Militza and Anastasia: Montenegrin Princesses, Russian Grand Duchesses
Towards the twilight of the rule of the Romanovs in Russia,
two Slavic princesses reigned supreme as the most colorful figures in the
Czar’s court. Grand Duchess Militza and Grand Duchess Anastasia were Montegrin
princesses who married two brothers from the Imperial Family. They were
daughters of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and his wife Milena
Vukotić. Their tendencies towards the occult and mysticism made them notorious as “The Black
Peril”of the Russian Court.
Grand Duchess Militza and Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Image source Wikimedia Commons |
Militza was the older sister and was born on July 14, 1866.
Two years later, Anastasia was born , on June 4, 1868. Militza, Anastasia, and
their younger sister, Elena, future Queen of Italy, were brought to St.
Petersburg by Czar Alexander III as "hostages for Montenegro's political
submission" where they were educated at Smolny Institute, a Russian school
for "noble maids". Elena, described as
"docile, sweet of nature, and pure in mind as well as lovely in
person" was destined by Alexander to marry the future Nicholas II. However
with Alexander's sudden death, the plan was discarded and Nicholas, now czar of
Russia, instead married Princess Alix of Hesse.
Princess Milica married Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of
Russia in Saint Petersburg on July 26, 1889, which was considered to be the
greatest victory of the Montenegrin people sans a battle and a bloodbath. After
the marriage, the princess became known as Grand Duchess Militza Nikolaevna of
Russia. The union produced four children: Princess Marina Petrovna of Russia (1892–1981), Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia (1896–1978), Princess Nadejda Petrovna of Russia (1898–1988) and Princess Sofia Petrovna of Russia (1898 – 1898).
Princess Anastasia married her first husband, the widowed
Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince George Maximilianovich, at the Palace of Peterhof
on August 28, 1889. The union produced two children, Sergei Georgievich, 8th Duke von Leuchtenberg (1890–1974) and Elena Georgievena, Princess Romanovskaja (1892–1971). The was, however, considered “a dull and dissipated man.” Seventeen years in sorrow afterward
Anastasia resolved to divorce him. Grand Duke Nicholas reportedly “wooed and
won her.”
Holy Synod at first refused to grant the divorce but
Anastasia had her hands in the dismissal of the Under-Procurer of the Synod and
his successor helped arrange the divorce. The Czar consented the marriage and
four months later, Grand Duke Nicholas and Princess Anastasia of Montenegro
were married.
Two princesses of a relatively small, backward kingdom are
now grand duchesses of the grandest court in Europe.
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