Tsar Nicholas II Of Russia And Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna With Their First Child, Grand Duchess Olga

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna with their first child, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, 1896.

The imperial couple were utterly delighted with their daughter. The Romanov family was typically overrun with sons (Alexander II and Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna had six sons and only one surviving daughter) so girls were often doted on, if not outright spoiled. Tsarina Alexandra was intent on breastfeeding baby Olga herself, a practice which was still growing in popularity among upper class mothers. Olga remained in her mother’s private apartments for several weeks until she was established in the upstairs nursery, but then received constant visits from her parents. The young Tsar thoroughly enjoyed fatherhood. In his diary entries from Olga’s first months Nicholas talks of bathing, dressing, and helping to feed his daughter. Such was the their attachment to their first baby that when the time came for the Tsar and Tsarina to make a state visit to France and England in 1896 they insisted on taking Olga with them and had a nursery set up for the infant Grand Duchess in the imperial train. 

OTMA on Alexandra’s Balcony - Alexander Palace - ca. 1905

LMM draws goatees on Hamilton when he signs the ten. Just thought you should know.

Spatial Madness

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Robert Amstutz