Sovereign Born in Darmstadt June 6, 1872 in the family of Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig IV and daughter of British Queen regnant Victoria of Great Duchess Alice. Girl named Alice in honor of the mother, but soon transformed the name of "Alix". She had two older brothers, three older sisters and one younger.
Efforts of an English-Duchess Dvortsovaya Darmstadt life evolved on the model of the English court, beginning with a long line of family portraits in the halls of the British royal dynasty and ending with oatmeal for breakfast, boiled meat with potatoes for lunch and an infinite number of rice pudding and baked apples. " Religious Grand Duchess Alice was vdohnovitelnitsey and the founder of the country's hospitals, charitable organizations, offices of the Red Cross, women's unions. It is from an early age, took their children to help patients in Darmstadt hospitals and shelters.
Alix is not tired to wear flowers in hospitals, like their beauty to her sister Elizabeth: gray-eyed with black eyelashes, sandy hair. This "lovely, cheerful little girl, always laughing, with a dimple on the cheek" in the family are called "sun", as she would sign their letters and then the spouse Sovereign Nikolai Aleksandrovich. The trouble that her 35-year-old mother died when Alix was only six years old.
First, a girl was governess, and then her upbringing has personally known the poet Goethe, Anna Tekston later - a well-educated, cultural Englishwoman Margaret Jackson. Since 1880 in the eight Alix started school.
In 15 years of its plodding and a good memory Alix canceled knew the history, literature, geography, art, science and mathematics. The main language for this German princess had been English and, of course, owned the excellent German, French is spoken with emphasis. Alix became a brilliant pianist, taught her by the Director of Darmstadt Opera, and most of all loved the music of Wagner.
Fourth ducal daughter Alix became similar to the previous "sun" in a few months, when together with his brother Ernest and his father came to stay with sister Elizabeth in St. Petersburg. They stopped on Nevsky Prospect in the house of the Princess Elizabeth, named in Darmstadt Ella, and now - the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Here the "aunt Elle", "aunty" without ceremonies often zaezzhal Cesarevitch Nicholas. Elizabeth Fedorovna was fun, witty mistress of the house that reigned receptions and balls.
It was raskidistaya Russian winter in 1889, Alix, how to, overcome shyness, and not lag behind in St. Petersburg velikosvetskoy youth entertainment: go to the rink, go for a sledge to slide. Cesarevitch a passion for it, and the princess fell in love with him, although neither of which is not admitted to this and then to itself. But only with Nikolai Romanov, it was natural, was free to talk and laugh. After returning home, Alix realized that only the Russian prince will marry. They began writing each other letters tender.
All these years of dreaming of a novel crown Alix and Nicholas Romanov, and his parents, grandmother of Alix Gessenskoy wanted brakosochetat son with another man. State Alexander the Third and his wife Maria Fyodorovna resisted Union Heir to the Princess of Darmstadt, because they were aware of the incurable disease of aristocracy, nesvorachivaemosti blue blood - hemophilia pursuing its genus Koburgskogo House.
This "curse of Coburg" existed in the XVIII century, the disease moved to the English royal family name after his mother Queen Victoria - Princess Saxe-Koburgskuyu. And ill haemophiliac boys, but moving it to the female line. And will their future son, the next heir to the Throne Russian Alexei. But will the fact that only Russia would be given to young people Cesarevitch capable unimat "nesvorachivaemye, has hemophilia, - Grigory Rasputin ...
Princess Gessenskaya remained, but the State Alexander insisted that Alix, like the other Princess, do not agree to change their faith. Nicholas requested his release in Darmstadt for talks with her father would not agree to do so until 1894, had not yet fallen ill.
Alternatively, ask the hand of Alix presented Nikolai at marrying her brother the Grand Duke of Ernst Ludwig to Princess Victoria talk. Marriage was in Coburg, where Alix met with Russian Cesarevitch for the first time since 1889. He made her proposal. But it happened that the alleged father, to overcome what Nikolai prayed last five years of their separation: Alix did not want to go into Orthodoxy.
At ardent persuasions Nicholas Romanov princess wept and repeated that it was not in a position to renounce their religion. Queen Victoria, seeing that the granddaughter can stay completely out of work, was too vain to persuade her to accept the Russian faith. Following suggestions made by the heir wrote in his diary: «said up to 12 hours, but without success, it opposes a change of religion. She, poor, a lot of crying. "
She cried all the time and only occasionally making a whisper: "No, I can not" ». Unexpressed with Princess breathing listened inspired words Tsarevich, and then suddenly she noticed that out of his blue eyes potekli tears. The heart of it, and so crowded love and sorrow, not seasoned, and the mouth of a quiet poslyshalos: «I agree».
«Honey, dear, precious mother, - he wrote home enthusiastic heir - you can not imagine how happy I am overwhelmingly ... This morning we left alone, and here, from the very first words, she agreed. One God knows what happened to me. I was crying like, a child, and she also ... The whole world just changed for me, nature, people - all and all I seem to be good, lovely and happy. I could not even write before my trembling hands ... The Savior told us: «All that neither ask God, God will give thee». These words to me infinitely the road, because in the past five years I have prayed to them, repeating them every night, begging him to facilitate the transition Aliq in the Orthodox faith and to give me her to wife ... »
In October 1894 Alix urgently raised in Russia: The Third State Alexander fell ill. In Livadia, where the king received treatment met all Romanovskaya family, preparing for the worst. State Emperor Alexander III died on October 20, 1894. The same day, took Throne Nikolai, and the next day, October 21, his bride, Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt joined to Orthodoxy and was named Alexandra Fyodorovna.
November 14, 1894 wedding took place on Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II to Alexandra Fyodorovna, after which she wrote in the diary of her husband:
"Would never have believed that could be a fullness of happiness in this world - a sense of unity of the two mortal beings. We are not divided over. Finally, we have together, and our lives are connected to the end, and when this life is over, then in a different world we meet again, and have not divided for ever. "
The first 20 years of marriage, the imperial couple were very happy with their personal family life. More than a happy family, no close knowledge of their not met. Thus, gosudarynya in one of his letters to the state wrote: «In modern times rarely see such marriages ... You - my life, my light ... When hard on the heart of the concerns and worries, every manifestation of tenderness gives strength and endless happiness. Ah, if our children could just be happy in their conjugal life ».
Pierre Zhilyar, tutor of the heir Tsarevich Alexei, he wrote: «What is an example, if only it knew it had a decent family life, full of such tenderness. But how few people it was suspected. The truth is that the family was too indifferent to public opinion, and hid away from the views ». Another close to the imperial family of man, wing-Adjutant Mordvinov, remembered; «I will always be impressed by this amazing, to meet with them more than ever I have not seen, droll in all respects the family». «I have to say about them simply - saying valet Volkov, - it was the holy and pure family».
In autumn 1895, the first daughter was born, the glorious, large child, raised new concerns, gave the new joy. «God, we sent my daughter with prayer we named Olga», - noted in his diary prince. Two years later the second girl was born, named in Holy Baptism Tatiana, even after two years - Mary, and a further two years - Anastasia.
With the advent of the Holy Children. the queen gave them all my attention: nursed, every day is Kupala, persistent happened in the child, not trusting their children to anyone. Sometimes, holding in her arms a child, she discussed the major issues of his new agency, or with one hand kachaya cradle, it is another sign the business paper. Gosudarynya not fond of a minute to remain idle, and she taught her children to work. Wonderful embroidery went out of their hands fast. Two older daughters - Olga and Tatiana - during the war worked with his mother in the infirmary, performing duties of surgical nurses.
During the glorification of st. Seraphim regal martyrs fervently prayed before the relics of Sarov, in the newly угодника God, the gift of his son - the heir. The following year, they are born a boy, who in holy Baptism was named in honor of St. Alexis. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. Heir of nature has been endowed with exceptional beauty. Joy happy parents thought there was no limit, but now for the second month after birth revealed that the child handed hereditary disease Gessenskogo home - hemophilia, which puts his life under the constant threat of sudden death. Even with the minor injury occurred internal hemorrhage, which the heir has suffered greatly.
Gosudarynya wrote about children state: «They have shared our passion ... Kroshka feels so much its a little sensitive soul - will never be able to thank God enough for the wonderful grace that He has given me to you and them. We are one ».
When rebellious crowd filled the revolutionary Petrograd, and the royal train was stopped at the bottom for the abdication of the throne, Alix left alone. Children are sick of measles, lying exposed to high temperatures. Court fled, left a handful of trusted people. Electricity was turned off, water was not - had to walk to a pond, a chip the ice and drown it in the oven. Palace of defenseless children remained under the protection of the Empress.
It is not panic and do not believe in the renunciation to the last. Alix has maintained a handful of loyal soldiers who have been borne by the guard around the palace - now it was all her army. The day repudiated Throne ex-State back to the palace, her friend, Anna Vyrubova recorded in his diary: «How to fifteen girl ran it on an endless staircases and corridors of the palace to meet him. Met, they embraced, and left alone tears ... »
While in exile, a presentiment of a quick penalty, in a letter to Anne Vyrubovoy Gosudarynya summed up his life: «dear, my native ... Yes, the past over. I thank God for everything that was received - and will live memories that no one I can not take ...
How I became older, but I feel the mother country, and suffered as a child and his love my homeland, despite all the horrors now ... You know that you can not lift LOVE FROM MY HEART, and Russia, too ... In spite of the black ingratitude Sovereign, which breaks my heart ... Lord, have mercy and save Russia ».
Alexandra Feodorovna was forty-six years old when she was killed.
