Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia

2.1. Childhood and education

Irina was the eldest child and only daughter in a family of seven children. Despite her parents' unhappy marriage, which they attempted to conceal from their children, Irina reportedly experienced a happy childhood. Her family spent extended periods living in the south of France starting around 1906, primarily due to her father's political disagreements with the Tsar.

2.2. Family and relationships

Irina's parents were Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich was the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna was the daughter of Alexander III of Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark. This lineage made Irina a grandchild of Tsar Alexander III and the only biological niece of Tsar Nicholas II. Her father maintained an affair with a woman in the south of France and frequently sought a divorce from her mother, who consistently refused. Her mother, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, also engaged in extramarital affairs. Irina had six younger brothers: Andrei, Feodor, Nikita, Dmitri, Rostislav, and Vasili. She was particularly close to her first cousin, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia.

3.1. Marriage

Irina's future husband, Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, came from an immensely wealthy family. He was known for his unconventional lifestyle, including dressing in women's clothing and engaging in sexual relationships with both men and women, which caused considerable scandal in society. Despite this, he was also genuinely religious and demonstrated a willingness to help others, even when facing financial difficulties. At one point, in a fit of spiritual enthusiasm, he contemplated donating all his wealth to the poor, inspired by his mentor, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. This idea was met with disapproval from Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, who remarked that "Felix's ideas are absolutely revolutionary." His mother, Zinaida Nikolaievna Yusupova, dissuaded him, emphasizing his duty to marry and continue the family line as her only surviving son. Felix, despite being bisexual, initially harbored doubts about his suitability for marriage.

He was captivated by Irina's "icon-like beauty" upon their first meeting. In his memoirs, he recounted seeing her during a ride and being so impressed that he reined in his horse to gaze at her. In 1910, he discovered that the beautiful girl he had encountered was Irina, the only daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, when they visited him. He renewed their acquaintance in 1913 and found himself even more drawn to her. He described her as "very shy and reserved, which added a certain mystery to her charm." As she became more comfortable, he came to admire her intelligence and sound judgment. Felix revealed his past life to her, and she responded with "great tolerance and comprehension," seemingly unperturbed. He noted that Irina, perhaps due to growing up with many brothers, lacked the artifice or dishonesty he had observed in other women.

While Irina was understanding of Felix's past, her parents were not. When her parents and maternal grandmother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, heard rumors about Felix, they considered calling off the wedding. Many of these stories originated from Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, Irina's first cousin once removed, who had been a friend of Felix's and, it was speculated, may have had a romantic relationship with him. Dmitri also expressed interest in marrying Irina, but she preferred Felix. Ultimately, Felix succeeded in persuading Irina's reluctant family to allow the ceremony to proceed.

Neither Felix nor Irina seemed to object to the morganatic terms of their marriage, which required any member of the dynasty marrying someone not of royal blood to sign a document renouncing their rights to the throne. Although Irina was far removed from the line of succession, she complied with this regulation without apparent concern. The wedding, held on February 22, 1914 (O.S. February 9), was the society event of the year and the last such grand occasion in Russian society before World War I. Irina chose a 20th-century dress instead of the traditional court dress worn by other Romanov brides, as she was a princess of the Imperial House, not a Grand Duchess. She wore a diamond and rock-crystal tiara commissioned from Cartier and a lace veil that had once belonged to Marie Antoinette. Guests remarked on their striking appearance as a couple, with one noting, "What an amazing couple-they were so attractive. What bearing! What breeding!"

Irina was given away by her uncle, Nicholas II, who presented her with a wedding gift of 29 uncut diamonds, ranging from three to seven carats. The couple also received a large assortment of precious gems from other wedding guests. They later managed to take many of these gems out of Russia following the Russian Revolution of 1917, using them to support themselves during their exile.

3.2. Children

Felix and Irina's only daughter, Princess Irina Felixovna Yusupova, nicknamed "Bebé," was born on March 21, 1915. Felix expressed immense joy at her birth, writing, "I shall never forget my happiness when I heard the child's first cry." Irina, fond of her own name, wished to pass it on to her first child. Her mother, Xenia, was so anxious about the delivery that Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna remarked it was almost as if Xenia herself was giving birth. Their daughter later married Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Sheremetev and had issue, Countess Xenia Nikolaevna Sheremeteva, born in Rome in 1942.

4.1. World War I

The Yusupovs were on their honeymoon in Europe and the Middle East when World War I erupted. They were briefly detained in Berlin following the outbreak of hostilities. Irina appealed to her first cousin, Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia, to intercede with her father-in-law, Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser refused to allow them to leave but offered them a choice of three country estates for the duration of the war. Felix's father appealed to the Spanish ambassador, securing permission for them to return to Russia via neutral Denmark to Finland and then to Petrograd. Upon their departure, they faced hostility from the German public, who called them "Russian pigs" and other derogatory names.

Upon their return, Felix converted a wing of his Moika Palace into a hospital for wounded soldiers. However, he avoided military service himself by utilizing a law that exempted only sons from combat. He enrolled in the Cadet Corps and completed an officer's training course but had no intention of joining a regiment. Irina's first cousin, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, with whom she had been close in their youth, expressed disdain for Felix's conduct, writing to her father, Tsar Nicholas II, on March 5, 1915: "Felix is a 'downright civilian,' dressed all in brown, walked to and fro about the room, searching in some bookcases with magazines and virtually doing nothing; an utterly unpleasant impression he makes-a man idling in such times."

4.2. Killing of Rasputin

Both Felix and Irina were aware of the scandalous rumors surrounding Grigori Rasputin and his perceived influence on the deteriorating political situation in Russia, which was leading to widespread rioting, protests, and violence. Felix Yusupov and his co-conspirators, Vladimir Purishkevich and Dmitri Pavlovich, concluded that Rasputin was detrimental to the country and must be eliminated. Felix began visiting Rasputin to gain his trust. It has been speculated that Felix told Rasputin he needed help to overcome his homosexual inclinations and achieve a fulfilling marriage with Irina, or alternatively, that it was Irina who required Rasputin's "cure."

On the night of the murder, December 16/17, 1916, Rasputin was invited to Felix's apartment at the Moika Palace under the pretense that Irina would be present and he would have the opportunity to meet the beautiful 21-year-old princess, a meeting he had often expressed interest in. However, Irina was actually on a visit to the Crimea. Irina had been aware of Felix's discussions about eliminating Rasputin, and it was initially intended that she would participate in the murder. Felix wrote to her before the event, stating, "You too must take part in it. Dm(itri) Pavl(ovich) knows all about it and is helping. It will all take place in the middle of December, when Dm(itri) comes back."

In late November 1916, Irina responded to Felix: "Thanks for your insane letter. I didn't understand the half of it. I see that you're planning to do something wild. Please take care and do not get mixed up in any shady business. The dirtiest thing is that you have decided to do it all without me. I don't see how I can take part in it now, since it's all arranged... In a word, be careful. I see from your letter that you're in a state of wild enthusiasm and ready to climb a wall... I'll be in Petrograd on the 12th or 13th, so don't dare do anything without me, or else I won't come at all."

Felix replied on November 27, 1916: "Your presence by the middle of December is essential. The plan I'm writing you about has been worked out in detail and is three-quarters done, and only the finale is left, and for that your arrival is awaited. It (the murder) is the only way of saving a situation that is almost hopeless.... You will serve as the lure.... Of course, not a word to anyone."

However, a frightened Irina abruptly withdrew from the plan on December 3, 1916, writing: "I know that if I come, I shall certainly get sick... You don't know how things are with me. I want to cry all the time. My mood is terrible. I've never had one like it before... I don't know myself what's happening to me. Don't drag me to Petrograd. Come down here instead. Forgive me, my dear one, for writing such things to you. But I can't go on any more, I don't know what's the matter with me. Neurasthenia, I think. Don't be angry with me, please don't be angry. I love you terribly. I can't live without you. May the Lord protect you."

On December 9, 1916, she again warned Felix, recounting a foreboding conversation with their 21-month-old daughter: "Something unbelievable's been going on with Baby. A couple of nights ago she didn't sleep well and kept repeating, 'War, nanny, war!' The next day she was asked, 'War or peace?' And Baby answered, 'War!' The next day I said, 'Say, "peace." ' And she looked right at me and answered, 'War!' It's very strange."

Despite Irina's pleas, her husband and his co-conspirators proceeded with the plan without her. Following the assassination, Tsar Nicholas II exiled both Felix Yusupov and Dmitri Pavlovich. Felix was sent to Rakitnoye, a remote country estate in the Rakityansky District that had been in his family since 1729. Dmitri was exiled to the Persian front with the army. Sixteen members of the Romanov family signed a letter requesting the Tsar to reconsider his decision due to Dmitri's frail health, but Nicholas II rejected the petition, stating, "Nobody has the right to kill on his own private judgment. I know that there are many others besides Dmitri Pavlovich whose consciences give them no rest, because they are compromised. I am astonished that you should have applied to me." Irina's father, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, visited the couple at Rakitnoye in February 1917 and observed their mood as "buoyant, but militant."

Felix still hoped that Nicholas and the Russian government would respond to Rasputin's death by taking measures to address the escalating political unrest. Felix refused to allow Irina to leave Rakitnoye to join her mother in Petrograd, deeming it too dangerous. The Tsar abdicated on March 2 (Old Style), and he and his family were subsequently arrested by the Bolsheviks, eventually being murdered at Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918. The Tsar's decision to exile Felix and Dmitri inadvertently saved them, as they were among the few members of the Romanov family to escape execution during the subsequent Bolshevik Revolution.

5.1. Russian Revolution and exile

Following the Tsar's abdication, the Yusupovs briefly returned to the Moika Palace before traveling to Crimea. They later revisited the palace to retrieve valuable jewelry and two paintings by Rembrandt, the sale of which would help sustain the family in exile. From Crimea, the family boarded the British warship HMS Marlborough, which transported them from Yalta to Malta. During the journey, Felix reportedly boasted about killing Rasputin. One of the British officers noted that Irina "appeared shy and retiring at first, but it was only necessary to take a little notice of her pretty, small daughter to break through her reserve and discover that she was also very charming and spoke fluent English." From Malta, they traveled to Italy and then by train to Paris. In Italy, Felix bribed officials with diamonds to obtain a visa. In Paris, they stayed for a few days at the Hôtel de Vendôme before continuing to London. In 1920, they returned to Paris and purchased a house on the Rue Gutenberg in Boulogne-sur-Seine, which became their primary residence for most of their lives.

5.2. Life in exile and activities

Early in their exile in Paris, a disagreement between Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and Felix brought to light Felix's feelings about his role in Rasputin's murder. Dmitri, distraught, wrote in a letter attempting to end their friendship, "You talked about it, you almost boast about it, that you did it with your own hand."

In 1924, Irina and Felix founded a short-lived couture house named Irfé, deriving its name from the first two letters of Irina and Felix. Irina herself modeled some of the dresses. Irfé was later relaunched by Olga Sorokina in 2008. The Yusupovs gained a reputation within the Russian émigré community for their financial generosity. However, this philanthropy, combined with their continued lavish lifestyle and poor financial management, gradually depleted what remained of the family fortune. Their daughter, "Bebé," was largely raised and, according to Felix, spoiled by her paternal grandparents until she was nine years old. Her unstable upbringing contributed to her becoming "capricious." Felix and Irina, having been primarily raised by nannies themselves, were ill-suited to the daily responsibilities of child-rearing. While their daughter adored her father, her relationship with her mother was more distant.

Later in their lives, the family relied on the proceeds from a successful lawsuit they filed against MGM for their 1932 film Rasputin and the Empress. The movie depicted a lecherous Rasputin seducing the Tsar's only niece, named "Princess Natasha." Irina was indeed the Tsar's only niece by blood, though he had other nieces through his wife's siblings. In 1934, the Yusupovs won a significant judgment against the movie studio. Felix also sued CBS in a New York court in 1965 for televising a play based on the Rasputin killing, claiming that some events were fictionalized and that his commercial rights to his story had been misappropriated under a New York statute. The case eventually went to trial, with CBS ultimately winning.

Felix also authored his memoirs, which contributed to his continued celebrity and notoriety as the man who murdered Rasputin. For the remainder of his life, he was haunted by the killing and suffered from nightmares. Despite this, he also developed a reputation as a faith healer.

7.1. Positive assessment

Irina was widely regarded as one of the most elegant women in Imperial Russia before her marriage. Her beauty was often described as "icon-like" and "wondrous," with features "clear-cut as a cameo." She was admired for her intelligence and sound judgment, and her husband, Felix, noted her "great tolerance and comprehension" regarding his past. Despite the societal scandals surrounding Felix, their marriage endured happily for over 50 years, a testament to their strong bond. In exile, the Yusupovs were known for their financial generosity within the Russian émigré community, providing assistance to others. Her indirect involvement in the Rasputin plot, though controversial, ultimately led to her and Felix's exile, which inadvertently saved them from the executions faced by many other Romanov family members during the Bolshevik Revolution.

7.2. Controversies and criticism

Princess Irina's life was not without controversies. Her association with Felix Yusupov, whose lifestyle included cross-dressing and bisexual relationships, scandalized society. While she was not directly involved in the physical act of killing Rasputin, her initial agreement to be the "lure" and her subsequent withdrawal placed her in a morally ambiguous position regarding the assassination plot. This indirect association with the murder continued to follow her throughout her life, leading to legal battles against media portrayals of the event, such as the lawsuit against MGM for Rasputin and the Empress. Additionally, despite her long and happy marriage to Felix, her relationship with their only daughter, Irina Felixovna, was described as distant, with her daughter being primarily raised by her paternal grandparents and developing a "capricious" nature, partly attributed to the parents' unsuitability for daily child-rearing.