Review: Gelardi looks at four Russian royals in _From Splendor to Revolution_

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It's an odd little quirk in my personality that I enjoy reading about various and sundry royal personages from history, from any and all time periods. In particular, the story of the Romanovs, the last dynasty to rule Russia before it all came crashing down in the Revolution, has always fascinated me. Now Julia P. Gelardi takes on the story of four more Russian women in From Splendor to Revolution: The Romanov Women 1847-1928. This time, the story centers around two princesses who married into the Romanov family, and two others who married outside of it, all of who knew each other well, were related to each other in various ways, and who would all share very similar fates in time. Of the four, the eldest was born Dagmar of Denmark, and she was the sister of Alexandra, who would marry the Prince of Wales and become Queen of England in time. She was pretty, vibrant and lively, and when she met the Tsarevich of Russia, Nicholas -- known as Nixa -- in the family, she fell very much in love with this shy young man. But when a sudden illness took his life, Dagmar was devastated. Both of the families felt that it might be good if she and Nixa's brother, Alexander -- Sasha -- would consider marrying, and in time, they did fall in love with each other. They did marry, and were devoted to one another, and Minnie, as she nicknamed, became very popular in the Russian court, becoming a perfect consort and society hostess to her husband, who would rule as Alexander III. But things were not so happy after his early death, when her eldest son, Nicholas II, came to the throne unexpectedly. The next princess was born Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, from a tiny principality in Germany. Meichen was a clearly ambitious girl, and dreamed big. She also wasn't above throwing one suitor over for another who was wealthier and of greater status. Which is exactly what she did when she met Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the brother of the future Alexander III. He was a fast living, hard partying sort who, when he heard of Meichen wanting to marry him, said he'd be a horrible husband. Turns out that this very ambitious couple was made for each other -- and the proud German princess became Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, and had a grand time of it as a leading figure in St. Petersburg society. She and the Tsarevna, Marie Feodorovna, were not at all friends, and soon there was a seething rivalry between the two, made even worse when Nicholas II came to the throne. Marie Alexandrovna, the only surviving daughter of Alexander II, and sister to both Alexander III and Grand Duke Vladimir, was not very pretty. She was however, the apple of her father's eye, and his favourite child. Slightly spoilt, imperious, and given a staggering dowry, Marie would be courted by none other than Queen Victoria's second son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. He was a Navy man, happily at home at sea, and it's said that he married Marie out of desire for her dowry rather than for herself. Too, Queen Victoria was aghast at the idea of her son marrying a Russian -- they were entirely too proud, too indulgent and not at all suitable. Indeed, the Queen would find out that out of all of her family and in-laws, it was Marie who stood up to her and refused to be bullied by her, a move that eventually won the Queen's respect. The fourth, Olga Constantinovna, was from a junior branch of the Romanov family. She was just fourteen when she met her future husband, George, who had just been named the King of the Hellenes or Greece, and he was smitten by the girl who he saw peeping at him through the banisters at a reception. George was one of the brothers of Marie Feodorovna, and both families encouraged the match, although Olga's father urged that Olga not be married until she was sixteen. Olga did marry her George, and made the journey south to Greece, a freshly minted monarchy that would endure a turbulent history. To the Greeks, she was extremely popular, having shared the same faith -- Orthodoxy -- and her loving and charming ways towards the people. She and George would have numerous children, and a strong and loving marriage that would last for nearly fifty years, until assassination and war started to take their toll on her. All four women were intellectual, and full of both the good and the bad. Using diaries, letters and contemporary histories, Gelardi draws a detailed, intermingled portrait of these women, showing their courage and family ties as Russia moved ever closer to the revolution that would send all of them into exile and change the world forever. The writing is clear, and while it does take a bit to sort out the various women -- after all, three of them had the same name: Marie -- the story of their lives together and apart makes for interesting reading. Each one of them would have to endure scandals, rumours, and when the times got hard, each one rose to the occasion with bravery and at times, incredible bravery. During World War I, their interested shifted to endless charity work, running hospital trains in Russia, and seeking to try and help others, quite a different view than that used by the Bolsheviks after the Revolution where the Romanovs were concerned. Indeed, the more I have read about this family, the more that I have learnt that Romanov women tended to be much tougher and more resilient then the men that they married, and when the situation demanded it, they were anything but frail flowers in fine jewelry and clothing. The writing here is very clear, and while the narrative does get gossipy at times, the author fortunately doesn't let it slide into a silly tale. Instead, she focuses on how these women interacted with each other and the world at large, showing how throughout nineteenth century Europe there was a network of women in power who used their influence when they could, joined together by the marriages of their children to each other, and a constant stream of visits and letters to each other. Along with the narrative, there are a set of genealogical charts showing the various relationships among the various royal families, two inserts of black and white photographs, extensive notes, and a very good bibliography of books and other sources for further research. This was a book that I enjoyed reading, and compared to the other two books that Gelardi has written, I think the best of them. She brings to life three women who had been mostly forgotten by history, and a fourth that was overshadowed by the history of her son, and brings them forward into the light. The stories are interesting to read, the tragedies all too real, and the lives both fascinating and sad. For anyone who is interested in the lives of royalties, or European history, this would make a fine addition to their collection. Overall, an enthusiastic four stars, and a hearty recommendation for this one. Other books by Julia P. Gelardi: Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria In Triumph's Wake: Royal Mothers, Tragic Daughters, and the Price They Paid for Glory From Splendor to Revolution: The Romanov Women 1849-1928 Julia P. Gelardi 2011; St. Martin's Press ISBN 978-0-312-37115-9