RUSSIA'S LOST PRINCESSES -anyone watch it?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I'm blown away by the size of the Winter Palace!!!

I'm on episode one and it's a two parter- really enjoying it

[AmIthatHot]

I saw the first episode last week, I think. When is part 2? is it channel 4?

[ThursdayLast]

I saw it earlier in the year I thought it was fascinating.

I visited the Winter Palace on a college trip to Russia - it was awe inspiring

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Oh wow I'm so

Think it was a BBC channel

[ThursdayLast]

Yes it was Bbc 2 - probis be on iplayer now if it's being repeated?
Sadly I was 17 and more interested in vodka, so I expect I didn't quite appreciate IT fully

[NomorepepperpigPLEASE]

Oh I'm going to watch that!

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

The photos fascinated me, if there had been twitter back then they'd have been posting selfies every 5 mins-me in my wheel chair-I adore my girlies-my precious prince-I feel so blessed to have my lovely husband love you lots xxxx

[ThursdayLast]

I felt like I learned a lot about the Tsarinas from that doc. They've kind of become myths, so it was interesting to see all their photographs.

[ThursdayLast]

Yes Dame I think you're right!

[fuzzpig]

Oh thanks for posting this, I never got round to watching this last time.

[AmIthatHot]

Am watching now on I player.

It is fascinating. I read a book about Anna Anderson many years ago and have been fascinated by this family.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

How weird , I posted that I was envious and now it's showing a green heart! I hate the iPad smilies!

Yes, I've read about her as well, all fascinating.

[ThursdayLast]

It showing as a little green face here never fear! When I used the app I thought it was a heart and used it wrong on many many many occasions

Who is Anna Anderson?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Have a google of Anna Anderson, you will lose hours

I'm watching the second one now while I'm waiting for the dinner to cook, fascinating!

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Goodness, they even took photos of Rasputin

[specialsubject]

Anna Anderson was the mentally ill woman who spent her entire life trying to prove that she was the youngest Grand Duchess, Anastasia.

there are some excellent books on the sad story of the last Russian royal family. 'Nicholas and Alexandra' is now very out of date but of course the main story doesn't change. There are also books about the search for and identification of the remains.

[ThursdayLast]

Ah ok, I have heard of her.
Sounds like the kind of subject I could get my Dad to buy me a book on for xmas.

V sad images when they were in Siberia IIRC.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

they were not 'in Siberia' they were held at Yekaterinburg

[SunnyBaudelaire]

also google 'Larissa Tudor' it is fascinating

[ThursdayLast]

So I guess I didn't recall correctly

[RenterNomad]

I saw it the last time it was on, and it really explored, in a way I hadn't seen before, just how insular the last Romanovs were. Not just "not in touch with reality", but not even in touch with their own court, which must have been terrifying for everyone around them! Autocracy is problematic at the best of times, but I hadn't realised just how bad Nicholas was.

Those poor girls, brought up so insularly that they didn't even want to escape in marriage... because the candidates were so very foreign to them! And the girls being nothing compared to the importance of Aleksandra's and Aleksei's health... Terrible parents!

[specialsubject]

the story is that when Alexandra gave birth to the fourth daughter, Nicholas had to go for a walk first before seeing her to get over the disappointment. The primitive beliefs of the time meant that the dynasty could only be secured by a male heir. Then of course when that heir was born, his haemophilia meant he could die at any moment. The stress on the parents was unimaginable.

I recommend reading 'Nicholas and Alexandra' - the author also has a haemophiliac son.The suffering of Alexis in a time before treatment to alleviate pain and disability was horrific.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I wonder why she insisted on breast feeding in a time when it was unheard of for a lady to do so,I wonder what made her have such strong opinions?

I will look at that book, thank you

[KatieKaye]

Alexandra was not unusual among descendants of Queen Victoria to insist on breastfeeding, although the Queen herself strongly disapproved (several references in her published letters) At least two of her daughters (Vicky and Alice, who was Alexandra's mother)breast fed their children as did many of her grand-daughters.