Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia - Life in Schwerin and Death

Life in Schwerin and Death

Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (now Princess Elena) moved to Schwerin with her husband. There she was introduced to a whole new court, quite different from the opulence of Saint Petersburg. She was quite content with her married life and soon after the wedding she was with child. In September 1800 she gave birth to a son, Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1837 till 1842, who was named so after his grandfathers, the Tsar of Russia and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The year 1801 had been especially hard for Elena, for she lost two close members of her family in just a few days. On 16 March her sister Alexandra died in Buda after giving birth to a daughter Alexandrine, who died too a few days before. Just eight days later her father, the tsar, was assassinated. The following year Elena became pregnant again and in March 1803 produced a daughter whom they named Maria after her maternal grandmother the Dowager Tsarina.

In September 1803, Elena Pavlovna fell gravely ill and died suddenly on 24 September. She was buried with great sorrow in the Helena Paulovna Mausoleum in Ludwigslust which was named in her memory. Several members of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin dynasty, including her husband's second wife, are buried there.