While there are many things that I don’t know a lot about, eighteenth and nineteenth century royals aren’t one of them. So, when I come across someone that I don’t know a lot about, I tend to be immediately interested- The Rebel Romanov is no exception! Helen Rappaport’s biographies are always fantastic, they are well-researched and well-written. She fully fleshes out these historical figures in a way that few historians can. If you are interested in one of the most dramatic royals of the nineteenth century, The Rebel Romanov by Helen Rappaport is a must-read!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC and an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had, Helen Rappaport
In 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia was in search of a bride for her grandson Constantine, who stood third in line to her throne. In an eerie echo of her own story, Catherine selected an innocent young German princess, Julie of Saxe-Coburg, aunt of the future Queen Victoria. Though Julie had everything a young bride could wish for, she was alone in a court dominated by an aging empress and riven with rivalries, plotting, and gossip―not to mention her brute of a husband, who was tender one moment and violent the next. She longed to leave Russia and her disastrous marriage, but her family in Germany refused to allow her to do so.
Desperate for love, Julie allegedly sought consolation in the arms of others. Finally, Tsar Alexander granted her permission to leave in 1801, even though her husband was now heir to the throne. Rootless in Europe, Julie gave birth to two―possibly three―illegitimate children, all of whom she was forced to give up for adoption. Despite entreaties from Constantine to return and provide an heir, she refused, eventually finding love with her own married physician.
At a time when many royal brides meekly submitted to disastrous marriages, Julie proved to be a woman ahead of her time, sacrificing her reputation and a life of luxury in exchange for the freedom to live as she wished. The Rebel Romanov is the inspiring tale of a bold woman who, until now, has been ignored by history.
Why You Should Read This…
I will honestly admit, I know very little of Julie (also known as Juliane), despite my solid knowledge of the Romanov family. And Rappaport directly addresses why this might be the case for others- Julie is largely unknown despite just how well-connected she was because there are relatively few sources left documenting her life. She was an aunt of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the sister-in-law of Tsar Alexander II, and a grand-daughter-in-law of Catherine the Great: it is difficult to think of a better-connected royal in the first half of the nineteenth century. However, The Rebel Romanov does a fantastic job of explaining how we’ve ended up where we are now.
Julie’s life changed massively after marrying into the Romanov family. Rappaport thoroughly expounds on the complexities of Catherine the Great’s court and family and helps the reader understand why Julie struggled so much. Not only was her husband a difficult and mercurial person, Catherine had very specific ideas on how her children and grandchildren would be raised. (Spoiler alert: it did not lead to Constantine, Julie’s husband, being a particularly easy individual to get along with.) However, despite the lack of sources, we are able to dig into Julie’s life and learn how she escaped her very structured life.
This biography also somewhat doubles as a wonderful introduction to the royals of Saxe-Coburg. We’ve all heard the name thanks to Prince Albert, but they were impressively well-connected given that they were from a small and relatively poor German duchy. Rappaport easily works in a history of the duchy, and she keeps the reader updated on what other family members are doing during this period. However, it is still a very readable book- it never feels laboured or boring!
Is The Rebel Romanov on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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