13 1928 October, the
In Denmark, in exile, at Villa Wiedere, she passed away. Maria Feodorovna — Russian Empress, wife Alexander III, the mother of Nicholas II.
The Lord allows everyone to bear the cross according to their strength.
She was born in 1847 Copenhagen. She was the fourth child of a German prince and the future King of Denmark. Christian IX. Birth name - Dagmar, but her relatives called her Minnie.
Christian IX had six children. All of them, thanks to the efforts of his wife Louise, would enter into advantageous marriages with members of European royal families—for this, Dagmar's parents would earn the nickname "the father-in-law and mother-in-law of Europe."
The Danish princes and princesses were given a good education at home and raised in modesty and good manners. Dagmar's closest sister was her eldest sister. Alexandra: will be friends for the rest of their lives, and their sons - Emperor Nicholas II and King George V — will have a portrait resemblance.
In September 1864, 16-year-old Dagmar was engaged to the 21-year-old Tsarevich Nikolay, eldest son Alexander II. Nixie had a pleasant appearance and a sharp mind, received an excellent education - a lawyer Boris Chicherin, The man who taught the Tsarevich state law believed that he could become “the most educated and liberal monarch not only in Russian history, but in the entire world.”
But disaster struck. Almost immediately after the engagement, Nixie began complaining of weakness and back pain. Doctors were unable to diagnose the condition for a long time. Only in the spring of 1865 did they deliver the verdict: tuberculous meningitis. In April 1865, the Tsarevich died.
After Nixie's death, his brother Alexander, who loved him dearly, confessed to his father that he had developed a liking for Dagmar, with whom he had cared for the dying man.
I feel that I can and even love dear Minnie very much, especially since she is so dear to us. God willing, everything will work out as I wish.
Alexander decided to propose to Dagmar towards the summer of 1866. He later wrote to his father that he was nervous and couldn't find the right words. The attraction was mutual.
I asked her if she could love anyone else besides dear Nix. She answered that no one but his brother.
The engagement took place in Denmark in June 1866. In September, Dagmar arrived in Russia. She converted to Orthodoxy and took the new name Maria Feodorovna. They were married in November. The marriage was a success—the couple lived together for almost 30 years and were deeply attached to each other.
The higher our position, the more politely we must behave, otherwise people will not forgive us for being above them.
(from the instructions of Queen Louise to Dagmar's daughter)
The charming and cheerful Maria was warmly received by both the courtiers and the capital's society. Chaikovsky dedicated romances to her, Maikov и Tyutchev - poetry. Witte Later he noted her two main qualities: intelligence and diplomatic skills.
Despite her small stature, Maria Feodorovna's manners were so grand that no one was visible where she entered except her.
(Felix Yusupov)
She became empress in 1881. It was believed that Alexander III's Danish origins and hostility toward Germany may have influenced his foreign policy. Be that as it may, her husband went down in history as the "Peacemaker"; under his rule, Russia never waged a single war.
She was a patron of the arts and a trustee of the Women's Patriotic Society, the Water Rescue Society, educational institutions, almshouses, and the Russian Red Cross.
She didn't like her daughter-in-law Alexandra Feodorovna for morbid mysticism.
My unfortunate daughter-in-law does not understand that she is ruining the dynasty and herself.
Tried to prevent her son's mistakes - the decision to become commander-in-chief in 1915 or to trust To Rasputin. To no avail.
I learned about the abdication of Nicholas II in 1917 while in Kiev. Until the very end, she didn't believe he was dead. In 1919, she emigrated from Crimea to The UK — to his nephew George V, who had previously refused asylum to his cousin Nicholas.
I feel bitter because I have to leave here in this way because of evil people <> I lived here for 51 years and loved both the country and the people
In 1920, she settled in her native Denmark, in a villa she and her sister Alexandra had purchased at the beginning of the century to spend their summers together. She died there, living to the age of 80.
