The Tsarina’s letters to William Boyd carpenter, Bishop of Ripon

(Public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

in the British Library 5 letters from Princess Alix of Hesse, later Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (1872-1918) are preserved. firstly, i thought there were seven letters of hers on the British Library, however additional research has enabled me to establish that these are in its place, two postcards in Russian, to her most effective son, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918). These letters are spectacular as a result of they exhibit us like so a whole lot of the Tsarina's correspondence, that point and geography did by no means decrease the potent ties of friendship once based, not even in some distance-far away Russia. The letters are written to William Boyd chippie, WBD KCVO, D. D, D.C..L, D. Litt, Bishop of Ripon, one-time Chaplain to Queen Victoria and later, Clerk of the Closet to Edward VII.

I consulted these letters firstly of my analysis concerning Princess Alix of Hesse's talk over with to Harrogate in 1894, to undertake a cure for sciatica, one month after her engagement at Coburg to Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia. the primary of those letters is written from Harrogate to the Bishop, in what became arguably the most crucial 12 months of Alix's life – 1894. When he visited Windsor in the summer of 1894, Tsarevich Nicholas can be impressed with the Bishop of Ripon's preaching, commenting in his diary that the Bishop of Ripon on 3 July 1894 (Windsor fortress) had given an 'stunning' sermon (Andrei Maylunas and Sergei Mironenko, A Lifelong ardour, 79). certainly, he bought a acceptance of being a Bishop who changed into 'silver-tongued' by reason of his desirable voice.

Boyd carpenter, photographed through Herbert Rose Barraud, published with the aid of Eglington & Co, carbon print on card mount, posted 1889 (countrywide Portrait Gallery [u.s. Public domain or Public domain, by the use of Wikimedia Commons)

Importantly, throughout this length, Princess Alix become making ready to be obtained into the Russian Orthodox Church; the Orthodox priest who was additionally the Tsarevich's confessor, named Yanyshev (or Yanisheff) accompanied Nicholas to Windsor to aid her during this time before her conversion. Princess Alix met him for the primary time at Windsor fortress on 14 June 1894 (Ibid, seventy five) and on 26 June become introduced to Queen Victoria (Ibid, seventy six).

To bear in mind the magnitude of the Bishop of Ripon's position concerning Queen Victoria, we should look first at his own existence. For this I have drawn closely on the lifetime of the Bishop of Ripon through H. D. an important, D. D major of Ripon corridor, Oxford and someday Librarian on the Bishop's Palace, Ripon, The lifestyles & Letters of W. B. C. (1925). His papers, preserved on the British Library are staggering, showing that he was on corresponding phrases with most of the crowned heads of Europe and their respective relatives. Boyd wood worker held the Bible at George V's coronation.

Boyd wood worker's connection with Queen Victoria changed into privileged and one among mutual admire and warmth. wood worker had been Vicar of St. James's, Holloway and turned into first invited through Dean Wellesley in June 1877 to preach earlier than Queen Victoria. Thereafter, he gave a sermon for the Queen once a year for the next 5 years. In 1879, he was appointed Honorary Chaplain and in 1882 became Canon of Windsor. He additionally had his first interview with the Queen who got here to treat his preaching extremely, writing on 14 December 1885: 'it turned into a superb disappointment to me and every body – that you could not be here the day before today to supply us one among your pleasing sermons'. The Queen stood as godmother to one in all wood worker's daughters who died as an infant. The Queen had given this daughter a move and afterwards asked if Mrs carpenter 'could hereafter like to wear it as a double remembrance'.

the entire Bishop's letters to the Queen have been "carefully preserved, and two volumes of them certain". He spoke the Queen Victoria Jubilee Sermon earlier than the apartment of Commons and even wrote a Jubilee Hymn. He preached at Christ Church, Harrogate in 1904, in whose churchyard, Dr Bickersteth composed his hymn, 'Peace, best peace' on the death of the Prince Consort.

Movingly, wood worker spoke to Queen Victoria, three weeks before her dying: "We had the carrier in the yellow drawing-room, as being extra easy of entry than the chapel. A harmonium turned into brought in, and HRH Princess Beatrice played… It became the closing Sunday of the year and of the century… so I said the changelessness of God, from the words, 'Thou art the same, and Thy years shall now not fail.' Then adopted Faber's hymn, which the Queen liked, 'Angels of Jesus'… I noticed the Queen over again… I left her about 9 o'clock in the evening; hence I bade her adieu for the last time on the ultimate day of the last century" (cit., H. D. a massive, 224).

wood worker changed into, in line with existence, with the Queen's eldest daughter, Empress Frederick at the conclusion of her life, when she was in dreadful agony: 'The Empress became not in a position to stand up… She gave my spouse a bracelet of her personal, which had some household associations. She gave me a seal, which had been Queen Victoria's, and was within the room in which she died… The Empress spoke of… "When i am long past, I desire you to examine the English burial provider over me…' (cit., Ibid, pp. 251-fifty two).

The loss of life Empress dictated a letter to the Bishop "Schloss Friedrichshof, Cronberg, Taunus, Dec 1st 1900, From my bed", with a line in her hand, regardless of awful actual suffering: "I continue to be ever, my pricey Bishop, Yours very essentially, Dowr, Empress Frederick and Queen of Prussia'. most likely most moving of all was the introduced sentence, written by a death girl: 'i'm hoping my tree is alive and turning out to be" (cit., Ibid, pp. 254-fifty five).

Alix and her fiancé, Tsarevich Nicholas photographed in 1894 at the time of their engagement (Eduard Uhlenhuth [Public domain])

It become to this man that Princess Alix of Hesse wrote the five surviving letters. Extracts have been posted from these in a number of books and articles however now not reproduced in full length in view that most important's life in 1925. The Western European Languages branch of the British Library has granted me form permission to reproduce these letters in full. the primary of these letters was written by way of Princess Alix, nonetheless in Harrogate:

"Harrogate, June 1st 1894

pricey Sir, I send you my very best thanks to your form letter and the sermon you preached at Windsor. i am significantly touched that you just remembered my expressing the hope of getting your pleasant sermon. It made a deep impression on me, and i am so completely happy now to be in a position to study it each time i admire; – and i am certain it can be an excellent assist to me in many methods.

I cannot let you know how gladly i might have approved your form invitation to go to Ripon, and see the cathedral beneath your suggestions, however the doctor has forbidden me to head on any long excursions, as the baths are very tiring. In case he should still allow me a longer pressure before I go away, might also I task to ask no matter if it could fit you then to look us?

Thanking you once again in your sermon, which i'm so completely happy and proud to own, I continue to be, yours very clearly, Alix of Hesse."

(British Library further Manuscript 47621 ff.227-8).

We see from this letter that wood worker had despatched Princess Alix a duplicate of the final sermon he had preached at Windsor earlier than she left for Harrogate. She regrets that she turned into unable to consult with Ripon Cathedral as his guest, while she turned into in Yorkshire but declines the invitation as a result of she had been ordered to leisure. Her letter to Queen Victoria from Harrogate, written on 28 may additionally – simplest days earlier than she wrote to wood worker, excuse that she wrote so little, but the baths at Harrogate made her 'tired' and he or she mandatory to relaxation (Maylunas and Mironenko, 71).

A young Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, holding the new child baby, Grand Duchess Olga (Sergey Lvovich Levitsky [united states Public domain or Public domain by way of Wikimedia Commons)

Her subsequent letter changed into dated early 1895 and written from the Anichkov Palace in St Petersburg, the metropolis home of the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, the place the younger couple have been then dwelling, for his or her first wintry weather together:

"13th February 1895 (O.S.)

Anitchkov Palace

pricey Sir, I actually have been desperate to write to you for a while, but there was so a great deal to do that I not ever had a quiet second. Please accept my very warmest thanks to your kind letter and all of the good needs, which touched me deeply. it's such a pleasure feeling one is not forgotten. With pastime I study the pleasant ebook you have been so decent as to send me, my finest thanks for it and the charming latest. I saw by the papers that you just had been at Osborne, and wish I may have heard your sermon. I actually have often study throughout the one you so kindly gave me, and each time it did me good.

Now that i am more used to listen to the Russian language i will be aware the provider so plenty greater, and a lot of issues have develop into clear to me and understandable which at first somewhat startled me.  The singing is most eye-catching and edifying, only I miss the sermons, which are on no account preached within the Imperial chapels. How a good deal has happened on account that I ultimate had the pleasure of seeing you, it all appears now like a dream. The poor expensive Empress is so courageous and touching in her first-rate sorrow, always considering of others and trying to do decent. It was an excellent consolation to her having her sister the Princess of Wales on such a protracted consult with.

My husband has very a whole lot to do, as which you can imagine – all the time seeing his ministers, receiving gentlemen, and having any quantity of papers to examine through and signal, in order that we don't seem to be capable of see a great deal of every other. As quickly as he's free we go and sit along with his mother and he reads to us. He was so joyful to make your acquaintance last summer season and needs to be kindly remembered to you now.

I fear in England you have also been struggling a very good deal from the cold. – here the frost is bad, however we however go out twice a day for sledging – it is too cold.

Hoping you're going to preserve in decent health and sometimes kindly suppose of me in the a ways land. Alix."

(British Library further Manuscript 47621 ff.231-four)

during this letter, we see that the Bishop has no longer best written to Alix – now Alexandra Feodorovna on her marriage to Nicholas – however despatched her a ebook as a gift. presents have been additionally the Bishop's practice. When Clerk of the Closet to Edward VII, wood worker despatched the King an edition of l. a. Vita Nuova di Dante, with illustrations by means of Rapitti; the King quickly sent a thank you letter from Sandringham in 1902. right here yr wood worker despatched the King some 'fairly verses' and an engraving from Paris, with which the King became delighted, writing to the Bishop that it reminded him of his 'first talk over with with my beloved fogeys and eldest sister to that appealing and engaging metropolis in 1855 when i used to be a boy'.

Alexandra's letter mentions her development in Russia, most likely since the Bishop may additionally have remembered that back in 1894, she changed into studying Russian, even taking her language manuals with her on her cure to Yorkshire, along side her eldest sister 'Ella's' – Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna's 'reader' – Mlle Catherine Schneider. Her letter mentions sledging twice a day. The Tsar wrote to Queen Victoria at the beginning of February 1895 that a whole lot snow had fallen, which made it 'excellent' for sledging and skating (Maylunas and Mironenko, 124).

The Russian Imperial household in 1901 (Rafail Levitsky [Public domain, by means of Wikimedia Commons)

by the point of the Tsarina's next letter, the loss of life of Queen Victoria, a 'shared' adult for them both, had befell:

"Zarskoe Selo, Dec.29th 1902/Jan. eleventh, 1903

 expensive Bishop, It turned into with finest pleasure that I bought your very type letter and publication. I thank you most heartily for each. For me it's certainly an excellent happiness to locate ancient pals have not forgotten me, tho' I live so far-off. How an awful lot has occurred because we final met! joys and sorrows followed each other in rapid succession. I cannot think about England without cherished Grandmama. How well I bear in mind sitting with the aid of her side, taking note of your beautiful sermons – one you kindly gave me at Windsor!

sure, certainly, time flies fast and we've so an awful lot to do in our brief sojourn on this earth, such manifold tasks for us all to achieve. What pleasure if in any small means we will aid one other wanderer bear his heavy pass or give him courage to fight bravely on! what number of faults we have to are trying and master! – the hours seem too scarce through which to fulfil all our initiatives.

My new nation is so tremendous that there is not any lack of labor to be done. Thank God the *people* are very religious, *essential*-minded, childlike and with boundless love for their Sovereign and faith in him; so that unhealthy elements and influences take a long time before rooting amongst them. however an awful lot endurance and energy are essential to combat in opposition t the wave of discontent which has risen and spreads itself over all of the world – is not the end quickly coming?

Are you in no way coming over right here? I should still be *so* happy to peer you and display you our little 4-leafed clover. Our girlies are our joy and happiness, every so different in face and persona. may additionally God help us to supply them an excellent and sound schooling and make them principally good little Christian soldiers fighting for our Saviour.

alas, I haven't a good deal free time, but after I discover a spare moment I sit down to study. i'm so keen on Boehme and a lot of of the German and Dutch theosophists of the 15th and sixteenth centuries – there are such splendours and they support one on in existence and make every thing so a good deal less demanding to bear. are you able to inform me of any English authors, as i know of no old Philosophers?

however my letter is fitting too long. may additionally i am hoping to hear from you once again? it will certainly provide me extremely good pleasure.

I continue to be, yours basically, Alexandra."

This letter is charming because it opens a small window for us into Alexandra's life in Russia and lends perception into her emotions for her new country, in addition to her interests and reading remember. by means of 1902/3, all four imperial daughters had been born – 1904 introduced the start of Alexandra's handiest son, Tsarevich Alexei.

Queen Victoria, surrounded by her Hessian grandchildren and son-in-law, the lately widowed Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse (William and Daniel Down ey [Public domain])

Alexandra's sentiments on dropping Queen Victoria are supported by using other letters written by way of her at present, showing the depth of her emotions on the death of her cherished grandmother, who had in lots of approaches, tried to fill the house left with the aid of Alexandra's mother, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse who had died in 1878 when Alexandra became handiest six. A rock crystal jewelled clock through Mikhail Perkhin in the Royal assortment became one of the ultimate presents given with the aid of Tsarina Alexandra to Queen Victoria, in around 1900. After the demise of the Queen, the clock remained within the collection; it was later used by using Alexandra's cousin, George V, who stored it on his desk at Buckingham Palace.

When the Queen died in 1901, Alexandra wrote to her eldest sister, Victoria, Princess Louis of Battenberg: 'How I envy you being able to see beloved Grandmama being taken to her final leisure. I can't trust she is definitely long past, that we shall in no way see her from now on… England with out the Queen appears unattainable' (cit., Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden, The life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna, ninety). Alexandra had wanted to attend the funeral at Windsor however became averted from doing so, as she was nevertheless pregnant along with her fourth daughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Alexandra, in accordance with her biographer, Buxhoeveden (who knew her individually) 'reasonably broke down' on the memorial carrier held for the Queen on the English church in St Petersburg (Ibid, 90). Alexandra wrote to one in all her few chums in Russia at the moment: 'She has been as a mother to me, ever considering that Mama's death 22 years in the past' (cit., Ibid, ninety). In small techniques, Queen Victoria turned into excited by Alexandra, to St Petersburg. in keeping with the biographer Robert k Massie, a huge picture of Queen Victoria became given a sought after vicinity on a desk in her famous Mauve Boudoir, on the Alexander Palace, although Massie does not problematic on his sources (Robert k Massie, Nicholas and Alexandra, 117). In 1917, Alexandra burned plenty of her deepest correspondence and a few of her diaries, to steer clear of them falling into the fingers of others. amongst these letters had been pointed out to be all of her letters from Queen Vic toria (Ibid, 413) and hers to the Queen, again to her on the Queen's demise. At Windsor however, an excellent variety of Alexandra's early letters to the Queen survive.

On this event, Alexandra become recorded via the faithful Lili Dehn as 'nevertheless weeping, [she] laid her letters separately on the heart of the fireplace. The writing glowed for an immediate… then it faded and the paper became a little heap of white ash' (cit., Ibid, 413). a little later, Lili Dehn remembered the Tsarina watching her attempting to make up a bed for herself on the sofa at the Alexander Palace, in the wake of the Tsar's abdication. Alexandra noted to Lili: 'Oh Lili, you Russian ladies don't understand a way to be constructive. When i used to be a girl, my grandmother, Queen Victoria, showed me the way to make a bed. I'll train you…' (cit., Ibid, 416).

Alexandra preserved in a field in her Pallisander Room at the Alexander Palace a so-referred to as 'memory chest', within the door near the corridor. during this chest, she kept mementoes from her childhood, 'tiny child things from Darmstadt', her own children's child clothes and mementoes of Queen Victoria (Elizabeth Jane Timms, birth in Darmstadt – Princess Alix of Hesse, in Royalty Digest Quarterly, three/2017, 10). during this chest, she kept the letters she had received from the Queen, returned to her on Queen Victoria's death in 1901. Some of those mementoes are actually believed to be at Pavlovsk; despite a number of attempts by way of the creator to ascertain this, no reply has yet been obtained.

Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna with her son, the Tsarevich Alexei aboard the imperial yacht , Standart, ca. 1911 (Beinecke Library by means of Wikimedia Commons/Free use Romanov household [Attribution])

Alexandra's next letter is dated 1913 and is revealing for its insight into the Tsarina's spiritual feeling and deepened experience of religion, as well as her fitness concerns. drastically, she refers loosely to the 'illness' of the Tsarevich, at the same time as not, of course, telling carpenter that her son turned into a haemophiliac. Alexei's most serious attack so far had been on the imperial searching lodge of Spala in Poland, the old yr. It is that this assault that the Tsarina is regarding when the little Tsarevich turned into on a couple of event thought to be about to die. This deathly attack changed into a recurrence of an earlier slip that Alexei had experienced when jumping into a ship at Bialowieza on holiday. it's possibly touching that in the mild of the extreme agony that Alexandra is recalling, she remembers her conversations with carpenter, at long-in the past Windsor:

"Zarskoe Selo, Jan.twenty fourth/Feb.7th 1913

dear Bishop, i hope you don't mind me calling you by means of the ancient conventional name. You have to excuse me not having answered your kindest of letters any previous, however I even have been so sick again with my heart – the months of actual and moral pressure during our Boy's affliction brought on a cave in – for seven years I undergo from the coronary heart and live the life of an invalid many of the time. Thank God our darling is getting on so well, he has grown very a good deal and appears so amazing, and we have faith before long to look him on his legs once again working about. It turned into a horrific time we went through, and to peer his frightened struggling became heartrending – however he turned into of an angelical endurance and in no way complained at being sick – he would simplest make the signal of the move and beg God to help him, groaning and moaning from pain. within the Orthodox Church one offers infants Holy Communion, so twice we let him have that pleasure, and the negative thin little face with its large struggling eyes lit up with blessed happiness because the Priest approached him with the Sacrament. It turned into such comfort to us all and we too had the equal joy – with out have faith and faith implicit in God Almighty's terrific wisdom and ineffable love, one could not undergo the heavy crosses despatched one. You too have passed through such bad sorrow within the loss of your expensive son, and that i think it is this which made you suppose of us in our ache. God bless you for your loving Christian friendship, deeply valued as coming as an echo out of the past. well do I be aware your form talks to me in Windsor and several letters I had the pleasure of receiving from you.

The school of life is indeed a tough one, however when one tries to reside by way of helping others along the steep and thorny path ones love for Christ grows yet more advantageous, always struggling and being virtually an invalid, one has so a great deal time for considering and studying and realises always further and further that this life is however the instruction to yonder precise lifestyles where all will be made clear to us. My infants are growing to be up so speedy and are such true little comforters to us – the elder ones commonly substitute me at features and go about a very good take care of their Father – they are all 5 touching of their care for me – my family life is one blessed ray of sunshine excepting the nervousness for our Boy. I do desire you might see them in the future!

i'm certain you feel sorry about having left Yorkshire after so a long time, however hope that your new nomination may well be a pleasing one.

God bless you. In historical friendship, Alexandra"

(British Library further Manuscript 47621 ff.240-3)

The Tsarina in her nursing uniform, ca 1916 (Crimea at hu.wikipedia [u.s. Public domain or Public area by means of Wikimedia Commons)

The Tsarina's ultimate (surviving) letter to wood worker was written throughout the primary World struggle, from Tsarskoe Selo, at a length when she changed into nevertheless able to get messages via to England. Unsurprisingly, most of the letter is about the Tsarina's admirable struggle work, as a part of which she informed additionally as a nurse, together with her two eldest daughters, Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana:

"Zarskoe Selo, Jan.20th/Feb.2nd, 1915

pricey Bishop, As there's an event for sending a letter today, I hasten to thanks for your type new yr's needs wh. I heartily reciprocate. You cannot feel what pleasure it gave me hearing from you – each notice from an old buddy in instances of brilliant sorrow or anxiousness acts as balm upon the heart. we can most effective believe and pray that this terrible battle can also quickly come to an end – the suffering round is simply too extreme. You, who comprehend all of the individuals of our household so neatly, can remember what we move through – relations on each side, one against the other. And the gross disappointment of seeing a rustic morally sinking into such depths as Germany has is bitter to behold. it is all so marvelous! And France, the place systematically the govt turned into attempting to crush out the affect of Church and religion, has been obliged to get priests for the military. smartly, actually, prayer and work on my own can assist one through such time s of sorrow. – You kindly asked after our babies, thank God they're retaining smartly; the two eldest daughters assist me very tons with nursing and the wounded, dressing their wounds, taking care of their families and so on. I overtired my heart once again, so had to quit my medical institution work for a while and i omit it sorely. It does one no end of good being with these courageous fellows – how resignedly they undergo all pain and lack of limbs! "Christ suffered, so we must suffer too" – many this kind of word do you hear from the lips of a struggling soldier. however I must shut my letter now. Kindly remember my pricey ones and me on your prayers, and consider me,

Yrs. essentially, Alexandra"

(British Library extra Manuscript 47621 ff. 245-7)

it's perhaps poignant that the last letter which Alexandra wrote to carpenter includes the plea: 'Kindly bear in mind my dear ones and me on your prayers'. Of route, we be aware of that after this letter turned into written, the primary World battle had an additional three years to run, all over which time the Tsar abdicated and following his internment at Tsarskoe Selo along with his household and faithful retainers who selected to reside, become then moved eastwards into Siberian exile and imprisonment, which best ended with the homicide of the Russian Imperial household by using the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg on the night of 16/17 July 1918.

This correspondence, even as handiest such as five (surviving) letters, spans Alexandra's years in conjunction with Nicholas, from 1894 – the yr of their marriage – up unless three years before their deaths.

it is an stunning consequence of as soon as hearing a Bishop preach his sermons back in 1894 at Windsor.

©Elizabeth Jane Timms, 2019