Grand Duchesses Xenia (1875-1960) and Olga (1882-1960), sisters of Nicholas II

[Huddo]

whatever happened to the Sisters of Tsar Nicholas II after the revolution?...

 

[betina]

Grand duchess Olga married Nikolai Kulikovsky (I hope I spelled it right) and had two sons Thikhon (1917) and Guri (1919). For a while they lived in a town named Ballerup (where I was born) in Denmark where they had a little farm.
After the war in 1945 they moved to Canada. Olga died in 1960.
I can recommend the book "The last grand duchess"

Grand duchess Xenia married grand duke Alexander and had seven children. She died in England in 1960. But again read the book. there is so many informations in it.

best regards Betina

 

[Marengo]

I can also recommend 'Once a Grand Duchess'. A biography of GD Xenia by Coryne Hall and John van der Kiste. Ad just recently a new book came on the market, published by Arturo Beeche (who is also one of the co-authors) about all russian grandduchesses since Paul I. Marlene Koenig has also written some chapters in this book (she is a frequent poster of royalty message boards, as is mr Beeche).

 

[lashinka2002]

Info on Xenia


Born: 25 March, 1875
Died: 20 April, 1960, London, England

Father: Romanov, Alexander III Alexandrovich, Tsar of Russia, born 26 February, 1845
Mother: Oldenburg, Dagmar "Marie" of Denmark, Tsarina, born 26 November, 1847


Married 25 July, 1894 to Romanov, Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), Grand Duke


Children:

Romanov, Irina Alexandrovna, born 3 July, 1895
Romanov, Andrew Alexandrovitch, born 12 January, 1897
Romanov, Theodore Alexandrovitch, born 11 December, 1898
Romanov, Nikita Alexandrovitch, born 4 January, 1900
Romanov, Dmitri Alexandrovitch, Lt.Cmdr. RNVR, born 2 August, 1901
Romanov, Rostislav Alexandrovitch, born 11 November, 1902
Romanov, Vassil (Basil) Alexandrovitch, born 24 June, 1907

 

[lashinka2002]

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/romanov35.jpg
http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs/romanov36.jpg

1. Xenia
2. Xenia's husband Sandro

 

[lashinka2002]

Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna Romanova (In Russian Великая Княгина Ксения Александровна) (was born on 6 April 1875 in St Petersburg and died 20 April 1960 at Wilderness House in Hampton Court, England) She was the daughter of Tsar Alexander III of Russia and Dagmar of Denmark and sister of the last crowned Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and, his brief uncrowned successor, their brother Michael.

Xenia Alexandrovna married Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov (a grandson of Nicholas I of Russia on 6 August 1894 (25th July in the "old style" Russian callender) at Peterhof. Together they had seven children. Here is a list of her descendants:

• HH Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia (1895-1970), married Prince Felix Yusupov (1887-1967), had issue, see page for her descendants
• HH Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia (1897-1981), married morganatically Elisabetta Ruffo (1887-1940), then Nadine McDougall (1908-2000), cr. HSH Princess Romanovskaya; had issue by first marriage:
  • Xenia Andrejevna Romanova (1919-2000), married Calhoun Ancrum (born 1915), then Geoffrey Tooth (1908-1998); no issue
  • Michael Andrejevitch Romanov (born 1920), married Esther Murphy (born 1921), then Shirley Grammond (1916-1983), then Giulia Crespi (born 1930); no issue
  • Andrej Andrejevitch Romanov (born 1923), married Elena Dourneva (born 1927), then Kathleen Norris (1935-1967), then Inez von Bachelin (born 1933); had issue by first (first two children) and second (last two) marriages:
    • Olga Andrejevna Romanova (born out of wedlock 1950), married Thomas Mathew (born 1945); had issue: Nicholas (born 1976), Francis (born 1978), Alexandra (born 1981), and Thomas 1987-1989) Matthew
    • Alexis Andrejevitch Romanov (born 1953), married Zoetta Leisy (born 1956); no issue
    • Peter Andrejevitch Romanov (born 1961)
    • Andrew Andrejevitch Romanov (born 1963), married Elizabeth Flores (born 1964); had one daughter: Natasha Romanov (born 1993)
• HH Prince Fyodor Alexandrovich of Russia (1898-1968), married morganatically HSH Prince Irina Paley (1903-1990); had issue:
  • Mikhael Feodorovitch Romanov (born 1924), married Helga Staufenberger (born 1926), then María de las Mercedes (born 1960); had issue by first marriage:
    • Mikhael Paul Romanov (1959-2001); illegitimate issue with stepmother, María de las Mercedes: Tatjana Romanov (born 1986)
  • Irene Feodorovna Romanova (born 1934), married André Pelle (born 1923), then Victor-Marcel Soulas (born 1938); had issue from first (first child) and second (second child) marriages:
    • Alain Pelle (born 1956), married Pascale Deletre; had issue: Olivier (born 1984) and Christophe (born 1987) Pelle
    • Joelle Soulas (born 1966)
• HH Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia (1900-1974), married morganatically Countess Marija Vorontzova-Daschkova (1903-1997); had issue:
  • Nikita Nikititch Romanov (born 1923), married Jane Schonwald ("Anna Mikhailovna") (born 1933); had issue: Feodor Nikititch Romanov (born 1974)
  • Alexander Nikititch Romanov (born 1929), married Maria Valguarnera di Niscemi (born 1931)
• HH Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia (1901-1980), married morganatically Contess Marina Golenistcheva-Koutouzova (1912-1969), cr. HSH Princess Romanovskaya-Koutouzova, then Sheila Chisholm (1898-1969), cr. HSH Princess Romanovskaya; had issue by first marriage:
  • HSH Princess Nadeshda Dimitrievna Romanovskaya-Koutouzova (born 1933), married Anthony Allen (born 1931), then William Clark (born 1924); had issue by first marriage:
    • Penelope Allen (born 1953), married Prince Emanuel Galitzine (born 1951); had issue: Princess Victoria (born 1984) and Prince Michael (born 1993) Galitzine
    • Marina Allen (born 1955), married Franklin Hutson (born 1952), then Michael Otis (born 1948); no issue
    • Alexandra Allen (born 1958)
• HH Prince Rotislav Alexandrovich of Russia, married morganatically Princess Aleksandra Pavlovna Galitzine (born 1905), then Alice Eilken (1923-1996), then Hedwig von Chappuis (1905-1997), cr. HSH Princess Romanovskaya; had issue from first (first child) and second (second child) marriages:
  • Rostislav Rostislavitch Romanov (1938-1999), married Stephena Verdel Cook (born 1938), then Christia Ipsen (born 1949); had issue from first (first child) and second (other children) marriages:
    • Stephena Rostislavovna Romanova (born 1963), married William Porter Boggis III (born 1960)
    • Alexandra Rostislavovna Romanova (born 1983)
    • Rostislav Rostislavitch Romanov (born 1985)
    • Nikita Rostislavitch Romanov (born 1987)
  • Nicholas Rostislavitch Romanov (born 1945), married Pamela Kuzinowski (born 1944); had issue:
    • Nicolas Romanov (born 1968), married Lisa Marie Flowa (born 1971); had issue: Cory Romanov (born 1994)
    • Daniel Romanov (born 1972)
    • Heather Romanov (born 1976)
• HH Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia (1907-1989), married morganatically Princess Natalja Aleksandrovna Galitzine (1907-1989); had issue:
  • Marina Vassilievna Romanova (born 1940), married William Beadleston (born 1938); had issue:
    • Tatiana Beadleston (born 1968)
    • Alexandra Beadleston (born 1970), married Peter DeWitt Mason Blake (born 1970)
    • Nicholas Beadleston (born 1971)
    • Natalie Beadleston (born 1976)

One of Xenia's descendants would currently be the Head of the Romanov Family, but all of her children married morganatically, thus Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna currently holds that position.

Following the revolution Xenia and her husband separated. She became a dependent of the British Royal family who in addition to an income, granted her a grace and favour house first in Windsor Great Park and then in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, London.

 

[Von Schlesian]

Layla;
if you can , read a book called 'The Exile' by Allan Folsom (there's an Imperial Romanov eagle on the cover). THe plot explores a very similar scenario, and problem for the family which you brought up in your previous post. Well said also!

 

[Layla1971]

Layla;
if you can , read a book called 'The Exile' by Allan Folsom (there's an Imperial Romanov eagle on the cover). THe plot explores a very similar scenario, and problem for the family which you brought up in your previous post. Well said also!

Does this sound like the book you were talking about?

Night in the California desert. Undercover members of an elite Los Angeles Police Department homicide squad board a train in an attempt to take a cold-blooded killer into custody. But their quarry is all too aware of their presence and plots deadly, evasive action. As daybreak comes and the train nears Los Angeles, fate and the ambitions of others take a hand. Suddenly the cat and mouse game widens and John Barron, the youngest and newest member of the squad, finds himself in a brutal, deeply personal war with the killer, Raymond Thorne, that involves the LAPD, Barron's beautiful sister, Rebecca, and a rich, mysterious French baroness.

The Exile is a fierce, complex, unputdownable thriller in which the action spreads like wildfire from the sun-baked streets of Los Angeles across the face of Europe to Moscow, and then to the gilded palaces of St Petersburg where the long, exhausting trail of murder, passion and fate at last ends in a final, bloody and harrowing climax.

If it is the same book I'll have to read it to understand the similarities!
Layla

 

[Ritka]

I can also recommend 'Once a Grand Duchess'. A biography of GD Xenia by Coryne Hall and John van der Kiste. Ad just recently a new book came on the market, published by Arturo Beeche (who is also one of the co-authors) about all russian grandduchesses since Paul I. Marlene Koenig has also written some chapters in this book (she is a frequent poster of royalty message boards, as is mr Beeche).

"The Grand Duchesses" by Eurohistory, I hear, is very good. I'm not sure who belongs to this forum but I know Art Beeche and Mrs. Koenig belong to the AP. Eurohistory also sells a bunch of other books including the van der Kiste book on Ksenia and the Coryne Hall one (which is autographed).

 

[Warren]

I'm not sure who belongs to this forum but I know Art Beeche and Mrs. Koenig belong to the AP.

Mrs Koenig has also posted here. Her "Queen Victoria's Descendants" and the Companion Volume (both published under the name Marlene Eilers) are essential resource books for those with an interest in Royal genealogy.

 

[Ritka]

Oh cool, I haven't bumped into her here yet. I don't own her QVD book but a couple of my good friends do and they agree, they're wonderful and necessary.

 

[Charlottesville]

Olga and Xenia became very involved in the Anna Anderson case after they moved to Denmark with their mother. Olga Alexandrovna actually went to see Anna Anderson when she was suffering from tuberculocous in a hospital. Olga was very touched by Anderson, who was then called 'the ivalid', and said to Ambassador Zahle. "My reason cannot grasp it, but my heart tells me it is she." She spent several days with Anna Anderson, and sent her five letters with gifts. One letter said, "We shall never abandon you." A few weeks later however, Olga delivered a statement that she had known INSTANTLY Mrs. Tchaivkovsky was NOT Anastasia Nicholaevna.

 

[Ama2175]

I read in one of Van der Kiste's books, Xenia - Once a Grand Duchess or in Princess Victoria Melita that both sisters strongly disagreed that Anna Anderson was Anastasia but that Olga was absolutely convinced it wasn't her because the shape of Anna Anderson's ears was nothing like Anastasia's.

 

[Charlottesville]

I read in one of Van der Kiste's books, Xenia - Once a Grand Duchess or in Princess Victoria Melita that both sisters strongly disagreed that Anna Anderson was Anastasia but that Olga was absolutely convinced it wasn't her because the shape of Anna Anderson's ears was nothing like Anastasia's.

Of course, but Xenia never met Anderson and Olga changed her mind which is quite obvious when you read the letters she wrote to Mrs. Anderson's. The funny thing is that the ear tests always come out in Mrs. Anderson's favor.

 

[HRHBen176]

Grand Duchess Xenia (1875-1960) sister of Nicholas II

What ever happened to Xenia's family after she passed? I just finished reading Once a Grand Duchess hoping to find out that answer, but it just basically ends with her death.

When she passed, she had a lot of relatives living with her at her grace and favor home at St. James Palace, Wilderness House. Were those relatives told to vacate ASAP? Or were they allowed to stay after? Are her relations still living there now?

Thanks!

 

[lexi4]

She certainly didn't care for her sister-in-law, Alix. I think she thought Alix was too involved in Russian affairs. I also think Alix was jealous of Xenia because Xenia had so many sons.

 

[Russophile]

I also think Alix was jealous of Xenia because Xenia had so many sons.

That would do it! Wasn't Xenia awfully healthy and Alix was sickly regarding birthing babies?

 

[COUNTESS]

Xenia was charming and practical and had a wonderful family, six sons and a daughter. Alix was neurotic and shy and demanding. It was better that she had more daughters than sons, as her sons stood a great chance, as her one son did, of having hemophilia. She had no trouble having children, just more daughters than sons, which is the luck of the draw. Xenia and Alix were friends, but as time passed Alix walled herself off from most everyone, including the family, thus causing distrust from all sides. Xenia, also felt she had too much control over the Tsar and meddled in affairs that she should not have.

 

[lexi4]

Alexandra was extremely jealous of Xenia.

 

[Attaining Grace]

Grand Duchess Xenia (Sister of Nicholas II)

I am reading a book about the Grand Duchess at the moment. She is a very interesting character. Would anyone like to discuss her?

 

[Viv]

I am reading a book about the Grand Duchess at the moment. She is a very interesting character. Would anyone like to discuss her?

Is it "Once a grand duchess"?

It's the only book I've read about GD Xenia.
I read it a couple of years ago, and what I mainly remember
is that in exile, Xenia was rather helpless compared to her sister.

Viv

 

[Russophile]

Viv, not quite helpless, really, Olga just went in a different direction than her sister and was of a very different personality. She also married beneath her and that was a sore spot with relatives for a long time.
I sometimes wonder if Xenia milked it that she was the long suffering wife given GDA's womanizing ways.

 

[Viv]

Viv, not quite helpless, really, Olga just went in a different direction than her sister and was of a very different personality. She also married beneath her and that was a sore spot with relatives for a long time.
I sometimes wonder if Xenia milked it that she was the long suffering wife given GDA's womanizing ways.

You've got a point, Russophile, never really thought
about it because Xenia had her sidekicks too, didn't she?

As for the Kulikovskis: They had a long and loving marriage, but at a
price! I've been wondering whether "the sore spot" has been passed
on to the descendants of Xenia rsp. Olga?

Viv

 

[Russophile]

Massie writes in his "The Romanov's The Final Chapter" about when the bones are found and they want samples of DNA from the family, the boys of GDO (Guri and Tikhon) were very suspicious about the whole affair and had a chip on their shoulders saying that people didn't believe they were descended from royalty.
As for Xenia's brood, they sort of faded into the melting pot. The only info. I know is about the one Prince that committed suicide after his father passed from and illness. Peter Kurth knew him.

 

[Michael HR]

At least Goerge V gave her an income and a home after she fled Russia. But I don't think he did this for Olga but do not know the reason why.

After reading this thread I must get hold of the books you mention. Mind you friends are thinking I should be banned form Amazon....

 

[Russophile]

At least Goerge V gave her an income and a home after she fled Russia. But I don't think he did this for Olga but do not know the reason why.

I'll have to look up the thing about the income. It's been a while since I read about Xenia and her situation but if memory serves me, and sometimes it doesn't, I think he only gave her a home because May was coveting her jewelry. But then again, I'm not sure. . .

 

[Viv]

GD Olga wanted to live in Denmark whereas GD Xenia didn't.
Olga, her husband and two young sons chose to stay at Hvidoere
outside Copenhagen with the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
( Dagmar). Olga looked after her mother in the last years of her life.

George V granted the dowager empress an annual amount from his
private means. This was no doubt also backed by Queen Alexandra.

From 1918, George V would have to live with the fact that he
turned a blind eye - or rather was forced to turn a blind eye by
Lord Stamfordham - to the fate of his beloved cousin in Russia,
It must have been very painful for him, and at least he
was later able to compensate by means of his private allowances.

Viv

 

[BeatrixFan]

I think that's precisely why he was so generous to his Russian relatives who came to London - guilt.

 

[Viv]

I think that's precisely why he was so generous to his Russian relatives who came to London - guilt.

Right Sam, let's call a spade a spade, even though we hardly know
how to use one !

In his book "On royalty" Jeremy Paxman notes that there still is a
photo of the two look-alike cousins George and Nicholas on a sidetable
at Sandringham. I suppose it speaks for itself..

Viv

 

[BeatrixFan]

I call it as I see it. I think the Windsors must still find any mention of the Romanovs quite hard to take, especially now we know so much more about the nature of their deaths. Its kind of been decided that Prince Michael will deal with that side of Royal relations. I often wondered why the Danes wouldn't accept the Romanovs though.