ALEXANDROVNA MARIA: (1853-1920) Grand Duchess of Russia, daughter of Tsar Alexander II. Wife of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and mother of Queen Marie of Romania. A.L.S., Maria, four pages, 8vo, Coburg, 7th August 1874, to Prince Orloff, in Cyrillic. Alexandrovna states that she has been intending to write to her correspondent for some time and continues to refer to the departure of Mr. Kolitin who will deliver the letter, remarking ‘I am sure you will welcome him with joy. He is such a nice and loyal man, I like him’ and further writing ‘I am sure that if we were meeting, you would find many occasions to tease me. I would listen with pleasure to your importunate comments as in the past when I was a young innocent girl. Last winter you were teasing me, although I was already a married woman. Do you remember? But I generously forgive you for the past’ before also commenting ‘I received good news from the Tsar and the Empress. I spent a very good time with them a few weeks ago’. EX €375-500