|
Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia (16 February 1854 – 11 April 1912, ) was a daughter of Grand Duke Konstantine Nicholaievich of Russia. She was a granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I and first cousin of Tsar Alexander III of Russia. She had a difficult childhood marked by illness and tantrums. In 1863, while his father was Viceroy of Poland, she was given away to be raised by her childless uncle and aunt, King Karl and Queen Olga of Württemberg. Vera's condition improved in their home and she outgrew her disruptive behavior. In 1871 she was legally adopted by Karl and Olga, who arranged her marriage in 1874 to Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1846–1877), a member of the Silesian ducal branch of the family. Her husband died suddenly three years later. Vera, only twenty-three years old, did not remarry, dedicating herself to her twin daughters. At the death of King Karl in 1891, Vera inherited a considerable fortune and she turned her home into a cultural gathering place. She was a popular figure in Württemberg, notable for her charitable work. Grand Duchess Vera was known in royal circles as an eccentric both in appearance and behavior. Although she kept in touch with her Romanov relatives, visiting Russia many times, she identified more closely with her adopted country. In 1909 she abandoned Orthodox Christianity and converted to Lutheranism. She died two years later after a stroke. ==Early life== Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia was born in St. Petersburg on 16 February 1854, the fourth child and second daughter of the six children of Grand Duke Constantine Nicholaievich of Russia and his wife Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (born Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg). Grand Duchess Vera spent her early years in St Petersburg and in 1861, the family moved to Warsaw when her father was appointed Viceroy of Poland. Vera was a troubled child, prone to violent fits of anger, and suffered what was officially described as a "nervous condition".〔King & Wilson , ''Gilded Prism'', p. 37〕 She became so unmanageable that her parents decided to send her to her aunt, Grand Duchess Olga, Queen of Württemberg, who agreed to take care of her. On 7 December 1863, Grand Duke Constantin and his wife arrived with nine-year-old Vera in Stuttgart, entrusting her care to the childless King Karl of Württemberg and Queen Olga. Officially this was ascribed to the more advanced medical treatment the child would receive in Germany, but it was also a way for Vera's parents to hide her embarrassing illness from the Russian court.〔 Queen Olga was happy to take care of her niece in spite of the difficulties, and for Vera, her aunt eventually took the place of her mother.〔 Queen Olga and her husband were devoted foster parents, but in the beginning, they had little success in improving the girl's condition. Vera was homesick and continued to be extremely difficult, to the point of being physically violent towards them. Periodically, Vera had to be brought under control by an army officer, and on more than one occasion she was locked up.〔 Karl went for long walks with Vera and read passages from the Bible to her in the evening. By 1866, there was still little improvement in Vera's condition, but Queen Olga persevered and with time, Grand Duchess Vera eventually outgrew her disruptive behavior. As a young woman, she was introspective, shy, but clever with an intellectual bent. She disliked ceremony. Her physical appearance, like her personality, was rather peculiar. She had thick, curly blonde hair, but was short, stumpy and extremely plain. 〔George, Grand Duchess of Russia ,'' A Romanov Diary'' , p. 55〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|