Empress of Russia Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)

the imperial family. left right: tsarevich nicholas, grand duke george, empress maria feodorovna, grand duchess olga, grand duchess xenia, grand duke michael, tsar alexander iii, livadia 1893

on morning of 13 march 1881, father-in-law alexander ii of russia, aged 62, killed bomb on way winter palace military parade. in diary, maria later described how wounded, still living emperor taken palace: legs crushed terribly , ripped open knee; bleeding mass, half boot on right foot, , sole of foot remaining on left. alexander ii died few hours later. although people not enamoured of new emperor, adored russia s new empress. maria s contemporaries said of her: empress. herself not altogether pleased new status. in diary wrote, our happiest , serenest times over. peace , calm gone, ever able worry sasha. despite being haunted father-in-law s gruesome death , anxiety on safety of husband, @ alexander ii s funeral, @ least afforded comfort of presence of brother-in-law , favourite sister, prince , princess of wales, latter of whom, despite husband s reluctance , queen victoria s objections, stayed on in russia maria several weeks after funeral.

alexander , maria crowned @ assumption cathedral in kremlin in moscow on 27 may 1883. before coronation, major conspiracy had been uncovered, cast pall on celebration. nevertheless, on 8000 guests attended splendid ceremony. because of many threats against maria , alexander iii, head of security police, general cherevin, shortly after coronation urged tsar , family relocate gatchina palace, more secure location 50 kilometres outside st. petersburg. huge palace had 900 rooms , built catherine great. romanovs heeded advice. maria , alexander iii lived @ gatchina 13 years, , here 5 surviving children grew up. under heavy guard, alexander iii , maria made periodic trips gatchina capital take part in official events.

maria described success in social role empress, loved dance @ balls of high society , became popular socialite , hostess of imperial balls; daughter olga commented, “court life had run in splendor, , there mother played part without single false step.”, , contemporary remarked on success: “of long gallery of tsarinas have sat in state in kremlin or paced in winter palace, marie feodorovna perhaps brilliant”. longed balls , gatherings in winter palace. these occurred @ gatchina. alexander used enjoy joining in musicians, although end sending them off 1 one. when happened, maria knew party over.

empress maria feodorovna of russia, circa 1885

as tsarevna, , tsarina, maria feodorovna had of social rivalry popular grand duchess marie pavlovna, wife of russian brother-in-law, grand duke vladimir. rivalry had echoed 1 shared husbands, , served exacerbate rift within family. while maria feodorovna knew better publicly criticise both grand duke , duchess in public, marie pavlovna had earned caustic epithet of empress vladimir tsarina.

nearly each summer, maria, alexander , children make annual trip denmark, parents, king christian ix , queen louise, hosted family reunions. maria s brother, king george i, , wife, queen olga, come athens children, , princess of wales, without husband, come of children england. in contrast tight security observed in russia, tsar, tsarina , children relished relative freedom enjoy @ bernstorff , fredensborg. annual family meetings of monarchs in denmark regarded suspicious in europe, many assumed secretly discussed state affairs. bismarck nicknamed fredensborg “europe’s whispering gallery” , accused queen louise of plotting against him children. maria had relationship majority of in-laws, , asked act mediator between them , tsar. in words of daughter olga: “she proved herself extremely tactful in-laws, no easy task”.

empress maria feodorovna , husband emperor alexander iii vacationing in copenhagen in 1893

during alexander iii s reign, monarchy s opponents disappeared underground. group of students had been planning assassinate alexander iii on sixth anniversary of father s death @ peter , paul cathedral in st. petersburg. plotters had stuffed hollowed-out books dynamite, intended throw @ tsar when arrived @ cathedral. however, russian secret police uncovered plot before carried out. 5 students hanged in 1887; amongst them aleksandr ulyanov, older brother of vladimir lenin.

the biggest threat lives of tsar , family, however, came not terrorists, derailment of imperial train in fall of 1888. maria , family had been @ lunch in dining car when train jumped tracks , slid down embankment, causing roof of dining car cave in on them.

when maria s eldest sister alexandra visited gatchina in july 1894, surprised see how weak brother-in-law alexander iii had become. @ time maria had long known ill , did not have long left. turned attention eldest son, future nicholas ii, on him both personal future , future of dynasty depended.

nicholas had long had heart set on marrying princess alix of hesse-darmstadt, favourite grandchild of queen victoria. despite fact godchild, neither alexander iii nor maria approved of match. nicholas summed situation follows: wish move in 1 direction, , clear mama wishes me move in another – dream 1 day marry alix. maria , alexander found alix shy , peculiar. concerned young princess not possessed of right character empress of russia. nicholas s parents had known alix child , formed impression hysterical , unbalanced, may have been due loss of mother , youngest sister, marie, diphtheria when six. when alexander iii s health beginning fail reluctantly gave permission nicholas propose.