The Life and Tragedy of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. A Tale of a Lady-in-Waiting and Close Friend Who Was with the Russian Imperial Family During Their Reign and the Tragic Days of Exile

The Life and Tragedy of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. A Tale of a Lady-in-Waiting and Close Friend Who Was with the Russian Imperial Family During Their Reign and the Tragic Days of Exile

Baroness Budberg (1883-1956), the first biographer of the Russian empress, was for many years not only a lady-in-waiting but also a devoted friend of the royal family. Sofia Karlovna, the daughter of the Russian envoy to Denmark, tells with great love, yet impartially, about the life of the Hessian princess from early childhood to her last days. Iza, as the baroness was called at court, was constantly by Alexandra Feodorovna's side from 1913 until the exile of the Romanovs to Tobolsk and then followed them. Sofia Karlovna managed to capture many sketches from the life of her patroness during happy times as well as during great sorrows and grief, preserve invaluable information about familial relationships, note the character traits of the august couple and their children, describe the peculiarities of daily life, and convey the atmosphere of life at court. On the pages of the book, Alexandra Feodorovna appears not only as a sovereign but, above all, as a loving mother and wife, a good friend, and a generous benefactor who tirelessly worked for the good of her country and met a martyr's death along with her entire family.