Elizabeth of Hesse became a Russian Grand Duchess before her sister Alexandra became Empress. The two German princesses approached life in Russia very differently.

Tsaritsa Alexandra, wife of Nicholas II, is the more famous of the two princesses of Hesse to marry into the Russian royal family. However, years earlier, Alexandra's older sister Elizabeth married Grand Duke Sergei, a younger brother of Alexander III of Russia (predecessor of Nicholas II).

While the two sisters had grown up in the same household and came from the same family, they were drastically different from one another.

Elizabeth and Alexandra of Hesse as Wives of Royals

Both Alexandra and Elizabeth of Hesse found Russia a country that took some getting used to. However, while both married for love, their different approaches to their duties as wives of Russian royals set them apart. Elizabeth, even though her husband was thought to be homosexual, was devoted and loyal to him. She made the most of her life with Grand Duke Sergei, whether they enjoyed country life at their estate in Moscow or city life at the Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace in Petersburg. Alexandra, on the other hand, was pushy and disapproving; she sought power for her husband Nicholas, even when he wanted to remain out of the spotlight.

Elizabeth and Alexandra, Stylish Society Ladies

Elizabeth of Hesse was renowned for her beauty, pleasant nature, and talent as a hostess. Her sense of fashion was impeccable, and she was able to adapt to social situations easily. Her younger sister Alexandra balked at attending social gatherings and often pretended to be ill when social events became too taxing for her.

Society's View of the Empress and Grand Duchess

Russian society adored Elizabeth for her charm, beauty, style, and class. It can be said as well that Elizabeth, while a Grand Duchess, did not hold the same power over politics as did her younger sister. Alexandra, however, was almost despised. Alexandra's devotion to mysticism, combined with her unwillingness to mingle, made members of all social classes suspicious of her actions and motives as Empress of Russia. Alexandra spent most of her time at the Catherine Palace while in Petersburg, effectively hiding from society.

Rasputin and Religion

Elizabeth was married both with an Orthodox ceremony and a Lutheran one; she chose not to change her religion from Lutheranism until later in her life. She was a devout Lutheran, but she also maintained a rational outlook upon spirituality. Alexandra converted to Orthodoxy upon her marriage and threw herself into it zealously. Her reliance upon Rasputin, an untrustworthy personality at court, was seen as a black mark against her character.

Even though Elizabeth was the better-liked sister, she suffered a similar fate as Alexandra - death at the hands of Bolsheviks. Their bodies both ended up at the bottom of mine shafts after they were held prisoner – albeit at different locations in the Urals. A church stands today in Ekaterinburg, where both women were imprisoned, in honor of the murdered royals.

References

Lieven, Dominic. Nicholas II: Twilight of the Empire. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1993.

Magar, Hugo. Elizabeth: Grand Duchess of Russia. New York: Carroll and Graff Publishers, Inc., 1998.