#The Grand Duchess of Russia/Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia

[adini-nikolaevna]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia in regimental uniform.

[empress-alexandra]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia on her wedding day to Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, 1902.

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna on her wedding day to Prince Nicholas of Greece, 29 August 1902, Tsarskoye Selo. 

Elena eventually fell for Prince Nicholas of Greece. Miechen had hoped for a more illustrious marriage and tried to discouraged Elena from setting her heart on Queen Olga's son. In Miechen's eyes, Nicky of Greece had neither a crown in his future nor a great fortune and consequently was not good enough for her only daughter. When Miechen once discovered that the couple went riding, she chastised Elena for doing do, in the vain hope that Elena would desist from encouraging Nicholas. But the prince persisted in his courtship. He found Elena 'lovely and fascinating' as well as possessing a 'sweet nature' tinged with 'unselfishness.' Prince Nicholas and Elena became engaged in June 1902. In recording the event, K.R. described the engagement as 'unexpected and joyous." He also noted that Miechen "has had to change her mind, as her search for other suitors for her daughter has been in vain."  From Splendor to Revolution: The Romanov Women by Julia P. Gelardi

[postcard-from-the-past]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, later Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark

Greek vintage postcard

[loiladadiani]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna and her brother, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich,

The picture of the brother and sister wearing typical Russian dress as children is beautiful.

They were both good-looking as adults as well. Elena would pass some of those looks to her daughters years later.

[katrinaftw44]

This is a colourization I did of Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Born 29 January 1882 to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She married Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and had 3 daughters. She died on 13 March 1957.

I think this is the first time I've done a colourization of Grand Duchess Elena.

[loiladadiani]

Is it in the genes or the upbringing?

I love that these pretty intense ladies had a sense of humor. But just think about who their mothers' were. Elena Vladimirovna's mother was Miechen, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder (and her father, Grand Duke Vladimir); Grand Duchesses Victoria Melita and Princess Beatrice were daughters of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. They were not about to take any nonsense from anybody.

Smoking Ladies. Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Hesse-Darmstadt and Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Cannes 1901.

Source: Queen Victoria's granddaughters, Facebook group.

[krasivaa]

A delightful photo of little Grand Duchesses Olga Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia with their auntie, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, circa 1898-1899. <3

[romanovsonelastdance]

Princess Elizabeth of Greece, signed with her nickname "Woolly."

Elizabeth was the second daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece & Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna. She was nicknamed "Woolly" because of her thick, curly hair. She visited Russia often in her childhood, and she and her sister Olga were "great chums" with their second cousin, Alexei Nikolaevich, as the trio were very close in age: Olga was born in 1903 and Alexei and Elizabeth were both born in 1904.

[heavyarethecrowns]

Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (born Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a Greek and Danish princess by birth and a British princess by marriage.

She was a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, and a granddaughter of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece. Princess Marina married Prince George, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, in 1934. They had three children: Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael.

Princess Marina was born on 13 December 1906 in Athens, Greece, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, George I of Greece. She was the third and youngest daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and his wife Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Her father was the third son of George I of Greece and Queen Olga, while her mother was the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. Her father was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark, while her mother was a granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

Princess Marina had two elder sisters, Princess Olga and Princess Elizabeth. Princess Olga married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia in 1923. After the assassination of his cousin, Alexander I of Yugoslavia, Paul served as Prince Regent of Yugoslavia from 1934 to 1941. Princess Elizabeth married Carl Theodor, Count of Toeering-Jettenbach in 1934.

One of their paternal uncles was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (making Marina and her sisters Philip's first cousins).

[empress-alexandra]

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, 1910s.

[look-sharp-notes]

Твид, двубортные костюмы, блейзеры, респектабельная седина и королевская стать - признаки человека, точно знающего себе цену. Майкл Кентский внук короля Георга V, двоюродный брат королевы Елизаветы II. Принц Кентский в интервью СМИ подчеркивал, что имеет русские корни и «чувствует глубокую привязанность к России» — его бабушкой была внучка Императора Александра II, великая княжна Елена Владимировна.

Tweed, double-breasted suits, blazers, respectable gray hair and a regal bearing are the signs of a man who knows his own worth. Michael of Kent is the grandson of King George V and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. In an interview with the media, the Prince of Kent emphasized that he has Russian roots and "feels a deep attachment to Russia" - his grandmother was the granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna.

[royal-confessions]

“Grand duchess Elena vladimirovna could have married king albert of belgium if it wasn't for her mother Grand duchess maria palvona. This would have created an powerful alliance with Russia and Belgium but because her mother was such an snob and desperate to marry her daughter off it was nearly impossible for her daughter to get married off. Due to her mother making her dsnobbish as her but oh well.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[loiladadiani]

Grand Duchesses at the Coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna

Nicholas II and his consort Empress Alexandra, were crowned on Tuesday, 14 May (O.S., 26 May N.S.) 1896, in Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. The magnificence of the occasion was never again seen in Russia. The Grand Duchesses were in full regalia. Here are two great photographs of them.

Above:

Sitting: Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (who had been present at the coronation of Alexander III); sitting on the floor at her knees is Princess Olga of Wurttenberg; sitting next to Alexandra Iosifovna is Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught

Back Row Standing from Let to Right: Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the elder), Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna, and Princess Elena of Saxe-Altenburg

Above:

In the center of this group, is Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, (daughter of Tzar Alexander II, wife of Queen Victoria's second son Alfred, Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, who is standing behind her.)

On the right side of Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, is her daughter Victoria Melita, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Sitting to the left of her mother is the Crowned Princess of Romania, Marie (same name as her mother; known by the family as Missy). Her husband the Crowned Prince of Romania, Ferdinand, is standing slightly to the side, behind Missy.

Next to Ferdinand of Romania is Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and By Rhine, husband of Victoria Melita at the time and brother of the Empress being crowned, Alexandra Feodorovna. To the right of Victoria Melita is her brother, Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who died at age twenty-four.

[graceofromanovs]

GODPARENTS OF GRAND DUCHESS ELENA VLADIMIROVNA

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, the youngest child and only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and his German-born wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlova (née Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), was born on 29 January (O.S. 17) 1882 in Saint Petersburg. She was christened on 12 March in the Grand Palace Church of Catherine Palace, Tsarskoe Selo. Her godparents were:

ALEXANDER III, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA - her paternal uncle, who had succeeded the Russian throne just a year prior, was named as one of her godparents. He was highly reactionary in domestic affairs and reversed some of the liberal reforms of his father, Alexander II. He was present at his niece's christening.

FREDERICK FRANCIS II, GRAND DUKE OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her maternal grandfather was another of her godparents. A Romanov by descent (being a great-grandson of Tsar Paul), he held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.

MARIE, GRAND DUCHESS CONSORT OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her step-grandmother was also named as her godparent. The third wife of Frederick Francis II, whose marriage produced four children, including Prince Hendrik, consort of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and father of Queen Juliana.

GRAND DUCHESS CATHERINE MIKHAILOVNA OF RUSSIA - A first cousin of her grandfather, Catherine was one of the two godparents present at her christening. She was the wife of Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and a great philanthropist and many of the organisations she supported and helped to create still operate today.

ALEXANDRINE, GRAND DUCHESS OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her maternal great-grandmother, a Prussian-born princess was also her godparent. She was a sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna-consort of Nicholas I-who was Elena's great-grandmother on her father’s side. In 1822, she married Paul Frederick, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (himself, a grandson of Russian Tsar Paul). Their marriage was generally considered unhappy, he was a military man who had little time for or interest in his wife and family. Alexandrine, by contrast, was a devoted mother who tenderly raised her children and actively cultivated their cultural pursuits. 

Source

[ladysophy]

Here’s some AI-Generated Art of historical royals I created via an photo filter app. These were the ones I liked the best:

1. Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia.

2. Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark (née Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia) with her daughters Princesses Olga, Elisabeth and Marina of Greece and Denmark.

3. Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia.

4. Queen Helen of Romania (née Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark) and

5. Queen Olga of Greece (née Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia).