Tsar Alexander I (1777-1825) and Empress Elisaveta Alexeievna (1779-1826)

[Marengo]

Alexander I, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias (St.Petersburg, 23 December 1777 – Taganrog, 1 December 1825); married in St.Petersburg on 9 October 1793 Princess Luise of Baden, babtised Elisabeth Alexeievna (Karlsruhe, 24 January 1779 – Bjelev, 16 May 1826)

Reign: 1801 - 1825

Dynasty: Romanov-Holstein-Gottrop

Predecessor: Emperor Paul I of All the Russias

Succeeded by: Emperor Nicholas I of All the Russias

Children: Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna and Grand Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrovna of Russia

Parents Alexander: Emperor Paul I of All the Russias and Princess Sophia Dorothea of Wurttemberg (Empress Maria Feodorovna)

Parents Luise: Prince Kar Ludwig of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt

Siblings Alexander: Grand Duke Constantin Pavlovitch of Russia; Archduchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Austria; Hereditairy Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach; Queen Catherina Pavlovna of Wurttemberg (formerly Duchess of Oldenburg); Grand Duchess Olga Pavlovna of Russia; Queen Anna Pavlovna of The Netherlands; Emperor Nicholas I of All the Russias and Grand Duke Michael Pavlovitch of Russia

Siblings Luise: Princess Katharina of Baden; Queen Karoline of Bavaria; Queen Friederike of Sweden; Duchess Marie of Brunswick; Prince Karl Friedrich of Baden; Grand Duke Karl I of Baden and Grand Duchess Wilhelmine of Hesse and the Rhine

[Marengo]

Alexander I of Russia (Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich) (December 23, 1777 – December 1?, 1825) served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Grand Duke of Finland.
He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later Emperor Paul I, and Maria Feodorovna, daughter of the Duke of Württemberg. Alexander succeeded to the throne after his father was murdered, and ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleonic Wars. In the first half of his ruling Alexander tried to introduce liberal reforms, while in the second half he turned to a much more arbitrary manner of conduct, which led to the abolishing of many early reforms. In foreign policy Alexander gained certain success, having won several campaigns. In particular under his rule Russia acquired Finland and part of Poland. The strange contradictions of his character make Alexander one of the most interesting Tsars. Adding to this, his death was shrouded in mystery, and location of his body remains unknown.

Soon after his birth on December 23, 1777, Alexander was taken from his father, Paul I of Russia, by his grandmother, Catherine the Great, who utterly disliked Paul and did not want him to have any influence on the education of the future emperor. Some sources allege that she created the plan to remove Paul from succession altogether. Both sides tried to use Alexander for their own purposes and he was torn emotionally between his grandmother and his father, the heir to the throne. This taught Alexander very early on how to manipulate those who loved him, and he became a natural chameleon, changing his views and personality depending on whom he was with at the time. Reared in the free-thinking atmosphere of the court of Catherine, he had imbibed the principles of Rousseau's gospel of humanity from his Swiss tutor, Frédéric-César de La Harpe, and the traditions of Russian autocracy from his military governor, Nikolay Saltykov. Andrey Afanasyevich Samborsky, whom his grandmother chose for his religious upbringing, was an atypical, unbearded Orthodox priest, who had long lived in England and taught Alexander (and his younger brother Constantine) excellent English. Young Alexander sympathised with French and Polish revolutionaries, however, his father seems to have taught him to combine a theoretical love of mankind with a practical contempt for men. These contradictory tendencies remained with him through life and are observed in his dualism in domestic and military policy.
On October 9, 1793 when Alexander was still 15 years old, he married 14 year old Louise of Baden. Meanwhile, the death of Catherine in November 1796 before she could appoint Alexander as her successor, brought his father, Paul I, to the throne. Paul's attempts at reform were met with hostility and many of his closest advisers as well as Alexander were against his proposed changes. Paul I was murdered in March, 1801.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

[Marengo]

Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia (Russian: Елизавета Алексеевна), born Louise Maria Auguste, Princess of Baden (13/24 January 1779 - 4 May/16 May, 1826) was the wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

Elizabeth Alexeievna was born in Karlsruhe, on 24 January, 1779 as Princess Louise Maria Auguste of Baden of the House of Zähringen. She was the third of the seven children of Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden and his wife Amelia Frederica of Hesse-Darmstadt. Her grandfathers were Charles Frederick, Margrave of Baden and Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Princess Louise of Baden grew up in a close, warm family environment. She would remain particularly attached to her mother, with whom she maintained an intimate correspondence until her death. (The Margravine of Baden outlived her daughter). Princess Louise was only twelve years old when her fate was determined. Empress Catherine II "the Great" of Russia was looking for a bride for her eldest grandson, the future Alexander I, and set her eyes on the Princesses of Baden. After receiving favorable impressions, Catherine invited the two eldest unwed Princesses, Louise and her younger sister Frederica, to Russia. In the fall of 1792, the two sisters arrived in St. Petersburg.
The Empress Catherine was delighted by Louise, finding her a model of beauty, charm, and honesty. Louise herself was attracted to Alexander; he was tall and handsome. At first, Alexander was shy with his future bride -- very young and inexperienced, he did not know how to treat her -- and she mistook his reserve for dislike. However, the young couple soon grew fond of each other. “ You tell me that I hold the happiness of a certain person in my hands,” she wrote to Alexander. “ If that is true, then his happiness is assured forever… this person loves me tenderly, and I love him in return, and that will be my happiness…you can be certain that I love you more than I ever can say,” she added. They were engaged in May 1793.
The Princess of Baden learned Russian, converted to the Orthodox Church, took the title of Grand Duchess of Russia and traded the name Louise Maria for Elizabeth Alexeievna. The wedding took place on 28 September 1793 . “It was a marriage between Psyche and Cupid” Catherine wrote to the Prince of Ligne. Elizabeth was only fourteen, her husband a year older.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

[Marengo]

I just started reading 'Rites of Peace; The Fall of Napoleon & The Congress of Vienna' by Adam Zamoyski and her eit is said that Empress Elisabeht had an affair with Alexander's chief minister Prince Adam Czartorski. It said that the couple had a daughter. Does anybody know which daughter (Elisabeth of Maria) was mhis?

[Marengo]

Still reading the same book, funny to see how the general public and women worshipped the Tsar while statesman like Metternich called him a spoiled child, and others noted his wo sides, autocrate but always trying to please.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Interesting info on the Emperor and Empress..... someone should do a thread on the whole Imperial Family like that - great reading.
Question... is this daughter of Paul I, Hereditairy Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the maternal grandmother of HIH Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna (Grand Duchess Vladimir)??
She is a descendant of Paul I, correct? Is there were HIH Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna (Princess Nicholas of Greece) go her name??