Grand Duke of Russia Alexander - Once a Grand Duke

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Text originally published in 1932 under the same title.

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Publishers Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Authors original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern readers benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

ONCE A GRAND DUKE

by

ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF RUSSIA

Contents

T HE history of the last fifty turbulent years of the Russian Empire provides only a background, but is not the subject of this book.

In compiling this record of a grand dukes progress I relied on memory only, all my letters, diaries and other documents having been partly burned by me and partly confiscated by the revolutionaries during the years of 1917 and 1918 in the Crimea.

Naturally enough, I am dealing at greater length with those who played an important part in my personal life: Emperor Alexander II, Emperor Alexander III, the last Czar Nicholas II, my mother-in-law Dowager-Empress Marie of Russia, my wife Grand Duchess Xenia, and my parents and brothers. The othersgenerals, ministers and statesmenappear to have been generously taken care of both in their own memoirs and in the numerous volumes dedicated to the Russian Revolution.

I have no desire for post-mortems and I have done my utmost to keep bias and prejudice from influencing my judgment. In fact, there is no bitterness left in my heart.

ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF RUSSIA.

Paris, Autumn, 1931 .

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER DURING THE WAR

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AT THE AGE OF FOUR

THE FUTURE EMPRESS MARIE WITH HER DAUGHTER XENIA

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AT THE AGE OF FIVE

AN IMPERIAL PICNIC PARTY

GRAND DUKE MICHAEL NICHOLAEVICH

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA FEODOROVNA

EMPEROR ALEXANDER III

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY OF RUSSIA

GRAND DUKE SERGEI MICHAILOVICH

GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS MICHAILOVICH

GRAND DUKE GEORGE MICHAILOVICH

TWO VIEWS OF THE ESTATE AT AY-TODOR

CZAR NICHOLAS II WITH GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS XENIA

CZAR NICHOLAS II; GRAND DUKE MICHAEL NICHOLAEVICH

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS XENIA

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER WITH HIS DAUGHTER IRENE

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER, GRAND DUCHESS XENIA AND THEIR TWO ELDEST CHILDREN

THE CZAR AND CZARINA WITH THEIR THREE ELDER DAUGHTERS

CZAR NICHOLAS II IN 1899

THE LAST CZARINA IN 1899

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER IN XVII CENTURY COSTUME

GRAND DUCHESS XENIA IN XVII CENTURY COSTUME

CZAR NICHOLAS AS A XVII CENTURY CZAR

THE LAST CZARINA OF RUSSIA

THE LAST CZARINA IN THE UNIFORM OF HER OWN GUARD REGIMENT

THE HEIR APPARENT AND ONLY SON OF THE LAST CZAR

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER INSPECTING A NEW AERODROME

CZAR NICHOLAS II IN HIS SUMMER RESIDENCE

CZAR NICHOLAS IN MOSCOW

GRAND DUKE MICHAEL ALEXANDROVICH (MISHA)

THE CZAR AND THE CZARINA REVIEWING A REGIMENT

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER DISTRIBUTING DIPLOMAS

THE SEVEN CHILDREN OF THE GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AIR FORCES

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND HIS WIFE DURING THE WAR

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS OLGA

CZAR NICHOLAS AT HIS HEADQUARTERS IN MOGILEV IN 1916

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA

THE GRAND DUCHESS XENIA IN EXILE WITH HER CHILDREN

PRINCESS IRENE YOUSOUPOFF, ONLY DAUGHTER OF GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AS HE LOOKS TODAY

THE DOWAGER-EMPRESS

THE THREE GRAND-CHILDREN OF GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AT THE AGE OF FOUR

THE FUTURE EMPRESS MARIE WITH HER DAUGHTER XENIA

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AT THE AGE OF FIVE

AN IMPERIAL PICNIC PARTY

GRAND DUKE MICHAEL NICHOLAEVICH

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA FEODOROVNA

EMPEROR ALEXANDER III

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY OF RUSSIA

GRAND DUKE SERGEI MICHAILOVICH

GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS MICHAILOVICH

GRAND DUKE GEORGE MICHAILOVICH

TWO VIEWS OF THE ESTATE AT AY-TODOR

CZAR NICHOLAS II WITH GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS XENIA

CZAR NICHOLAS II; GRAND DUKE MICHAEL NICHOLAEVICH

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS XENIA

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER WITH HIS DAUGHTER IRENE

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER, GRAND DUCHESS XENIA AND THEIR TWO ELDEST CHILDREN

THE CZAR AND CZARINA WITH THEIR THREE ELDER DAUGHTERS

CZAR NICHOLAS II IN 1899

THE LAST CZARINA IN 1899

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER IN XVII CENTURY COSTUME

GRAND DUCHESS XENIA IN XVII CENTURY COSTUME

CZAR NICHOLAS AS A XVII CENTURY CZAR

THE LAST CZARINA OF RUSSIA

THE LAST CZARINA IN THE UNIFORM OF HER OWN GUARD REGIMENT

THE HEIR APPARENT AND ONLY SON OF THE LAST CZAR

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER INSPECTING A NEW AERODROME

CZAR NICHOLAS II IN HIS SUMMER RESIDENCE

CZAR NICHOLAS IN MOSCOW

GRAND DUKE MICHAEL ALEXANDROVICH (MISHA)

THE CZAR AND THE CZARINA REVIEWING A REGIMENT

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER DISTRIBUTING DIPLOMAS

THE SEVEN CHILDREN OF THE GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AIR FORCES

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND HIS WIFE DURING THE WAR

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AND GRAND DUCHESS OLGA

CZAR NICHOLAS AT HIS HEADQUARTERS IN MOGILEV IN 1916

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA

THE GRAND DUCHESS XENIA IN EXILE WITH HER CHILDREN

PRINCESS IRENE YOUSOUPOFF, ONLY DAUGHTER OF GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER AS HE LOOKS TODAY

THE DOWAGER-EMPRESS

THE THREE GRAND-CHILDREN OF GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER

Someone has proposed the toast, Our Memories. Goethe knocked on the table and said: I do not like these words. The toast seems to imply that we have forgotten and that some outer event recalls our memories to us. Those things which are great and beautiful never leave us; they become part of ourselves. It is not the past but the eternally new which our desires would have us seek.... The new is itself the creation of ever-growing elements of the past. True longing must always be productive and fashion a new and better self.

ROMAIN ROLLAND: Goethe and Beethoven.

ONCE A GRAND DUKE

A TALL man of military bearing crossed the rain-drenched courtyard of the Imperial Palace in Taganrog and rapidly made for the street.

The sentinel jumped to attention, but the stranger ignored the salute. The next moment he disappeared in the dark November night that had wrapped this small southern seaport in a thick blanket of yellowish fog.

Who was it? asked the sleepy corporal of the guard, returning from his tour around the block.

I think, answered the sentinel hesitatingly, that it was His Imperial Majesty going for an early stroll.