He was fortunate enough to associate with one of the most powerful royal families. He became an unhappy person, since from now on his freedom was strictly limited to the title.
All can be kings. Especially cleverly, the monarchs manage to cripple the fate of their relatives, unceremoniously invading their personal lives. Our hero became a victim of intrigue in a country far from his home, at the court, where he was treated as a poor relative. Would his biography be different, had he stayed in Germany? There are doubts about this.
Childhood
In July 1823, the Grand Duchess of Hesse Wilhelmina gave birth to a child. Everyone knew that with her husband Ludwig II, she had a fight a few years ago, and the chamberlain of the crowned person is the father of the baby Alexander. The mother of the woman in labor managed to convince the duke to recognize her son, hiding the shame of the family and preventing rumors of her own male impotence. The lecherous woman and the fruit of her illegal passion were saved from rumor, but in the capital they no longer wanted to see them.
Heiligenberg Castle, where Prince Alexander spent his childhood
The boy grew up in the estate of his mother in Heiligenberg. When he was one year old, he had a sister, Maria. The impudent Wilhelmina again forced her faithful to give the illegitimate child all the privileges of a royal blood person. For the sake of the children, she was not ready for everything, but not everything was in her power. The duchess was glad that her son prefers quiet fun, was carried away by numismatics and does not dream of a career at court.
Youth
From an early age, the sister of our hero was fascinated by musical creativity. She herself played musical instruments and did not miss a single opera premiere. In 1838, she stated that she had met in the theater with a charming Russian prince and would marry him. The girl vowed to take her brother from the province to the brilliant St. Petersburg. This happened in 1840.
The future Alexander II wanted to emphasize that he was not interested in dirty gossip about the origin of his wife, therefore he was very merciful to her relatives. He made his namesake the captain of the cavalry guard. Our hero settled in Tsarskoye Selo and quickly became acquainted with the local nobility. Russian aristocrats were delighted with his good manners and education. Their modesty of this young man was especially surprising. When in 1844 the emperor decided to transfer Prince Alexander from the guard to the hussars, he did not resent. The next year he went to Tiflis, where he joined the troops fighting the highlanders.
Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt
Marry for love
Returning to the capital, the young officer began to attend balls. According to many ladies, he differed for the better from most of their contemporaries. Prince Alexander fell in love with the daughter of Chief Marshal Andrei Shuvalov, Sophia, and was about to marry her when the sovereign himself intervened in the affairs of the cupid. Nicholas I did not want the elevation of his court. In 1850, he forbade the couple to get married. Relations outside the marriage of lovers did not suit, because the couple broke up.
Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt was very upset. One of the maids of honor Julia Gauke undertook to console him. It cost her nothing to seduce the unfortunate. The only drawback that the lady had was her dad’s contribution to the Polish uprising against Russian rule. Our hero adhered to old traditions, so he again trudged to a powerful relative to ask for permission to marry. The emperor took this German quiet man as a record loser; he again refused his relative a request. What was the surprise of Nikolai Pavlovich when in the fall of 1851, contrary to his will, Alexander took Julia to Breslau and married her.
Julia Gauke
Newlyweds
The rebel needed to be severely punished for disobedience. Nicholas I was afraid of a scandal, because he summoned Alexander to him and made him ask for his resignation on his own and leave Russia. A sweet couple could not go to Germany. There, the elder brother of our hero ruled, to which rumors had already reached the trick of the illegitimate son Wilhelmina. The only way to provide a family for an exile was to seek military service abroad.
Alexander and Julia
Russian officers perceived the resignation of the Empress’s brother negatively. During the Caucasian campaign, this young man proved to be a competent specialist who knows how to work at headquarters. With such a reputation, it was not difficult for Alexander to enlist in the army in Austria-Hungary. Having received in 1855 the news of the death of his persecutor, the prince hastened to return to St. Petersburg. He was graciously received by his sister's husband and appointed chief of the Novomirgorod Ulansky Regiment.
