WI: Grand Duchess Olga had married Edward VIII?

I am currently reading a biography of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra of Russia, and the author makes a passing comment that, in summer 1914, there was talk of their eldest daughter Olga marrying the future Edward VIII. It was nothing serious, but what if it had actually happened? What would that have meant for WWI and the Russian Revolution? What would it have meant for the British Monarchy?

Thoughts?
 
That poor girl being married an entitled shit like him. Even worse, he could well be sterile. On the other hand, you probably do see the Royal family saved.
 
That poor girl being married an entitled shit like him. Even worse, he could well be sterile. On the other hand, you probably do see the Royal family saved.

My thoughts as well. Tatiana would have been a better choice to put up with him, Olga, given what we know of her character, would have been miserable all her life. But the rest of the Imperial Family would probably be given asylum (withdrawn by George V after the offer had already been made in OTL). Olga would have made it her business to see that happens (even if it means sending them to Canada or someplace outside the UK).
 
They'll probably be about as politically significant in post Cold War Russia as the Hohenzollerns are in OTL Russia.

The left won't like them for obvious reasons, and they'll be seen as "too western" by any of the right.
 
That poor girl being married an entitled shit like him. Even worse, he could well be sterile. On the other hand, you probably do see the Royal family saved.
i never understood why when they had the chance (say before the February Revolution in 1917) they didn't beat feet out of Russia when they had the chance (again did they ever have a chance from the beginning)
 
My thoughts as well. Tatiana would have been a better choice to put up with him, Olga, given what we know of her character, would have been miserable all her life. But the rest of the Imperial Family would probably be given asylum (withdrawn by George V after the offer had already been made in OTL). Olga would have made it her business to see that happens (even if it means sending them to Canada or someplace outside the UK).
My thoughts as well. Tatiana would have been a better choice to put up with him, Olga, given what we know of her character, would have been miserable all her life. But the rest of the Imperial Family would probably be given asylum (withdrawn by George V after the offer had already been made in OTL). Olga would have made it her business to see that happens (even if it means sending them to Canada or someplace outside the UK).
There are so many times that I am not a fan of George V. Grumpy, brash, aloof, the only truly sincere relationships he ever had was with his mother, supposedly his father, his brother, and his wife. Definitely not his children, or for that matter even his grandchildren, whom it seems he was fond of as long they were perfectly behaved, and behaved as mini adults and went home at the end of the day.

Now that I vented that. If he wouldn't save the Tsar, his own first cousin, (and look a like), his mothers favorite sisters son, and grandchildren, what makes you think he would do it just because his daughter-law wouldn't now be in the picture? Marriage or no marriage, I think the Romanavs' are still doomed.
 
Well, part of what the author of the biography I'm reading argues is that the secrecy around Alexei's haemophilia was a factor, possibly even a major one, in the shift in the perception of the Romanovs. For one thing, it destroyed Alexandra's health and made her even more introspective - because all her strength was going to her baby boy - so she lost what little inroads she had made with the Russian nobles. And she focused entirely on one or two people whom she thought could save Alexei, Rasputin being the obvious one. Those people were in turn hated because no one understood the hold they had over the Empress. So break down the barriers of secrecy around Alexei, let the people see their heir, warts and all, and you might have quite a bit more public sympathy for the Imperial Family, which might save their lives, at least...

The other thing that springs to mind, of course, is that Olga could well be a carrier of her brother's disease. Indeed, she will be. So if she marries Edward VIII and he is not sterile, then it is very possible that the British Royal Family get haemophilia back from the Russians...
 
There are so many times that I am not a fan of George V. Grumpy, brash, aloof, the only truly sincere relationships he ever had was with his mother, supposedly his father, his brother, and his wife. Definitely not his children, or for that matter even his grandchildren, whom it seems he was fond of as long they were perfectly behaved, and behaved as mini adults and went home at the end of the day.

Now that I vented that. If he wouldn't save the Tsar, his own first cousin, (and look a like), his mothers favorite sisters son, and grandchildren, what makes you think he would do it just because his daughter-law wouldn't now be in the picture? Marriage or no marriage, I think the Romanavs' are still doomed.

Good point, although as an aside - wasn't the current Queen able to charm him into playing with her as a little girl? Didn't she lead him around by the beard or something? I could swear I've read that somewhere... However, back to the Romanovs. It would be harder for George V to refuse the Romanovs asylum with a Russian Princess of Wales, I think. She's a living embodiment of that offer, after all - and as far as I know, he made it originally, before changing his mind and withdrawing it. Olga's presence in London might just shame him enough that he keeps his word...
 
My thoughts as well. Tatiana would have been a better choice to put up with him, Olga, given what we know of her character, would have been miserable all her life. But the rest of the Imperial Family would probably be given asylum (withdrawn by George V after the offer had already been made in OTL). Olga would have made it her business to see that happens (even if it means sending them to Canada or someplace outside the UK).
Being sent to the Commonwealth is the most plausible outcome.

Given the Romanov's presence in Great Britain being a politically loaded bomb, they probably won't be able to stay more than a couple months at most. Alexei might be able to hang around with his sister and brother in law, but the rest are getting short shift.

And wouldn't whichever Romanov sister than married Edward convert to the Anglican Church?
 
Being sent to the Commonwealth is the most plausible outcome.

Given the Romanov's presence in Great Britain being a politically loaded bomb, they probably won't be able to stay more than a couple months at most. Alexei might be able to hang around with his sister and brother in law, but the rest are getting short shift.

And wouldn't whichever Romanov sister than married Edward convert to the Anglican Church?

They probably would convert, yes. Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Which Alexandra is going to hate. The Church was vitally important to her - as it often is for converts...
 
A second thought. Maybe the Romanovs could head over to Denmark after their British sojourn?

Go back to Alexandra's homeland? That's a thought I suppose.

And any thoughts on who else might want to marry these Russian Princesses in exile/whether Alexei will ever live to have a manageable life, if he flees with his sisters?
 
Go back to Alexandra's homeland? That's a thought I suppose.

And any thoughts on who else might want to marry these Russian Princesses in exile/whether Alexei will ever live to have a manageable life, if he flees with his sisters?
They might be able to marry into the Yugoslavian or some other Balkan royal family (though the Romanovs might not be too happy with Belgrade's shenanigans in Montenegro, one of the extended Romanov family members was married to a Montenegrin royal).
 
i never understood why when they had the chance (say before the February Revolution in 1917) they didn't beat feet out of Russia when they had the chance (again did they ever have a chance from the beginning)

The offer for asylum was made when NII abdicated. However, several of the children fell sick (gravely sick). Maria almost died. So they could not leave. By the time the family was together and united with the Kerensky govt preparing to send them out with the help of the British, George V personally ordered to withdraw the offer (dooming them) and then blamed his advisers/ministers (even Edward VIII says in his memoirs it wasn't his father's decision though proof emerged decades later it was). The rationale that having the hated, despotic Romanovs in the UK would ferment left-wing agitation against the British crown (which never really happened in any case) - something that would not make sense if the Princess of Wales herself was a member of said family. It would look odd if the British didn't save them and made no offer of asylum (in any part of the "Empire") for the future Queen's family.

In point of fact, apparently George V felt so guilty over what happened to NII and Alix and the kids, that he sent a warship to pick up the Dowager Empress (his aunt) and her two daughters and their families (Nicholas's sisters) and they settled in England for awhile (with no trouble!) before moving to Denmark, Paris or Canada (where Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna died).

There are so many times that I am not a fan of George V. Grumpy, brash, aloof, the only truly sincere relationships he ever had was with his mother, supposedly his father, his brother, and his wife. Definitely not his children, or for that matter even his grandchildren, whom it seems he was fond of as long they were perfectly behaved, and behaved as mini adults and went home at the end of the day.

Now that I vented that. If he wouldn't save the Tsar, his own first cousin, (and look a like), his mothers favorite sisters son, and grandchildren, what makes you think he would do it just because his daughter-law wouldn't now be in the picture? Marriage or no marriage, I think the Romanavs' are still doomed.

I share your sometimes-low opinion of George V and so didn't mention him. I said Olga would make it happen even if she had to pay for a rescue team or using other relatives (she was after all related to all of them except maybe the Habsburgs). Nicholas's family was not the Windsors, given the many things written of them, I cannot see any daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra accepting leaving their lives at risk in Revolutionary Russia. Also, several people have pointed that of all the children, Olga ALONE was aware of what people thought of her family and the danger they were in after the monarchy fell. I am pretty sure as Princess of Wales (where she could have seen first hand how the worldwide press and other governments celebrated her father's fall) she would have been aware of the danger they were in.

They might be able to marry into the Yugoslavian or some other Balkan royal family (though the Romanovs might not be too happy with Belgrade's shenanigans in Montenegro, one of the extended Romanov family members was married to a Montenegrin royal).

Alexander I of Yugoslavia was apparently in love with Tatiana and asked to marry one of the Tsar's daughters. The Serbians always held NII in high esteem as their greatest ally (and still do - there is apparently a new statue of Nicholas that was erected there recently) and if worse comes to worse they could definitely find a place in the newly founded Yugoslavia.
 
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Good point, although as an aside - wasn't the current Queen able to charm him into playing with her as a little girl? Didn't she lead him around by the beard or something? I could swear I've read that somewhere... However, back to the Romanovs. It would be harder for George V to refuse the Romanovs asylum with a Russian Princess of Wales, I think. She's a living embodiment of that offer, after all - and as far as I know, he made it originally, before changing his mind and withdrawing it. Olga's presence in London might just shame him enough that he keeps his word...
I have read that story about the Queen as a little girl as well. Story could be true, but a lot of Royalists biographers, (and I like the British Royal Family,), but many try to paint him as a savior of the Windsors and look away at his character with regards to treating his family. His eldest grandchild, the Earl of Harewood, was known to share some not too flattering experiences with his grandfather, and all five of his sons may be able to trace some of their problems to his "style" of raising or not raising kids. Edward VIII, we know his issues, Albert (George VI has a bad stutter,) the Duke of Gloucester (drinking), The Duke of Kent (drug addictions), and poor Prince John (hidden away because of his epilepsy until he dies with little or no no contact with his family at the age of 13). Again, sorry I digress and like you say, "back to the Romanavs'".

You are right, he did make the offer and withdrew it. As he was never really that close to the Prince of Wales, and he was close to his mother, but she could not make him reverse his reversal, I can see him behaving and making the same decision he made despite a daughter-in-law from Russia. Tatiana or Olga. I still think the Romanavs' could face the same sad results. George V was more concerned with the public perception of himself than he seems for the safety of family members.
 
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I have read that story about the Queen as a little girl as well. Story could be true, but a lot of Royalists biographers, (and I like the British Royal Family,), but many try to paint him as a savior of the Windsors and look away at his character with regards to treating his family. His eldest grandchild, the Earl of Harewood, was known to share some not too flattering experiences with his grandfather, and all five of his sons may be able to trace some of their problems to his "style" of raising or not raising kids. Edward VIII, we know his issues, Albert (George VI has a bad stutter,) the Duke of Gloucester (drinking), The Duke of Kent (drug addictions), and poor Prince John (hidden away because of his epilepsy until he dies with little or no no contact with his family at the age of 13). Again, sorry I digress and like you say, "back to the Romanavs'".

You are right, he did make the offer and withdrew it. As he was never really that close to the Prince of Wales, and he was close to his mother, but she could not make him reverse his reversal, I can see him behaving and making the same decision he made despite a daughter-in-law from Russia. Tatiana or Olga. I still think the Romanavs' could face the same sad results. George V was more concerned with the public perception of himself than he seems for the safety of family members.

This last point is probably true, which means I suspect a lot will depend on how popular Olga is with the British public. If she's loved as Princess of Wales, it would not reflect well on the King's public image to refuse her family asylum...

Another thought. What if, at some point in 1917, assuming the children don't get ill, the younger Grand Duchesses - I am not even going to TRY and make Alexandra part with Alexei - are smuggled abroad to England, to their sister's marital land? Without the British actually okaying it? Say the withdrawal of the offer never reached the Russians, for example. Surely even George V wouldn't turn them away if they appeared on his doorstep? (If anyone has wondered where I got the inspiration, think Cecily Neville and her younger sons being sent to Burgundy during the Wars of the Roses...)
 
This last point is probably true, which means I suspect a lot will depend on how popular Olga is with the British public. If she's loved as Princess of Wales, it would not reflect well on the King's public image to refuse her family asylum...

Another thought. What if, at some point in 1917, assuming the children don't get ill, the younger Grand Duchesses - I am not even going to TRY and make Alexandra part with Alexei - are smuggled abroad to England, to their sister's marital land? Without the British actually okaying it? Say the withdrawal of the offer never reached the Russians, for example. Surely even George V wouldn't turn them away if they appeared on his doorstep? (If anyone has wondered where I got the inspiration, think Cecily Neville and her younger sons being sent to Burgundy during the Wars of the Roses...)
That is possible, yes. But you never know with royalty and their goverments. Didn't Crown Princess Martha of Norway have difficulty getting into, and then staying in Sweden, and she ended up in the United States, with her children after the German invasion? And she was a Swedish princess by birth.
 
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