Grand Duchesses - Tumblr Posts
“Rank meant little to the girls. They worked alongside their maids in making their own beds and straightening their rooms. Often, they visited the maids in their quarters and played with their children. When they gave instructions, it was never as a command. Instead, the Grand Duchesses said, ‘If it isn’t too difficult for you, my mother asks you to come.’ Within the household, they were addressed simple Russian fashion, using their names and patronyms: Olga Nicolaiavna, Tatiana Nicolaievna. When they were addressed in public by their full ceremonial titles, the girls were embarrassed. Once at a meeting of a committee of which Tatiana was honorary president, Baroness Buxhoeven began by saying, ‘May it please Your Imperial Highness…’ Tatiana stared in astonishment and, when the Baroness sat down, kicked her violently under the table. ‘Are you crazy to speak to me like that?’ she whispered.”
Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K Massie
