Imperial Tea Party: Family, Politics and Betrayal: The Ill-Fated British and Russian Royal Alliance

by Frances Welch

The British and Russian royal families had just three full meetings before the Romanovs’ tragic end in 1918. In The Imperial Tea Party, Frances Welch draws back the curtain on those fraught encounters, which had far-reaching consequences for 20th-century Europe and beyond.Russia and Britain were never natural bedfellows. But the marriage, in 1894, of Queen Victoria’s favourite granddaughter, Alicky, to the Tsarevich Nicholas marked the beginning of an uneasy Anglo-Russian entente that would last until the Russian Revolution of 1917.The three extraordinary meetings that took place during those years, although generally hailed as successes, were beset by misunderstandings and misfortunes. The Tsar and Tsarina complained bitterly about the weather when staying at Balmoral, while British courtiers later criticised the Russians’ hospitality, from the food to the music to the slow service.In this wonderfully sharp account, Frances Welch presents a vivid snapshot of two dynasties at a time of social unrest. The families could not know, as they waved each other fond goodbyes from their yachts at Cowes in 1909, that they would never meet again.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia, Royalty, Politics, Russian History, Victorian

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2018

About the author

Frances Welch, coauthor of Memories of Revolution and author of The Romanovs and Mr. Gibbes, has written about the Romanovs for the Sunday Telegraph and Granta. She lives in Wiltshire, England.

Reviews

[Theresa Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My endless fascination with Queen Victoria initially prompted my interest in this book, although of course, given the date ranges of the book, Queen Victoria is only in the first section, because spoiler alert, she died in 1901 and this book still had another 17 years left. My interest waned after this, despite Alicky being Queen Victoria’s favourite granddaughter. She lacked the spark of her grandmother and the author gave the impression of a dour woman who struggled to find favour with very much at all. My interest did pick up again in the last thirty pages which detailed the demise and eventual tragic assassination of the Romanov family, along with insight into their supposed betrayal by King George.

This book veered from being heavily political to lightly mundane, never really settling into any space in between, although it had a unique gossipy feel to the writing that conveyed a polished knowledge of the subject matter by the author. You absolutely cannot fault the detailed research and there are many photographs and primary sources such as letters and menus included which made for fascinating perusal. As a resource for expanding your knowledge on the Russian-British royal relations from 1894 through to 1918, this would prove to be a very useful book indeed.


Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Imperial Tea Party for review.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is truly aimed at royal-history geeks, especially British and Russian royal families. It provides a detailed insight to family affairs of these two dynasties. Including a lot of conversations between the royals depicting their family relationships and political events taking place in this particular period.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I take a grim interest in the interactions between the placidly dull stamp-collecting George and his placidly dull stamp-collecting cousin Nicholas. There were three fateful meetings, though fateful for symbolic after-the-fact reasons only--the actual events as seen here were filled mostly with either really good or really gross food depending on diary entries later, rather dull choral presentations, awkward small talk and stiff photos. If you want to know the minutia of where like everyone sat at dinner, what they were served, how poorly fitted their decorative ceremonial uniforms were (extremely uncomfortable) and the layouts of the various yachts involved, then this is the book for you. It doesn't stray out of these parameters, but then that's not really its purpose.

I enjoyed this level of extreme detail, made possible for the fact that the Victorians took the example of Queen Victoria and were ever diligent with faithful diary entries and letters back and forth recounting the events of the day.

1896: new Tsar & Tsarina at Balmoral with an elderly but still sharpest person in the room, Queen Victoria. I loved everyone's description of just how miserable it was in Balmoral, especially if you were a smoker like the Tsar. The famously arctic temperatures that the Queen demanded on, leaving everyone a slowly turning shade of blue (Perhaps this helped everyone pack on the pounds. If 60 degrees was considered "hot," I'd probably give up and just take an extra baked chicken to bed with me to gnaw on too just to replenish all the calories burned off by shivering). "Lord Rosebery once brazenly said that he had believed the drawing room at Victoria's Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, to be the ugliest in the world, till he saw its equivalent at Balmoral."

Trip was plagued by horrible weather, toothaches on the part of the Tsar, but brightened with additions of Empress Eugenie.

1908: on their yachts off of the coast of Estonia between the Russian royals and King Edward VII. Not quite as awkward as before, when the virulently anti-Semitic Nicholas avoided his uncle over entreaties about pogroms (Nicholas was a piece of work), since Edward was a welcome respite from the far more annoying relative Kaiser Wilhelm. Although, I was happy to see Edward did bring up the pogroms again during this visit to Stolypin: "Some felt the King had overstepped his mark, others that he had shown moral courage."

1909: bittersweet trip between Russian royals and British on Isle of Wight. Last time they all saw each other, so the bittersweet nostalgia of collecting seashells with the Romanov children (while secretly denying them refuge later).

Overall, I'd recommend George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I over this, since it's far more expansive and covers everything in more detail. But if you read that book and want to see seating diagrams and letters and other entries in more detail, this is a good one too.

[Mark Blundell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book cheap on my Kindle. I initially thought it was going to be a little dull if I am honest. I was very wrong. The book details the 3 points in which the British royal family meet the Russian royal family and is thus set in the years before the Tsars demise. It actually shows the human side of the Tsar, something scarcely elaborated on by modern historians. I developed an interest in Empress Alexandra (the Tsars wife), particularly given her relation to Queen Victoria; they were very close. However, the only thing is, this book is for true history nerds; it literally is just conversations between the royals but it is fascinating to get inside their world. For me this is enough - for you - maybe not. The closing chapters do also detail their demise so be warned.

[Alenka of Bohemia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book one should reach for without previous knowledge of the last Romanovs, their personalities and fates. For anyone with knowledge (among which i count myself), this books can provide some interesting and minutiae details about three official visit between the Russian and English royal houses (in 1896, 1907 and 1909). I especially found interesting how much work and preparation went into these events. It is in a sort of "from the outside looking in" narrative, since the events are mostly described through the eyes of witnesses rather than the royals themselves. I also missed some greater emphasis on the actual outcome of these meetings and the eventual tragedy which happened in their wake (and in spite of them). Nice addition to a more extensive Romanov library, not essential on its own.

[Zosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. My favorite of Welch’s books although it does not cover a lot of new information and presents some events in ways that appeared to lead the reader to preferred conclusions. I liked the format of the itineraries for each of the three voyages and how in depth she was able to go with them. Overall quite enjoyable and a pretty easy read.

[Ubah Khasimuddin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for those of us who love this particular period in history - the waning days of the golden era of European royalty - the author writes in painstaking detail the three big visits of the Russian and English royal family after the accession to the throne by Nicholas II.
I found it fascinating to get a glimpse into these events and perhaps further insight into the characters and personalities of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia, their children and entourage. I wasn't as interested in the British royal family of the time, since they survived and thrived. But it was fun to read about what they thought of their Russian counterparts (and family) and how accurately Edward VII read the tea leaves on Nicky and Alicky (the Tsar and Tsarina). I really enjoyed reading about how the Tsar hated discussing politics, even though he was head of State and learning about the Grand Duchesses excursion into a little English town and getting excited to shop like an average person.
Coming into this book already with a hefty knowledge of these families and the time period really helped me to enjoy the book, I can't say for certain if you were a novice to the subject if you would find this book fun, tedious or confusing. This is most definitely for those of us already avidly into this history. That is who I would recommend the book too.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book about the three major Anglo-Russian royal visits during Czar Nicholas II's reign: Balmoral in 1896, Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia) in 1908 and Cowes in 1909. Welch captures the atmosphere of the tours with the heightened security surrounding the presence of the Russian Imperial family in Britain, misunderstandings between Russian and British officials, excited newspaper articles about large royal family gatherings and relations between the individual members of the Russian and British royal houses. The chapters are organized according to the daily itineraries of the visits. There are numerous anecdotes about the Russian Imperial children including Queen Alexandra's efforts to match her grandson, the future King Edward VIII, with one of Czar Nicholas's daughters.
The wider political context surrounding these royal visits, however, is summarized quickly and the brief account of George V's reluctance to provide refuge for the Romanovs in Britain does not take into account the latest books about these complicated circumstances, including Helen Rappaport's 2018 book The Race to Save the Romanovs. Imperial Tea Party is a good book that could have been even better with more political context and sources.

[Lauren Link · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imperial Tea Party by Frances Welch carefully explains the final three meetings of the British and Russian royal families at Balmoral, Reval and the Isle of Wight. I am a fan of both the Romanovs and the British Royal family which is why I had high hopes for this book but I was sorely disappointed with the second and third parts of the book.

Part one was excellent and I enjoyed it thoroughly but I disliked the constant references to King Edward VII's weight, as someone who is easily triggered by this sort of thing, I found it rather uncomfortable to read.

I also thought that the author was too harsh on King George V, unlike Nicholas George was a constitutional monarch who had a duty to listen to what his subjects wanted, the Tsar was incredibly unpopular in Britain as was his wife whom the press believed to be a German spy who would betray Britain. There is evidence which suggests that King George V was trying to persuade Switzerland to offer the Tsar and his family asylum however they were murdered before this could happen.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed reading about the Grand Duchesses time shopping on the Isle of Wight and Olga's relationship with her great-grandmother which is why I was so determined to finish reading the book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers in detail three visits between the Romanovs and British royal families:

1896 - a visit to Balmoral in Scotland to see Queen Victoria
1908 - A naval visit to Russian waters by Edward VII at Reval (now Tallinn)
1909 - A return visit by the Romanovs to the Isle of Wight in England

These meetings are normally mentioned in biographies of the people involved in them, but this is the only book you'll find that has a day-by-day account of each visit. The book also gives bridging background stories to the political tensions of the day which impacted the choices of when/where these meetings took place. This is an easy to read and informative book if you want to know anything about these various meetings.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the late Victorian/Edwardian period of history, but I don't think this book quite hits the mark. It seems to be missing an overall structure thesis, about the intent, nature & result of the royal attempt at an Anglo-Russian alliance. Instead, we get hurled into a (very good) opening chapter in Balmoral, a second (tedious and detail obsessed) chapter on a naval meeting in Estonia, and a third and final chapter on an official royal visit to the Isle of Wight that splits the difference between the first two chapters. There's much to enjoy here, but I feel that it needs a stronger focus, and a more straightforward statement of intent.

[J Grimsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical miniature telling a fascinating story of the 3 meetings of the Tsar with the royal family. The difficulties and the extravagance of those diplomatic encounters. This then follows a brief story of the lack of sympathy that Britain had after the 1917 revolution. I do feel sorry for the Romanov's but find the lack of detail about their regime and it's autocracy plus their view of their right to power and the Tsar's incompetence a difficulty the balance of the book.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise, but I was bored by a good chunk of it with its listing what everyone was doing day by day down to the smallest minutia. It was only in the last several pages that things became interesting, where the book delves into the circumstances surrounding the fall of the Romanovs and George V's role in the back-and-forth of whether or not the Romanovs would be permitted sanctuary in England. That was really interesting!

Rating: 2.5 stars

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fairly clearly written; it just turns out this wasn’t an especially interesting time in history. If you are heavily into royalty, or deeply interested in the descent of the Tsar, you will probably disagree with my review!

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intensely interesting look at the relationship between the British and Russian royal families over the course of several visits they made to each other before the Russian Revolution.

[Keith Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, makes you forget how it all ends.

[Terry Neaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Families and royal ones at that almost vying in oddness. They gave one another fancy titles & uniforms - Admiral of a non existent Russian Navy. The thought of Russians descending on Cowes week. Bizarre or what. Even better George’s refusal to rescue the Romanovs appears to be because he could not bear the thought of meeting a highly strung & unbalanced Tsarina at a family gathering. Families

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gossipy good read but no particular depth.