Princess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia - Issue

Issue

Xenia and Alexander had seven children together, one daughter followed by six sons:

• Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia (15 July 1895 – 26 February 1970) m. Prince Felix Yussupov.
• Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia (24 January 1897 – 8 May 1981) m. 1. Donna Elisabetta Ruffo-Sasso, m. 2.Nadine McDougall.
• Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia (23 December 1898 – 30 November 1968) m. Princess Irina Paley .
• Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia (16 January 1900 – 12 September 1974) m. Countess Maria Vorontsova-Dashkova
• Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia (15 August 1901 – 7 July 1980)m. 1. Countess Marina Sergeievna Golenistcheva-Koutouzova, m. 2. Margaret Sheila MacKellar
• Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich of Russia (2 November 1902 – 31 July 1978) m. 1. Princess Alexandra Pavlovna Galitzine m. 2.Hedwig von Chappuis
• Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia (6 July 1907 – 23 June 1989) m.Princess Natalia Galitzine

The children were grandchildren of a tsar (Alexander III) through their mother (female-line), but only great-grandchildren of a tsar (Nicholas I) through their father (male-line). Due to Imperial Family Statutes brought in by Alexander III to limit the rank of Grand Duke and Duchess, they held the title Princes and Princesses of Russia with the style of “Highness”.

One of Xenia's descendants could have become the Head of the Imperial House of Russia, but all of her children, like all the other Romanovs, married morganatically; making them ineligible, in accordance with old succession laws of Russia. As a result, none of the current descendants of the Romanov Family, including Maria, the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov, whose mother was from a family recognised as non-dynastic by the last ruling Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II, are born of a Dynastic Marriage, as per old succession laws of Russia. However her descendants are only Romanov descendants of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and the closest Romanov Blood relations of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia.

In 1913, Xenia and Sandro's daughter Irina expressed her intention of marrying Prince Felix Yussupov. He was heir to the largest private fortune in Russia. Felix had decided that Irina would make the perfect wife. Xenia was not happy at the prospect of giving approval to such a marriage as Felix had a notorious reputation. It was rumoured he had had an affair with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia. The Dowager Empress had heard of the rumour and summoned Felix to meet with her, but Felix's charms won her over. She stated, "Do not worry, I will do all that I can for your happiness." Xenia's only daughter was married on 9 February 1914 in the presence of the Tsar who gave her away. Xenia walked behind with Sandro and her mother.

During Xenia’s last pregnancy in 1907, Alexander had an affair with a woman identified only as 'Maria Ivanovna' in Biarritz. One year later, Xenia also began to have an affair, with an Englishman named 'Fane.' Xenia referred to him as simply "F." in her diaries. They corresponded with one another as late as the first world war. After Xenia and Alexander admitted the affairs to each other, their marriage began to fall apart. Though still in love with each other, they began sleeping in separate rooms and went their different ways. Prior to the revolution, Alexander had become disenchanted with the course of events in Russia and the court life. Both he and Xenia spent considerable periods of time outside of Russia; both returned before the start of the first world war. Following the Revolution, they separated and managed to escape Russia.