Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna

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Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, Duchess of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born on this day in 1853, exactly 165 years ago. The only daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse, she was the only sister of six brothers, including Tsar Alexander III, and it was noted: ‘She is accustomed to be the center of the world and that everyone yields to her’. In 1874, she married Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria, under disapproval from both sets of parents, who regarded each other with mistrust. The couple had five children, including Queen Marie of RomaniaGrand Duchess Victoria Melita of Russia, the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and the Duchess of Galliera. As the Duchess of Edinburgh, Maria Alexandrovna disliked being in England and did not get along with Queen Victoria, who detested her imperious manner and the flaunting of her magnificent jewellery. In 1893, Prince Alfred succeeded his childless uncle as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and she became the Sovereign Consort of the small German Duchy, until the death of her husband in 1900, which came just after the tragic death of their only son. In her widowhood, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna maintained five residences in Germany and France, and fled to Switzerland during WWI, because of anti-Russian sentiment. During the Russian Revolution, she lost many members of her family, and the bulk of her fortune. She passed away of a heart attack in Switzerland in 1920, reportedly after receiving a telegram addressed to ‘Frau Coburg’.

Bolin Ruby Tiara | Fringe Tiara | Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Diamond Tiara

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Fringe Tiara

OriginWedding Gift from her mother, Tsarina Marie Alexandrovna in 1874

Notable Appearances: The Coronation of her nephew, Tsar Nicholas II, in 1896 and the Coronation of her nephew, King George V, in 1911

Fate: Left to Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera, who sold it to her sister, Queen Marie of Romania, and was in turn inherited by her daughter, Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, who sold it at Auction in 1960. Now unknown.

Bolin Ruby Tiara

OriginWedding Gift from Tsar Alexander II in 1874

Notable Appearances: The Coronation of her nephew, Tsar Nicholas II, in 1896

Fate: Left to the Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and later frequently worn by Princess Margarita of Greece, before being sold at auction in 1978 and later dismantled

Diamond Tiara

Origin: House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha

Notable Appearances: The Wedding of the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and her daughter, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1896.

Fate: Passed on to Princess Victoria Adelaide, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Albany and likely broken up following the First World War

Faberge Pearl and Diamond Tiara

Origin: Unknown, possibly made by Faberge

Notable Appearances: The Wedding of the Grand Duke of Hesse, to her daughter, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1894 and the Wedding of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1898

Fate: Left to Queen Marie of Romania who had it transformed into her Cartier Pearl Tiara, now location is unknown.

Sapphire Tiara

OriginWedding Gift from Tsar Alexander II in 1874

Notable Appearances: Russian State Banquet at Windsor Castle in 1874

Fate: Given as a wedding gift to her daughter, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia, and likely sold after the Russian Revolution

Ruby Tiara

Origin: Unknown but some speculate it may be Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara without the Arches

Notable Appearances: Portrait in 1880s

Fate: Unknown

One thought on “Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna

  1. She looks as scary and imperious as I’d imagined from the descriptions of her that I’ve read. Eek!

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