Six Years at the Russian Court

The long lost memior of the nanny to the murdered children of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Alexandra. Beginning with her difficult journey from her native Ireland to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg Margaret Eager documented the rareified life of the Romanov family during her six-year tenure as Governess in the Russian Imperial court. In this snapshot of Russian history, Eager chronicled the daily life in the Imperial nurseries raising the young Grand Duchesses Olga, Marie, Tatiana, Anastasia, and the Tsarevitch Alexis, and her many anecdotes of the Royal children demonstrate the unique atmosphere in which they were raised. She elaborated on her time in Russia and records the disadvantages of traveling aboard the Imperial Yacht, peasant life in Russia, scam artists inside the Imperial residences, attempts on the Tsar's life, and her impressions of the Palaces and Imperial art collections. Eager's close intimate relationship with the Imperial family allowed her to view the inner workings of their lives in a way few others could. After spending six years helping to raise the Imperial children and teach them English, Russo-Anglo political tensions caused her position to be terminated and her sent back to Ireland. Eager remained in contact with the Imperial family until their tragic murders in 1918. This fascinating memior is one of the few first-hand English accounts of life behind the scenes in the Imperial Court of the Last Tsar of Russia.