The Duchesse would always try to outshine the Imperial Court and was in competition with her sister-in-law, the Grand Duchesse Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, sister to Alexandra Feodorovna. GD Maria Pavlovna even contemplated with her sons a coup against the Tsar in order to install her own son, Grand Duke Kirill as Regent. The Duchesse was the last of the Romanovs to escape Russia during the revolution, making her way through the Caucacus and through Constantinople on to Venice, then to Switzerland and finally to France where she died at her villa in Contrexéville on September 6, 1920, surrounded by her family.
Of interest to admirers of her fabulous jewelry which was made for her by the likes of Cartier and Fabergé and also presented to her by the Tsar and other members of the Imperial Court is how the jewelry escaped the clutches of the Bolsheviks. Prior to fleeing Russia, she had a friend deposit some of her treasured jewel-incrusted, gold and enameled collection of cigarette cases and cufflinks in cotton pillowcases at the Swedish Embassy in St. The rest of the Duchesse's jewelry also escaped confiscation and looting because according to legend recounted by William Clarke, author of Hidden Treasures of the Romanovs, the British aristocrat and diplomat Albert Henry Stopford, who was a friend of Pavlovna, risked his life to break into her palace, find the jewels and carry them out of Russia under diplomatic immunity in his luggage. One of her famous tiaras is today owned by Queen Elizabeth II of England. At the death of the Duchesse, her famous collection was divided amongst her children.
Grand Duke Boris received the emeralds, Grand Duke Cyril received her pearls, Andrei received the rubies and her only daughter Elena received her diamonds. For a great photo gallery, check out Grand Duke Vladimir on Myspace. FREE LOCAL PICK-UP in Palm Desert, California. Sorry, I hope you understand. I acquired the photo in 2011 from a sale of art and Russian memorabilia from the Palais de Soye in France.
This estate at one point was home to an aristocratic Russian family. The item "RARE SIGNED GRAND DUCHESSE MARIA PAVLOVNA/MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN PHOTO FROM 1884" is in sale since Thursday, June 16, 2011. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Photographic Images\Vintage & Antique (Pre-1940)\Cabinet Photos". The seller is "mondonostrum" and is located in Palm Desert, California.This item can be shipped worldwide.