Maria Romanova

In the summer of 1889 brought the Greek queen Olga marry the Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich his young daughter, Alexandra. Exactly two years later, she arrived at her funeral: the princess died in childbirth of her second child. First - Mary - just one year old.

And then the Romanov scandal - the father of Maria and Dmitry became friends with the wife of a subordinate, and that just finished off the August family, after a divorce, married her lover. Nicholas II was beside himself. Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich was deprived of all and above all children. Entry to Russia it was banned.

Mary and Dmitry given to the development childless Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife Elizabeth Feodorovna, which in the Romanov family name was Ella. It will become abbess Martha and Maria monastery. That would drop her alive in a mine Alapaevsk in 1918. But when that terrible date loomed in the distance, like all the terrible ordeals that befell the Romanovs.

. When Sergei was killed by a terrorist bomb Kalyagina in February 1905, Mary was fifteen years old, her brother, Dmitri - fourteen
. On this day, they are orphaned again: the prince really loved foster children.

All of these tragic events will not take off at Maria's natural gaiety and passion for nedevichim occupations - tin soldiers. With Dmitry they staged the whole battle.

He grew up everyone's favorite and the darling. All that is embedded in the concept of "the great prince ', in Mary's brothers were in abundance. Somehow unnoticed he vymahal in the amazingly beautiful young man, in Romanowski tall, beautiful companion, an excellent horseman.

... On the day shestnadtsatiletiya Mary in a magnificent Pavlovsk Palace was given a great reception. Culprit for his first triumph in the life of the ball was in the dress of air veil decorated with lilies of the valley. This toilet had to emphasize the very type of beauty girl - in Slavonic soft, like a radiating light. Diplomatic corps, accustomed to the beauties of the court of Russia, only gasped at the sight of the young princess.

. Very soon after the ball out of Paul's letter, accidentally or deliberately left Aunt Ella in a conspicuous place, Maria realized that her marriage.

. Appeared and groom
. It was twenty Swedish heir to the throne Prince William, extremely shy, reserved, he does not like a lover. As for his own feelings, her unsophisticated heart was not yet familiar with what is called the mysterious word 'love'.

All palace 'army' stormed the bewildered Mary. Aunt Ella in every key singing about leaning orphan happiness - five minutes to the Queen of Sweden! The fact that this marriage is advantageous to strengthen the Russian-Swedish relations of the ruling dynasty, of course, kept quiet.

The wedding was postponed for two years. Maria taught Swedish language, but in a suburb of Stockholm, has laid the foundation for a romantic castle in the English style - a gift of Aunt Ella's future newlyweds. However, as we approach a significant event bride covered more and more doubts. In the end, she scribbled her fiance a letter of apology and announcement that terminates the engagement.

. But nothing of the sort! Mary soon realized that public-diplomatic machine began to spin, but it is the Prince too small cogs to influence its course
. She had only one joy - in honor of her marriage the father was forgiven and now with a new family could live in Russia.

. And the guests had already arrived. King Gustav V of Sweden with her fiance, Prince, accompanied by all the Swedish court. Monarchy come in large numbers from all over Europe. Wedding turned into a grand public event, but the bride's dress as it was then ironically, 'recalled with heavy artillery'. At Mary was still the most expensive and exquisite, that have accumulated in the royal treasury for several centuries.

. The girl was decorated with a diadem of Catherine II with a magnificent diamond, double-row necklace of large diamonds, and ears were pulling massive earrings shaped cherries
. In the end, unable to bear their weight, tired young during the wedding dinner, took them off and hung on the edge of the glass than the incredibly amuse the Emperor Nicholas II.

Stockholm met a young wife of the heir to enthusiastically. Two weeks later, without waiting for the end of the honeymoon, the Prince went to his service in the Swedish navy, and the young princess discovered that she was only eighteen years old, and that in Sweden you can live much more fun than with Russia's backyard.

. Swedish court, however, a long time to get used to this charming immediacy
. Maid stolbenela, when the Princess, sitting on a large silver tray, with a roar swept down the marble steps of the grand staircase.

. Maria, a beautiful equestrian, race worn with the Household Cavalry, boldly lavished her kindness
. Once stokgolmtsy witnessed just stunning scenes. Their gray-haired monarch Gustav V raced in a gig like crazy in a pair with a young daughter and desperately pulling on the reins, trying to stop the spirited trotter. It turned out, Mary, not knowing the temper just bought horses, invited him to ride. Tragicomic incident, but not in the least shake our deepest feelings and affections of King to the Russian atamanshe. Despite everything, he remained a faithful friend of Mary, and I think it took place in his heart more than it relies daughter.

But, fortunately, 'the Swedish band' is not exhausted by young mischief, otherwise it is difficult to say how to survive Maria. Princess was admitted to the Stockholm Art-Industrial School, which trained artists on fabrics, fashion designers, decorators, the successor to the throne first appeared in the workshops and the last of their left. Nevertheless, in May 1909 Mary still managed to give birth to a son. The boy was named Lennart, and all of Sweden celebrated the event as a day of national celebration. Rejoicing visibly proof of convergence of the spouses, the king made a tactical mistake. He sent the young in a long journey.

As bad luck in some fairy Maria outright struck down the state to hunt there on the Tigers Duke of Montpensier. Fighter predators quickly proved a charming Russian princess how much she lost in alliance with the phlegmatic prince, but without the outcome of the Duke of Swedish marriage was a foregone conclusion.

. In December 1913, formally announced the dissolution of a marriage between 'their Royal Highness' Prince William and' Their Imperial Highness "Maria Pavlovna Romanova
. Leaving Sweden, the former princess could not have thought that she sees her son only after eight years ...

In 1914, the First World War, and Mary, where she studied nursing and passing an examination, was in the hospital almost at the forefront. Now it is a more sober look at the environment where born and raised. She learned a lot and a lot to understand.



... Before the Revolution, she fell in love. Sergei Putjatin her familiar from childhood, but now, before it was twice wounded soldier with the same turmoil in his soul, as she. They were young, and it was a stronger sense of oppressive danger of spilled around. Sergey and Maria were married in Pavlovsk. A modest dinner in no way resembled a triumph, with which ten years ago, it was said her sixteenth.

After October 17 th began searches. Came to Putjatin. 'Comrades,' did not occur to ask a bottle with a label 'Ink, "which stood on the table. In her last moment Maria folded diamonds and flooded with paraffin. Then smuggling has transported a bottle of Swedish relatives. Now get out of Russia and Sergey could not: Mary was pregnant.

Since food was bad. Rescued sending her father-king and garden in a small cottage, which took Sergei to avoid an eyesore to the authorities. Once Maria lifted a bucket of water, went into labor. She suffered all night without help, while her husband ran around the deserted homes. In the morning random nurse took the child, who was omitted just one year of life. He decided to leave with relatives and go ...

Before Mary came to say goodbye to his father. It was a lovely day entrancing. Tsarskoe Selo flowered lilac. They talked about a future meeting. Neither one nor the other did not know that at the bottom of the shaft in Alapaevsk already on their relatives and Paul's days are numbered Alexandrovich.

The news of his father's death Mary was in Bucharest and did not dare to indulge in despair, sobbing, yelling: she lived at the mercy of strangers, dressed in cast-offs from someone else's shoulder. Then he and Sergey got to Paris ...

Princess of blood had no notion of anything, she did not know how much a ticket for subway, bread, milk. Never in her life she wore no money on me: this just was not necessary. Now had to think about where to get them.

In the early days of absolute despair, Maria suddenly received from the Swedish relatives cherished bottle of 'ink'. And almost immediately found his brother Dmitri, whom she had mourned. Now they were three, and, of course, diamonds, sold on the cheap, long kept them afloat. The men throw up their hands. Mary - no.

At the last money she had acquired a machine for embroidery in the price that included free lessons. Every morning, came to the dilapidated workshop to learn techniques of machine embroidery. Schoolgirls had no idea that the most meticulous and industrious among them, the poor children of proletarian Paris, the niece of the Russian Tsar. Embroideries by Mary went unmatched.

At first the money she took off her room, where not come out for days, falling asleep from exhaustion on the floor. Then she took another three embroiderers - Russian girls, immigrant. It went. Exquisite work of the Grand Duchess interested in Coco Chanel, with whom she accidentally met. Queen of the French fashion seasoned eye once all appreciated. There is cooperation, and the yielding, and another good profit. Soon Maria Pavlovna was already fifty workers.

The success she was given a difficult price, which is reflected even in her appearance. Short hair, smoking a cigarette. Oh, this is not a fairy tale princess from St. Petersburg! Once he saw one of the richest ladies toilet with her embroidery, Masha could not resist - just burst into tears in a taxi. And then the elderly driver turned to her: "Do not cry, Mademoiselle, all settled!" How often she later recalled this advice, how often she repeated this mantra!

Account losses continued. In Russia, died on her little son Roman. She began to forget the features erased Lennart - grandmother, the Queen did not want any meetings with the dissolute grandson's mother.

Something been doing men MariiN Dmitry became the lover of Coco Chanel. Putjatin never could (or not hotelN) putting up. Finally, she tired of all this death. She let go Putiatina on all four sides, and Dmitri zhenila a rich American.

Somehow - it was in 1931 - a 22-year-old Lennart crossed the threshold of the Cabinet of his grandfather, King's call for a decisive. By that time, old Gustav V invited his grandson to marry, to continue the dynasty. Lennart said that he was going to marry, but not on the one jam he Swedish court.

Now Lennart had to choose: love or crown. The son of his mother, in whose veins flowed the only blue blood, he chose the first. I never regretted it ...

'Embroidery with blue blood' has written two volumes of memoirs interesting, unfortunately, we have not issued. She died at sixty-eight years passed before the end of its path with dignity and courage. As a real princess.