Kate Middleton Makes the Case for Houndstooth. Mary adapted to the simple tastes of her husband and to the difficult demands of her in-laws. In 2018, a century after the murder of the Romanovs, a commemorative monument was unveiled on the Isle of Wight in East Cowes, close to Osborne House. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. why so many soldiers survived the trenches. Nicholas II's mother, Maria Feodorovna, had been born in Denmark. In light of the episode, we're resurfacing our 2018 story on how the modern royals, including Princes William and Harry, are related to Russia's last imperial family. All three men were also fifth cousins, being equal descendants of King George II of England. Click here to find out more. Season five, episode six of .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}The Crown, Ipatiev House, focuses on the relationship between the British royal family and the Romanovs. On such giant waves, they could only bob about like so many corks. So the Russian Imperial family was left to its fate. King George V and Tsar Nicholas II.Both Nicholas II and Alexandra were closely linked through blood ties to the British Royal Family. In 1881, when Nicholas II was 13 years old, his grandfather, Alexander II, was assassinated by a revolutionary bomber. For the rulers of the world's three greatest nations - King George V of Great Britain and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia on the one hand, and the German Kaiser on the other - were not simply cousins . In such cases Nicholas generally hesitated but ultimately yielded to Alexandras pressure. He was another first cousin of George V, whose mother, Alexandra of Denmark, was the sister of the Tsars mother, Dagmar of Denmark. Nicholas, however, cared little for keeping promises extracted from him under duress. This finally alerted Europe's family of kings to the danger that threatened them. Kaiser Wilhelm II (Willie) was particularly assiduous in keeping touch with his cousins Georgie and Nicky. From left to right: Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsarina of Russia; the infant Grand Duchess Olga; Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia; Queen Victoria of England; and Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (and the future Edward VII). In pursuing the path of duty, Nicholas had to wage a continual struggle against himself, suppressing his natural indecisiveness and assuming a mask of self-confident resolution. George and Nickys mothers, Alexandra and Dagmar, were sisters, which explains why they looked so alike. Completely cut off from the ordinary world in their heavily guarded St. Petersburg palace of Tsarkoe Selo, the girls took pleasure in digging for shells and building sandcastles on the beach. What Winston Churchill once described as 'the old world in its sunset' had never been captured more brilliantly than at the funeral of King Edward VII in May 1910. Her relatives were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution in 1918, and she was a distant cousin of Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II. Queen Elizabeth is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Philip is Victoria's great-great-grandson. Luckily for her, Victoria didnt see it: her life ended in 1901, finishing her incredibly long reign. England's Queen Alexandra smothered George and criticized Mary. King George V and his physically similar cousin Tsar Nicholas II in German military uniforms in Berlin, 1913. Without counting the rulers of the kingdoms and duchies that went to make up the German empire, there were 20 reigning monarchs - with a crowned sovereign in every country except France and Switzerland (and even France had restored the monarchy four times in the 19th century). Read more. Photo: Xavier ROSSI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, 70 Rare Photos From Princess Dianas Wedding, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov, Birth Year: 1868, Birth date: May 6, 1868, Birth City: Pushkin, Birth Country: Russia. To some, the Romanovs personified wealth and privilege, with their palaces, art collections, and Faberge eggs. Omissions? To his wife, Alexandra, whom he had married on November 26, 1894, Nicholas was passionately devoted. He furthermore patronized an extremist right-wing organization, the Union of the Russian People, which sanctioned terrorist methods and disseminated anti-Semitic propaganda. How is Tsar Nicholas related to King George? This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Everyone found them modest and charming, wrote Helen Rapaport in her book The Race to Save the Romanovs. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. No less misguided was his decision to leave the capital in the hands of his stronger-willed consort, the Empress Alexandra, who was entirely under the influence of the mysterious starets (spiritual advisor) Rasputin. From left, the future Edward VIII, Mary, his mother and the future Queen of England; Alexandra, Queen of Great Britain; her granddaughter Princess Mary and her daughter Princess Victoria; Czar Nicholas II of Russia; King Edward the VII of Great Britain; Princess Olga of Russia, her mother Empress Alexandra, and her sister Princess Tatiana; the future George V, King of Great Britain; and Princess Marie of Russia. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. By Theo Aronson After the assassination of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo, he tried hard to avert the impending war by diplomatic action and resisted, until July 30, 1914, the pressure of the military for general, rather than partial, mobilization. Its organizer, David Hill, said to the BBC, "History hasn't always portrayed him well, but we thought it was important history is remembered and that the Tsar was recognised here in Cowes where he spent happy times.". His mother was Victoria, Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, and his father was Friedrich III, Prince of Prussia. Few of those watching, or taking part in, Edward VII's funeral could have imagined that this blaze of splendour marked, not a royal high noon, but a royal sunset. He strove to regain his former powers and ensured that in the new Fundamental Laws (May 1906) he was still designated an autocrat. In 1897 the couple gave birth to a second daughter, Tatiana. Where there had been a clamour for extended suffrage, they had agreed to it. How was tsar nicholas ii related to queen victoria . The couples oblivion made a poor first impression on Nicholas IIs new subjects. lt was just as well. George V visits the Western Front, c.1918 We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In the main, it was those sovereigns without personal power who kept their thrones, and those wielding too much power who lost them. What is the coldest temperature in Victoria? Wilhelm and Nicholas were third cousins, not first cousins. How is Tsar Nicholas related to Queen Victoria? I know nothing of the business of ruling.". In the early part of his reign, despite family ties Nicolas thought of England as Russias sworn enemy. The Romanovs were forced to go to Siberia, and there they died. Although he believed himself to be an absolute ruler as ordained by God, Nicholas II was eventually forced to concede to creating an elected legislature, called the Duma. They both attended the wedding of Kaiser Wilhelms daughter in 1913 in Berlin. On July 17, 1918, the Bolsheviks murdered Nicholas, his family, and their closest retainers. Victoria, meanwhile, was the grandmother of an emperor, a king-emperor, four queens consort and an empress consort. Heres how that works. But papers released in the 1980s showed that it was George himselffearing that the British monarchy was losing supportwho felt he could not take the risk of welcoming to England a man whom the public decried as a blood-stained tyrant. When Alexander died, the Queen's 26-year-old future grandson became Tsar Nicholas II. This is something Czar Nicholas doubtless empathized with. There was not a speck of hysterical mysticism in Prince Georges wife, Mary. What towns are between Nanaimo and Victoria? I guess, she needed a negative example to convince herself she was following the right way, Basovskaya said(link in Russian). 4- Difficult lives of peasants, little food, hard work for noble men. In light of the episode, we're resurfacing our 2020 feature on the true story of whether King George V could have saved Russia's last imperial family. In 1904, Japan attacked Russia. It is also remarkable that Anna Feodorovnas sister, Princess Antoinette (1779-1824), was the aunt of the Russian Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I (1796-1855), because she married Duke Alexander of Wrttemberg (17711833), brother of Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Wrttemberg) (1759-1828), who became wife of Paul I of Russia (1754-1801) and the mother of Nicholas I and Alexander I. But Mary devoted herself to her husband and supported him however she could. In March 1917, riots broke out in St Petersburg, and a week later Nicholas II heard that a hastily assembled provisional government had decided that he must abdicate. She acted very independently in England, dissatisfied with climate, people, food, palaces, opera and especially Queen Victoria, whom she calleda silly, obstinate old fool in letters to her father. In response, Nicholas II appointed himself commander-in-chief, so he could take direct control of the military from Grand Duke Nicholas, against the advice of his ministers. Reeling from the loss, and poorly trained in affairs of state, Nicholas II hardly felt up to the task of assuming his fathers role. In the course of a week, the previously apparently unassailable Romanov dynasty had collapsed. Some historians have theorized that Rasputin, with his hypnotic voice, could calm the overwrought Czarina, which eased the tension suffered by her dependent son and thus reduced his pain. So George V, Elizabeth's grandfather was first cousin to the Tsar, making them First Cousins Twice removed (where is CeCe Moore when I need her?) The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was long assumed that the British government had overruled George V, who was a constitutional monarch. 14 November] 1894 until his forced abdication on 15 March [ O.S. Kate Middleton Makes the Case for Houndstooth. Click here to find out more. 12 issue - will be published later this year. If their grandmother Queen Victoria had still been alive, said the Kaiser, she would never have allowed them to go to war with each other. While Nicholas II excelled in history and foreign languages, ironically, the future leader struggled to comprehend the subtleties of politics and economics. Who is the closest living relative to Queen Victoria? In December of that year, Nicholas IIs army was forced to surrender Port Arthur. The court was widely suspected of treachery, and antidynastic feeling grew apace. Since the emperor had no experience of war, almost all his ministers protested against this step as likely to impair the armys morale. Prince George, arriving with his parents on the Victoria and Albert, brought his wife, Mary of Teck, their daughter, Mary, and their oldest son, 15-year-old David. Bolsheviks executed him and his family on the night of July 16-17, 1918, in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Queen Victoria opposed the marriage, though she personally liked tsarevich Nicholas she found Russia too volatile and not safe for a young lady. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Nicholas did, however, enjoy a genuine friendship with Edwards son and heir, George, who was close in age. Kaiser Wilhelm II soon revealed himself as nothing more than a bombastic sabre-rattler, lacking in every quality of leadership. She was a first cousin of Tsar Nicholas, as they shared a grandfather, Tsar. WWI family relationships. Is Prince Andrew Moving to Frogmore Cottage? He is also known as Prince Nicholas Romanov, Prince Nicholas of Russia, Prince Nicholas Romanoff, and Prince Nikolai Romanov. We take a closer look at the Windsor-Romanov relations. King Georg. Alexandra turned Nicholass mind against the popular commander in chief, his fathers cousin the grand duke Nicholas, and on September 5, 1915, the emperor dismissed him, assuming supreme command himself. Family was family. Nicholas considered all who opposed him, regardless of their views, as malicious conspirators. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were actually third cousins. Proposals were floated for the Russian royals to go into exile and settle in England. Nickie and Georgie jokingly commemorated their resemblance on the Isle of Wight, photographed side by side and arm in arm, wearing yachting suits. Theyre both related to Queen Victoria, who had nine kids: four sons and five daughters. World War One saw the end of the Europe of the Kings, and the beginning of the Europe of the Dictators. Nicholas II was born Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov in Pushkin, Russia, on May 6, 1868. Philip is the grandnephew of Alexandra Romanov, Nicholas II's wife, and the last Tsarina of Russia. But this was to be the last such coming together of the two full groups. Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, who replaced Witte and carried out the coup of June 16, 1907, dissolving the second Duma, was loyal to the dynasty and a capable statesman. Therefore, its not particularly surprising that Philip was also a descendant of George II, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, and King Christian IX of Denmark.The tsarina was Queen Victorias granddaughter Philips great-aunt and that meant that she shared mitochondrial DNA with Prince Philip. Young Alexander II, back then - tsarevich and heir to the Russian throne. Conservatives plotted Nicholass deposition in the hope of saving the monarchy. Because the burgeoning middle classes had demanded legal constitutions, the monarchs had granted them. King Constantine II of Greece's great-grandmother was a Romanov grand duchess for example, and so the Greek royals, including Princess Olympia, are all distant relatives of the Romanov family as well. The 1909 meeting was not purely personalit was also designed to solidify an alliance. 1- Tsar Nicholas II and his family lived a life of luxury other's didn't. 2- There was feudalism, the peasants of Russia( which were the largest in populations) had no say in how the government was run. How was Tsar Nicholas related to Kaiser Wilhelm? When 20-year-old Victoria met Alexander Nikolayevich, the Russian tsarevich and future Emperor Alexander II in 1839, she had already been a Queen for two years and the royal family was actively looking for a husband. Queen Victorias Descendants Hardcover April 1, 1998. How Is Tsar Nicholas Related To Queen Elizabeth. She, too, could come across as aloof, but hers was a pragmatic nature. The main objective of Nicholas IIs foreign policy during his early reign was to maintain the status quo in Europe, rather than to conquer new territory. By assimilating new ideas, monarchies had to some extent converted themselves into symbols of democracy; the leaders of these same monarchies, however, remained stubbornly blind to the gradually spreading republican and revolutionary movements taking root in their countries. Tsar Nicholas ll and his children Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duchess Anastasia, and Tsarevich Alexei aboard their royal yacht in 1911. Trailed by anxious detectives, the two oldest, Olga and Tatiana, even ventured into the town of Cowes, buying postcards and trinkets in local shops. Nicholas II, Russian in full Nikolay Aleksandrovich, (born May 6 [May 18, New Style], 1868, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russiadied July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg), the last Russian emperor (18941917), who, with his wife, Alexandra, and their children, was killed by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. The Russian Revolution toppled the Romanov dynasty, and Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917. Read more about: WW1 The third major royal player in World War One, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, also had a very personal stake in things. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who were married for over 70 years, were actually third cousins. For food, he favored simple Russian dishes like beetroot soup, cabbage soup, or porridge.. In addition to growing tensions within their respective countries, Russia, Edward VII and Nicholas II did not have the easiest relationship. She is the granddaughter of Grand Duke Kirill, a cousin of Nicholas II, the last Russian tsar who was executed along with his wife Alexandra and five children by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The underlying tensions that evening, though, went well beyond politics. While they did have a common ancestor through blood, it was an indirect result. Despite this concession, Nicholas II still stubbornly continued to resist government reform, included those suggested by the newly elected minister of the interior, Peter Stolypin. Maria Feodorovna provided a nurturing family environment during Nicholas IIs upbringing. By the autumn of 1894, Alexander III was seriously ill. In case youre trying to remember any Russian Emperor named Victor, dont. Christian's lines of descent in Greece and Britain are how current British monarch Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip are related to one another, and to Victoria. The parents joy soon turned to concern as Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia. The Queen, Prince Philip, and all of their descendants are also related to the Romanovs through Queen Victoria, as she was Tsarina Alexandra's grandmother. In fact, he confessed to a close friend, "I am not prepared to be a tsar. This website uses cookies. None of the legends about Rasputin are borne out by the facts. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. The outbreak of World War I temporarily strengthened the monarchy, but Nicholas did little to maintain his peoples confidence. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. Nicholas II of Russia Wilhelm II, German Emperor Ancestors analyzed: 95 Matches found: 16 The most recent common ancestor is Frederick William III of Prussia. In the latest Brookings Essay, The Rhyme of History: Lessons of the Great War, noted historian Margaret MacMillan compares current global tensionsrising nationalism, globalizations economic pressures, sectarian strife, and the United States fading role as the worlds pre-eminent superpowerto the period preceding the Great War. He met the rising groundswell of popular unrest with intensified police repression. Not knowing Marie, and realizing that there may still be many difficulties, my thoughts and feelings are rather mixed, Victoria wrote in her diary. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It is highly unlikely he thought a firing squad awaited his cousin. Alternatively, Prince Philip, who was born on 10June 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, is related to Queen Victoria through his mothers side. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Such a presentation was only to be expected. It didnt mean he was present during her christening, though: Alexandrina was just one of the names her elder relatives chose and during the ceremony Alexander I was represented by her uncle, the Duke of York. He is also a cousin to the Russian royal family (more on that below). Crowns in Conflict by Theo Aronson (John Murray, 1986), Royal Sunset by Gordon Brook-Shepherd (Doubleday, 1987), Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie (Gollancz, 1968), King George V by Kenneth Rose (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983), The Fall of the Dynasties by Edmond Taylor (Doubleday, I963). Nicholas II inherited the throne when his father, Alexander III, died in 1894. Through their respective links to Victoria, the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh are third cousins. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Behind the queen is a portrait of her deceased consort, Prince Albert, by German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Such down-to-earth delights were not to be enjoyed by their mother, the Czarina Alexandra, who had a bad headache on and off during the visit, and also suffered from a weak heart. But perhaps her greatest source of discomfort was her nerves. Grand Duchesses Maria, Tatiana, Anastasia and Olga, daughters of Tsar Nicholas II Romanov of Russia and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova. by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Although he believed in an autocracy, he was eventually forced to create an elected legislature. There was an ascetic aspect in Nicholass character, and even on winter nights he left the windows open," historian Robert Service wrote in his book The Last of the Tsars. Republican envoys were firmly relegated to the end of the procession. Philip's children and grandchildren, including William and Harry, are therefore related to the Romanovs too. In 1894 Nicholas II married Alexandra, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. In the Crimean War of 1853-1856, British troops fought alongside the Turks against Russia. Trending / By Redaction Team. After Russia entered World War I, Nicholas left the capital to assume command of the army. Any ambiguity of ownership was settled very simply after the revolution, for all the Romanov assets in Russia itself were seized by the Bolshevik government. Through this marriage, however, Leopold (1790-1865), Anna Feodorovnas brother and the future King of Belgium, had the chance to serve in the Russian army. The first is Queen Victoria, Grandmother of Europe: Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), Nicholass wife, was Victorias granddaughter. On March 3, 1905, he reluctantly agreed to create a national representative assembly, or Duma, with consultative powers, and by the manifesto of October 30 he promised a constitutional regime under which no law was to take effect without the Dumas consent, as well as a democratic franchise and civil liberties. For the rulers of the world's three greatest nations - King George V of Great Britain and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia on the one hand, and the German Kaiser on the other - were not simply cousins, they were first cousins. In foreign policy, his navet and lighthearted attitude toward international obligations sometimes embarrassed his professional diplomats; for example, he concluded an alliance with the German emperor William II during their meeting at Bjrk in July 1905, although Russia was already allied with France, Germanys traditional enemy. Though he possessed great personal charm, he was by nature timid; he shunned close contact with his subjects, preferring the privacy of his family circle. George V (1865 - 1936), King of the United Kingdom (1910 - 1936), circa 1910, After Nicholas and his family were killed by the Bolsheviks, George V wrote in his diary: It was a foul murder. What happened to these priceless Romanov tiaras after 1917 Revolution? He's the grandson of Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, who was a first cousin of Nicholas II. But it was also a deeply personal event. Before it happened, can anyone blame this family of kings, or their subjects, for assuming that a war between these crowned cousins was all but impossible? Best Known For: Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia under Romanov rule. 25 May] 1872 - 17 July 1918), Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine at birth, was the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Emperor Nicholas II from their marriage on 26 November [ O.S. He was indifferent to luxury. SOVEREIGN to resume publication in 2023. Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov [d] (18 May [ O.S. At the beginning of World War I, Russias armies performed poorly. The younger sister of Alexandra, Queen Consort of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Dagmar of Denmark (1847-1928) married the future Tsar Alexander III on 9 November 1866. Alexander Alexandrovich ascended the throne as Alexander III that year, and Nicholas II became heir apparent. In his absence, supreme power in effect passed, with his approval and encouragement, to the empress. By now, however, Europe's leading nations were locked in alliances - there was Serbia with Russia, Russia with France, France with Great Britain, Great Britain with Belgium on the one side, and Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other. lt was expected that the Hapsburg Emperor, Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, would demand and be given an apology from Serbia. Nicholas IIs father was Tsar Alexander III, and his mother was Maria Fyodorovna, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. Not only did the two men share many interests; they were eerily similar in appearance. Their kinship simply snapped, like cotton threads, as the storm of war broke over their heads. Kings were no more guaranteed to be good soldiers or military strategists than they were to be good rulers. Alexandra Feodorovna ( Russian: ; 6 June [ O.S. When Nicholas II was 19 years old he joined the army. Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown during the Russian Revolution and later executed along with his family by the Bolsheviks on the night of 16-17 July 1918 in Yekaterinburg. French infantry take cover in a trench, 1916 Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. The Russian public blamed Nicholas II for his poor military decisions, and Empress Alexandra for her ill-advised role in government. We take a closer look at the Windsor-Romanov relations. The emperor, mild of manner, was tough as old boots. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The British and the French fought alongside the Turks against the Russian army. Either way, most of them had very little say in the conduct of the war. The two families were intertwined twice by blood: Nicholass Danish mother, Marie, was the sister of Edwards wife, Queen Alexandra, while Czarina Alexandra's mother was the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, King Edward's mother. In the spring of 1918, Russia was engaged in a civil war. Its hard to say something definite about their relations but rumors were that the two young people had fallen for each other. He was another first cousin of George V, whose mother, Alexandra of Denmark, was the sister of the Tsar's mother, Dagmar of Denmark. George V belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which ascended the British throne in 1901 with his father Edward VII (1841-1910), the son of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861). Rendering them unassailable (or so they fondly imagined) was the fact that the monarchs of Europe were all closely related. Answer (1 of 13): King George V was a maternal first cousin of the Tsar and a paternal first cousin of the Kaiser. In 1891, construction on the Trans-Siberian railroad had begun, connecting Russia with the Pacific Coast. All of Queen Victorias archive and memorabilia connected with her relations to the royal houses of Europe, including Russia, can be found in Osborne House, a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, the United Kingdom. Inside the Romanovs and Windsors' Last Dinner, Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. George and Nicholas saw each other one more time. His dedication to the dogma of autocracy was an inadequate substitute for a constructive policy, which alone could have prolonged the imperial regime. The couple had their first child, a daughter named Olga, in 1895. In fact, when the remains of two children thought to be Maria and Alexei Romanov were found in a field in 2007, it was Prince Philip's DNA that was used to identify them, news which was revealed in 2016. Is Queen Elizabeth related to the Romanovs? Who, seeing this collection of royalty clattering by, could doubt that the institution of kingship was flourishing? Whatever the powers of these rulers - whether they were autocrats as in Russia, or virtually powerless constitutional monarchs as in Great Britain - their prestige and position remained almost intact. House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the last Romanovs are related through 2 people. Nicholas also had other irresponsible favourites, often men of dubious probity who provided him with a distorted picture of Russian life, but one that he found more comforting than that contained in official reports. Alexander I was absent during the ceremony, yet he allowed the heiress to be named after him, explainedhistorian Natalia Basovskaya. Without the support of either the politicians or the generals, the Tsar had to submit. The Isle of Wight visit may have called for grander meals than Nicholas liked and more family demands than Alexandra could easily cope with. Their constitutional powers counted for almost as little as their cousinhood.