“The birth was prolonged, extremely difficult, and agonizing. When the obstetrician saw that the Grand Duchess's natural strength was failing, he reported this to the Palatine and received His Highness's consent to use tools, with which he delivered the infant, who had lived only a few hours. The doctors instructed me to inform the Grand Duchess of the princess's death. Dressed in sacred vestments, I stood at Her Highness's bedside and, after reciting the prescribed prayers for childbirth, congratulated the Grand Duchess. She replied that the birth had been extremely painful, but that she knew nothing for certain about her daughter's condition. With due reverence, I told her that Her Highness's dearest daughter had passed on to the ranks of angels. The compassionate mother was not struck by this sad news, but with a calm spirit and a firm voice said, "I thank God that my daughter has passed on to the ranks of angels, without ever experiencing the sorrows to which we are subjected here!" Until the last moments before her death, Her Highness gave all the doctors hope for her recovery; she was constantly occupied with the arrangement of the garden, which His Highness the Palatine had given her after the birth. The Grand Duchess often deigned to repeat to me that, as a lover of gardening, I would arrange everything there to her complete satisfaction, which itself later gave me the idea and served as a kind of irrevocable testament, that upon Her Highness's death, a Russian church would be erected in Her Highness's own garden and the tomb would be transferred there, with daily services of the Holy Liturgy and commemorations for six weeks. On the morning of the ninth day after giving birth, the Grand Duchess greatly delighted everyone with her recovery, having been declared by the doctors to be out of any danger. The Palatine at the court, as well as the entire assembly, having learned of this, were very cheerful; but to our greatest sorrow, by midday our joy turned to despair. Her Highness, feeling a strong fever, began to become delirious: in this state and in a fitful slumber, she often repeated that it was too cramped and stuffy for her to live here, and begged her parents to build at least a small house for her in Russia!.. Towards evening the fever and weakness increased; around midnight she grew extremely exhausted and was only just able to order her husband to be summoned to her, whom, she kissed and said: "Do not forget me, my dear Joseph!" Having said this, she lost the power of speech and began to moan. I was called to prayer; having donned the sacred vestments, I stood before Her Highness's altar and, making the sign of the cross over it, raised it to her lips. The faithful daughter of the Orthodox Church quickly turned her tear-filled eyes upon the image of the Crucified Savior, kissed it with all Christian fervor, then pressed it tightly to her bosom. As I knelt beside her bed, reading the prayers, it seemed as if Her Highness, with all possible attention and heartfelt feeling, was assisting those prayers. Thus was this pious and immaculate soul preparing for the heavenly realms. At half past five in the morning, she surrendered her soul to the Creator.”
Fr. Andrei Samborsky on the death of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, Archduchess of Austria.
