imperial-russia:Maria Nikolaevna developed a great degree of individuality, a personal trait that wo
imperial-russia:Maria Nikolaevna developed a great degree of individuality, a personal trait that would later shock her parents and family. There is a memoir of a confrontation between Tsar Nicholas and his eldest daughter that showed how strong her character was. The Tsar was said to have had a very penetrating stare. Once his eye was fixed on the unfortunate subject, he or she would shake and back down from any sort fo confrontation, but not Maria: “She is like her father, and her stare brings to mind his formidable gaze. His daughter courageously withstood the stare. He (Nicholas) turned pale, his cheeks started trembling and there was more anger in his eyes; his daughter stared back in a similar manner. Everyone around them began to pale and tremble … (all) were scared to breathe because of the cannibalistic duel of stares, similar to the one described by Byron in his “Don Juan.” Nicholas got up, as he realized that it was a case of diamond cutting diamond.” This willfulness was also noted by Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna who confided in her diary that her elder sister was willful, hot tempered, but also had a weak spot for the needy and could not stand pretence and coercion: “She´s a hundred tumes more virtuous than me, more dynamic than all seven of us, she lacks only a sense of duty.”David McIntosh: The Daughters of Nicholas I in The Grand Duchesses by Arturo Beéche (ed.) -- source link
#history#19th century