Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Signed Cabinet Card CDV Photo Alix of Hesse

  

For your consideration is an exceptionally rare and historically significant c. 1885 royal presentation Carte de Visite (CDV) cabinet card photograph, hand-signed by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (18721918), the last Empress of Russia and consort of Tsar Nicholas II, alongside her elder sister, Princess Irene of Prussia (18661953). Captured by Carl Backofen of Darmstadt, this vignette albumen print features both princesses, who have elegantly signed their names. In black fountain pen ink in the lower blank corners of the image. Measuring 16 x 11 cm, the cabinet card is in fine condition, with minor marks and scuffs that attest to its authenticity.

This one-of-a-kind artifact, a museum-quality treasure, represents a unique blend of royal history, artistry, and personal connection to two of the most prominent figures of European royalty. The collection came from the estate of Elizabeth Cavendish, Baroness Waterpark (18161894), who served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria.

This photograph was taken in 1885, a significant year when Princess Alix and Princess Irene served as bridesmaids at the wedding of their godmother and maternal aunt, Princess Beatrice, to Prince Henry of Battenberg. The occasion imbues this artifact with deeper historical and sentimental significance. Alexandra Feodorovna, born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, became one of the most famous figures in modern history as the last Empress of Russia. A favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alexandra carried the hemophilia gene that afflicted her son and heir, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, an inherited condition that profoundly shaped her life and the fate of the Romanov dynasty. Her unwavering support for her husbands autocratic rule and reliance on the controversial mystic Grigori Rasputin contributed to the monarchys decline, culminating in the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Following the abdication of Nicholas II and their subsequent captivity, Alexandra and her family were tragically executed by Bolsheviks in 1918. In 2000, she was canonized as.

Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer. By the Russian Orthodox Church, solidifying her enduring legacy. Princess Irene of Prussia, her elder sister, also held a prominent role in European royalty as the wife of Prince Heinrich of Prussia, brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her life, intertwined with the German imperial family, reflects the complex network of alliances and relationships within European aristocracy during a period of significant political and social change. The presence of both royal signatures on a single photograph underscores the familial bond between these two influential sisters and enhances the historical value of this artifact. This cabinet card stands as a remarkable artifact of late 19th-century royal life, representing the personal connections and public roles of two princesses whose lives were deeply entwined with the history of Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Its exceptional provenance, featuring ties to Queen Victorias household, and its association with a key moment in royal historythe wedding of Princess Beatricemake it a truly unparalleled collectible. The autographs of Alexandra Feodorovna and Princess Irene, combined with the artistry of Carl Backofens photography, render this an extraordinary addition to any collection of royal memorabilia, historic photographs, or artifacts from the golden age of European monarchy. This is not merely a photograph but a living testament to the legacy of two royal sisters and the turbulent histories of their respective nations.