Figure 1.--This is a portrait of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna with their children just befite the Revolution in 1910. The boys are dressed vin sailor suits as was commom with Russian and German royalty.

Grand Duchess Xenia was the fourth child and first daughter of Alexander III and Maria Fyodorovna. She was born at the Anichkov Palace in St Petersburg (1875). The Tsar wrote to his father-in-law, King Christian IX of Denmark, "The infant was born at exactly four in the morning, on the day of the celebration of the Annunciation. Nicky and George are delighted with their younger sister. It was a great delight for them to be present at her first bath." Growing up with brothers, Xenia was reportedly a tomboy and rather shy. Like her siblings, Xenia was raised in a rather simple manner given her status. She slept in a cot, was woken 6:00 AM, took cold baths, ate simple, plain meals, and her rooms were furnished with basic furniture--not like what one would imagine for a princess. Cold baths in Russian do not sound all that princess like. As with her siblings, Xenia was educated by private tutors. She learned English, French, and German but unlike her elder brothers, she never learned to speak Danish, her mother's native language. She developed a talent for drawing and also learned gymnastics, dancing, and how to play the piano. Like quite a number of royal children, Xenia kept a diary which she updated daily. Nicholas and George's English tutor was a favorite with the Imperial children. He taught them how to fish and play games. Xenia married her third cousin, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933), at Peterhof Palace (1894). He was a gransdson of Nicholas I . He was known as Sandro among the family. As a result of the marriage he was a brother-in-law to the Tsar. He became a close advisor tp Nicholas. They had seven children, mostly boys who were commonly dressed in sailor suits. This was common with Russian and German royalty. Xenia was the mother-in-law of Felix Yusupov and a cousin of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia who plotted the murder of Grigori Rasputin. During the Russian Civil War, the Bolshevilks began killing Romanovs, including the royal family. Grand Duchesses Xenia and Olga were very lucky Romanovs. They were among the surviving Romanovs to escape from Russia with their mother and mist most of the childrem on board the British battleship HMS Marlborough (April 1919). They brought with them jewels which helped finance their life in exile. They left from Yalta in the Crimea. Her husband had already reached safety in the West. Grand Duchess Xenia died at Wilderness House on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace in England (1960).

Created: 6:21 PM 4/29/2020
Last updated: 6:21 PM 4/29/2020