The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Charlotte of Prussia: “Crushed hopes” (Part six)

Read part five here.

Once back in Russia, the focus returned to the upcoming nuptials of Charlotte’s eldest son, Alexander, and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. On 12 December 1840, Marie was accepted into the Russian Orthodox Church with the name Maria Alexandrovna. She and Alexander could now be officially betrothed. The wedding took place on 28 April 1841, and it was Charlotte who attached myrrh and orange blossoms underneath the bride’s veil. The wedding took a toll on Charlotte’s health, and she took milk baths to recover.

The following October, Charlotte became a grandmother again when her daughter, Maria, gave birth to her second daughter, who would also be named Maria. Preparations for Charlotte and Nicholas’s silver wedding anniversary were also taking up her time. By June 1842, relatives began to arrive for the festivities. Just before the big day, Nicholas showered Charlotte with presents.¹ From their children, Charlotte received a bracelet with seven colourful gemstones, spelling out respect. From Nicholas, she received a necklace with 25 diamonds. Their daughters gave Nicholas a blue enamel bracelet with the word bonheur spelt out in colourful stones.² That August, Charlotte’s daughter-in-law, Marie, gave birth to her first child, a daughter who was named Alexandra.

In 1843, Charlotte’s third daughter, Alexandra, fell in love with Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel, who had originally come to Russia to court her sister, Olga. The feeling was mutual, and they became engaged in June. Meanwhile, Maria gave birth to her third child, a son who was named Nicholas. Tragically, Maria’s two-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died of whooping cough the day after her little brother’s birth.³ The following month, Charlotte’s daughter-in-law, Marie, gave birth to her second child. It was a son who would be named Nicholas; a new heir had been born. The proud grandfather made his three younger sons kneel at young Nicholas’ cradle and swear allegiance to the future Emperor.⁴

On 28 January 1844, Charlotte’s daughter, Alexandra, married Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel, but by then, she was quite seriously ill. She was coughing so much that she could no longer sing. The newlyweds intended to stay in Russia until Easter, and Alexandra had quickly fallen pregnant. With her pregnancy and illness, they decided to stay longer. Eventually, Alexandra agreed to be examined by someone other than her own doctor, Dr Mandt. He diagnosed her with “galloping consumption”, now known as a rapid form of pulmonary tuberculosis.⁵

The doctor was afraid to tell Alexandra’s mother the diagnosis and instead travelled to the Emperor, who was returning from England. Nicholas learned of Alexandra’s diagnosis in The Hague and rushed home. Alexandra died in the afternoon of 10 August 1844, just a few hours after giving birth to a son who had lived until noon. Charlotte was devastated and wept for days.⁶ Tragically, Alexandra’s cousin, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna, also died in childbirth the following year at the age of 18. Once again, the court was plunged into mourning.

Dr Mandt wrote, “There was little joy in the Winter Palace. […] Black everywhere as a symbol of mourning and crushed hopes.”⁷ Charlotte continued to welcome more grandchildren, which cheered her somewhat. Her health remained fragile, and doctors often urged her to travel to warmer climates. Nicholas was reluctant to let her go, even shouting at Dr Mandt to please let him keep his wife. In the end, the trip to Italy went ahead in September 1845.⁸ As a surprise, Nicholas also went to Italy, staying from the middle of October to early December.

Meanwhile, Nicholas was arranging a marriage for their second daughter, Olga. He was hoping for an Austrian match, but in the end, the suitor was the future King Charles I of Württemberg. It would be a marriage befitting her status, but she probably wasn’t aware of his homosexuality at first. In June, Charlotte returned home, feeling well and cheerful. On 13 July 1846, Charlotte’s birthday, Olga married the future King of Württemberg. Olga’s brother, Konstantin, travelled with the newlyweds to their home in Stuttgart and met his future bride, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg, along the way.

In 1847, Princess Alexandra arrived in Russia and lived with Charlotte for a year to learn Russian and prepare for her conversion. When she entered the Russian Orthodox Church, she received the name Alexandra Iosifovna. Alexandra and Konstantin were married in 1848. Only Charlotte’s two youngest sons were not yet married.

The death of his younger brother Michael in 1849 hit Charlotte’s husband hard, and his health was never the same after that. Charlotte wrote, “Since that day, my Nix’s health has suffered in a sad way. His imagination is struck by the death of his younger brother. He mourns him so much, so often, and so deeply, and he believes, without saying so, that he will not outlive him much longer. What I feel about this, I will say nothing.”⁹ Both Nicholas’s and Charlotte’s health suffered in the coming years.

In 1852, the grand opening of the New Hermitage as a public museum took place. It would be one of the highlights of Nicholas’s reign. Nicholas surprised her with a small private room in the museum, where she could rest.¹⁰ Charlotte was also preparing for a trip to Germany, to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of her brother Charles and his wife Marie. Nicholas also attended, but he arrived later, having been in Vienna.

In early 1853, Anna Tyutcheva wrote about Charlotte, “I was struck by the contrast between the Empress’s face, the face of a very old woman, and her figure, which had retained the youthful slimness and elasticity.”¹¹

Part seven coming soon.

1. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.266
2. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.266
3. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.268
4. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.269
5. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.271
6. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.271
7. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.272-273
8. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.274
9. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.307
10. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.313
11. Die Preußin auf dem Zarenthron by Marianna Butenschön p.316