I received an advanced review copy of The Romanov Empress through the Early Reviewer's Program at Librarything. I have read a few of C. W. Gortner's prior novels and loved them so I was thrilled to get a copy of this book which will be published on July 10, 2018.
The novel covers the life of Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Tsar Alexander III, beginning at age 12 when her sister married the heir to the British throne to age 80 when she died. She began her life as Dagmar, a minor member of the royal family of Denmark. When the Danish King died childless, Dagmar's father ascended the throne and she became a royal princess.
When Dagmar married the Russian heir she knew little about Russia or politics. She even had to change her Lutheran religion to the Russian Orthodox faith and her name to an orthodox name. While at first she reveled in the newness of luxuries that she never had growing up, she began to learn how to rule. She used service in the Red Cross as a way to endear herself to the Russian people and attended every court party that was held, which endeared her to the Russian aristocracy. Observation was her key to success. She watched how her father-in-law, and later her husband, used power to their advantage.
When it came time for Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna's heir Nicholas to marry they had made a list of prospects for him to consider. However, he had already fallen in love with one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters, Alexandra. She was deemed unsuitable because she was unsocial. I found this part of the book fascinating because I have never read anything about Alexandra being an unsuitable royal bride. As the author continues Maria's story he is also telling Nicholas and Alexandra's story and shows how their ending was due to Alexandra's personality defect. Sorry for the spoiler but there is much more in the book about how her personality changed Nicholas early in their marriage which begs the question: would he have been a different ruler with a different wife.
When Maria's husband died after only 13 years as Tsar, the now Dowager Empress was an expert in Russian politics. However, her son Nicholas II would never listen to her advice. He preferred to listen to his wife Alexandra and their mystic Rasputin. To not do so would invite a tantrum from Alexandra so Nicholas almost always gave in. When he didn't give in, Alexandra viewed Maria as her competition. Maria only sought to bolster her son's power by imparting her wisdom but Nicholas consistently ignored it. When the Bolsheviks came to power, Nicholas easily caved to their demands, ignoring again his mother's advice. He even ignored her suggestion to negotiate the family's safe removal from Russia because his wife did not want the children moved as they had the measles.
Dagmar of Denmark grew up to be a politically astute and powerful woman, known to history as Maria Feodorovna. The only time her political instincts were wrong was when it was time to admit Nicholas and the family were dead and the Romanov Dynasty was over. Some say she knew it but being an Empress she was never going to publicly admit it. When she died in her home in Denmark at age 80, 4 of her 6 children had preceded her in death.
The Romanov Empress was a fascinating novel. I believe that since Alexandra did not fulfill her public duties as Empress, this book could be titled The Last Romanov Empress. Maria did her job well. While Maria's husband died at the novel's halfway mark much of what we learn about Maria has to do with her relationships with her children, especially Nicholas and his dysfunctional wife. Much of what I learned through Maria's life is new history for me.
In the beginning of the novel Maria is presented as a typical girl. However, when the book opened her sister Alix is being betrothed to the Prince of Wales. Dagmar/Maria complained at the time that Alix accepted the arranged marriage without question. She believed the proposal should have been declined because Alix did not love or even know the Prince of Wales. Dagmar/Maria was considered to be rebellious and adventurous. She didn't fit in. Given the opportunities available to her as the wife of the Russian heir she began to blossom. I think she was a born ruler and would have made a fine king, tsar, emperor, etc...on her own.
Highly recommended!
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