Alexandra was born in the small German Duchy of Hesse on the Rhine River near Frankfurt. Her parents were Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV on June 6, 1872. She was christened on 1st July 1872, her parents wedding anniversary, and given the name Alix, which was the closest equivalent to her mother's name in German. Her Godparents included Kind Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Alexander III and Princess Dagmar of Denmark. Alix had four sisters and two brothers. The family was no stranger to death and loss. One of Alix' two brothers, Frittie (Frederick), died 29th May 1873 after falling from a palace window when he was three. Her youngest sister, Mary, also died at the same age five years later in 1878 from diphtheria. This last tragedy became catastrophic for the family when diphtheria took the children's mother as well. Alix' surviving sisters were Victoria (later Marchioness of Milford Haven), Irene (later Princess of Prussia), and Elizabeth (later Grand Duchess of Russia).

The death of Alice had a devastating effect on the family. Ludwig was often away in the service of Prussia and Alice had been the glue that kept the family together. Without her, Ludwig left the raising of his family to others and the family lost it's center. The older girls were close in age and naturally turned to each other for support, they were more mature and self reliant than their siblings. The two youngest children, Alix and her brother Ernst-Louis, found themselves left to the care of nannies and governesses selected by their grandmother, Queen Victoria of England. The nannies were no substitute for real parents and the environment they created left the youngest children hungry for the love that only the hugs and kisses that parents can satisfy. Growing up together in the close proximity of the nursery, Alix was closest to her brother, Ernst-Louis, who laterfollowed his father as Grand Duke of Hesse. They spent longperiods of time in England at Grandmother Victoria's side andthis experience had a dominating effect on their development.They were never sure whether home was in England orDarmstadt. Alice had been Victoria's favorite daughter, forshe was dutiful to her parents and, Victoria thought, morethan any of her children, most like Albert, her beloved husband. When he died Alice was at her father's side.Victoria never forgot Alice's devotion to Albert in his lastdays. Years later, when Alice was struck down on theanniversary of her father's death of the same disease,Victoria saw this as some sort of omen - making her feel evencloser to Alice's children, especially little Alix andErnst-Louis. In the absence of her daughter, Victoria thoughtLudwig incapable to fulfill the duties of a responsible,single parent and assumed the direction of the children'supbringing herself. When the children were in Hesse they werecompletely surrounded by Victoria's hand-picked British staff. In this environment Alexandra and Ernst-Louis grew up speaking English as their 'native' tongue and consideredthemselves far more British than Hessian. The stifling peaceand coziness of the nursery, plus the constant attention ofthe nannies, had its positive and negative effects on thechildren's personalities. They grew up late and became sensitive, introspective and shy around strangers.Victoria has dreams of seeing Alice marry her grandson Albert-Victor, who it was expected would one day inherit theEnglish throne. The idea of her own favorite granddaughter and grandson as King and Queen of England appealed toVictoria. She felt Alix' serious nature could curbAlbert-Victor's frivolous and lazy nature. In promoting theidea of the marriage she seemed untroubled at the possibledanger posed by first-cousin marriages and oblivious to thethreat of strengthening the hemophilia that had appeared inseveral branches of the family though her. In any case thematch didn't work out. Alix grew up with Albert-Victor andknew him well. There was absolutely no spark between them andthe possibility of any romance was impossible. Alix grew up to become a stunning young woman, possessing a Pre-Raphaelite beauty which could have fallen from a painting by Rosetti or Burne-Jones. She had masses of red-gold hair which, when loosened, hung down to her waist. Her milky white skin was marred by a tendency to blush badly when she became excited. Although she had been a cheery child, full of laughter, after her mother's death her grey-blue eyes and fine delicate features, both of which came from her Windsor heritage, seemed marked by sadness. People were immediately struck by her shy and withdrawn nature, which was readily apparent in her mannerisms. These very characteristics, which were generally seen as bad personality traits in royals, endeared her to Grandmother Victoria. The old queen was deeply sentimental, When she looked at Alix' delicate features and sad eyes, she could imagine the faces of her ded Albert and their daughter, Alice. Alix' sadness and withdrawn nature matched Victoria's own inclinations since the death of her husband. For Victoria, Alix would always bea lost child and a special care for her. Alix had an excellent education for a 19th century princess. She had a great liking for science and philosophical studies. People who had the chance to engage Alix in conversation were surprised at her grasp of abstract thought, since they assumed most royal children to be poorly educated and uninterested in serious study. In this regard she followed after her mother, who had been deeply respected for her intellectual capacity and care for the sick. Since Alix married young and had a large family, she was unable to develop her interest in philosophy. She continued to read and study the subject throughout her life, moving its focus increasingly to religious matters as she matured. The death of her father deeply troubled Alix. Her brother inherited the grand ducal throne and, for a short while, Alix filled in for the role of Grand Duchess of Hesse. It made her feel valuable and needed. When her brother married their first cousin, Victoria, her temporary position ended. Someone else would now take over the homes she had lived in, her family's possessions and supersede her in the affections other brother. Alix felt unwanted and even more alone than ever. Nickolas of Russia had known Alix since she was young. He watched her grow up and they had carried on a correspondence over the years, although they seldom had the chance to see one another. Alix developed an attachment to Nickolas which grew stronger and stronger for her. Nickolas was her 'Prince Charming' and his growing love for her was like a fairy tale dream come true. When she married Nickolas in 1894, Alix followed tradition and changed her name to Aleksandra, although she always remained Alix and 'Sunny' to her husband. She was virtually unknown to Russians at the time. One of Aleksandra's closest friends said it was almost impossible to describe her personality. It was extremely complex; on the surface she was quiet and reserved, but underneath there were strong emotions which she suppressed. Eighty years after her death she is still a misunderstood and enigmatic woman. Undeserved, she has had the reputation of being a haughty and imperious prone to religious hysteria, who dominated a weak husband. Aleksandra has certainly suffered from bad press. Before the revolution she was attacked by those were too cowardly to directly attack her husband or the throne itself. Crazy rumors fanned by her enemies and tabloid journalism of the time made this worse and the strangest stories were spread about her. People commonly believed the worst of her. This hurt Aleksandra, but instead of fighting back she withdrew into her family. Aleksandra was very sensitive to criticism. She knew her motives were misunderstood by Russian society, but she didn't know what to do about it. When she first came to Russia, she tried to be a good Empress and help her husband bear the burden of his responsibilities. She entertained and tried hard to make herself liked, but she received little help in doing this. Her mother-in-law, who could have paved the way for her in society and helped her learn her role, was self-absorbed in her own life and treated Aleksandra badly. Perhaps there was too wide a gulf between their personalities to make them friends. Marie was certainly baffled by her daughter-in-law's withdrawn nature and didn't know quite what to do with her. Adding to the problem, the court of the Dowager Empress never gave the new Tsarina a break and started criticizing Aleksandra immediately. Coming from a small German principality, plus being young and unsophisticated in Russian court politics, Aleksandra was baffled and dismayed by the constant gossip and criticism. She was very different from the gracious yet imperious majesty of little Dowager Empress Marie Fyodorovna. Aleksandra was no match to her in Marie's ability to charm and command, her political experience or her superb taste in clothes, jewels and entertaining. Rather than fighting back against the criticism and making people respect her my exercising the power of her position, Aleksandra pulled back bitterly. She had little respect by a hypocritical, aristocratic society that would smile and fawn in private and then tear her apart in public. Her withdrawal from public life was a gradual process. It grew as her children were born and her own health declined. Aleksandra was seen less and less seen in public as time went on. Unlike her mother-in-law and most of the other Romanov women, Aleksandra had no experience or inclination to play to public opinion. She had no ability as an actress - a skill essential to being a successful Russian Empress. Putting on a show for the public seemed false and dishonest to her. Dressed up in jewels and magnificent clothes she looked every inch a Tsarina, but her expression and unease in public often ruined the effect. Hating putting on a 'show' she avoided public ceremonies, events and putting on receptions. One man said that Russia could have been saved 'for wont of a cup of tea'- meaning Aleksandra could have been more successful had she tried harder to charm people. Alexandra maintained a slim, willowy figure until she turned 40, when she began to gain weight and developed a double chin, which made herself-conscious of her appearance. She preferred the color lilac to all others - which is both the color of spring and of mourning. Disliking tight fitting clothes, she liked looseflowing gowns with fine lace and delicate fabrics. When styles changed in the first years of the 20th century and the wasp-waisted look disappeared, she was relieved to no longer be required to wear the tight clothing of the Victorian age, although she continued to wear a corset and required her daughters to do so as well. In jewels she preferred pearls, amethysts or watery pale-blue sapphires, selecting stones for their color rather than size or value. She had a very large collection of jewelry, which was one of the most valuable in the world. She wore perfume, but didn't use cosmetics. The public, her husband, and children all loved to see Aleksandra magnificently dressed up; even though this made her feel like a 'doll', she knew it was part of her 'job', as she called it.Aleksandra was an excellent mother and had four healthy girls followed by her only son, Aleksey, who had the dread curse of hemophilia. She felt guilty for having passed this genetic defect to her only son, not only for the suffering it caused him, but also for having failed in her duty to Russia and her husband to provide a healthy son to continue the direct line of succession in the Romanov Dynasty. Both Nickolas and Aleksandra were obsessed with their son's health and his condition set the mood for the whole family. The effect of her son's illness cannot be underestimated. It completely absorbed his emotions and her energy. It was responsible for her premature aging and a great deal of the emotional stress of her later life. The only comforts she had in life were her husband, family and God. Even a Tsar was powerless when it came to hemophilia, science could do nothing. God was her only potential help and she placed herself, her family and the life of her son completely in His hands. Much has been made of Aleksandra's 'blind' devotion to Rasputin. She suspected his faults, she knew he was too taken with his position had had difficulty handling the fame that came his way once he was introduced to the Imperial family. Aleksandranever accepted the idea he was guilty of the sins attributedto him by the press and police, she simply could not believea man who 'cured' her son could have come anywhere but fromGod. Rasputin was unflinchingly loyal to the throne and tothem personally. It was clear that most of the criticism ofRasputin was really directed at her and this made her standeven more staunchly behind him.Originally, Aleksandra had been raised as a Lutheran. Herreligion was by conviction and well as birth. She was aconvinced Christian with a complete understanding of herfaith in her teens. In preparation for her role as Empress ofRussia she studied Orthodoxy. After much mental searching sheaccepted the Orthodox Church as her own, not just byprofession, but also by managing to intellectually reconcilethe differences between Protestantism and Orthodoxy.Henceforth she was wholeheartedly devoted to the eastern formof Christianity as it was expressed in Russia. She embracedenthusiastically, and with great sincerity, many aspects ofEastern Orthodoxy, including traditional forms of Russianpiety then out of fashion in sophisticated circles. A greatpart of the intellengensia and aristocracy of Russia hadbecome only nominally Orthodox or even indifferent to theirnational religion. They found Aleksandra's love of ancientikons, conversations with peasant nuns and wandering holymen, pilgrimages to monasteries, and overall seriousnessabout religious devotion in bad taste. They brushedAleksandra's faith off as the excesses typical of a foreignconverts to Orthodoxy. Some Russians, who resented having aforeigner 'more Orthodox' than themselves, claimedAleksandra's religion was based on hysteria and not a genuineexpression of Russian Orthodoxy. They spread untruthfulrumors of Aleksandra's involvement in seances andspiritualism. Almost universally, religious people who knewAleksandra personally praised her for her honest faith inGod. Sidney Gibbs, who, being an Englishman and a foreignconvert to Orthodoxy himself, perhaps understood her betterin this regard than anyone else. He called her, withouthesitation, sincere and thoroughly Orthodox in her devotionto God.She spoke and wrote English almost exclusively with herhusband. Within the family she spoke mostly English, althoughher conversations with Aleksey were mostly in Russian.Aleksandra had a strong English accent in Russian, spoke witha very quiet voice, and only truly mastered the language ofher adopted country later in life.After her marriage Aleksandra focused her life completely onhis husband and family. Nickolas put her in charge of theirhome and family life. She took no interest in politics untilthe last years of the First World War when her husband askedfor it. Until then, Nickolas had carefully and deliberatelyseparated his family life from the business of ruling thenation.Aleksandra had an artistic nature; she painted - preferringwatercolor, played the piano and guitar well. Color, texture,scent and light were all important to her and she surroundedherself by flowers whenever she could. She loved reading,enjoyed singing, although her husband disliked it. Her skillas a needle woman was exceptional and she passed this skill on to her daughters. Animals and pets were constantly around and she loved small dogs especially. Funny stories, inside family jokes, being at home and the noise of children made Aleksandra happy. She cared little for antiques - except for family heirlooms - and preferred modern things. She craved close friendships and insisted on being the center of their attention. She lived to love and thrived on being loved and needed by others. Food meant little to her and she tried tobe a vegetarian. Aleksandra smoked French cigarettes, but unlike her mother-in-law and most of the other Romanov women, she was not a chain smoker. People said Aleksandra was very careful with money. Unlike her husband, she knew the cost of things and always asked discretely about prices before makinga major purchase. She suffered from bad health all her life. She was frail andher physical condition deteriorated with multiple births andas Aleksey's hemophilia developed. After the Tsarevich's bad attack at Spala in 1912 she aged rapidly. Aleksandra had problems with her circulation and with her teeth. Although she had excellent dental care and treatment equal to the bestlevel of dentistry in America and Europe, a bad filling caused her endless problems with nerves in her face. She had electric shock therapy to try and alleviate it.In spite of her natural reserve and shyness, her love for Nickolas was strong, intense and mutual. Unlike many royal couples, they shared a double bed for more than 20 years ofmarried life. They were best friends as well as husband andwife. They shared a closeness which supported them throughout the trials of their imprisonment and eventual martyrdom. Aleksandra, along with her family, has been recognized assaints by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and is now being considered for canonization by the Church in Russia.

• 1 Olga Nicholaievna Romanov
  
• 2 Tatiana Nicholaievna Romanov
  
• 3 Marie Nicholaievna Romanov
  
• 4 Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanov
  
• 5 Tsarevich Alexei Nicholaevich Romanov