Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia

Who was Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia?

Grand Duchess Vera Constantinovna of Russia was a daughter of Grand Duke Konstantine Nicholaievich of Russia. She was a granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I and first cousin of Tsar Alexander III of Russia.

She had a difficult childhood marked by illness and tantrums. In 1863, while his father was Viceroy of Poland, she was given away to be raised by her childless uncle and aunt, King Karl and Queen Olga of Württemberg. Vera's condition improved in their home and she outgrew her disruptive behavior. In 1871 she was legally adopted by Karl and Olga, who arranged her marriage in 1874 to Duke Eugen of Württemberg, a member of the Silesian ducal branch of the family. Her husband died suddenly three years later. Vera, only twenty-three years old, did not remarry dedicating her time to her twin daughters. At the death of King Karl in 1891, Vera inherited a considerable fortune and she turned her home into a cultural gathering place. She was a popular figure in Württemberg, notable for her charitable work.

Grand Duchess Vera was known in royal circles as an eccentric both in appearance and behavior. Although she kept in touch with her Romanov relatives, visiting Russia many times, she identified more closely with her adopted country. In 1909 she abandoned Orthodox Christianity and converted to Lutheranism. She died two years later after a stroke.