a then-record of 63 years. After the queen's death, Edward VII, Alix's uncle, became the king of England.
A Large Extended Family
Alix's parents had seven children, and she enjoyed playing with her siblings. But she also had a large extended family that she adored, commonly visiting with the British Royal Family during holidays.
In 1885, at 13 years of age, Alix served as a bridesmaid when her cousin and godmother, Princess Beatrice, married Prince Henry of Battenburg. Two years later, she was in attendance when her grandmother celebrated her Golden Jubilee.
She Was Known for Her Sunny Disposition
From the day she was born, Alix filled her parents with happiness. She was considered an especially pretty child and dubbed "Sunny" by her parents, due to her happy disposition.
Alix was given a different nickname by her British relatives, who referred to her as "Alicky." This was to help differentiate her from her Aunt Alexandria of Wales, who was also called Alix.
Her Brother Passed Away When She Was an Infant
While many are aware of the tragedies Alix of Hesse would face upon becoming Tsarina Alexandra and moving to Russia, she contended with several negative occurrences in her youth.
When she was only a year old, her brother, Prince Freidrich, died at the tender age of two. He was a hemophiliac and died after a tragic fall.
Losing Her Sister to a Devastating Disease
Diptheria swept through the family in 1878. Alix was among the children who caught it, as did her sister, Marie, who was two years her senior. Tragically, Marie died after contracting it.
Alix's mother, who chose to care for the children, rather than send them away, also eventually passed away.
A Number of Suitors Sought Alexandra's Attention
As Alix entered her teen years, her family began to think about her marriage prospects. She was a young and beautiful princess with many suitors.
With her mother deceased, Queen Victoria became intimately involved in her granddaughter's selection of a husband. However, Alix was particular about who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
When she was approached by her cousin, Prince Albert Victor, who was in line for the British throne turned him down. In her mind, she'd already chosen a suitor.
A Russian Grand Duke Caught Her Eye
After turning down her cousin, Alix turned her eyes on another suitor with a claim to a royal throne. The princess fell in love with Grand Duke Nicholas, the heir apparent to the Russian throne.
The pair had a number of links. Nicholas' mother was also Alix's godmother, and the couple shared cousins, as well. In addition, Alix's sister, Elisabeth, would later marry Nicholas' uncle, Sergei Alexandrovich.
Parental Problems
During Alix's visit to Russia in 1889, she and Nicholas fell in love. However, everything wasn't as perfect as it seemed. Nicholas' father, Tsar Alexander III, opposed the match, as he wanted Nicholas to marry Princess Helene of Orleans.
Nicholas wanted Alix and made his desires clear to his father. It'd end up taking years, but, in 1894, Alexander, in failing health, gave his son his blessing. He died shortly after.
A Religious Conversion
While Alix was in love with Nicholas and eager to wed him, religion was an issue. She'd been born and raised Lutheran. To become the next tsarina of Russia, she'd need to first convert to Russian Orthodox.
While living in England with her grandmother, Alix was given instruction on her new faith. Not only did her religion change, but her name did, as well, to Alexandra.
A Grand Wedding
Tsar Alexander's illness meant the upcoming wedding between Nicholas and Alexandra took on special significance. While the tsar passed away on November 1, the marriage wasn't delayed and the ceremony took place on November 26.
The wedding was more of a somber affair than a celebration. Alexandra later remarked that she felt the only difference between the wedding and the mourning period was that she wore white, rather than black.
Their First Child is Born
The newly coronated tsar and tsarina didn't wait long to start a family. Almost exactly one year after the couple was married, their first child, Grand Duchess Olga, was born.
They was over the moon about the birth of their first child. The Russian populace, however, was upset the couple's first child wasn't a male heir. There was little need to worry, though, as Alexandra was only 23 and there were more children to come.
Alexandra Was Not Popular With the Russian Populace
Marrying Nicholas and moving to Russia was a significant change for Alexandra. She'd left everything she'd ever known, changed her religion and became one of the most well-known people in a completely new culture.
The Russians blamed her for things out of her control, such as the timing of her father-in-law's death and her inability to produce a male heir. The people of Russia also found her to be cold and not as charismatic as her mother-in-law, Maria Feodorovna.
More Children Join the Family
Alexandra turned out to be an incredibly fertile tsarina, as she and her husband quickly welcomed three more children into the family. Grand Duchess Tatiana was born in 1897, Grand Duchess Maria followed in '99 and the Grand Duchess Anastasia was born in 1901.
While the Russian people continued to be irritated by the couple's inability to bear a male heir, Nicholas and Alexandra were thrilled with their growing brood. Olga was smart and a bit shy, Maria and Tatiana were beautiful, and Anastasia was a ball of energy.
Finally, a Son (and Male Heir)
In 1904, the wishes of the Russian people were finally answered when Alexandra gave birth to her first son. The boy, the tsarevich of Russia, was given the name Alexei Nikolaevich.
Alexei soon became the center of the family and was beloved by his parents and four sisters. The hopes and dreams of the country rested upon his young shoulders.
It wouldn't be long, however, before an unfortunate condition was discovered.
A Terrible Affliction
It was soon discovered that, like so many males in Alexandra's family line, Alexei was a hemophiliac. The royal family realized the male heir was afflicted when his bumps and bruises would take an abnormal amount of time to heal.
At the time, hemophilia was considered fatal, killing the majority of those afflicted with it.
Alexandra Turned to Grigori Rasputin for Help
A desperate Alexandra reached out to several mystics and faith healers in a bid to help her son. Eventually, she asked mystic healer Grigori Rasputin to treat him. When Alexei was 12, Rasputin seemingly healed him from a dangerous bruise and grew in power in the family.
Becoming Closer to Rasputin
1916 began a very tumultuous time for the Romanovs. By that time, the tsarina's relationship with Rasputin had become more than strange.. To the point that some within the nobility believed Rasputin was pulling strings from behind the scenes.
Recognizing his power was too much, a group of conservative noblemen, led by Prince Felix Yusupov, assassinated the mystic. No longer did they have to worry about his influence over Alexandra.
The Great War Thrust Russia Into Conflict
At the same time, there was also conflict breaking out in Europe. Deemed the "Great War," it saw the continent's superpowers raise arms against each other.
Russia was seriously involved in the war. It was a trying time for Tsarina Alexandra, considering the country's military was fighting against her home country. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas left the family to go lead at the frontlines of the Russian military.
Revolution Sweeps Across Russia
Unfortunately, the conflict raging in Europe only served to highlight how poor Russia's military capabilities were. It put a burden on the nation, and many citizens were hungry and suffering. Much of this was blamed on Tsar Nicholas, who was in control of the military.
Alexandra was also unpopular, thanks to her relationship with Rasputin. Riots began to break out around the country, and the soldiers sent to quell them soon joined the protesters. By the end of 1917, the Russian populace was in full-on rebellion.
A Family in Exile
After the military turned on them, Nicholas, Alexandra and the rest of the family didn't have much hope of staying in power. They were soon arrested.
Initially kept under house arrest at their royal Alexander Palace, they were moved in August 1917 to the town of Tobolsk, in Siberia. The destination was far from nearly everything and the Romanov's were largely separated from their old lives.
Later that year, the Bolsheviks took power, creating a dangerous situation for the royal family.
The Romanovs Were Promptly Executed
During their imprisonment, the Romanovs was in constant danger, and that lack of security only increased when Yakov Yurovsky took control of the Bolsheviks. He took all of the family's valuables and jewelry and gave the order to have them executed.
The execution took place on July 17, 1918. The Romanovs were led into a room with 12 soldiers armed with rifles and bayonets, who then opened fire on them. They also stabbed the family repeatedly.
The Romanovs Left Behind an Enduring Legacy
Nicholas, Alexandra and their children weren't soon forgotten after their deaths. Their stories made its way into books, television shows and film. Anastasia has garnered particular attention, with many believing she'd survived the Bolshevik Revolution. In fact, one imposter went so far as to claim she was actually the grand duchess, only for her claims to be disproven.
Todd Neikirk
