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Video: Because of what the Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov quarreled with his brother-Emperor Nicholas II
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Mikhail Romanov grew up as an inquisitive but shy boy. He diligently avoided increased attention to himself from childhood and preferred to spend time reading books or fishing with Father Alexander III. He was glad that he would not have to inherit the throne and dreamed of living freely, like ordinary people. But once Mikhail Alexandrovich became the cause of a real scandal and fell out with his brother the emperor.
Younger son
Mikhail Alexandrovich, like all the children of Alexander III, was given an excellent education and upbringing, but, unlike the eldest sons of the emperor, no one ever prepared him for the imperial throne. He himself was glad of this and never aspired to power. But in 1899, Tsarevich George, the middle son of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna, died of tuberculosis. Mikhail Alexandrovich was forced to take on the burden of the heir to the throne.
By that time, Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov was 21 years old, and he was considered one of the most enviable suitors in Russia: attractive in appearance, well-read and educated, with excellent manners and fluent in three languages. Despite the fact that he painfully perceived the responsibility that fell on him, he performed the duties of the heir to the throne very diligently. He made a brilliant career in the military field, became a trustee of social committees, and was keenly interested in the activities of scientific communities.
The only thing that prevented him from becoming an exemplary heir to the throne was his incredible sensuality. He simply could not give up his love for the sake of the throne.
All-consuming love
The acquaintance of Mikhail Alexandrovich and Natalya Sergeevna, the wife of Lieutenant Vladimir Wulfert, took place at an army ball in 1908. Graceful and at the same time majestic, Natalya Sergeevna (nee Sheremetyevskaya) conquered men at first sight with her beauty, and then consolidated the success with an interesting conversation. Mikhail Alexandrovich invited Natalia Wulfert to dance and fell in love almost instantly. They spent the whole evening together, talking, dancing, laughing, talking about art. And at the end we left the ball together.
They were a very beautiful couple, but the society immediately expressed condemnation of the Grand Duke. According to the high society, he had no right to turn his attention to a married woman, and besides, she was in a second marriage. She left her first spouse Sergei Mamontov, the nephew of a famous philanthropist, together with her little daughter Natasha.
According to all the laws, Natalia Wulfert could not become the wife of the heir to the throne. But Mikhail Alexandrovich himself strongly disagreed with this.
Conflict with Nicholas II
The lovers exchanged letters, representatives of the high society and Nicholas II were indignant, and Natalya Sergeevna's husband challenged his rival to a duel, failing to achieve from the Grand Duke a promise to marry Natalya if he gave her a divorce. Mikhail Alexandrovich could not give such a guarantee, and therefore accepted the challenge.
Nicholas II, having learned about the upcoming duel, was furious. He was not interested in the feelings of his brother, and therefore he ordered him to go to serve in Oryol this very minute, surrendering the command of the squadron. Lieutenant Wulfert was forced to submit a letter of resignation due to "unworthy behavior". Natalya Sergeevna preferred to wait out the storm in the distance and immediately left for Europe.
Separated Natalia and Mikhail suffered desperately, wrote touching letters to each other, beat off telegrams and expressed their hope for a date. In fact, the Grand Duke in a few months was able to visit his beloved in Copenhagen for just a few days. And returning to Oryol, he soon received a telegram with the news that he would soon become a father.
Natalya Sergeevna's husband still did not give her a divorce, and he promised to hand over the child to an orphanage immediately after birth. In despair, Mikhail Alexandrovich went to bow to his brother, begging him to facilitate the divorce, so that it would be completed before the birth of Natalya Sergeevna. Nicholas II really helped his brother by paying Natalya Sergeevna's wife an incredible amount of 200 thousand rubles for renouncing paternity. But Mikhail Alexandrovich had to promise the tsar never to marry Natalia Wulfert and not appear with her in the world. Then the Grand Duke agreed to everything, but it wasn't long before he broke both of his words.
First, the lovers, together with their son Georgy, arrived in St. Petersburg, where they expected official documents on the divorce of Natalya Sergeevna. Naturally, Mikhail Romanov and Natalya Wulfert walked around the city together, visited museums and theaters, absolutely not reacting to condemning views. Then they left for Europe. There, on October 16, 1912, the lovers entered into a legal marriage.
For the sake of his love, Mikhail Alexandrovich broke his word given to the emperor, and thereby entered into an open conflict with him. Needless to say, Nicholas II was furious? He announced a complete break in relations with the Grand Duke and wrote to his mother that Mikhail did not care about the consequences of his act for the House of Romanov. The disgraced prince was deprived of all posts and the right to inherit the throne.
Until the First World War began, Mikhail Alexandrovich felt great in England, where he settled with his family. But when he learned about the official entry of Russia into the war, he turned to his brother with a demand to send him to the front, accompanying the letter with a remark: no one dares to deprive him of the right to shed blood for his Motherland.
Nicholas II heard the request of his brother, and with his courage he earned the forgiveness of the emperor, the return of all titles and positions. And permission to return with my family to Russia. Unfortunately, the return turned out to be fatal. As you know, after the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, Mikhail followed his example. He was exiled to Perm and on the night of June 12-13, 1918, he was taken to the forest and shot.
Natalya Sergeevna managed to escape after 10 months of imprisonment and leave for Great Britain and then France. She died in 1952, having survived her own son, who died in a car accident in 1931. Just a few months before her death, she learned about the death of Mikhail Alexandrovich.
Nicholas II did not understand the ardent feelings of his own brother, however, even He refused to marry his three eldest daughters. It is worth noting that the last Russian emperor himself once married against the will of his parents.
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