Little Mother of Russia

I finally got through this book, all 359 pages of it. Towards the end, I thought I’d never finish. A hefty intellectual read, it was definitely worth it.

So much is known about Tsar Nicholas II, but not really about his parents. Tsar Alexander III tends to be overshadowed by his ill-fated son, and by the more illustrious ancestral leaders who preceded him. The story of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia is important, not only because we get insight into the relationship with her son and her daughter-in-law Alexandra, but because of her close proximity to the events in Russia for the over fifty years she lived there.

Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar was born a minor princess in Denmark to Prince Christian (later King Christian IX) and his wife Princess Louise. “Dagmar”, as she was known, and her five siblings experienced a blissful yet somewhat poor childhood at the Yellow Mansion in Copenhagen. A turn of events placed her father in direct line of succession to the Danish throne and the family’s circumstances changed overnight. Now, Christian and Louse’s three daughters were very marriageable for all of Europe. After Louise arranged her daughter Alexandra's betrothal to Prince Edward of Britain, she turned her attentions to acquiring another spectacular marriage for Dagmar.

The opportunity arrived in the form of Tsarevitch Nicholas of Russia, the first son of Alexander II. Although it was a political alliance, it was definitely a love match. Sadly, Nicholas died shortly before they were to marry, and his distraught brother Alexander (“Sasha”), now next in line for the throne, stepped in and proposed. A new husband, a new country, and because of her required conversion to Russian Orthodoxy, a new name: Marie Feodorovna. The marriage proved to be another love match, and the couple settled into an austere family life, producing five living children. Tsar Alexander III died in 1894 after only 13 years of rule. His son ascended the throne as Nicholas II.

While many contribute the downfall of the Russian Empire solely to the Tsar's weak leadership and Rasputin, there are many other reasons for its end. Fighting and one-upmanship within the Romanov family, a dominant bourgeois society, and each party’s ignorance to the needs of the peasant society, also helped to destroy the Imperial family. Dagmar was there to witness everything. As the walls closed in around Tsar Nicholas and his family; many politicians and other Romanov’s sought comfort and answers from the Dowager Empress.

One of the interesting parts of this book is Dagmar’s harrowing escape from Russia during the Revolution. It took the pleading of her family before she would board the HMS Marlborough (sent by her nephew King George V). It was only after helping other refuges that she would board the ship; escaping just in time. By the end of the Revolution, 17 members of the Romanov family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. Among them were Dagmar’s own sons Nicholas and Michael, and Nicholas’ wife and children.

Dagmar stayed with her sister Queen Alexandra in England until differences forced her to move to Denmark. Dagmar sought respite in Hvidore, the vacation home she co-purchased with her sister Alexandra. Known as “Kejserinde Dagmar” by the Danes, the problems of the Revolution dogged her until her death. She refused to acknowledge that her family had been murdered, and she faced additional heartaches due to lack of funds, the round of Anastasia claimants, and the continued fighting for power of succession among the surviving members of the Romanov’s.

1928 marked the end of the Dowager Empress’ difficult life. Father Koltcheff noted of her passing: “Our Little Mother’s, the Dowager Empress’ life is over. Russia’s many million children have become orphans”. Not able to return to Russia, she was buried in Roskilde Cathedral. In September 2006, Dagmar got her final wish, to be reburied in Russia next to her beloved husband.

In Russia today, there is a resurgence of interest in the Dowager Empress, with many publications being produced. The problem for many of us royal history buffs are that too few of these publications aren't produced in English. However, there are some stunning photo books about her where language need not be a factor in enjoying these tomes.

If you are interested in the Romanov’s, especially the royal socio-political environment surrounding the events of the Revolution; this is your book. If you could care less about Russia or the idea of monarchy, then give it a miss.