XENIA ALEXANDROVNA (Grand Duchess, 1875-1960, Sister of Nicholas II and Wife of his Cousin Grand Duke Alexander)

Autograph letter signed on both sides of a plain postcard to 'Dear Miss Kraty' thanking her for her letter "& sending me Nadia's", (Princess Nadejda Dmitrievna, 1933-2002, only daughter of the writer's fourth son Dmitri Alexandrovich, 1901-1980), "& also for the book - it wasn't the one I meant so I suppose it is somewhere" among Nadia's mother's things, (Russian-born Marina, 1912-1960, née Countess Golenistcheva-Kutuzova), "The one you sent belongs to Xenia", (Princess Xenia Andreevna, 1919-2000, elder daughter of the writer's eldest son Andrei, 1897-1981), "& her brothers", Michael & Andrew, "Poor little thing - she does miss you & feels 'homesick'! I wonder what was the matter with her Mama. Not one of the family has ever written to me which I call beastly! I wonder why a french school was chosen for her, tho' on the other hand it is a good thing she is learning french", the Grand Duchess is very worried about her second son Feodor, (Feodor Alexandrovich, 1897-1968), "he had another hemorrage a week ago and is laid up again - too unfortunate and such a set back. He feels weak, very nervous, and is altogether very cut up! The D[octo]rs say it isn't alarming, but that doesn't help matters, as he feels none the better for it. He is going to the Sanatorium this week, probably dreads the thought of it - poor dear - as [he] hates the place! ...", continuing about "M[other] Martha", whose presence in spite of deafness and other ailments "is such a comfort and help", at Balmoral it is "more like November", 2 sides postcard, Balmoral, 3rd April

Written to 'Miss Kraty', who is no doubt at Wilderness House, since 1937 the Grand Duchess's 'grace and favour' home in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Many of Xenia's family lived there much or most of the time, especially the grandchildren mentioned.
Dmitri Alexandrovich left Russia with his mother in 1919 on board HMS Marlborough. In the 1930s he worked briefly at Coco Chanel's in Biarritz, where he fell in love with and in 1931 married Marina, not yet 19, a Chanel model. In WWII, Dmitri was a Lieutenant- Commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve on convoys to Murmansk and taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation. Their daughter Nadejda had been born in France, but at this date the Grand Duchess must be talking of a French school in England. In 1947 Nadejda's parents separated and both later re-married.
Mother Martha, a formidable Russian mystic, was acquired by the Grand Duchess in 1938 as a companion. She went on to dominate Xenia's life and control all who visited.

Item Date:  1944

Stock No:  38066      £975

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