Musical accompaniment: Guilty by Al Bowlly
Princess Irina Alexandrovna was Tsar Nicholas II’s only niece. The beautiful princess was destined to play a small but unique role in history, which I hope to write about soon.
For now, take a look at this photograph of the Russian princess. It was taken in 1924 by Edward Steichen while the princess and her husband were in New York City attending fundraisers for Russian refugees. She seems to embody 1920’s fashion with her straight, loose gown, long string of pearls, and a bejeweled turban. She wears dark colors that give her a dignified, subdued appearance, and she doesn’t look directly into the camera, both of which are behaviors associated with royals.
Princess Irina’s somber expression make this a striking photo. She had gone through a lot at a young age and, in all the pictures I’ve seen of her, she never looks really joyful. Instead she had a genuine presence about her that was both shadowy and penetrating.
What do you see in her gaze?
old spirituals 
Sadness or contempt. Those two words came to mind when I looked at her face.
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It could be either. I bet she was wary of other people. That would be understandable. Probably didn’t make friends easily.
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Interesting that each person interprets the photo differently. I certain understand seeing “contempt” in her expression. I tend to see Princess Irina as “hubristic” in the photo . . . though I considered “haughty,” too.
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Hubristic is a great word!
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The photograph is superbly alluring.
Kudos for focusing on Princess Irina, an oft forgotten influential person of the early 20th Century. All the historical attention about Russia at in the early 20th Century is given to Tzar Nicholas. his family, and the Russian Revolution. I know a bit of the history surrounding her husband, Felix Yusupov, because of my interest in Grigori Rasputin. The Yusupovs were one of the wealthiest families in Russia, so it is not surprising she married into that family. I look forward to your follow-up story.
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I read when she married Felix, he was the wealthiest man in Russia. Though she was connected to the Romanovs. Tsar Nicholas once wrote he was “the owner of the Russias.”
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