Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia (30 August 1842 – 10 July 1849) was the eldest child of Alexander II of Russia
and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. She died from infant meningitis
at the age of six and a half.
She was nicknamed Lina or Sashenka within her family. Her father enjoyed having her keep him company while he worked in his study. Her death from infant meningitis
at the age of six and a half devastated her parents. Her mother was still brought to tears by the mention of her eldest child decades after her death. Her father placed a dried flower from her funeral mass in his diary and marked the page in black to signify mourning. They were thrilled when they had a second daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, because they had so missed having a little girl.
of Alexandra supposedly appeared along with that of her grandfather, Nicholas I of Russia
, during two palace séance
s during the 1860s organized by Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna
. The Tsar and others at court were interested in the spiritualism
that was fashionable at the time. At one of the meetings, the table rose a few centimeters, spun and rapped out the words to "God Save the Tsar!
" The Tsar and others present claimed he felt the touch of ghostly fingers. The spirits responded to questions asked by Alexander II
, answering by rapping the letters of the alphabet, which he wrote down painstakingly on paper in front of him. A lady-in-waiting
later complained that the answers were meaningless and wondered why they were more interested in playing games than providing real answers to the Tsar's questions. Alexandra's mother refused to come to the second séance, having decided that the ghosts were "spirits of lies" manipulated by the devil
and her daughter had not actually appeared.
frock
worn by Alexandra was still on display in the Winter Palace
fifty years after her death, according to Margaretta Eagar
. "A pretty golden-haired child she was, too, judging from her portrait," wrote Eagar, a nurse for the four daughters of Nicholas II
and Tsarina Alexandra.
family by the late 19th century because so many Romanov Alexandras had died as children or in their teens. The British public had wondered why none of the Tsarina's daughters was named in her honor; Eagar explained that the name was not used, despite the fact that Alexandra was their mother's name, because it was considered so unlucky. Other ill-fated Alexandras were Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna
, Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna
and Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna. Eagar wrote that other branches of the family had named daughters Alexandra, but none lived past age twenty-one.
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. She died from infant meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
at the age of six and a half.
Life and death
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
at the age of six and a half devastated her parents. Her mother was still brought to tears by the mention of her eldest child decades after her death. Her father placed a dried flower from her funeral mass in his diary and marked the page in black to signify mourning. They were thrilled when they had a second daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, because they had so missed having a little girl.
Ghostly visit
The ghostGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of Alexandra supposedly appeared along with that of her grandfather, Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, during two palace séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
s during the 1860s organized by Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna
Alexandra Iosifovna of Altenburg
Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia , born Princess Alexandra Friederike Henriette of Saxe-Altenburg was the fifth daughter of Joseph Georg Friedrich Ernst Karl, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amelie Theresa Luise, Duchess of Württemberg.-Early life:Alexandra's parents were married on 24 April...
. The Tsar and others at court were interested in the spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
that was fashionable at the time. At one of the meetings, the table rose a few centimeters, spun and rapped out the words to "God Save the Tsar!
God Save the Tsar!
"God Save the Tsar!" was the national anthem of the late Russian Empire. The song was chosen from a competition held in 1833. The composer was violinist Alexei Lvov, and the lyrics were by the court poet Vasily Zhukovsky...
" The Tsar and others present claimed he felt the touch of ghostly fingers. The spirits responded to questions asked by Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
, answering by rapping the letters of the alphabet, which he wrote down painstakingly on paper in front of him. A lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
later complained that the answers were meaningless and wondered why they were more interested in playing games than providing real answers to the Tsar's questions. Alexandra's mother refused to come to the second séance, having decided that the ghosts were "spirits of lies" manipulated by the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
and her daughter had not actually appeared.
A portrait and mementoes on display
A blue silkSilk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
frock
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
worn by Alexandra was still on display in the Winter Palace
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
fifty years after her death, according to Margaretta Eagar
Margaretta Eagar
Margaretta Alexandra Eagar, also known as Margaret Eagar, , was a nanny for the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, known collectively as OTMA: The Grand Duchesses Olga ; Tatiana ; Maria ; and Anastasia Margaretta Alexandra Eagar, also known as Margaret Eagar, (August 12, 1863...
. "A pretty golden-haired child she was, too, judging from her portrait," wrote Eagar, a nurse for the four daughters of Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and Tsarina Alexandra.
Name considered unlucky
Eagar also wrote that the name Alexandra was considered unlucky in the RomanovRomanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
family by the late 19th century because so many Romanov Alexandras had died as children or in their teens. The British public had wondered why none of the Tsarina's daughters was named in her honor; Eagar explained that the name was not used, despite the fact that Alexandra was their mother's name, because it was considered so unlucky. Other ill-fated Alexandras were Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, was a daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and sister of Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. She became Archduchess of Austria upon her marriage to Archduke Joseph of Austria, Governor of Hungary.-Life:...
, Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, and his wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia.-Biography:...
and Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna. Eagar wrote that other branches of the family had named daughters Alexandra, but none lived past age twenty-one.