Russian Empress

Overview

Maria Alexandrovna (born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, 1824–1880), wife of Alexander II, Empress of Russia from 1855. She spent the winter of 1874–75 in San Remo for her health and died on 3 June 1880 in the Winter Palace (en.wikipedia «Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse)»; Russian Academy of Arts report on her San Remo monument). The Mon Journal t.4 index reads «Impératrice de Russie (Marie Alexandrovna, née princesse de Hesse)». See also ALEXANDER_II.

Relevance to Marie

• Winter 1874–75. On 30 November 1874 Marie notes that the Empress «passe demain par Nice se rendant à San Remo où elle restera jusqu'à Pâques» (027.0098); on 1 December the crowd waits at the station, and Walitsky sees her (027.0106; see RANGOULI). On 1 March 1875 the Russian baker brought «pour l'impératrice» saves the family from hunger (030.0112).
• The Orthodox service, 3 March 1875. Marie and her party go to the Empress's temporary residence for the liturgy. The Swiss in imperial livery, the Empress seen only in glimpses ( «sa main blanche avec des doigts longs et roses couverts de bagues» ), the physician Botkin «méconnaissable dans son uniforme» who has made «de cette femme maladive et pâle ... une femme forte et rose» (030.0123, 030.0124; see BOTKINE). She is struck by how simple and accessible the Empress and court seemed (030.0127), and thinks of her father's expected court rank, which would let the family go to court. The Empress's German accent is noted (030.0125), consistent with her birth in Hesse.
• Later. On 2 September 1877 two daughters of Mme Gerbel are «demoiselles d'honneur de notre Impératrice» (074.0194). On 5 June 1880: «Notre Impératrice est morte, par conséquent nous sommes en deuil» (088.0651); on 6 June Marie goes to the Russian mass for her (088.0665).

References in Diary

• 1874-11-30 (027.0098); 1874-12-01 (027.0106); 1875-03-01 (030.0112); 1875-03-03 (030.0118, 030.0123–030.0127); 1877-09-02 (074.0194); 1880-06-05 (088.0651); 1880-06-06 (088.0665)

Sources

en.wikipedia «Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse)» (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Alexandrovna_(Marie_of_Hesse)); Russian Academy of Arts (https://eng.rah.ru/news/detail.php?ID=24077); Mon Journal t.4 index.