As sung in the famous hit of the 70s, not a single king can marry for love. However, there are exceptions to any rule. These include a marriage concluded between the niece of Nicholas the First and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Adolf Nassausky. Romanova Elizaveta Mikhailovna lived a very short life. The memory of her was immortalized not only by her husband, but also by her mother and uncle, who decided to express their love for the young beauty who had prematurely passed away by building an Orthodox church, hospital and shelter.
Parents
Elizaveta Mikhailovna was the second daughter of Frederick Württemberg (the firstborn in the family of the youngest son of King Frederick I) and Grand Duke Mikhail - the last of the children of Emperor Paul the First. The parents of the girl did not feel tender feelings for each other, and their bark could hardly be called happy. As a result, Elena Pavlovna (the Orthodox name of Princess Frederica), gave all her love to 5 daughters, who were distinguished by curiosity and, according to contemporaries, were real beauties.
Biography
The daughter of Prince Mikhail Pavlovich was born in Moscow on May 14 (26), 1826. She was named after the wife of Alexander the First, Elizabeth Alekseevna, who was a close friend of her mother and died 10 days before her birth.
Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, deprived of the attention of her spouse, devoted her entire life to the formation of daughters. As for their father, Mikhail Pavlovich insisted on introducing military subjects into the program of their training, citing the fact that the girls are honorary commanders of cavalry regiments. The Grand Duke began to acquaint Elizabeth, Mary and Catherine with the infantry and cavalry signals on the drum and forge. They say that sometimes he brought officers to the palace who made mistakes at military shows or exercises. Then he invited the girls and ordered the bugler to play signals. Usually, the great princesses correctly named their meanings, and the triumphant father shamed the officers and sent them to the guardhouse.
Imperial Family Matrimonial Plans
Nikolai the First and Mikhail Pavlovich have been extremely friendly since childhood. Their good relations remained in adulthood. However, in 1843, a black cat almost ran between the families of the brothers. The reason was the matchmaking of Adolf Nassau.
The fact is that Elena Pavlovna dreamed of extraditing Princess Maria Mikhailovna as the Prince of Baden. She had plans for Elizabeth, whom she wanted to marry for the Duke of Adolf.
The Nassau dynasty led its history from the 12th century, one of its branches to this day rules the Netherlands. In addition, Adolf Nassausky himself was a young man worthy in every way. That is why the emperor Nikolai the First himself and his wife Alexandra Fedorovna wanted to see him as the husband of their daughter Olga.
Matchmaking
Emperor Nicholas the First did not want a split in his family. Therefore, he stated that he would not exert any influence on the Duke of Nassau, giving him the right to choose which of the two cousins he wants to see as his wife. At the same time, Elena Pavlovna understood that Grand Duchess Olga, being the daughter of the emperor, had more chances than Lily, although the latter was no less charming.
Soon the bridegroom arrived in Kronstadt with his brother, Prince Maurice. They asked an audience with Nicholas I. They were informed that the emperor was ready to meet with them in Ropsha, where he was observing military exercises. When the young people came to the king’s tent, the duke Adolf, without delay, asked permission to marry Elizaveta Mikhailovna. Despite the disappointment, Nicholas I did not object, and the duke in love went to Carlsbad, where Elena Pavlovna and her daughters were resting.
Wedding
The Grand Duchess was delighted and did not stint on the organization of wedding celebrations on the occasion of the marriage of her daughter. Elizaveta Mikhailovna and the Duke of Nassau married in St. Petersburg on January 31, 1844. Two weeks before this, the wedding of Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna and Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kasselsky took place. Both of these festivities gathered in the Russian capital the whole color of the European aristocracy. According to eyewitnesses, in a series of gala balls and dinners, the most chic was the reception organized by Elena Pavlovna, who spent a fabulous sum of 200 thousand rubles at that time.
Death
It would seem that Elizabeth Mikhailovna was expecting a happy family life, since she adored her husband, and his love for her was so great that for his sake he refused the honor of becoming the son-in-law of the Russian emperor. However, fate decreed in its own way, and exactly one year after the wedding, Elizaveta Mikhailovna died during a difficult birth. Her baby did not survive. Thus ended the life of a young beauty. By inexplicable accident, the happiness of her cousin Alexandra Nikolaevna, who died several months earlier, did not last long.
Memory
In memory of his niece, Nicholas I ordered to name a clinical hospital for young children, which was founded in the Northern capital in 1844.
After Grand Duchess Maria Mikhailovna died in November 1846, her mother, Princess Elena Pavlovna, decided to establish a charity. So in St. Petersburg and Pavlovsk appeared "shelters of Elizabeth and Mary."
The Duke Adolf decided to perpetuate the memory of his wife. He ordered the construction of the Orthodox Church of St. Elizabeth in Wiesbaden. For the construction, he transferred the money that was allocated to the Grand Duchess in a dowry. Upon completion of work in the crypt of the temple, the young duchess and her newborn daughter were reburied.