Tsar Paul I of Russia and sister of Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. A third child was born and was a girl, which was named Alexandra in honor of her older brother. Russia marriage name tell the truth, I am infinitely more like boys than girls. The Empress’ secretary Alexander Khrapovitsky wrote that the Empress considered the newborn Grand Duchess Alexandra very ugly, especially compared with her older brothers.
Gradually the Empress started to have better feelings about her granddaughter. Thank you, that you love me, I’ll love you. In turn, Alexandra was particularly attached to her grandmother. She loves me more than anyone in the world, and I think she’s ready for anything just to please me, or at least for had my attention even for a moment. Grand Duchesses Alexandra and Elena Pavlovna, by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, ca. She received the usual education of Russian princesses and was taught French and German as well as music and drawing. Alexandra was very close to her younger sister Elena, and they were often painted together.
Alexandra’s upbringing, as well as her sisters, was entrusted to Charlotte von Lieven, who acted as Governess. A little Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna dressed in kokoshnik and sarafan, 1790s. The older Grand Duchess was a very diligent student. In 1787, her mother proudly wrote about her four-year-old daughter, that “she continues to be diligent, making notable advances and begins to translate from German”. The third is a portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra. During her first six years of life, I didn’t find any special on her, but since a year and a half ago, suddenly she made a surprising change: she became more prettier and took a posture that seems older than his years.
In 1794, the Empress began to think about the future of the Grand Duchess. Alexandra Pavlovna was eleven years old, and “that summer a girl should be considered an adult. In the letters of those years Catherine II expresses the idea of bringing to Russia “landless princes”, who after marrying her granddaughters would get the position and means for life in their new homeland. It is time for the older one to get married.
She and the other sister, beautiful. They are all good, and all find them charming. Bridegrooms will have to look for them in the afternoon with fire. Well they must have body and soul. But the fate of Alexandra turned out differently.
In October 1793, on the occasion of the marriage of the Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich with Princess Louise of Baden arrived in St. Petersburg Count Stenbock with congratulations from the Swedish court, and started the official talks about marriage. As with politics, and with a family point of view, I always looked up and now look at this alliance as the most desirable in all respects. But on two issues the parties could not reach an agreement: The religion of the future Queen and the fate of Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, member of the conspiracy against the Swedish regent, who took refuge in Russia. The girl can wait patiently for my decision of her fate until the adulthood of the King, as she is only eleven years old. If the matter is not settled, it may be comforted, because that will be the loser, who marries another.
On 1 November 1795 the Swedish court officially announced the engagement between Gustav IV Adolf and Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and the official church prayer in Sweden the intended bride began to be mentioned. Let the regent hate me, let him look for an opportunity and deceive me – good luck! But why does he marry the King with that plain and ugly girl? How did the King deserve such cruel punishment, while he was thinking to marry the Grand Duchess, whose beauty is talked about by everyone with one voice? But the Empress was not limited to just words: she refused to accept the ambassador who came with the message of the engagement’s announcement. Count Alexander Suvorov was sent to the Swedish border for “exploring the castles”, and in Stockholm Major General Count Andrei Budberg was instructed to prevent the marriage. Gustav IV Adolf and his uncle the Duke of Södermanland arrived incognito under for a meeting with the bride.
A series of brilliant parties were arranged in their honor. The Swedish sovereign and Alexandra fell in love at first sight. The passion of Gustav IV Adolf for the Grand Duchess was evident: he danced with her constantly and had intimate conversations with her. On 25 August 1796, Gustav IV Adolf asked the Empress for permission to marry the Grand Duchess. The negotiations with Sweden were led by Counts Platon Zubov and Arkady Morkov.
However, they were concerned with the question of the faith of the future Queen. They said that as honest men they are obliged to announce to me that Sweden’s laws require that the Queen profess the same religion of the King. Only on 2 September Gustav IV Adolf agreed that Alexandra would keep her Eastern Orthodox faith. Four days later, on 6 September, the Swedish embassy formally requested the hand of the Grand Duchess. Catherine II died two months later, on 17 November, and the marriage negotiations were continued by Alexandra Pavlovna’s father and new Emperor Paul I of Russia. But in spite of all attempts, the main issue, the religion of Grand Duchess, was not settled, and the marriage negotiations were finally stopped.