#Ella Feodorovna

[otmaaromanovas]

A rare photograph of Olga, Anastasia, and Tatiana with Aunt Ella during Tercentenary celebrations, 1913

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Princess Alice with her second daugther, Elizabeth, later Grand Duchess of Russia, 1864-1865.

Darmstadt, November 7, 1864 | The little daughter was but a momentary disappointment to us, which we have quite got over. We console ourselves with the idea that the little pair will look pretty together.

November 20, 1864 | Louis's mother is to be godmother, because it is customary here to ask someone of the name the child is to receive to stand on the occasion. We liked Elizabeth on account of St. Elisabeth being the ancestress of the Hessian as well as the Saxon House.

November 26, 1864 | I am very well and very careful; all people say I look better, and have more colour than I have had for long, and, indeed, I feel strong and well, and by fat Baby does perfectly, and is a great darling.

November 29, 1864 | I ought to mention the christening. My mother-in-law held Baby all the time, and it screamed a great deal. Victoria stood with us and was very good, only kneeling down and tumbling over the footstool every two minutes, and she kept whispering to me, 'Go to Uncle's.' I thought so much of the christening last year, when Victoria behaved much better than her larger dark sister. Ella measured twenty-three and a half inches a fortnight ago, and she had not grown then.

Kranichstein, July 10, 1865 | Ella already says, since some time, 'Papa' and 'Mama' and calls herself, and crawls, and is very forward and merry - such a contrast to Victoria, who is so pale and fair, and now thin, for Ella's eyes are so dark blue, and her hair of such a rich brown, that you would never take the little things for sisters. They are very fond of each other, and so dear together, that they give us much peasure. I would not change them for boys, if I could; this little pair of sisters is so nice, and they can be such friends to each other.

[the-last-tsar]

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Grand Duke Sergei.

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

EXTREMELY rare photos of Princesses Victoria and Elisabeth of Hesse and By Rhine, early 1870s

Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

[empress-alexandra]

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, 1887.

[elsalouisa]

From Ella to Ernie,

"Iliynskoe July 6 1884

Dearest Boy, How kind of you to have written me that nice long letter, the landscape is charmingly done & I advise you to continue as it is always such a nice remembrance to have little pictures of the different places one has stayed at. If I find time | shall send you a small drawing too — How nice your different excurtions must be, we have no mountains here but then we row & I enjoy that extremely. I learn Russian now, every day I have a lesson for an hour 1/2, it is great fun as I begin to understand some words now when the others talk; The rooms here are very cosy but the balconies are the great charm. Paul has brought a tricicle for two together & we will try it, he also [h]as a hangingmat but I care for that much less as I am always afraid to upset so | prefer remaining on firm ground. Please give Grandmama & Uncles my best love & remember me kindly to Herr Muther. Your loving Sister Ella"

From Ella to Ernie,

"Iliynskoe July 11 1884

My darling Boy, As I wrote to the Sisters I must also send you a few lines & try & give you some news they have not, you must see each others letters as I try to put something different in each — The other [day] Serge & I took a long walk in the fields & got lots of flowers chiefly cornflowers, Schpunia went & also Paul’s black poudle Gipsy who carried my umbrella with great pride only was sometimes rather melancholy when he remained hanging in the clover leaves & sweet peas, then he made such melancholy faces that it was quite ridiculous afterwards when the grass was very high he hopped the whole way — We find continually lots of Steinpilze & they are quite delicious sometimes done as we have them & often in a thick creamy sauce or dry & fried — quite excellent. The other day Serge found a nest hidden under the grass with four dear little birds. There are heaps of wild strawberries all over the place but not yet quite ripe. Tell Grandmama I shall write tomorrow & say how we spent the day as | have given you all the news which I wish you three to tell her & dear Papa whom I send my tenderest love. Many kisses from your loving Sister Ella

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

On this day, 105 years ago, on July 18th, 1918.

Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna was murdered by being thrown down a disused mine shaft in Siniachikha, Russia.

[colourbymarie]

Elizabeth Feodorovna, 1887

[krasivaa]

A page of the diary of 12-years old Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, when she met Tsesarevich Nikolai of Russia at the wedding day of her sister Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, who was marrying Nicholas' uncle, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Both poem and drawing made by Alix!!

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Poor Cousin Ella (CHAPTER 3)

Summary: Fan Fiction about the last weeks of Princess Elisabeth of Hesse.

Characters: Princess Elisabeth of Hesse, Grand duke Ernst Louis of Hesse, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, Lilian Wilson (Elisabeth’s nanny), Margaretta Eagar (OTMA’s nanny)

Ratings: everyone

The little girls ran through the doors and into the front hallway. Little Maria quickly stopped when the saw the big glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. She was amazed at how shiny and big it was. 

As Maria was distracted, Ella, Olga, and Tatiana were already racing up the grand staircase, with Anastasia was struggling to keep up. 

“Marie baby, why don’t you go join your sisters” Miss Eagar gently whispered into her ear. She quickly snapped out of her hazy state and quickly caught up to the others.

“Olga, Tatya, Ewwa, wait fow me!” Maria said as she ran up the staircase.

The older girls were already at the top of the staircase and they were motioning for the little ones to hurry up.

Maria stopped where Anastasia was and gently took her hand and helped her to the top. “Baby darling, hold my hand.” She said.

The girls were about to head off when Miss Wilson stopped them. “Girls, don’t go too far ahead of us! We don’t want you getting lost.”

“Oh Miss W! If you think we are going too fast then you should just hurry up!” Ella said as Tatiana snickered at the funny comment.

“Ella, listen to Miss W.” Ernie said while holding in a laugh. He loved his daughter but sometimes she needed to be reprimanded. 

“Miss Eagar, Miss Wilson, why don’t you two get settled in your rooms, we can handle the children for a few hours.” Ernie affirmed to the two nannies. 

“Are you sure you can handle these five goofballs?” Miss Wilson whispered to the Grand Duke. Meanwhile, the girls found a mirror in the long upstairs hallway and were practicing their curtsies in it.

“Oh believe me, I might be a Grand Duke but I am also one of the biggest goofballs around here. I know all of their tricks.” Ernie smiled.

“Who wants a piggyback ride?” Ernie asked the little girls who started jumping for joy and shouting “ME!”

The girls were shrieking with delight as Ernie pretended to be a bird, balancing each one of them on his back as he whooshed down the hallway. Nicky and Alix were just coming up the stairs when they saw the joyful chaos unfolding.

“Ernie really is the best uncle to our girls.” Nicky said to Alix.

“What about Misha? The girls love him.” Alix responded. Misha was Nicky’s younger brother and the girls also loved him very much as Alix said. 

“But the bond is not the same with him as it is with Ernie.” Nicky said as he observed his girls with their uncle and cousin.

“It’s because of Ella” Nicky continued. “She is the glue that holds us all together. She is the sunshine that eliminates the gray clouds. I don’t know what life would be without her…”

You would know soon Nicky…

The two smiled at each other for a minute. They both knew this was true.

“Mama, Mama,” Tatiana called. “Where are our rooms?” 

The little girls were starting to get curious in their surroundings as  they were getting less and less interested in Ernie’s endless piggyback rides.

“Here darling,” Alix said while taking Tatiana’s hand. “I’ll show you.” 

                                                           ~

“I’m a fairy princess!” Olga sang as she ran around the room with a blanket acting as her “fairy gown”.

“Well if you’re a fairy princess then I am a fairy prince!” Ella shouted as she jumped on Olga’s bed.

The girls had two separate rooms that were a few doors down from each other in this particular suite. Olga and Tatiana shared a room that was right next to Maria and Anastasia’s room, which therefore was two doors down from Ella’s room.

The girls had begged repeatedly that they wanted to share a room with each other, but the adults could not be broken in their decision. After all, if the girls were together in one room, they would be keeping everyone awake at night with their endless playing and squeals of delight!

Ella was very disappointed at not sharing a room with her favorite cousins so as soon as she realized that the girls were two doors down, she raced to Olga and Tatiana’s room and started playing.

“But I don’t understand!” Ella complained to the girls. “I begged Papa to let us share a room and I thought that all of my begging worked but it didn’t!”

Ella slumped down on one of the beds and pouted. “Was I not cute enough?”

“Oh Ella,” Olga said as she sat next to Ella and put her arm around the little Princess. “Of course you are cute! I think that your Papa and my Mama just don’t understand what it’s like to be a kid anymore.” 

Olga brushed a tear from Ella’s soft cheek as Tatiana sat next to the two.

“But Ella, we can always have sleepovers!” Tatiana suggested which made the young one perk up a bit.

“Oh yes Tatiana! What a smart idea!” Ella squealed as she gave her cousin a fierce hug! “I guess I was too distracted at my Papa’s lack of childhood knowledge.”

The girls were interrupted by two little bursts of lightning coming in from the adjoining room.

“OLGA EWWA TATYA WET’S PWAY!” The two littlest Grand Duchesses said in unison as they jumped onto the bed!

“I dibs being the fairy princess!” Olga said as she jumped off of the bed and grabbed a blanket off of the second bed in the room. She very meticulously wrapped it around her hair and declared that it was her “fairy gown”.

“Well girls, don’t I look absolutely stunning?” Olga asked rhetorically to the smiling girls who were already starting to get on their own fairy costumes.

In the other adjoining rooms in the suite, the adults were starting to unpack their luggage, giving their faithful servants a break from their tireless efforts.

“I never thought that our girls would be this happy in a remote, dreary place in Poland.” Nicky stated to Alix who was folding various blankets. “It’s quite a wonder how little Ella can change their attitudes, I have barely heard any bickering this whole trip.”

“It really is a wonder, Nicky…” Alix said as Ernie entered the room.

“It’s almost dinner time, should I check in with the chefs to see if they can whip something up real quick?”

“Ah yes! Ernie that would be a blessing, thank you!” Alix went over to hug her brother at the edge of the door.”

Nicky smiled at the sweet moment from across the room. 

“I’M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A FROG YOU NASTY LITTLE HUMAN!!!” The adults heard from across the hall.

“Are conversations sound so boring compared to the little girlies’” Ernie stated happily. “If only they could hear out conversations when we were young.”

“Ah the good old days!” Alix hugged Ernie tight. Their childhood wasn’t exactly easy, but at least they had each other.

                                                      ~

“Maria eat slower darling.” Alix said to her third daughter as she was scarfing down her meager meal of chicken broth and bread.

“But Mama I’m hungwy!” Maria whined.” 

“Mashka, darling we have all the time in the world, honey!” Alix wiped Maria’s messy cheeks and slowly spooned the hot broth into her mouth.”

“Mama feed ME!” Anastasia said joyfully! She loved when her mama fed her like she was still a baby.

“Oh Nastya! I’m all the way across from you! Let Nana feed you darling.” The two littlest girlies sometimes called Miss Eagar Nana because she was their nanny of course! 

Alix was indeed all the way across the table. At the two head of the long rectangular table were Nicky and Ernie at each adjoining sides. Ella sat next to her father and Tatiana sat next to Ella which infuriated Olga A LOT. During the next couple of days Ella sat in the  middle of the two eldest Grand Duchesses which cooled the impending arguments each night.

Today however Olga sat next to her beloved Papa which left her distracted from her ongoing obsession with sitting next to her favorite cousin. Maria sat next to Olga and Alix sat next to Maria. 

Sitting on Nicky’s right were little Anastasia and Miss Eagar, and Miss Wilson sat on Ernie’s right, next to Alix.

The table was very lively with constant conversation and giggles from the little girlies. Sometimes you could hear the occasional whining or crying from an upset child, but that didn’t happen often because this whole family was just simply happy.

“Auntie Alix?” Ella asked her aunt, halfway through chewing the rest of her bread.

“Yes Ella?” 

“Are you absolutely sure that you need ALL of your daughters?” I would be more than happy to take one, or two…”

That comment gave the table a little laugh. Everybody knew that Ella yearned for a sibling, especially a sister. Many times before she offered to take her younger cousins Anastasia and Maria but her Auntie and Uncle firmly stood their ground. 

The rest of dinner was filled with joyful laughs and happy smiles, little did the family know, but this would be one of their last dinners with poor cousin Ella…

~~~~~~~~~~

Surprise release of chapter 3!!!! I told you all I would release it soon!! I hope you all love this chapter as it was my favorite to write, and I hope you have a fun time reading! 🤍 (new chapter also released on AO3)

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

They were so cute together! 🥹❤

and it's so sad that Alexandra died so young. 💔

“We love her more and more every day. And yet I sometimes cannot believe that she is Pavel's wife and will remain with us forever. It's so wonderful!”

- Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna of Russia on her new sister-in-law, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna. Sadly, Alexandra died giving birth to her son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, aged only twenty-one.

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Louis IV Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine with his two eldest daughters Princess Victoria and Princess Elizabeth, 1883.

[the-last-tsar]

Sergei Alexandrovich, Elizabeth Feodorovna, Michael Alexandrovich and Olga Alexandrovna.

(source: 📷)

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

The Children of Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse and Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland as Babies

Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene, Ernst Louise, Friedrich, Alix, Marie

[elsalouisa]

"In February, my father, Ella and I were invited to Berlin to attend the silver wedding festivities of Uncle Fritz and Aunt Vicky. The chief feature of these was a great costume ball organized by some of their artistic friends which took place at the Schloss. The period chosen was the second half of the XV century the reign of the Emperor Frederick III, the last German Emperor crowned in Rome. There is a celebrated illustrated book of the period called Weiss Kunig and the chief personages in it were personified by guests in costume according to the illustrations. My father represented the Emperor and suffered much under the heat of the dress and fur-brimmed hat. Ella and I wore the pointed caps of the period called "Hennin". A feature in the procession which opened the ball was our cousin William's wife later the Empress Victoria Augusta who, to save her from undue fatigue, as she was in "the family way" was carried in a sort of litter surrounded by young men and maidens".

[krasivaa]

romanovs hugging edit

made by me using capcut

my darling @foreverinthepagesofhistory I owe you a big thank you're such the editsaver