Empress Alexandra By Melanie Clegg
Genre: Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Publish Date: 30 September 2020

Like most people I’m quite fascinated with the riches and excessive lifestyle of the Romanovs. Their endless glamour, jewels and palaces, and their preventable violent end has a allure akin to the sinking of the Titanic. The death of any family is more than tragic but the slaughter of a royal family who are buried in unmarked graves, missing for decades captures the imagination. That’s why when I sow this book I needed to read it.

Empress Alexandra, tells the story of the last Empress of Russia, Empress Alexandra (Alix) through her relationship with her grandmother. A perspective I’ve not come across before and a clever one as Alix’s grandmother is no other than the formidable Queen Victoria of Great Britain. The story doesn’t cover from Alix’s birth to her death, it covers from her mothers birth to Alix’s birth and until Queen Victoria’s death. I hadn’t expected Alix to first make her appearance quite so far into the book but I’m glad Clegg took the time to cover her mothers life and more importantly her mothers life with Queen Victoria. I had always assumed Queen Victoria to be an over bearing mother who was far too strict and who lacked in maternal instincts before her husbands death and certainly after. however I’ve changed my opinion since reading this book. I still think Queen Victoria can fit into the above but its far more complex than that. Queen Victoria was very protective and did love quite a bit, it just comes off overbearing. After Alix’s mother dies Queen Victoria really steps in to be an adoptive mother to Alix and her siblings and Alix was her favourite. It terrified her when she began to hear rumours of a possible romance between her beloved Alix and the heir of Russia. Queen Victoria was no idiot. Russia was a million miles away from the tastes and personality that Britain was and she feared for Alix’s survival and future if she choose this path. How right, she ended up being… But the fall of the Romanov’s came due to many reasons and one of the strongest was the ‘blood disease’ of the Alix’s heir, a disease inherited from Queen Victoria herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Pen and Sword History, for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Found this narrative to be a bit dry and too blow-by-blow, as I had been expecting something more along the lines of historical retelling like in a novel format, yet this turned out to be more a detailed account of the time and very 'telling' in nature. Still, the story of this relationship itself is captivating, and history buffs will absolutely love this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a wonderful study of the relationship between two controversial women. I am quite familiar with both Victoria and Alix, and went into this expecting to read what I already knew. However, I absolutely loved digging deeper into this relationship! In fairness, most studies of Victoria can't look in depth at her relationships with her grandchildren, as there were just so many of them. This was absolutely a special relationship though, and Clegg highlights just how incredibly close these two were. My favourite part was looking at their relationship in Alix's younger and teenage years- I feel like it is the period that I know the least about Alix, and it was fascinating. Overall, a must-read!

Firstly, a big thank you to author Melanie Clegg and NetGalley for granting my wish and providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review..

This was a great history lesson for me, since Queen Victoria is my most favorite of the royals with her impressive reign that lasted 64 years, when I first spotted this I knew I had to read it. Truthfully I will say that I did not know much of the history of her children's and grandchildren's lives and this book was informative as well as giving a us a look at how she influenced their lives and the tender love she had for them. The book chronicles the earlier years being married to Prince Leopold and his tragic death that had a long lasting affect all during the rest of her lifetime and sought to keep his memory alive through the years. While this does give us the details of all her children's lives, this centers on her favorite grandchild, Princess Alix as she was affectionately known. As a child Princess Alix was the compassionate caregiver of the family tirelessly offering to nurse her siblings when sickness and death overtook them as well as to her mother, Princess Alice who tragically died at an early age and to Queen Victoria who greatly mourned her. Growing up she became her constant companion and confidante spending time with her beloved Victoria who was much like a mother to her. Despite the tender love she had for her granddaughter, Queen Victoria was a force to be reckoned with especially when it came to marriage for her daughters and granddaughters with her opinions fiercely made known and the matches she was determined to make for them. When Alix fell in love with the Nicholas II of Russia who later would become Tsar of his troubled country Victoria feared greatly for her safety and the great task of Empress she would undertake when Nicholas' father suddenly died and he became at once the new Tsar of Russia. Sadly after Queen Victoria died in 1901 her fears for Alix's safety came to fruition when Tsar Nicholas, Empress Alexandra (as Alix was now known as) and their beautiful children which we all know from history as The Romanovs were tragically executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Filled with lovely pictures of Queen Victoria and her family this was a fascinating read for me that I really enjoyed. Recommended.

Empress Alexandra explores the special relationship between Alice and her grandmama, Queen Victoria. Cleft examines the care, love, and attention Victoria extended to Her precious Hesse from gramdchildren after the death of Princess Alice. Aliu was a particular favorite of Victoria's and she spent a great deal of time with her during her formative years. Clegg rehashes material,that has been written about previously so there's no new revelations, but it's a good examination interspersed with snippets from diaries and letters.

This was a beautifully written and fascinating biography of Empress Alexandra (or Alix/Alicky as she was nicknamed) the last Tsarina of Russia and a favourite granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Alix lost her mother and two of her siblings at an early age and her relationship with Queen Victoria was a huge comfort to her and both she and her brother Ernie and elder sisters spent a large amount of time in England with her beloved grandmother and many other relations.

Alix was also considered a great beauty and there was much interest in her future marriage prospects but she was to go against the wishes of Queen Victoria by marrying into the Russian Royal family. And indeed her grandmother was right to have worried as Alix would eventually be executed alongside her husband and children some years later during the Russian Revolution - a fate which also befell one of her elder sisters who married Russian royalty. Although I knew how her life would end I couldn’t help but become attached to Alix and I felt a deep sense of foreboding as I read her story.

I find it very sad that Victoria would live for many years longer than some of her children and grandchildren but I also learned a lot from this book and now I am even more interested and intrigued by Alix and her life. I was never bored reading this and the author obviously completed a large amount of research and the writing was impeccable throughout.

Empress Alexandra had a life that was far from fairy tales that we read about. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her in a position to become closer to her grandmother. The illness that took her mother had already taken one of her sisters and she had lost a brother from a tragic fall several years earlier.

As the young Alexandra grew up, she spent quite a bit of time in the presence of her domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria. Victoria was set in her ways, devoted to her grandchildren, but not afraid to let them know what was on her mind. After the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, she grew increasingly withdrawn, saving only brief moments for brightness.

The grand marriage that Victoria wanted for her granddaughter was derailed slightly when the young Alexandra found herself drawn more and more to the young Russian Tsarevich. He was a handsome young man, quiet, and not one to give any affection easily. They had an easy bond, one that had started when they were much younger, having met at the wedding of another relative.

Melanie Clegg never disappoints in her work, and this one was no different. At the forefront, you are given quite a bit of history into the family life of Queen Victoria and her children, the loss and heartbreaks that they went through. It weaves together nicely with the story of Alexandra, and the heartaches that she was later to endure, which of course, ended with the monarchy being overthrown in Russia, and her family being murdered. This is a book that was enjoyable, and just the right amount of detail - giving you a picture of what is going on, without dragging you down.

Although interesting I feel the book is slightly misleading as it spends the first 1/4 taking of Victoria and her daughter (Alexandra's mother) Alice's background before Alexandra is even born. The way the story is told is well written and interesting, but I feel as though it takes too long to get to who the book is supposed to be about and if I'm being brutally honest, I would've stopped reading before this point if I wasn't reviewing it as I would deem it too long-winded before it got to the person I'd chosen to read about. If you're interested in the Romanov family and are hoping to learn about them this isn't the book for you, but if you're interested in anything about the royal families of Europe and their background, you'll find this interesting

I have a real thing for Russian history, so was pretty delighted to receive an ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher.

This is is an extremely enjoyable read of a fascinating period. It was great to get a better picture of Alix's mother and her early line. It really emphasised just how entwined the royal houses of Europe were in that period. It was not so much a family tree as a family wreath.

I did find this book a little odd that it unexpectedly finished when Queen Victoria died. Considering this book is titled "Empress Alexandra" if spends very little time comparatively on Alix's life in St Petersburg. While I appreciate that Alix's final years could fill several tomes, finishing without even referencing her tragic end felt odd.

For fans of the period, this is a good book to paint a detailed picture of the aristocratic world.

Thank you to Pen and Sword and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

I have read many books about the Romanov family and always lamented the lost correspondence that the Empress burned during her detention. Melanie Clegg teases out, aided by Queen Victoria's vast correspondence and journals, a full picture of who Alix was as a child and young adult and does the further favor of giving the reader a look at the grandmother and grandchild's special relationship. Clegg provided interesting details and context of the broader royal landscape of the time, allowing the reader to appreciate the nuanced relationships among family members spread throughout Europe.

I really enjoyed Clegg's writing style and her ability to round out and weave together all of the various figures. The facts themselves are naturally compelling and Clegg's research and narrative made their stories come to life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pen & Sword History for allowing me the opportunity to read Empress Alexandra by Melanie Clegg.

Melanie has created such a well researched account of the relationship between Queen Victoria and her granddaughter Alix of Hasse who goes on to become Empress Alexandra. Their lives are surrounded by grief and loss but both, supported by one another in various ways, become the strongest women in British and Russian history of their time.

We learn of the families struggles and happier times via letters sent to family members and their diary entries. This gives a personal touch to the read and allows you to hear the royals personal thoughts and feelings. The photographs of Queen Victoria and family members at the end was also a welcomed touch.

Although I enjoyed reading the intricate details of Queen Victoria and her family, at times some details were repatitive such as the regular noted carriage rides and teas.

I would also have loved to read a little further on about Empress Alexandra after Queen Victoria passed away and learn of what happened in the following months and years since the account was named after her.

This book was extraordinary! It satisfied my love for History, European Royalty and genealogy. What a woman Queen Victoria I was; so strong mentally and physically, she was one hell of a matriarch, and a phenomenal mother lwho stepped up to the plate when her daughter Alice died prematurely, leaving behind her motherless children. Stubbornness was clearly a family trait and it was pleasant to see strong-willed women living in the 1800s.

This was a delectable book and such a treat beginning to finish. I particularly loved the fact that there were so many quotes taken from diaries, which gave an intimate feel to the book. I also loved all the pictures and family portraits at the end, which I could understand after this reading.

I will now add Ms. Melanie Clegg’s full catalog to my TBR.

Thank you Net Galley and Pen and Sword History for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who enjoys reading history books, I found Empress Alexandra fascinating.

The book centers around the relationship between Empress Alexandra and Queen Victoria. I have always been fascinated by the story of the Russian czar family.

A lot of people tend to forget that royal families are all related to each other, so it may come as a surprise that Tsarina Alexandra and Queen Victoria were members of the same family.

I was surprised at how domineering Queen Victoria was, even though I knew she was a powerful woman, I had never considered that she also inflicted her power onto her own family.

If you aren't a royal geek right now, you will be after reading Empress Alexandra!

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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As a history and royal nerd, I really enjoyed this. Clegg pulls from Victoria's personal journals and letters (and some of her family's as well) and creates a very clear through line of Victoria's private life (and her massive domineering influence in her family). As Clegg acknowledges herself in the acknowledgements, this is really a story of Alice too - the book begins with Princess Alice's birth (Alexandra's mother), and it was really clear how the relationships developed and changed over time. The ARC that I had did not feature the pictures that are alluded to (a great disappointment), but the acknowledgments indicate that it will be in the fully published form - something I really wish I had access to as well. I also felt that a family tree would be useful, as once grandchildren enter the scene, it's really a lot to handle and keep straight (especially as so many of the names are repeated, and many of them go by a different name within the family). It also made me realize that I really only know German history starting with WWI, as so many of the ducal titles meant nothing to me due to lack of prior knowledge.
I really enjoyed this and it whetted my appetite to learn more about European history in the 19th century, and I would've also loved for Clegg to write more about the Romanovs, though I understand that that's outside the purview of this book, which ends with Victoria's death. Clegg has a solid handle as a historian, and I will be on the lookout for her other accounts as well.

Also, my personal favorite part was also Albert telling Alice that her mother tends towards melodrama, and now all I want is a visual adaption of Victoria flinging herself upon divans after Albert's passing and yelling at her kids not to smile.

I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this book for Netgalley.

It was a really informative read and gave an insight into past royals - definitely a book for people who love royal history.. I found it really interesting that through marriage a lot of the royals were related.
Melanie Clegg has written a book that you can curl up on the sofa with and gives an insight into the relationships between Victoria and her children - truly insightful.

I look forward to reading more of Melanie's books.

The story of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Alexandra who married the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas. The story does not cover the Russian Revolution, rather it shows Queen Victoria’s involvement in the life of Alexandria. A nicely written book, providing some depth to the characters.

I thought this was a solidly researched book that unfortunately fell flat because of the material. The letters and such are so meticulously reprinted that they become monotonous as we follow the family day by day. I do feel this could have been streamlined in a more rigorous editing process because as interesting as it is to have Queen Victoria's own recollections, her sentiments, like her routines, are oft repeated. The same goes for her children and grandchildren, who for the most part are thanking her for her kindnesses. I found the ending a little too abrupt considering the fate of the Romanovs but do understand that would be another story for another book. What new details from this one I learned I did very much enjoy.

I am a huge huge fan of the Romanovs and read every book there is about them. This book was good but repetitive. There is nothing in here I haven't read before or what hasn't been researched before. The book started slow and went into Queen Victoria and Princess Alice for a while before even starting to talk about Empress Alexandra.

Empress Alexandra by Melanie Clegg is an excellent book that highlights the special relationship that Queen Victoria had with the fascinating, complicated, and sometimes challenging Empress Alexandra of Russia. As grandmother and granddaughter (Alix was the daughter of Victoria’s own daughter Alice), their bond was unique and special, especially considering their royal statuses, the volatile times, and their physical distance from one another.

The author does a superb job depicting this amazing relationship from historical records and letters/correspondence between Queen Victoria and Alix. The author clearly did her research, and what is presented to the reader is an excellent depiction that is appropriately detailed, spaced, and nicely flowing. As a huge fan of Queen Victoria and the Romanovs, this was right up my alley.

Excellent. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 6/6/20 there was no listing that has been created for this book on BB) and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

History lovers will enjoy this in-depth account of the close relationship between two of the most famous women in British and Russian history. Melanie Clegg does a wonderful job of piecing together various details mostly from primary sources (letters to and from Queen Victoria to Alix) and various secondary sources. The photographs in the book provide a particularly special treat for readers.

Although a lovely, well-researched time capsule, there is no real climax to the story (despite many trials and tribulations befalling Victoria, Alix and Alix's mother, Alice, over the course of their lifetimes). Unless this period of history in particular interests you, 'Empress Alexandra' is, at times, a long monotonous read. Tea and carriage rides are lovely, but perhaps more of the political, cultural and social influence and reign of these women could have been explored and incorporated to break up the frequently bland day-to-day accounts.