Read Online The Romanov Sisters (Four Sisters) by Helen Rappaport - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helen Rappaport
Tags: Family & Relationships, History, Biography & Autobiography, Europe, womens studies, civil war, Royalty, Russia & the Former Soviet Union, WWI, 1910s
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Günst – who stayed on as maternity nurse for three
months – was laid up for a couple of days.46 The presence of Günst
caused considerable disgruntlement. ‘Orchie slept in the blue room
and scarcely spoke to me, so offended we did not have Baby with
her’, Alexandra told Ernie.47
Professional English nannies were sticklers for routine and did
not like being usurped in their roles, and the arrival on 18 December of Queen Victoria’s hand-picked recruit, the redoubtable Mrs Inman,
was not a happy one. Nicholas remarked that his wife was worried
that ‘the new English nanny would in some way affect the way of
things in our daily family life’. And sure enough she did, for the
36
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LA PETITE DUCHESSE
protocols of royal nannying demanded that ‘our little daughter will
have to be moved upstairs, which is a real bore and a shame’.48 The
day after Mrs Inman arrived baby Olga was duly removed from
Nicholas and Alexandra’s ground-floor bedroom to the nursery and
Nicholas was already writing to his brother Georgiy, complaining
that he and Alexandra ‘[did] not particularly like the look of Mrs
Inman’. ‘She has something hard and unpleasant in her face,’ he
told him, ‘and looks like a stubborn woman.’ Both he and Alexandra
thought she was ‘going to be a lot of trouble’, for she had imme-
diately started laying down the law: ‘she has already decided that
our daughter does not have enough rooms, and that, in her opinion,
Alix pops up into the nursery too often.’49
For the time being, the only sight the Russian people might be
likely to get of their tsar and tsaritsa would not be at court in St
Petersburg but wheeling their baby in the grounds of the Alexander
Park. The world beyond knew even less of them. The British press
had hoped that the tsaritsa’s informal approach to mothering might
have a positive effect politically: ‘The right feeling shown in the
young wife’s decision is likelier to rally the mothers of Russia to her Majesty’s side than many more imposing actions on the part of the
Czar’s Consort. And with their support the Empress may go far.’50
It was an ambitious hope, but one that would fall on fallow ground;
for the fact that the empress had not produced a firstborn son was
already a source of disfavour among many Russians.
In the new year of 1896 and much to her dismay, Alexandra was
obliged to abandon the intimacy of the Alexander Palace and transfer
to her newly renovated apartments at the Winter Palace for the St
Petersburg season. Although Ella had taken a hand in their design,
the unworldly and inexperienced Alexandra did not take to the grand,
ceremonial ambience of the palace. Nor was she warming to Mrs
Inman. ‘I am not at all enchanted with the nurse’, she told Ernie: she is good & kind with Baby, but as a woman most antipathetic,
& that disturbs me sorely. Her manners are neither very nice,
& she will mimic people in speaking about them, an odious habit,
wh.[ich] would be awful for a Child to learn – most headstrong,
(but I am too, thank goodness). I foresee no end of troubles, &
only wish I had an other [ sic ].51
37
693GG_TXT.indd 37
29/10/2013 16:17
FOUR SISTERS
By the end of April Alexandra was forced to give up breastfeeding
Olga in preparation for travelling to Moscow for the arduous coro-
nation ceremony: ‘that is so sad as I enjoyed it so much’, she confided to Ernie.52 By this time the domineering Mrs Inman had been sent
packing. Nicholas had found her ‘insufferable’ and on 29 April noted
with glee that ‘we were delighted finally to be rid of her’. Motherhood clearly became Alexandra, as her sister Victoria of Battenberg noted
when she arrived for the coronation in May 1896. Alix, she told
Queen Victoria,
is looking so well & happy, quite a different person & has developed into a big, handsome woman rosy cheeked & broad shoul-
dered making Ella look
months – was laid up for a couple of days.46 The presence of Günst
caused considerable disgruntlement. ‘Orchie slept in the blue room
and scarcely spoke to me, so offended we did not have Baby with
her’, Alexandra told Ernie.47
Professional English nannies were sticklers for routine and did
not like being usurped in their roles, and the arrival on 18 December of Queen Victoria’s hand-picked recruit, the redoubtable Mrs Inman,
was not a happy one. Nicholas remarked that his wife was worried
that ‘the new English nanny would in some way affect the way of
things in our daily family life’. And sure enough she did, for the
36
693GG_TXT.indd 36
29/10/2013 16:17
LA PETITE DUCHESSE
protocols of royal nannying demanded that ‘our little daughter will
have to be moved upstairs, which is a real bore and a shame’.48 The
day after Mrs Inman arrived baby Olga was duly removed from
Nicholas and Alexandra’s ground-floor bedroom to the nursery and
Nicholas was already writing to his brother Georgiy, complaining
that he and Alexandra ‘[did] not particularly like the look of Mrs
Inman’. ‘She has something hard and unpleasant in her face,’ he
told him, ‘and looks like a stubborn woman.’ Both he and Alexandra
thought she was ‘going to be a lot of trouble’, for she had imme-
diately started laying down the law: ‘she has already decided that
our daughter does not have enough rooms, and that, in her opinion,
Alix pops up into the nursery too often.’49
For the time being, the only sight the Russian people might be
likely to get of their tsar and tsaritsa would not be at court in St
Petersburg but wheeling their baby in the grounds of the Alexander
Park. The world beyond knew even less of them. The British press
had hoped that the tsaritsa’s informal approach to mothering might
have a positive effect politically: ‘The right feeling shown in the
young wife’s decision is likelier to rally the mothers of Russia to her Majesty’s side than many more imposing actions on the part of the
Czar’s Consort. And with their support the Empress may go far.’50
It was an ambitious hope, but one that would fall on fallow ground;
for the fact that the empress had not produced a firstborn son was
already a source of disfavour among many Russians.
In the new year of 1896 and much to her dismay, Alexandra was
obliged to abandon the intimacy of the Alexander Palace and transfer
to her newly renovated apartments at the Winter Palace for the St
Petersburg season. Although Ella had taken a hand in their design,
the unworldly and inexperienced Alexandra did not take to the grand,
ceremonial ambience of the palace. Nor was she warming to Mrs
Inman. ‘I am not at all enchanted with the nurse’, she told Ernie: she is good & kind with Baby, but as a woman most antipathetic,
& that disturbs me sorely. Her manners are neither very nice,
& she will mimic people in speaking about them, an odious habit,
wh.[ich] would be awful for a Child to learn – most headstrong,
(but I am too, thank goodness). I foresee no end of troubles, &
only wish I had an other [ sic ].51
37
693GG_TXT.indd 37
29/10/2013 16:17
FOUR SISTERS
By the end of April Alexandra was forced to give up breastfeeding
Olga in preparation for travelling to Moscow for the arduous coro-
nation ceremony: ‘that is so sad as I enjoyed it so much’, she confided to Ernie.52 By this time the domineering Mrs Inman had been sent
packing. Nicholas had found her ‘insufferable’ and on 29 April noted
with glee that ‘we were delighted finally to be rid of her’. Motherhood clearly became Alexandra, as her sister Victoria of Battenberg noted
when she arrived for the coronation in May 1896. Alix, she told
Queen Victoria,
is looking so well & happy, quite a different person & has developed into a big, handsome woman rosy cheeked & broad shoul-
dered making Ella look
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