I’m a sucker for Tudor dynasty. Do you know if any of the russian czarinas had any contacts with Tudors? I read that at least one Russian czar was.
Hello!
Indeed, several Russian Tsars were in correspondence with Tudor monarchs - Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), Feodor I and Boris Godunov. Ivan IV was in correspondence with Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Feodor I and Boris Godunov - with Elizabeth I. As for Tsaritsas, the only established fact of correspondence between Tudor monarch and Russian Tsaritsa is between Elizabeth I and Tsaritsa Irina Godunova (wife of Feodor I and sister of Boris Godunov). She was a pretty influential and politically active consort. Not much of their letters survived, but the one surviving letter from Elizabeth I to Irina is quite courteous and even personal to an extent. Elizabeth wrote to her informing, that she was sending a doctor and experienced midwife to Russia in aid of Tsaritsa. Irina had problems with giving birth to a male heir and for the sake of good trade and diplomatic relationships with Russia at that time Elizabeth I did this favour. Sadly, it didn’t help much as Irina still wasn’t able to produce male heir, her only living child ever was a daughter, who didn’t live long. As a result Rurik dynasty ended.
