A Book Review on Empress Alexandra

(The special relationship between Russia’s last Tsarina and Queen Victoria)

I have always been a history enthusiast, I enjoy reading about different historical eras, I’ve read about 1336- 1353 BC Egypt, 16^th century England and 18^th century France, but the one era that interests me the most is the Victorian Era; the era of middle-class living and black and white pictures of ladies in puffed up gowns and men standing like statues…

So, I started reading about Queen Victoria, her parents, her grandparents, her nine children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, so on and so forth. I read about all her relatives (and she had a lot of them!), and also attempted to make a family tree, which was quite tedious, considering the fact that the 1800’s British royals had a lot of children and a tendency to marry their own cousins.

While reading about some of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters, I came across a particularly interesting one; Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (aka Alix), who was considered one of the greatest beauties in Europe during her time. She was the youngest daughter of Princess Alice of Britain (The second daughter of Queen Victoria), and a hands down, favorite granddaughter of the old queen.

So, I started searching for books to read about the Empress, and that is when I found out about Melanie Clegg’s book on the special relationship between Queen Victoria and Alexandra…

Melanie Clegg is an author and historian who has written several books and biographies of figures throughout European history. Her writing, in the simplest words, is a combination of facts and illustrative descriptions, that really pulls readers into that particular era. Her biography on Marie Antoinette was already my favorite book, so I did not hesitate take this book, and I must say, I was not disappointed.

Melanie Clegg has beautifully illustrated how deep Queen Victoria’s influence was on the beautiful, and motherless Alexandra. The book will not only tell you their story, but also make you feel so engaged in it, you might as well want to dress yourself up in those beautiful 19^th century clothes and have a painting done of yourself…

 She has also devoted several pages to pictures that were taken during key occasions in Queen Victoria, Princess Alice and Alix’s life. These particularly intriguing pictures included a photograph of Princess Alix with her three elder sisters and Queen Victoria, clad in black mourning clothes in the wake of Princess Alice’s death. We see Alix’s two eldest sisters Princesses Victoria and Princess Elisabeth standing firm in the background, one of Princess Victoria’s hands lies on the shoulder of her second youngest sister; Princess Irene. While Irene sits all by herself, hands clasped together, right beside her sits the great Queen Victoria herself. However, of all the grieving sisters, the Queen’s attention seems to be on only one; little 6 year old Alix, who is pictured sitting close to her doting grandmother and holding hands with her. Although she loved all her grandchildren immensely, Melanie explains in great detail how Alix, being the youngest, always garnered special attention from her grandmother.

I must also give special mention to the rather interesting chapter titles of this gem of a book. These chapter titles are very fascinating, because they are quotes by Queen Victoria written about Alix during the specific time period, such as-  Chapter 7 is named as “What fancy has she got in her head?”(For the years 1889-1892) or  Chapter 10 -“Tomorrow, poor Alicky’s fate will be sealed.” (1894-1896). Each chapter is devoted to a particular set of years in their lives, starting with the birth of Alexandra’s mother Alice and ending with Queen Victoria’s death on 22^nd January 1901

Melanie’s unique style of writing entwines the beauty of her wording with intimate details of the particular person, creating a book that pulls the reader into the story at once. Her writing makes the book seem more like a story than an accurate account of someone’s life, which is amazing.

 Her book incorporates quotes by Queen Victoria, Alexandra and the other protagonists in the story, some of my favorite quotes include one said by Queen Victoria to Princess Victoria (her granddaughter) in a letter, after Alexandra got married to Prince Nicholas-

“Oh how I wish it was not to be that I should lose my sweet Alicky…. She has no parents and I am her only grandparent and feel I have a claim on her! … Do explain what I have said to Nicky (Prince Nicholas) and also to both that I do pray that she will come to see me once more before she marries. Do, do that. I feel as if she was being carried of already.”

Long accounts from Queen Victoria and Prince Nicholas’ journals have also been included, making the book all the more intimate and tempting to read.

Although I can write pages and pages about how extraordinary this book is, I must stop so that YOU can start reading the book itself! I recommend this book to everyone with even the mildest interest in historical accounts. It is full of stories, quotes and sudden tragedies, and it is surely one of the best and most intricate historical accounts of two of the most famous women in the Victorian era and how their loving and doting relationship as grandmother and granddaughter surpassed seas.

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