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?