Tsarina Alexandra

As a child, the Tsarina was a light and happy individual - always smiling, always laughing. But after the death of her mother when young Sunny (as her family called her) was only six, she rarely smiled.  Soon after her mother died, her younger sister May died as well. The effects of these tragic events would set her apart from the ladies in the social circle that her marriage to Tsar Nicholas put her in.

When she first met the Tsar, she was only 12, and he was 16. They were at the wedding of their families: her older sister to his uncle. It was one of the politically lucrative weddings often arranged between (or within) European royal families. The two birth rulers were second cousins, so it surprised no one when they were wed. Yes, the Tsarina was born to rule. Her father was the Grand Duke in Germany, her mother Grand Duchess of Russia, and her grandmother Queen Victoria of England. Even before she and Nicholas were married, she had proven a good candidate for the post of queen.

She was intelligent, even more so than her husband. She read in her spare time, not taking the “usual” royal activities of gossiping or partying. Not only was she intelligent, she also had a mind of her own, thinking as she wanted, not letting Nicholas do her thinking for her. In another break from the stereotype of royalty, Alexandra would also donate much of her time to charity, as her mother had. Although she possessed many admirable traits, she was disliked by the people of Russia and despised by the upper class. This upper class called her haughty and devoid of charm. Her quiet demeanor made her appear to be self-centered.

Surprisingly, her lucky symbol was one that would mean death and destruction during the Second World War: the swastika. But her swastika was not the German symbol of Nazi rule, but an ancient Hindu talisman of protection and luck.