The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-10
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
ATTRACTIVE AND Of sTRoNG FER
SONALITY Is PRINCESS ALIx.
Refused to Deny Her. own Religion
LAW Was Altered 10 Suit Her Case.

Princess Alix, the Empress OF the young
Car Nicholas. Is far more English in SEN
timent and training than many Of her
English cousins. From babyhood she has
been surrounded by nurses, attendants. and
governnesses selected at windsor and Bal
moral. and since the age of six she has
been bothered and cared for almost exclu-
sively by her royal grandmother, Queen
Victoria.
Princess Alix OF Hesse is the youngest
living child Of the late Grand Duke and
Duchess of Hesse Darmstadt. and her
mother, Princess Alice, was the most pop
ular OF the English royal family. and her
love and devotion TO her mother were touch
ingly proved in the remarkable volume OF
letters published after her death. Her
widower's foolish intrigue with his Russian
ambassadors wife, Nine. Kalomine. did not
destroy Queen victoria's affection for her
dead daughters "adored Louis
The new Empress is tall and slender.
fair-haired and ~blue-eyed. with a refined.
sensitive face. She looks older than her
twenty-five years. and has in her short
life known many sorrows. Her mother died
when she was only six years old. although
she was fortunate i'm the possession of u
particularly admirable and thoroughly COM
petent nurse, rejoicing in the typical En-
giish name Of Orchard. Her childhood. save
for the long visits she paid TO her maternal
grandmother. was spent in comparative
seclusion. for her three sisters. Victoria.
Elizabeth and Irene. were all considerably
older than herself. and her friend and play
fellow. Prince Ernie" was soon taken
away from nursery life and put under tie
guardianship OF tutors and soldiers.
As the Princess grew up she became far
more her fathers companion and friend
than any of her sisters had ever been. Her
indulgent guide, philosopher and friend TO
the lonely young girl, and owing 10 her eff
forts Princess AK may be said TO be a
or the term; she is widely and well read.
and speaks French. English and German
ATTRACTIVE AT FIFTEEN.
AS long ago as the jubilee year. when
the Princess Alex was a little over fifteen. it
was whispered that the Czarewitch vas
much attracted TO the orphan princess,
whose close connection With the Russian
royal family is scarcely recognized even
now. Hesss-Dsrmstadt. though a small
German state. has already given three en-
presses to Russia. including the much-,oved
Czarina Marie, the latA Cars mother. a
woman of sterling goodness. whose great
hearted charity made her adored by the
Russian tpeasdntry.
The marriage OF the Princess Ella TO the
late Cars brother. the Grand Duke Ser
gius, also ,drew the families closer together.
Princess ak was constantly visiting her
sister in Russia, and it is said that from
the first that Alexander Ill expressed great
interest and affection for his young cousin,
although he. by no means FASTENED on his
sol's engagement
At last. after a prolonged tour through
India. Japan and Siberia, the care witch
expressed his determination to settle down.
but Princess Alix showed no undue haste
TO avail herself Of the brilliant propositions
made to her, and she only consented TO his
formal betrothsl on the occasion Of her
brothers wedding to Princess Victoria
Melita OF Edinburgh, the second daughter
OF the Duke of Coburg. On that occasion
lies were gathered together, but SO little
was the engagement expected that the
young Emperor or Germany, not crediting
stree.s OF the picturesque little town OF
Cot,urg, and elbowed his way through the
crowd surrounding the royal schloss in or
der 10 ascertain for himself the Qpyful fact,
for to him the marriage of the Idture Car
TO a German princess was naturally a great
reason for INSTRUMENTATION.
"Grandmamm we have come to tell You
OF our betrothal, and to ask you for your
blessing. the Czarevitch said TO the Queen
when telling her OF HIS own and the
Princess Alix engagement; but although
the young couple were overwhelmed with
good wishes from far and near. the Car
substantial tokens OF their warm approval,
1.-THE course of true love- did not by any
means run smooth.
PRINCESS ALIX'S FIRM WILL.
The late Grand Duchess OF Hesse
Princes Alix's mother and most revered
example, openly expressed her dislike to
the change of religion being made a condi-
ton in royal marriages. This point is
touched upon several times I'm her letters.
and it is only natural that her daughter
should have felt sensitive on this point.
Still the Czarina of holy Russia cannot be
anything but orthodox, and the engagement
had scarcely been announced when two
Greek priests were sent to instruct the
Princess with a view of her joining her
future husbands faith. The Princes lent
was proposed till she found that she would
be required to declare that her religion was
''accsrsed." This she absolutely refused to
do. and as a consequence the the marriage
was at one time almost broken of. After
many "pour-parlers'' the primate of the
of abjuration TO the words. Il join the
Greek Church In order TO be of the same
religion as my. future husband and chill
dren,' and until this was clearly and pub
licly stated the Princess would not even
consent to consider the question of her
Her marriage was to have taken place
two months before the Cars fatal illness,
had It not been for religious difficulties and
to begin her new life. Unlike the Care
witch. who Is painfully nervous, and 10
whom even the noise of a seltzer bottle be-
ing opened produces a painful impression.
the Princess has extraordinary self-com-
mand and much OF her -grandmother's ster-
ling good sense and knowledge of the
world. OFTEN IL has been her part to act
as peacemaker between her sisters and
their husbands, and had 1T not been for
her the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess
Sergius. would have been separated long
ago. 1t was the knowledge of this fact
that made the Car first consent to the
thought Of her marriage with his eldest
son. For In Russia Czarinas have always
played an important part in the affairs OF
the state, and II Is, therefore, virtually inn
portant that the princess holding this posi-
ton should be thoroughly trustMorthy and