Princess Alexandra led a privileged childhood in the German Empire, close to her cousins in the British royal family. Her charmed upbringing led to a teenage romance with the future tsar of Russia, Nicholas Romanov. She became the empress of the Russian Empire when her husband rose to power in 1894, but she would be the last. Their relationship was a loving one blessed with children. However, despite this good fortune, Alexandra would unintentionally play a role in the disintegration of the Russian monarchy and the devastation of her entire family.Alix of Hesses Early LifeYoung Alix. Source: Royal Collection Trust / Wikimedia CommonsVictoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice, known properly as Alexandra Feodorovna and as Alix or Sunny to her family and friends, was born June 6, 1872. She was born into her fathers Grand Duchy of Hesse, located in Darmstadt in the German Empire. Alix was the sixth child of her parents, Grand Duke Louis IV and Princess Alice, the daughter of famed British Queen Victoria.Unfortunately, though she led a privileged childhood, it was also one of sadness. Her mother, Princess Alice, died when Alix was only six years old. Still, Alix remained close to her mothers family, spending much of her childhood in the company of her cousins in England. She was a favorite child of her grandmother, the queen. Like many nobles, Alix was educated at home, then later attended both Oxford and Heidelberg University to study philosophy, receiving a doctorate at the latter.Alix and her siblings mourned the death of their father together in 1892. Source: Carl Backofen / WikipediaAlix frequently traveled the European continent with her father and relatives, visiting many of the European royal courts that were interconnected by family and marriage at the time. One of these courts was that of the Russian Empire.At age 12, Alix visited St. Petersburg for a six-week holiday. This visit celebrated the marriage of her older sister Ella (formally Elisabeth), to Grand Duke Serge, brother of the Russian Tsar Alexander III. It was on this trip that Alix first caught the eye of Alexanders son, Nicholas II, who was the tsarevitch, or heir to the throne.Nicholas, known fondly as Nicky, nursed his crush for a number of years, writing in his diary in 1892 that he dreamed of marrying Alix one day (Massie, 1995, p. 27). However, his anti-German father preferred his son find a wife elsewhere. Nicholas dated a few nobles and even a ballet dancer, but his heart remained set on Alix (Massie, 1995, p. 20).The tsarevichs parents eventually consented to the marriage, and the engagement became official on April 8, 1894. After some hesitation, Alix converted to Russian Orthodoxy, as required by the Russian monarchy. Alexander III passed away on November 1st, 1894, bringing his son into the role of tsar. As Nicky ascended to the throne, he finalized his marriage to Alix on November 26. The two settled into their recently developed roles, not only as newlyweds but as the emperor and empress of the Russian Empire.A Happy MarriageAlix in 1908. Source: Boasson & Eggler / Wikimedia CommonsA rare situation among royals of the time, Nicholas and Alexandra had married for love and continually proved their devotion to one another, often preserved in letters. They decided to make their home at Tsarskoe Selo, a smaller home than the traditional home of the Russian royals, the Winter Palace. Still, it was a monumental home, grand and with a full staff selected by Nicholas mother, Marie, the dowager empress.While Nicholas went right to work leading the country, Alix seized every opportunity to spend time with and aid her busy husband. The pairs coronation didnt take place until May 14, 1896, but it was a spectacular event. Her dress and jewels were exquisite and solemn. The ceremony took five hours, thus sealing Alix to Russia forever.However, in Alixs eyes, the event was marred by what was later known as the Khodynka Tragedy. Gathering to receive commemorative gifts, a tradition of the celebrated event, over half a million people gathered after the coronation. Rumors began to swirl that the gift items were limited in number, and people began to push toward where they would be given out. In the crush, thousands were killed. Hearing about the disaster, the royal couple visited victims in the hospital and distributed reparations to the families of those killed. Those close to the empress said the tragedy rent the empress heart.The daughters of Alix and Nicholas, in a photograph sent to Alixs aunt in 1914. Source: Royal Collection TrustIn 1895, the couple welcomed their first daughter. Though many had hoped for a son to carry on the royal line, the new parents were beyond pleased with baby Olga. However, three more daughters followed, and concern rose about the possibility of an heir. Still, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Olga were loved and nurtured by both parents. Known collectively by their nickname OTMA, the girls had unique personalities but were all fun-loving and family-oriented.In 1904, fears were put to rest when Alix gave birth to a baby boy. Alexei would take on the role his father had once held, that of tsarevitch. However, not long after he was born, disaster struck Alix and Nickys marriage once again. They realized that their son had hemophilia.A blood clot, something that is hard for hemophilia patients to form naturally. Source: National Institutes of HealthIt is rumored that Nicholas parents had suspected Alix of being a hemophilia carrier, and that was part of the reason they did not want her to marry their son. Hemophilia was a royal curse of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Though it was not well understood or treated at the time, doctors did know that the affliction was carried somehow by parents and resulted in often uncontrollable bleeding. In addition to the risk of excessive bleeding, hemophilia patients face risks from blood pooling in the joints or seizures from blood applying pressure to the nervous system.This inherited blood disorder generally only affects male children but is carried by mothers. Alexei was forced by his parents to be exceptionally cautious, missing out on many childhood activities such as sports and riding in an effort to protect his life (Massie, 1995, p. 141). Even with all of these precautions, Alexei suffered from a painful childhood, much of which was spent in bed recuperating.As she watched her son suffer, Alix became more withdrawn and was often depressed. She worried for her sons future and agonized alongside him. She often avoided public appearances. Her withdrawal made her seem disengaged and unappealing to the masses. This, along with her German heritage, made many in the general public suspicious of her and her role in the government. This would become even truer as Alix welcomed a new friend into her life and into the palace in hopes that he would help her son.Rasputin Weaves His WebAlix, Nicky, and their children in 1913. Source: Library of CongressAlexandra was introduced to Grigory Rasputin, who had a reputation as a mystic and a monk, by a friend. Rasputin shocked doctors and the royal family when his presence and rituals seemed to heal the tsarevitch and stop his bleeding. Desperate to help her son, Alix gave Rasputin unprecedented access to the palace and her family.While he was popular among nobles for a while, it soon became evident to some that Rasputin was simply after power and that his mysticism was fake. As his popularity waned, there was worry that Rasputin held undue influence over the royal couple and was perhaps swaying some of Nicholas decisions as tsar. Rumors even swirled that Rasputin and Alix were having an affair. In 1916, Rasputin was assassinated by a cadre of nobles, and his hold over Alix was brought to an abrupt halt.Final DaysAlix spent many hours nursing the sick and volunteering. She is pictured on the right in this photo by an unknown photographer. Source: International Encyclopedia of the First World WarAs his years in power continued, Nicholas struggled in many respects in his royal role. He was blamed for lost battles, food shortages, and inflation in the economy. As the people became more restless, rumors of revolution spread. As he lost the support of his military, Nicholas decided to abdicate.Nicholas, Alix, and their children were immediately imprisoned. Despite their arrests, the family remained fairly comfortable, held at various estates around the countryside. Within months, the Bolshevik political party took power from the interim government that had stepped in after Nicholas abdication. During this time, Alix continued to focus on her children, particularly Alexei, secreting royal jewels and other valuables that she kept sewn into her clothing.At the same time as the emperor and empress, other Romanov family members were kept under house arrest in different locations. Pictured here in 1918 are some of Nickys relatives, including his mother, seated in the center of the photo. Source: Royal Digest Quarterly / Wikimedia CommonsOn July 17, 1918, Alix and her entire family were asked to report to the basement of the home in which they were currently held in Ekaterinburg. They were told that they would be preparing for another move. However, instead, the entire family was assassinated by Bolshevik revolutionaries.They were initially shot, but the jewels that Alix and her daughters had sewn into their clothes deterred bullets, and they were bludgeoned and bayoneted to their final demise. The murder of the former royals was kept quiet and was not publicly acknowledged by the Soviet Union until 1989.Alix pictured in 1894. Source: Royal Collection/National Portrait Gallery / WikipediaDespite a privileged upbringing, Alix of Hesse suffered many tragedies throughout her lifetime. From the loss of her mother as a child to supporting a sickly son, to battling rumors and eventually succumbing to a vicious murder, Alix remained steadfast and loyal to her family.Further Reading:Massie, R.K. (1995). Nicholas and Alexandra: The Story of the Love That Ended an Empire. New York: Ballantine Books.