imperial-russia: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna photographed with her fiancé Prince Wilhelm of
imperial-russia: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna photographed with her fiancé Prince Wilhelm of Sweden Although Marie knew her aunt´s silences told more than her words, she was unprepared for the painful surprise of having been selected as a fiancée of Princes Wilhelm of Sweden. What was worse, Marie´s assent to the union was obtained, per her memoirs, while she was sick in bed without counsel. Grand Duke Paul was against the plan, as were other family members; but the only concession allowed was that the marriage be postponed till Marie reached eighteen. Thus the ceremony was not carried out until the spring of 1908. The Grand Duchess and her husband made an odd pair. Prince Wilhelm was tall and thin, with veiled grey eyes and a defensive, arms-crossed manner, while Marie was plump, mischievous and proud, with the candid blue gaze of her maternal grandmother Queen Olga of Greece (neé Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia). Pictures of the newly-joined couple scarcely bring fireworks of passion to mind … It was a marriage made in mystery. Sweden and Russia, after all, were traditional enemies. There were few logical political benefits to be derived from a union of Bernadotte and Romanov, particularly as Wilhelm was a younger son and Marie only an Emperor´s granddaughter. There must have been indication to those making the arrangements on the Swedish side that Prince Wilhelm was no more suited to marriage than [Grand Duke] Serge had been. And one has to wonder: Had Ella subconsiously attempted to replicate her own unconventional union in brokering Marie´s with the Sweidhs Prince? Grant Mezies in The Grand Duchesses -- source link
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