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"Alexander II's Farewell to Queen Victoria (2021)
Max Andreevich Kovalenko • Painting, 2021
Description of the artwork «"Alexander II's Farewell to Queen Victoria (2021)»
Alexander, son of Nicholas I, was a very amorous young man. Often Alexander was spotted with the Maid of Honor. And when the elder decided to renounce the throne for the sake of one lady, his parents became seriously worried and decided to send him on a journey, first through his native country, then through Europe, so that their son would choose a princess worthy of his person, but the trouble was that none of them interested him, except the German princess Maximiliana Wilhelmina of Hesse. Alexander officially proposed to her and paid a visit to England before going home.
It was 1839
In Great Britain, Victoria ruled for a second year.
She and the court of England knew that the heir to the Russian throne was coming.
Victoria was looking forward to meeting Alexander with undisguised curiosity.
After the arrival of her eldest son Nicholas I, a few days later the young V realized that she had fallen in love with him.
In her diary the queen confessed: "I absolutely fell in love with the Grand Duke, he is a charming, charming young man, when the dancing began in the red room, the first square dance I danced with him. Then there was a waltz, I missed it, then again a quadrille with Mr. Tolstoy, and again a waltz, which I sat next to the Grand Duke. He is a pleasure and fun to dance with. He is so incredibly strong, so boldly circling, that I could hardly keep up. We were rushing in a whirlwind. The little ball ended around two in the morning. I have never been so happy before."
On the Russian side, Colonel S. A. Yurievich, Alexander's first adjutant, also wrote in his diary: "The day after the ball, the heir spoke only of the queen... Caesarevich told me that he was in love with the queen, and convinced that she quite shares his feelings ... "
"The Queen is clearly pleased with the company of His Imperial Highness. All around are saying, 'They are the perfect couple! If the Grand Duke proposes to the Queen, it will be accepted without hesitation."
The two states, though friendly (Russia and England were at war against France), were agitated by a not very pleasant party for both.
Couriers are sent urgently to Russia to prevent Alex and Vicky from marrying, because then Alexander would lose his rights to be king, and he would say goodbye to the Russian throne. Just four days later, Alexander receives a dispatch from Nicholas the First - end your visit immediately, go back!
It was time to say goodbye. The last evening of June 1, 1838, the lovers spent together (only a few minutes)
In her diary Victoria wrote: "The Grand Duke took my hand and held it tightly in his hand. He was pale and his voice trembled as he spoke in French: "I have no words to express all my feelings." He added how deeply grateful he was for the reception and hoped to visit England again. He believes that our meeting will be a guarantee of friendly relations between England and Russia. And then he pressed my cheek, kissed me so kindly and heartily, and we shook hands again. I felt that I was saying goodbye to a close relative, I was even a little, of course, jokingly, was in love with him, or perhaps really attached to my heart. He is so sincere, so truly cheerful, sweet, charming, with a charming smile and a manly, elegant appearance.
On leaving for his homeland, Alexander II gave Victoria a sheepdog named "Kazbek," which became a royal pet for the rest of his life.
My picture is not an illustration of a particular episode, but a collection of important moments, as a monumental reflection of any event desires.
The action takes place in the Blue Room, which was located in the northwest corner of Buckingham Palace.
Day. Farewell
On the left side of the picture is Victoria, with governess Louise Lecen in the ajar behind her, Lord Palmerston and Lord Melbourne behind her, and above grabbing the curtain on the door ledge with her claws lies a Persian cat, a favorite of Vi's.
The rights to the picture belong to Alexander and the Russian retinue:
- Semyon Alexeyevich Yuryevich, pointing to Alex's message to return home as soon as possible
-Adjutant presenting the dispatch
-Merder Karl Karlovich (the queen's second Persian cat cuddles under his feet)
-Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy with his sheepdog Kazbek in his arms
-Patkul Alexander Vladimirovich
-Camerdiner with the overcoat of Alexander II
It was 1839
In Great Britain, Victoria ruled for a second year.
She and the court of England knew that the heir to the Russian throne was coming.
Victoria was looking forward to meeting Alexander with undisguised curiosity.
After the arrival of her eldest son Nicholas I, a few days later the young V realized that she had fallen in love with him.
In her diary the queen confessed: "I absolutely fell in love with the Grand Duke, he is a charming, charming young man, when the dancing began in the red room, the first square dance I danced with him. Then there was a waltz, I missed it, then again a quadrille with Mr. Tolstoy, and again a waltz, which I sat next to the Grand Duke. He is a pleasure and fun to dance with. He is so incredibly strong, so boldly circling, that I could hardly keep up. We were rushing in a whirlwind. The little ball ended around two in the morning. I have never been so happy before."
On the Russian side, Colonel S. A. Yurievich, Alexander's first adjutant, also wrote in his diary: "The day after the ball, the heir spoke only of the queen... Caesarevich told me that he was in love with the queen, and convinced that she quite shares his feelings ... "
"The Queen is clearly pleased with the company of His Imperial Highness. All around are saying, 'They are the perfect couple! If the Grand Duke proposes to the Queen, it will be accepted without hesitation."
The two states, though friendly (Russia and England were at war against France), were agitated by a not very pleasant party for both.
Couriers are sent urgently to Russia to prevent Alex and Vicky from marrying, because then Alexander would lose his rights to be king, and he would say goodbye to the Russian throne. Just four days later, Alexander receives a dispatch from Nicholas the First - end your visit immediately, go back!
It was time to say goodbye. The last evening of June 1, 1838, the lovers spent together (only a few minutes)
In her diary Victoria wrote: "The Grand Duke took my hand and held it tightly in his hand. He was pale and his voice trembled as he spoke in French: "I have no words to express all my feelings." He added how deeply grateful he was for the reception and hoped to visit England again. He believes that our meeting will be a guarantee of friendly relations between England and Russia. And then he pressed my cheek, kissed me so kindly and heartily, and we shook hands again. I felt that I was saying goodbye to a close relative, I was even a little, of course, jokingly, was in love with him, or perhaps really attached to my heart. He is so sincere, so truly cheerful, sweet, charming, with a charming smile and a manly, elegant appearance.
On leaving for his homeland, Alexander II gave Victoria a sheepdog named "Kazbek," which became a royal pet for the rest of his life.
My picture is not an illustration of a particular episode, but a collection of important moments, as a monumental reflection of any event desires.
The action takes place in the Blue Room, which was located in the northwest corner of Buckingham Palace.
Day. Farewell
On the left side of the picture is Victoria, with governess Louise Lecen in the ajar behind her, Lord Palmerston and Lord Melbourne behind her, and above grabbing the curtain on the door ledge with her claws lies a Persian cat, a favorite of Vi's.
The rights to the picture belong to Alexander and the Russian retinue:
- Semyon Alexeyevich Yuryevich, pointing to Alex's message to return home as soon as possible
-Adjutant presenting the dispatch
-Merder Karl Karlovich (the queen's second Persian cat cuddles under his feet)
-Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy with his sheepdog Kazbek in his arms
-Patkul Alexander Vladimirovich
-Camerdiner with the overcoat of Alexander II
