Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia; nee Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg.
Princess Alexandra Friederike Henriette Pauline Marianne Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg was born on July 8th, 1830 to Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1789-1868) and his wife, Duchess Amalie of Württemburg (1799-1848).
In 1848, Alexandra married Grand Duke Konstantine Nikolaevich of Russia and converted to Russian Orthodoxy, and took the name Alexandra Iosifovna Romanova. She was admired in the Russian court for her beauty, intelligence, and strong musical talent, and she played a very active role in court life, patronage, and the arts.
From 1850-1862, she gave birth to six children, 4 boys and 2 girls:
Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia (1850 - 1918)
Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia; Queen Olga of the Hellenes (1851 - 1926)
Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna of Russia; Duchess Eugen of Württemburg (1854 - 1912)
Grand Duke Konstantine Konstantinovich of Russia (1858 - 1918)
Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich of Russia (1860 - 1919)
Grand Duke Vyacheslav Konstantinovich of Russia (1862 - 1869)
Unfortunately, Alexandra’s marriage was not as favorable as her reputation. Konstantine was openly unfaithful, and this caused much public humiliation for her among the Russian court. Over the years she dealt with death of her youngest child when he was just 16, and the scandal of the exile of her eldest son, Grand Duke Nicholas. Over time, she withdrew from society, becoming more religious and increasingly, isolated.
Alexandra spent her later years largely seperated from her husband, and lived quietly and devoted to faith and her children. She died on July 6th, 1911 from old age two days before her 81st birthday. Her life highlights the splendor and the emotional costs of imperial Russia.
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