00:00Queen Victoria feared that marrying into Russia could put her granddaughter in danger,
00:03but her own sister encouraged her to take the chance. Princess Ella of Hesse was the older
00:08sister of Alex, who would later become Empress Alexandra of Russia. Ella already knew the Romanov
00:14world. She had married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and understood the pressures
00:18and dangers surrounding the Russian imperial court. Queen Victoria, however, remained deeply
00:24concerned. She distrusted the Russian court and worried about the risks her granddaughter would
00:28face there. Ella saw the situation differently. She knew Nicholas personally, understood how
00:34deeply Alex loved him, and believed her sister should follow her heart. Alex eventually married
00:39Nicholas II and became Empress of Russia, but history would take a tragic turn. Both sisters
00:45would ultimately be caught in the violence surrounding the collapse of the Russian monarchy.
00:50In the end, Queen Victoria's fears about Russia proved hauntingly close to the tragedy that followed.
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