Post by David / Amicus<<Empress Alexandra of Russia tried and failed to impose Victorian
morals at her court, and look what that got her.>>
She now wears a marty's crown in Heaven where she makes intercession for
her poor country (Russia).
While one does sympathise with the horrors suffered by the last czar
and his family, it is worth remembering much of this "pity" comes post
fact of their demise. Posterity demands examination of all the facts
surrounding a person's life and on that score Alexandra comes up a bit
short.
In about as louche royal court as one would find at the time, Alexandra
was a priggish if not some what prudish English "lady" who made little
or no effort to adapt, but like her grand-mother insisted all things
adapt the other way around. Her tendency to take on a thing with manic
zeal, present since childhood would grow and become one of her largest
detractions. Not content like other Russian imperial consorts to merely
adopt the religion of her husband, she became nearly obsessed with her
practice that it offended many of those whom had been members since
birth.
Shocked by the behaviour and dress of the court (especially of the
ladies), Alexandra decided she ought to be the proper English governess
and adjure the ladies to be demure,modest, take up charity work, and
form sewing circles . HIM was stung when the Russian ladies shot back
they were not taking marching orders from an English "lady" imported via
Hesse-Darmstadt, and had no time for her busy work ideas. This caused
Alexandra to retreat further from court and society. Problem is when one
is not around to prove otherwise, all sorts of rumours are taken as
fact. It also gives enemies full reign to destroy a reputation and by
all accounts this is what happened to Alexandra.
As for Alexandra's relationship to her husband, she had more influence
than many of her peers over their husbands, and more the pity she didn't
take advantage. Rather than seeing the larger picture and sticking to
her ideas of reform (for which her grand-father, Prince Albert would be
proud), she allowed herself to be taken in to the theory Russians were
like children and Russia needed a strong had at the reigns. While the
later part may or may not be true, it is worth nothing the hands
directly holding the reigns does not have to be royal one. Moving Russia
towards a constitutional monarchy would have allowed power to remain
with the throne, but blame for polices elsewhere. More than anyone else
Alexandra had the power to make her husband see sense, a few well chosen
words at crucial times might have made not only a huge difference in how
her life played out, but Russian history as well.