Marie Pavlovna "The Elder" (Grand Duchess Vladimir) (1854-1920)

[aussiechick12]

These photo's come from http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php

Some beautiful pictures of Maria:

[CarolinaLandgrave]

AussieChick!
You are fabulous!! Just as Fabulous as those pictures of Miechen!
Thanks so much for posting them!!!

[aussiechick12]

Thank you CarolinaLandGrave! Here are some more, this time I will post portraits and pictures but not photos. All of them are again from http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php

I do not know who painted this but it came from Sotheby's.

Originally Posted by geli

Maria Pavlovna " the Elder " wearing hunting costume

This painting is taken from the original ^
Painting by SOKOLOV


Here is the same on with her husband, Grand Duke Vladmir


Here, Miechen is wearing the Vladimir Tiara

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Awesome!!!
Thats one of the few pics I have seen of Grand Duke Vladimir - he sure looks like Alexander III - tell they are brothers!
And the one of Miechen in military display..... very regal!

[aussiechick12]

Originally Posted by Leslie2006

On August 28, 1874, Marie married HIH the Grand Duke Vladimir Aleksandrovich of Russia, third son of TIM Tsar Aleksandr II and Tsaritsa Maria Aleksandrovna. Together, they had 4 sons: Aleksandr, Boris, Kyrill and Andrei and one daughter, Elena.

Aleksandr, I don't know what happenend to him.

Boris married a commoner I believe and Andrei married Nicholas II's former misteress, Ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska and had one son, Vladimir.

Kyrill married his first cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, was by then had divorced her first husband (and paternal first cousin), Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig of Hesse. (they had a daughter Elizabeth, born in 1895, but she died of illness in 1903. Ernie and "Ducky" divorced in 1901.) Victoria Melita and Kyrill had three children: Marie, Kyra and Vladimir. It is Vladimir's descendants that now claim rights to the Imperial Russian throne; His only daughter Maria and her son Grigory Mikhailovich.

Aleksandr died early in childhood, leaving Kyrill as the eldest.
Andrei didn't marry Mathilde, but he did father a child, Vladimir.
There was actually some confusion who the father was because she was also having an affair with Andrei's cousin, Serge Mikhailovich.
Even though Andrei knew this, he still insisted the son was his.

All of these are from http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/
Here are some pictures of her children:

Painting of Andrei 1881 (sorry, this is all I could find!)


Helen, Princess Nicholas


Boris


Boris, his mother Maria Pavlovna and Kyrill


Kyrill

[JPhinala]

GD Marie Pavlovna was an absolutley fascinating woman. She led a very active social and political life, rivaling that of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna. She detested Alexandra as a blight to the Empire for various reasons. She also had a love/hate relationship with Dowager Empress Marie. There were times when the two were good friends but they often had differing political interests (With Miechen being a German and a German Supporter while Marie hated the Germans with a fiery passion.)

One of my favorite stories about Miechen involves the Dowager Empress Marie. At the Maryinsky Theater Minnie (Dowager Empress Marie) used to have tea with a group of friends between acts. When Minnie quit going to the Ballet after Sasha died, Miechen began to take her place. Upon her return, Minnie discovered that Miechen had ordered a table set. Minnie also ordered a table and when Miechen entered to find the two tables she was shocked. Minnie played it off as a comic joke and said they should switch tables. They did, but Miechen got the message. The Maryinsky belonged to the Empress.

Sort of a random story but it hopefully offers a bit of an insight into Miechen's personality.

[Marengo]

Personally the story I liked best was that amidst the russian revolution all the imperial family fled to the south, masking who they were, etc. Miechen just came with an imperial train, coats of arms still on them and even bullying a soldier who tried to stop her.
As GD Olga Alexandrovna said, I was never so happy and proud to see my aunt as on that day.

Another favourite is Alix heartfelt cry: 'Hang Miechen of 60 appletrees!'

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Jackswife

Yes, Juliana would have perhaps had memories of Marie. An amazing link with history there. I think Miechen disliked Alexandra because she thought Alix was too shy, too awkward, poorly dressed, too English in her ways (Miechen was a confirmed Francophone and detested most things British) to be a good Tsarina. I whole-heartedly agree that there needs to be a big fat juicy book on the Vladimirs!

Actually I doubt that Juliana ever met Miechen, Queen Wilhelmina did all she could to keep her husbands 'poor' relatives away from the Dutch court after WWI, afraid that they would be asking for money. I even doubt that Wilhelmina ever met any of the Russian relatives after WWI. Prince Hendrik did however visit his sister in 1914 it was in St Petersberg that he heard that WWI started.

Juliana did form a close friendship/acquantance with two granddaughters of Miechen: Kira of Prussia and Marina of Kent.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

What great stories - they just add the aura that is Marie Pavlovna!

[magnik]

What kind of relationships she has with the rest RIMF?

About her genealogy:

Maria Pavlovna von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Thanks for the website.
Thats an awesome way see her ancestors.

[EmpressRouge]

Marie was a huge snob, and her views passed down to her daughter Elena, Princess Nicholas of Greece. Elena looked down on her sister-in-law Alice, Princess Andrew (mother of the Duke of Edinburgh), who was born a mere serene highness and only acquired her royal highness by marriage. Elena was both an imperial highness (by birth) and royal highness (by marriage). Her attitude improved after Alice's sister Louise became Crown Princess (later Queen) of Sweden and her son married the future Queen Elizabeth.

[Marengo]

Does anybody know which American author she once invited to a party of hers? I believe she was a bit appaled by his visits to poorer Russians and she told him 'come to my party and see how real Russians live', or something in that direction.

[Ex-Princess Lisa]

Originally Posted by Sean.~

You question is rather broad. What exactly is it that you want to know? She was very ambitious for her family (ie her sons) and didn't hold Alexandra Feodrovona in any high regard. In fact, she went around stating that the Empress needed to anhilated.

Obviously Maries guardian angel was listening and made sure that happened for her!

[lexi4]

Marie was first engaged to George Schwarzburg. Upon discovering this in 1871, the Crown Princess of Prussia wrote to Queen Victoria: "Marie of Schwerin you have no doubt heard - is engaged to that stupid George Schwarzbur...it is officially announced - it was her own doing, he is a greater goose than ever." She eventually broke of the engagement in favor of Grand Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich. If memory serves, I don't think she was required to change her religion and therefore, remained Lutheran.
Lexi

[scooter]

Is this lady the source of the famous emerald set now in BRF? How did it come to change hands?

[lexi4]

Originally Posted by scooter

Is this lady the source of the famous emerald set now in BRF? How did it come to change hands?

I would love to see a photo of those emerlds.

[EmpressRouge]

No, the emeralds were Queen Mary's and called the Cambridge Emeralds. The tiara was sold to Queen Mary after the revolution because she like the rest of the family was in need of money. The Cambridge emeralds were incorporated into the tiara by Queen Mary and now Queen Elizabeth. I think I read in Leslie Field's book that there was a condition placed on the emeralds that they were not allowed to leave the country.

[JPhinala]

Marie didn't sell them herself, though they are hers. They were sold just after she died. Which was immediately after she reached Paris.

[lexi4]

Who got the money from the sale?