It helps when everyone involved actually knows it’s a date.
In 1838, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanov found herself on a blind date with a boy she later described as “the nightmare of my life.” At the time, she was just sixteen years old, the middle daughter of Tsar Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Although she was smart and pretty, Olga felt invisible next to her seductive older sister and angelic younger sister.
But she wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
In fact, she had no idea just how visible she was to a few members of her extended family.
A Dance with Destiny
The disastrous set-up happened in Prussia, during a visit to her mother’s father, King Friedrich Wilhelm III.
One day, there was a lunch dance for younger members of the family, where Olga danced with Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria. One of Olga’s Prussian aunts, Elise, became fixated on the idea that Max should marry one of Alexandra’s daughters.
Max did his part by developing an instant obsession with Olga.
He took one look at her, realized she was the spitting image of a woman in a painting on the castle wall at home, and figured it was a sign. They were clearly meant to be together.
As they danced the cotillion, Max told Olga about his castle of Hohenschwangau, his favorite poets, and what he expected from his future wife. Olga was confused — why would someone she just met start talking about what he wanted from a wife?
She didn’t understand that Max was trying to fill her in on everything she’d need to know as the future Queen of Bavaria.
Bored out of her skull, Olga looked around for someone to rescue her, but none of the other boys wanted to cut in. Everyone…
