#grand duchess anastasia of mecklenburg-schwerin

[loiladadiani]

Photographs: 1 and 2: Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 3. Alexandrine and Christian X; 4: From left to right, Alexandrine with her son Frederick on her lap, Christian X, Alexandrine's mother Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna (Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), Princess Alexandra of Hanover (wife of Alexandrine's brother, sitting next to her: Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 5: The Danish Royal Family: Queen Alexandrine, King Christian X and their 2 children: Prince Frederick and Prince Knud; 6. From left to right: Prince Knud, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Cecilie, Crown Princess of Germany, Christian X with his son Frederick standing in front of him, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1879 – 1952) was the elder child and first daughter of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, a grandchild of Nicholas I (and hence the Romanov connection, which will appear at other junctions). Alexandrine was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X.

Alexandrine younger siblings were: Her only brother, Duke Frederick Francis, who in 1897 succeeded their father as Fredrick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and her only sister Duchess Cecilie, who married the German Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, eldest son of German Emperor William II (but never got to reign.) So both Alexandrine and Cecilie's ancestry was mostly German but being great-granddaughters of Nicholas I (through their mother), there were certainly Romanovs (we all know that by the twentieth century the Romanovs were mostly of German descent.) Queen Alexandrine and King Christian X had two children, Prince Frederik (IX) and Prince Knud (later hereditary prince).

Queen Alexandrine played the piano to an almost professional standard. She was of a shy disposition and had difficulty getting used to public attention during her first years as queen. She preferred to avoid the media limelight but performed her functions in an exemplary manner. In the home, she was responsible for her two boys' education. Queen Alexandrine undertook extensive charity work until her death and was an avid golf player and photographer who also produced needlework to a high standard.

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 👑✨🍫

(𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟺 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝟺)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood and Princess Royal.

Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia, née Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Grand Duchess Eleonore of Hesse, née Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.

Empress Eugenie of France, née Eugenie de Montijo.

Princess Marie Louise of Baden, née Princess Marie Louise of Hanover.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna

[a-modernmajorgeneral]

Duchess Cecilie Auguste Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (20 September 1886 – 6 May 1954) was the last German Crown Princess and Crown Princess of Prussia as the wife of Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, the son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Cecilie was a daughter of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. She was brought up with simplicity, and her early life was peripatetic, spending summers in Mecklenburg and the rest of the year in Southern France. After the death of her father, she traveled every summer between 1898 and 1904 to her mother's native Russia. On 6 June 1905, she married German Crown Prince Wilhelm. The couple had four sons and two daughters. Cecilie, tall and statuesque, became popular in Germany for her sense of style. However, her husband was a womanizer and the marriage was unhappy.

After the fall of the German monarchy, at the end of World War I, Cecilie and her husband lived mostly apart. During the Weimar Republic and the Nazi period, Cecilie lived a private life mainly at Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam. With the advance of the Soviet troops, she left the Cecilienhof in February 1945, never to return. She settled in Bad Kissingen until 1952 when she moved to an apartment in the Frauenkopf district of Stuttgart. In 1952, she published a book of memoirs. She died two years later.

Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia, 1908 by Caspar Ritter (German-born Swiss, 1861–1923)

[romanovsonelastdance]

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, nee of Russia.

[graceofromanovs]

GODPARENTS OF GRAND DUKE ALEXEI MIKHAILOVICH

Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich was born on 28 December 1875 in Tbilisi, Tbilisi Governate, Russian Empire (now Georgia). He was the the sixth son and youngest child of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia, himself the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I. He was the only Grand Duke to bear the name and patronymic of a Tsar: Alexei Mikhailovich. On 11 January (New Style) 1876, he was christened at Tbilisi by the Palace Priest and Confessor of Their Imperial Highnesses. He had seven godparents, as listed:

ALEXANDER II, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA - his uncle, the Russian Emperor stood as one of the godparents. He became the Emperor of All Russia in 1855. Alexander’s most significant reform as emperor was the emancipation of Russia’s serfs in 1861, for which he is known as Alexander the Liberator.

GRAND DUCHESS MARIA PAVLOVNA OF RUSSIA, GRAND DUCHESS CONSORT OF SAXE-WEIMAR-EISENACH - his aunt was one of his godparents. One of the daughters of Emperor Paul I, the grand duchess married a German prince Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1804. She was an intellect, interested in both arts and sciences. German poet and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe hailed her as one of the worthiest women of his time. She was the great-grandmother of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and Queen Victoria of Sweden.

GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS MIKHAILOVICH OF RUSSIA - his uncle, was one of his godparents. Trained for the military, as a Field Marshal he commanded the Russian army of the Danube in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878.

GRAND DUCHESS MARIA PAVLOVNA OF RUSSIA - known as 'Maria Pavlovna the Elder', was the wife of his first cousin Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, and stood as one of his godparents. Born as Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, her ancestors included Emperor Paul I of Russia. Upon her marriage to the grand duke, she became a prominent hostess in Saint Petersburg.

GRAND DUKE ALEXEI ALEXANDROVICH OF RUSSIA - his first cousin and namesake, one of the sons of Emperor Alexander II, was one of his godparents. Chosen for a naval career, Alexei Alexandrovich started his military training at an early age. By the age of 20 he had been appointed lieutenant of the Imperial Russian Navy, eventually becoming general-admiral.

GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIA MIKHAILOVNA OF RUSSIA, GRAND DUCHESS OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - his sister, was one of his godparents. In 1879, when Alexei Mikhailovich was only four years-old, his only sister married a German prince, Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (the elder brother of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder). Their children included Queen Alexandrine of Denmark and Crown Princess Cecile of Prussia. She was a strong-willed, independent and unconventional woman. She never became used to her new country where she was unpopular. 

GRAND DUKE MICHAEL MIKHAILOVICH OF RUSSIA - one of his older brothers stood as another of his godparents. As Romanov tradition demanded, he followed a military career. He served in the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, became a Colonel and was adjutant at the Imperial court. In 1891 he contracted a morganatic marriage with Countess Sophie von Merenberg, a morganatic daughter of Prince Nicholas William of Nassau and a granddaughter of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. For contracting this marriage without permission, their first cousin Emperor Alexander III stripped him of his military titles and banished the couple from the Russian Empire. Alexei Mikhailovich never saw his brother again after his banishment.

Source

[postcard-from-the-past]

Friedrich Franz Michael IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with his children: Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke Christian-Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Thyra Anastasia Alexandrine Marie-Louise Olga Cecilie Charlotte Elisabeth Emma of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

German vintage postcard

[loiladadiani]

Princess Victoria Louise was the only daughter of Wilhelm II, the last Keiser of Prussia (one of her children was Frederica of Hanover, Queen of the Hellenes); Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the daughter of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg -Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna Romanova. She became the last Crown Princess of Germany when she married the first son of Wilhelm II. Cecilie never reigned.

Sisters-in-law, Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia and German Crown Princess Cecilie, Crown Princess of Prussia

[gogmstuff]

More from 1911 -

1911 Euphimia Nosova by Konstantin Somov (State Tretyakov Gallery - Moskva, Russia). From Wikimedia 2075X3293. This is the epitome of Edwardian dress.

Queen Alexandra's daughters

Left 1911 Duchess of Fife, Princesses Alexandra and Maude. From the lost gallery's photostream on flickr 5384X3684 @800 4.1Mj.

Right 1911 HH Princess Maud and HRH Princess Royal Louise. From eBay reduced contrast and removed mono-color tint 957X1522.

1911 Evening dress of Queen Alexandra (Fashion Museum - Bath, Somerset, UK). From tumblr.com/fashionsfromthepast 1280X1812.

1911 Geneviève Vix, a singer by Jean Coraboeuf (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France). From history-of-fashion.tumblr.com/image/177126241755 643X975.

1911 Hélène d'Orléans, duchesse d'Aosta by ?. From tumblr.com/blog/view/jeannepompadour/683841884513288192; fixed a few spots w Pshop 1450X2000.

1911 Frau Luther by Lovis Corinth (Landesmuseum Hannover - Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany). From cutlermiles.com/portrait-of-frau-luther-lovis-corinth/ 966X1280.

1911 Lady in Lavender by Lawton S. Parker (private collection). From the discontinued Athenaeum Web site 716X955.

Left Maria Josefa of Austria with Karl. Posted to Foro Dinastias by Katyusha on 25 May 2010 614X800

Right ca. 1911 (based on age of child) Grand Duchess-Mother Anastasia Mikhailovna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with her grandson Friedrich. From eBay; removed mono-color tint 891X1433.

1911 Dolors Vidal by Ramon Casas (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya - Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain). From artsandculture.google.com; fixed obvious flaws w Pashop 1332X2652 @144 4.9Mp.

1911 (1 August issue) Le Theatre Mlle Lantelme. From verbinina.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/le-theatre-303/le-theatre-303-1-aout-1911-vkl/; fixed spots w Pshop 1182X1616

[venicepearl]

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 December 1879 – 28 December 1952) was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as well as Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X.

Alexandrine was a daughter of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. She was brought up with simplicity, and her early life was peripatetic, spending summers in Mecklenburg and the rest of the year in the south of France. She married Prince Christian of Denmark in 1898.

Alexandrine became crown princess in 1906 and queen consort of Denmark in 1912. She is not considered to have played any political role, but is described as being intelligent and a loyal support to her spouse. In spite of her German background, she was loyal to her new country and stood by her husband during the German occupation of Denmark during World War II.

[die-greifen]

when: royally fun facts

They may not be fun, but some of them are made-up. Made up facts are in italics.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia

(Karolina Augusta's great-great-grandmother)

Is the granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia

Is the mother of Alexandrine, Queen Consort of Denmark

Is the mother of Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Is the mother of Cecilie, Crown Princess of Germany

Following the death of her husband, had a illegitimate son with her personal secretary

Three of her brothers were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution

Princess Karola of Urach

(Karolina Augusta's great-grandmother)

Karola’s father, Wilhelm Karl, 2nd Duke of Urach, was briefly elected as the King of Lithuania in 1918.

Princess Karola of Urach was the first queen consort of Mecklenburg, and also the last Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Karola was the grand-niece of Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ of Austria.

Karola was the half-niece of Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians.

Karola half-first cousins include Leopold III of Belgium, and Marie José, the last Queen Consort of Italy.

Karola and Mary of Teck, Queen of the United Kingdom, both descend from morganatic branches of the House of Württemberg. Karola and Mary were third cousins as great-great-granddaughters of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg.

Karola was a Roman Catholic and retained her faith following her marriage to Heinrich Ludwig, though their children were brought up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg.

Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

(Karolina Augusta's grandmother)

Thyra’s father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was overthrown by her father-in-law, King Heinrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg

Thyra was the first Crown Princess of Mecklenburg (1939 - 1954)

Thyra was the second Queen of Mecklenburg (1954 - 1980)

Thyra was the niece of Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark (1912 - 1947)

Thyra was the first cousin of Frederik IX of Denmark (1947 - 1972)

Thyra was the niece of Cecilie, Crown Princess of Germany (1905 - 1951)

Thyra was the first cousin of Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1951 - 1994)

Thyra was the niece of Marie Louise, Margravine of Baden (1928 - 1929)

Thyra was the first cousin of Berthold, Margrave of Baden (1929 - 1963), who married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (the older sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)

Thyra was the niece of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick (1913 - 1918) and head of the House of Hannover (1923 - 1953)

Thyra was the first cousin of Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover (1953 - 1987)

Thyra was the first cousin of Frederica, Queen of Greece (1947 - 1964) (the mother of King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Sofia of Spain)

Princess Eleonora of Leiningen

(Karolina Augusta's mother)

Descends from all three children of Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld: Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen; Princess Feodora of Leiningen; and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Queen Karolina Augusta I of Mecklenburg

Is the first female ruler in Mecklenburg’s 900 year history.

Will be the final ruler from the House of Mecklenburg which will eventually bring an end to the House’s status as the longest still reigning house in European history.

Is descended from both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Has been the youngest monarch in the world since 1992.

Has 15 godparents:

HRH Princess Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust (paternal aunt)

HRH Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen (paternal aunt)

HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark (paternal second cousin once removed)

HRH Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Princess of Leiningen (maternal aunt-by-marriage)

HSH Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Oehringen, Princess of Leiningen (maternal aunt-by-marriage)

HM Silvia, Queen of Sweden (family friend)

HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (paternal and maternal second cousin twice removed)

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (paternal third cousin once removed)

HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (paternal third cousin once removed and family friend)

HRH Prince Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (paternal third cousin)

HH Prince Harald of Denmark (paternal first cousin once removed)

HSH Prince Hermann Friedrich of Leiningen (maternal first cousin once removed)

HRH Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias (paternal third cousin)

HH Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (distant cousin and family friend)

HSH Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein (distant cousin and family friend)

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

That isn't Friedrich, that is Alexandrine's husband, King Christian X of Denmark, when Crown Prince.

Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia) and her three children: Cecilie, Friedrich, and Alexandrine.

[loiladadiani]

Photographs: 1. Grand Duke Mikhail Nicholayevich and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Fyodorovna, with their two eldest children, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna; 2 and 3: Anastasia as a young girl; 4 and 5: Anastasia as a young woman. In one of the photos, she is wearing Russian court dress; 6. Anastasia with her brother Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich (Miche-Miche); 7. Anastasia with her brother Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhailovich; 8. Anastasia with her brother Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovichl 9. Anastasia with her youngest brother, who died at twenty, Grand Duke Alexis Mikhailovich; 10. Anastasia with her brother Grand Duke Alexander "Sandro" Mikhailovich; 11. Anastasia with her niece Princess Irina Alexandrovna; 12 and 13; Two photos of Anastasia with her fiancee/husband Grand Duke Frederick Francis III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 14. Anastasia with her three children; 15 and 16: Two pictures of Anastasia; 17: Anastasia's three children and their spouses: From left to right: Her daughter Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with the future King Christian X of Denmark, Her son, Frederick Francis IV with Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, and her daughter Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with Crown Prince Wilhelm; 18. Her illegitimate son Alexis Louis de Wenden; 19: Villa Wenden in Nice; 20. The formidable Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna.

The other Anastaisa

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna was born in 1860, the second child and only daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nicholaevich and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (nee Princess Cecilie of Baden.) Anastasia was a granddaughter of Nicholas I. The better-known Anastasia (the daughter of Nicholas II) would be born a little over a half-century later, promising to be just as indomitable as her predecessor (she did not have the chance to fulfill that promise.)

Stasi (as her brothers called Anastasia Mikhailovna) was her father's favorite child. Her brothers worshipped her. Her mother was the disciplinarian of the house. The boys were allowed to see their sister only on Sundays.

Anastasia married Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, at 19. Frederick Francis was Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, the Elder's brother. He had very poor health throughout his life; he had asthma and multiple allergies and rashes, and he needed to live during extended periods in the warmer climate of the Mediterranean rather than in Northern Europe; this was just fine with Anastasia, who would never adjust to her adoptive country or gain the affection of the people there. The couple established Villa Wenden in the South of France, and she would live in that area of the world most of her life. Frederick's homosexuality was known throughout Europe, but the couple seemed to have gotten along well. Anastasia spent lavishly at the casinos, and Frederick Francis was glad to provide her with the funds. When the Grand Duke died, she said: "On this day, I have lost my best friend."

They had three children, and all married very well:

Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1879 –1952); married King Christian X of Denmark. They had two sons.

Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1882 –1945), married Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland. They had five children.

Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1886 –1954.) She married Wilhelm, the German Crown Prince. They had six children.

Up to the death of her husband, Anastasia's life had transcurred without scandal. However, a few years later, she began an affair with Vladimir Alexandrovitch Paltov, her secretary. She soon became pregnant by him and attempted to hide that fact by claiming she was suffering from a tumor. She claimed to have chickenpox when she delivered the child. Her son, Alexis Louis de Wenden, was born in Nice in 1902. She was able to bring him up herself and wrote to him daily when he was away at school. After the scandal became public, she was advised never to live near her daughter, now the Crown Princess of Germany (she was given special permission to visit her daughter for the birth of her first grandson.)

After her father had a stroke, he went to live with Stasi in Villa Wenden. As the senior member of the Romanov clan, "Uncle Misha" received many visitors, including the Tsar. At least one of her brothers was in residence at Villa Wenden at any given time. When her father died in 1909, Anastasia inherited an enormous fortune. She continued to live as she wished, gambling heavily, going to the theater, and dancing.

World War I split the family apart. Her son was the reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, her daughter was the German Emperor's daughter-in-law, she was a Russian Grand Duchess, and her Russian family was fighting on the opposite side. She settled in neutral Switzerland. The war cost her son and daughter their (prospective) crowns. After the war, she returned to Nice. There she founded a charity to help Russian exiles. Vladimir Paltov was the charity's president, perhaps indicating that the relationship continued. She lived in Villa Fantasia in Eze, which is near Cannes.

Anastasia died suddenly after suffering a stroke in 1922. She rests in Ludwigslust next to her husband. All of her children have living descendants today, including her illegitimate son. She certainly lived as she wished. Which is something that the other Anastasia would have probably done should she have been given the chance.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grand Ducal Family in 1903.

Back row: Grand Duke Frederick Francis III, Princess Alexandrine of Denmark.

Front row: Grand Duchess Anastasia, Prince Knud of Denmark, Duchess Cecilie, Prince Christian of Denmark and Prince Frederick.

[ladysophy]

Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (second from right), Countess Sophie de Torby (on the right holding an umbrella) and various Mecklenburg-Schwerin royals (possibly Anastasia’s children and husband).

Source: eBay

[carolathhabsburg]

Grand Duchess anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, later Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Schwerin. Late 1870s

[drosera-nepenthes]

The Crown Princess of Denmark, who, it is feared, is developing all the symptoms of rapid consumption, is the elder of the two daughters of the late Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, her only sister being the German Crown Princess. Despite the fact that the late Grand Duke, their father, died by his own hand, and that their mother, the Grand Duchess Anastasia (born a Russian Grand Duchess), is one of the most lively and unconventional of European Royalties, these two daughters have made the most brilliant marriages of their day. Both are the mothers of prospective Sovereigns, the Crown Princess of Denmark having two little sons. Their only brother is married to Princess Alexandra of Cumberland. The German Crown Princess, before he marriage, never dared to spend a winter in the North. The Kaiser, it is well known, viewed with mixed feelings his son's alliance with so delicate a girl, the daughter of a fashionable and anything but domesticated mother and an ailing father. However the Princess has gone through the first year or so of married life without being ordered South, and both she and the Crown Princess of Denmark have managed to win the love and approval of their respective husbands' people.