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The Rebel Romanov

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The Rebel Romanov

By: Helen Rappaport
Narrated by: Julie Teal
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About this listen

 To Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie; to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, granddaughter-in-law. This is the story of Princess Juliane-Henriette-Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg, the Rebel Romanov.

Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany, Julie's quiet life took a fairy-tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family - the Romanovs. But this world of baroque splendour, of opulent palaces and grandeur, was no happily ever after. Taken to Russia at just fourteen, her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe-Coburg duchy from financial ruin. Her husband, Grand Duke Konstantin, was cruel and abusive, Julie was uprooted from her home, family, language and culture.

As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon, Julie finally made her escape back to Germany, where she lived for two decades as a social pariah, denied a divorce by the Imperial Family. Forced to give up two illegitimate children to protect her family's honour, she eventually built a life for herself in Switzerland, where she entertained poets and philosophers, regaling them with tales from the Russian court.

Helen Rappaport recreates the extraordinary life of this forgotten figure. In doing so she sheds new light on the Romanovs, reveals the sacrifices Julie made to further her family's interests - her brother became king of Belgium, her sister gave birth to Queen Victoria - and investigates the true nature of Julie's relationship with Tsar Alexander I. Rich in history, drama and royal intrigue, Julie's remarkable story is told at last. 18th Century Europe Germany Historical Modern Politics & Activism Royalty Russia Women's Voices Marriage

Critic reviews

'What a wonderful book! The storytelling, the research, the deep love of her subject - this must be the climax of Rappaport's long and illustrious career' (Lucy Worsley )
‘Beautifully written, incredibly moving and illuminates the whole age' (Jessie Childs )
'Rappaport's account of this pretty, spirited and flirtatious young woman's dismal time in Russia is absorbing' (Miranda Seymour)
‘A nimble guide through the stately jumble of German dynasties’
'Accomplished and richly detailed'
'Sparkling... A captivating historical saga of a woman in revolt'
'A brisk rendering of tumultuous times...[and of] a woman caught in the whirlwind of history'
All stars
Most relevant
Would you be interested in this story were it not for the magic name of Romanov? A story of a beautiful woman, beautiful beyond her semi royal family's power or fortune. who was essentially sold by her family into marriage with the Romanov's. That she was an Aunt of Queen Victoria's who was on intimate terms with Catherine the Great is something that makes my mind boggle. Her story is difficult to tell because she carefully destroyed so much documentation. Her life was,for us today and for he contemporaries, very sad. Exploited for influence by her family her marriage was abusive. She had the inner strength to get up and go, the society of the time forced her to abandon her children. Her final years were I think very sad.

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