Prince Nicholas (1872-1938), Grand Duchess Elena (1882-1957) and daughters

[CarolinaLandgrave]

HIH Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna was the daughter of HIM Czar Paul I of Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (nee' HSH Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Wurttemberg). She was the wife of HM King William II of the Netherlands.
HIM Czar Paul I of Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (nee' HSH Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Wurttemberg) had a daughter named Maria Pavlovna who married Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (they were the parents of the Empress Augusta of Germany, wife Kaiser Wilhelm I).

Marie Pavlovna (the elder) was the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovitch of Russia, she was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (she was a great-great granddaughter of Czar Paul I through his daughter the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna who married the Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)

I think I have this all correct...... Snowflower??

[maria-olivia]

Anna (Netherlands) Maria (Saxe-Weimar -E) and Elena (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) were sisters ?
Czar Paul Ier is Catherine II 's son .

[snowflower]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Anna (Netherlands) Maria (Saxe-Weimar -E) and Elena (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) were sisters ?
Czar Paul Ier is Catherine II 's son .

Yes , they were sisters, and Catherine II's granddaughters through her son Paul. They also had three more sisters ( it was a total of six): Olga Pavlova ( died aged 3), Alexandra Pavlova ( married Archduke Joseph of Austria and died at childbirth), and Catherine Pavlova ( married twice , first Georg, Duke of Oldenburg and had two sons with him and after his death she married king Wilhelm I, King of Wuttemberg and had two daughters. Her youngest daughter Sophie married her nephew William and became Queen of Netherlands).

By the way , I believe that Marie of Mecklenburg Schwerin chose the patronymic Pavlova upon her marriage to Grand Duke Vladimir to underline her Romanov ancestry, of which she was very proud. She once said to he husband that ,when it came to lineage, she was in fact more Slav than him

[CarolinaLandgrave]

I could see Marie Pavlovna saying that to Vladimir!

Snowflower is a treasure-trove of wonderful information and stories!!

[maria-olivia]

Well, I learned a lot thanks to Carolina and Snowflower.

[snowflower]

Here is a photo of baby Marina with Dad.

Marina was the only member of the family to be born in the Nicholas palace ( or " Petit Palais" as it was also called). The birth was quite traumatic and Elena nearly bled to death . She was ill for a long time after the deliveryThat's why they didn't have any more children after her although they were quite young, Nicholas especially was very afraid. He used to say later " Marina was a dear baby. She nearly cost her mother her life".

[CarolinaLandgrave]

I didnt know Elena had a difficult birth with Marina. Thanks again for another great picture!!

[snowflower]

Marina wearing the Greek ruby parure at the opening of the Parliament ion 1937.
Although it looks really good on her, I think that from all the ladies that have worn it ( the two Olgas, Marina , Frederika and Anne-Marie), Olga of Yugoslavia has worn it the best way, it somehow suited her the most.
By the way, how comes Marina was at the opening of the Parliament? The wifes of Royal Dukes were present then? Because in the recent years, judging from photos I ve seen , I the Duchesses of Kent and Gloucester and the Countess of Wessex are not attending the opening of the Parliament.

[Vlaha Karatsokaros]

Everything looked good on Olga of Yugoslavia and Marina of Kent. There was magic about these two ladies, absolute magic, something that will never be repeated. In a way, one may argue, this is true about people in all walks of life. The glamour of, say, Katharine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn cannot be repeated etc etc.

Back then, the Opening of Parliament was quite a ceremony. Nowadays all these have been simplified. If I am not mistaken, along with Prince Philip, Diana had escorted here and there the Queen.

Originally Posted by snowflower

Here is a photo of baby Marina with Dad.
Marina was the only member of the family to be born in the Nicholas palace ( or " Petit Palais" as it was also called).

It was and still is a small by royal standards but superb building in Queen Sophia (Vassilissis Sofias) Avenue that today houses the French or Italian Embassy (I am not sure which of the two)

[Vasillisos Markos]

I believe it is the Italian Embassy which is housed in the Nicholas Palace. It is a gorgeous structure.

[Vlaha Karatsokaros]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

I believe it is the Italian Embassy which is housed in the Nicholas Palace. It is a gorgeous structure.

I always mix certain buildings in my mind because Vassilissis Sofias Ave is packed with embassies, museums and building of grand style. I am being told that Princess Irene occupies an apartment on the avenue.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

I was just in Athens last week...and had to go see the Italian Embassy...
I love the Nicholas'

Here is a thread with some great pictures of the HI&RH Helen:

YouTube - Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia / Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark

[snowflower]

Originally Posted by Vlaha Karatsokaros

The clue may lie with the fact that Elena and Frederika did well overall despite their strong personalities and huge age difference (exactly 35 years). Thus, that they respected each other's superior pedigree and acknowledged each other's standing as being not above, but at par with, their royal station - this is the 'key" here.

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I believe that apart from respect towrads one another they had developed a bond when Frederika firstly came to Greece. Among the older generation ,Elena seems to have taken a more active role than Alice and Marie helping her adjusting to Greece , teaching her about the Greek society and those close to the palace etc ( this may also has to do with the fact that Prince Nicholas died shortly after Frederika and Paul's marriage and Elena, being widowed with all her daughters married abroad , found some confort mentoring Frederika instead of staying at home and thinking about her new state of life) Frederika referred very fondly to " Aunt Ellen" , as a great maternal figure in her new life - and I also believe that at first she was sligtly intimidated of Elena , who had little reservations in expressing her opinion about Frederika's behaviour in public when she didn't like something . I remember reading about an incident that I think had taken place during the Greco Italian War , I believe. The story goes that Frederika and Elena were together at some public function and given all the stress and tirednes she had experience working day and night, plus the news from the front, Frederika lost her temper and started crying in public - Elena , instead of consoling her , took her aside and said to her very firmly not to ever again dare lose her temper because " people like you and me never cry in public. We just don't "

[Marc23]

Originally Posted by snowflower

" people like you and me never cry in public. We just don't "

I read in a book about Princess Olga that the same sentence she said to all her daughters...Something like:"If you choose to cry,you must do it when sure that nobody sees you....don't let others know you are suffering!"

[CyrilVladisla]

A book being shared by Princesses Olga, Elizabeth, and Marina
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/862428298

[eya]

Another beautiful story shares Prince Dimitri, this time for the great grandfather Prince Nikolaos of Greece and her great grandmother, Grand Duchess Elena of Russia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoEqSm8n...prince.dimitri

[Blog Real]

Prince Nicholas and Grand Duchess Elena with their daughters, circa 1908.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...enchildren.jpg