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Princess Dagmar was to become the Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. She was the daughter of Christian IX. The princess grew up in frugal circumstances. She was very close to her sister Alexandra who married the future Edward VII. Both girls were beautiful, perhaps why princes from such a small country married into two of the leading European families. Dagmar "Marie" was born in 1847. She was not as beautiful as her older sister Alexandra, the future Princess of Wales, to whom she was very close. Dagmar had large eyes and a wide smile. She had a tiny girl, but slender and ellegant. She was not as beautiful as her eldest sister Alexandra, the future Princess of Wales, to whom she was very attached, but she had large eyes and a wide smile on her livelier and engaging face. She had a tiny figure, but slender and ellegant. Dagmar became engaged to the eldest son of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the Tsarevitch Nicholas, in the summer of 1864 during the war with Prussia and Austria. Nicholas was a handsome, but delicate young man. He was well-read and the two became deeply attached. Nicholas did not have a strong constitution and contracted bronchitis. He was sent to the souther France to recuperate, but his condition deterriorated. Dagmar came from Denmark to visit his fiance but Nicholas died some days later. She then found herself in the compromising position of bethroting the new Tsarevitch, Nicholas's brother. Alexander was the complete opposite of his delicate older brother. He was a bear of a man broad shoulders that towered over Dagmar. More importantly, he was poorly read and had a rigid mind. Dagmar had a great sense of her family duty. Denmark needed powerfull allies. She thus accepted engagement to Alexander, without caring about his appearence, because it was convenient for Denmark. She mairred the future Tsar Alexander III Alexandrovich in 1866 and became Tsarina. They had six children. The oldest became Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar who was murdered by the Bolshevicks in 1918. Dasgemar died in Copenhagen in 1928.
Prince Dagmar was to become the Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. She was the daughter of Christian IX.
King Christian is often called the grandfather of Europe because of the number of his discendents who became monarchs. Christian was born in 1818. Christian's father was Duke Frederick William of Schleswig-Holstein (1785- ). His mother was Princess Louise Wilhelmina von Hessen-Cassel (1789- ). By his father, he was a direct descendant of King Christian III of Denmark and his mother was a granddaughter of King Frederik V. Prince Christian studied at the Militar Academy of Cophenagen and he entered the Danish army in 1837. That same year he persued the young Queen of Engalnd, Victoria, who had just acceded the throne. Victoria instead chose Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg. Christian mairred Princess Louise Wilhelmina of Hesse-Casselin 1842. Christian produced two kings and a queen. His son Frederick succeded him as King of Denmark in 1906. His grandson son Charles became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. His daughter Alexandra mairred the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) and became Queen
of England.
Prince Christian mairred Princess Louise Wilhelmina of Hesse-Casselin 1842.
King Christian is often called the grandfather of Europe because of the number of his discendents who became monarchs. Christian produced three kings and a queen. His son Frederick succeded him as King of Denmark in 1906 and his grandson Charles became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. William George became King of Greece in 1863. His elkdest daughter Alexandra married the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) and became Queen of England. Dagmar married the Russian Tsareivitch whon became Alexander III. Alix and Dagmar were especially close as children. It is one of the ironies of history that two princess from a family of very limited means married into two of the greast royal families of Europe.
Dagmar "Marie" was born in 1847. The princess grew up in frugal circumstances. She was not as beautiful as her older sister Alexandra, the future Princess of Wales, to whom she was very close. Dagmar had large eyes and a wide smile. She had a tiny girl, but slender and ellegant. She was not as beautiful as her eldest sister Alexandra, the future Princess of Wales, to whom she was very attached, but she had large eyes and a wide smile on her livelier and engaging face. She had a tiny figure, but slender and ellegant. The two girls were inseparable. They shared a small room in the cramped Yellow Palace. They were plainly dressed, primarily because money was scarese, and as teenagers they learned the best way to get a new frock was to sew one. One historian describes her as a "Quick-tempered passionjate creature, she was deplorably unpunctual and sokmething of a tomboy, but she was also deeply affectionate, tranparently honest, and possessed of an instinctive wisdom beyond her years, which made her a peace maker in the rare family quarrels." [Battiscombe, p. 9-10.]
Dagmar's family was not noted for its intellectual pursuits. There was little money for tutors. Their mother taught the children music and dance. Their father focused on
gymastics which the children loved. They were incouraged in outside activities. There was an English nanny and Alexandra and her brothers and sisters learned English. The girls also managed tomlearn French and German. Her father himself was poorly educated. Little enough
attention was given to his sons' intelectual education and virtually none to the girls. At the time, many did not consider important to educate girls. Little attention was given to the education of Dagmar and her sisters. Dagmar was theonly child that showed even the slightest interest in books.
Princess Dagmar of Denmark (Maria Feodorovna) was originally engaged to be married to the Grand Duke Nicolai, the eldest son of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the Tsarevitch Nicholas. Within the family he was always called Nixa. Nixa should have succeeded his father, Tsar Alexander II. The engament took place in the summer of 1864 during the war with Prussia and Austria. Nicholas was a handsome, but delicate young man. He was well-read and the two became deeply attached. Nicholas did not have a strong constitution and contracted bronchitis. He was sent to the southern France to recuperate, but his condition deterriorated. Dagmar came from Denmark to visit her fiance but Nicholas died somedays later in 1865 before he married the Danish princess.
Dagmar then found herself in the compromising position of bethroting the new Tsarevitch, Nicholas's brother. Alexander was the complete opposite of his delicate older brother. He was a bear of a man broad shoulders that towered over Dagmar. More importantly, he was poorly read and had a rigid mind. Dagmar had a great sense of her family duty. Denmark needed powerfull allies. She thus accepted engagement to Alexander, without caring about his appearence, because itwas convenient for Denmark.
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It was then hastily arranged by the Danish and Russian courts, that Princess Dagmar would instead marry Nixa's younger brother, Grand Duke Alexander, who would later become Czar Alexander III of Russia--and Princess Dagmar would thus still be Czarina of Russia.
She married the future Tsar Alexander III Alexandrovich in 1866 and became Tsarina. Despite their differences in temperment and personality, the marriage proved to be a genuinely happy one. Her dear sister Alexandra could not attend as she was pregnant again, but her husband the Prince of Wales came instead. Few of Dagmar's Danish relatives could attend because of the cost.
Tsar Alexander III and Tsaeina Dagmar had six children, five of whom survived into adulthood. After the birth of Nicholas, the Imperial family grew rapidly in size. The next baby, Alexander, born in 1869, unfortunaltely died before he was 12 months old. Then George was born, in 1871, followed by Xenia, in 1875, Michael, in 1878, and finally Olga, in 1882. George and Xenia became Nicholas's playmates in childhood games. The family would be ravished by the Bolshevicks after the overthrow of the monarchy. The eldest son succeded his father as Tsar Nicholas II. Both he and his father felt that he was unprepared to be Tsar. History proved them to be correct. Alexander could not have imagined what would happen to Russia nor could he understand how responsible he was. Neither understood the modern world and how to move Russi into it. Their youngest boy Michael was Tsar for a day but renounced the crown seeing that the monarchy was untenable. He was also shot by the Bolshevicks. Only Xenia and Olga escaped Russia after the Revolution.
The boys wore dresses when young. As older boys they wore sailor suits into their teen years. I'm not sure if this was a Russian Emperial tradition yet or introduced from Denmark by the Tsarina. Nicholas as a youngman wore an army uniform.
Unlike many royal marriages, the one of Dagmar and Alexander was a happy one. It was said of Alexander that the two things that he never wished to break was the peace of Europe and the Seventh Commanment. He was not only faithful to his wife, but he was devoted to domestic life, both Dagmar and the children. [Battiscombe, p. 158.]
Dagmar was a positive influence on her husband. He had a very tight group of friends outside his family, which of course limited what he knew of his own country. The British Ambassador Lord Dufferein wrote to Queen Victoria, "... there is still very little known about him, probably because there is very little to know." The security measure taken after his father's assasination acted to futher wall Alexader off from his people.
Alexander had been poorly educated. She influenced him to read important books and to promote charitable programs and patronize the arts. The Tsar did like music. Dagmar was always at his side to help and encourage him. His manners were uncouth and she was of great assistance in helping him with the state occassions which unlike her husband, she enjoyed. Dagmar especially enjoyed the regal gowns and jewels she wore for these state occassions. She also stayed near him because she so feared that he might be assasinated like his father. She did not, however, envolve herself in politics. [Battiscombe, p. 158.]
Alexander III died from Bright's disease at only 49. Dagmar was distraught. Her sister Princess of Wales Alexandra rushed to her side from England. The funeral lasted 19 days. Her sister was at her side all the time, even sleeping in the same bedroom. The ceremonies were moth moving as well as macabre from a western point of view. Before the Tsar was finally buried, his corpse lay with the face uncovered for 7 days at the church of St. Peter and St. Paul and on the last day the family kissed him goodbye. [Battiscombe, p. 158.] Tsar Alexander's death and his son's, now Tsar Nicholas II, marriage took place at almost the same time, casting a palor of gloom over the ceremonies. Nicholas married the Princess Alexandra of Hesse, a nice of the Princess of Wales.
Dagmar lived in Russia until the Revolution. Her son Nicholas II and his family was killed by the Bolshevicks in 1918. Much of the rest of the family was also killed. Dagmar managed to get to the Crimea which for a time was controlled by the White anti-Bolshevick forces. When the Bolshevicks began to advance toward the Crimea, a a British Royal Navy recused her and a small group of friends and family and brought her safely to England, much to her sister, the Queen Mother Alexandra's relief. Dagmar died in Copenhagen in 1928.
Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).
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