Michael and Natasha: The Life and Love of Michael II, the Last of the Romanov Tsars

by Rosemary Crawford, Donald Crawford

Michael and Natasha is both an astonishing love story and an illuminating look at the last glorious days of the Romanovs and the brutal revolution that ended their reign. Based on private diaries, letters, and documents long hidden in the Soviet archives, it sheds light on an extraordinary tale of enduring love and ultimate tragedy that, until now, has never been told. He was the Grand Duke Michael Aleksandrovich, the tall, dashing brother of Tsar Nicholas II. She was Nathalie Wulfert, a beautiful, elegant, intelligent, divorced commoner, and the wife of a Guards officer under Michael's command. Everything was wrong...yet for Grand Duke Michael, it was love at first sight-an obsession that would lead to disgrace, humiliation, and exile.

Much of Michael and Natasha's story is told in their own words, through hundreds of hitherto unpublished letters. Here they reveal their passion, their joy, and their despair as they are banished from their own country, bathed in scandal in the courts of Europe, and forced to suffer cruel separation. But more than a love story, Michael and Natasha is a historical drama played out against the elegant background of a bygone age and a world at war. It is a spell-binding account of Michael's return to Russia, his reputation as a war hero, the downfall of Nicholas II, the strange and short reign of Grand Duke Michael, and the cruel and tragic end of one of the most colorful eras in world history.

Genres: History, Russia, Biography, Nonfiction, Russian History, Royalty, Romanovs

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 1997

Reviews

[Manray9 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Michael and Natasha: The Life and Love of Michael ll, the Last of the Romanov Tsars” by Rosemary and Donald Crawford was not as I expected. It was purchased from the bargain bin at a supermarket in anticipation of a light popular account of the love affair between Michael Alexandrovich, younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II, and Nathalie Wulfert Brasova (née Sheremetevskaya). Instead I discovered a tour de force of research featuring broad use of primary and secondary sources in Russian, English and French. The Crawfords studied hundreds of letters contained in various Russian archives and used many additional memoirs, autobiographies and collections of documents. Their efforts produced an outstanding book delving into the intricacies of Imperial family politics, as well as the relationships between the Romanovs, their friends, followers, and a wide array of their European royal relatives.

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich's portrayal was overwhelmingly positive. He was seen as amiable, honest, down-to-earth, but incredibly naive about political and dynastic matters. He was a Russian patriot to the core and a loving, devoted and considerate father and husband. Michael Alexandrovich was one of those rare men who seem to be liked by nearly everyone. His greatest shortcoming was in being too loyal a subject of his feckless brother.

Natasha possessed a certain magic. Every man who entered her orbit fell in love. Michael was no exception. The schism within the Romanov family over Natasha was not simply the result of her common birth, but she was twice divorced. This scandalized the Imperial family and all of European high society. Although married to a Grand Duke of Russia, Natasha was not received socially throughout the Continent. But Michael loved her and she him. She had beauty, charm, intelligence, exquisite taste and unrelenting tenacity. They made an odd, but congenial pair.

The Crawfords contrasted Michael and Natasha with Nicholas and Alexandra. The tsar and tsarina did not come off well. Nicholas was a milquetoast dominated by his petty and insufferably self-righteous wife, Alexandra. He had an uncanny capacity to dither on almost any issue and then make the wrong decision – often under her influence. She was virtually unhinged by her son's hemophilia, for which she blamed herself, and retreated into religious fanaticism and reactionary politics. Alexandra waged a prolonged campaign against the “immoral” Natasha and, indirectly, against Michael too. She was behind Nicholas' banishment of Michael following his marriage and the placement of his Russian financial assets in trust under the same conditions as those of a certified lunatic. The Imperial family's internal relationships were fraught with pettiness and social jockeying. Most of the Romanovs agreed on only one subject – dislike for Alexandra and her baleful influence over Nicholas. The character of neither Nicholas nor Alexandra stood admirably in comparison to the steadiness and good judgment of Michael or Natasha's vivacity and charisma.

An interesting page in the story concerned Natasha's efforts on Michael's behalf after his exile to Perm. Twice Natasha barged into Lenin's office, unannounced and pushing past his guards, to plead for Michael. She went to Trotsky in Petrograd too and recorded he was “ill-tempered and answered rudely.” These attempts were made during the period of the Red Terror, when being a titled individual was in itself dangerous. Although ultimately unsuccessful, she was unafraid and undeterred.

The dust jacket claims “Michael and Natasha: The Life and Love of Michael ll, the Last of the Romanov Tsars” is “an outstanding romance, a compelling historical drama, and, in the end, a terrible tragedy.' I could not agree more. The Crawfords earned Four Stars from me.

[Mark Lawicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read on a member of the Romanov family seldom focused upon. Michael and Natasha is an entertaining book that examines the trials and tribulations of the third son of Emperor Alexander III. Charismatic and intelligent, Michael (unlike Nicholas)held his own among his imperious and overbearing uncles. Although gifted with more charm and leadership abilities than his brother Nicholas II, both men possessed the same degree of stubbornness in their characters. Michael led an interesting and charmed life. In any biography of Romanov family members, it is painful to approach the year 1917. The Russian Revolution would lead to the near extinction of the Russian aristocracy and the death of thousands of innocent civilians. The author definitely casts Nicholas II and his Empress in an unflattering light. One would like to think after reading this book that European history might have taken an entirely different turn in the 20th century if Michael had ascended the Russian throne from the beginning instead of his brother Nicholas. This enjoyable book provides much food for thought and I highly recommend it.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I thought. Very well researched. Definitely an area of history that I knew nothing about. My only complaints are 1. Now I need to read more about the Romanov family-especially Alexandra 2. It’s weightier than I really wanted for February.

[Mark Gaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating biography about the very last Russian tsar. No, not Nicholas. He abdicated and his brother Michael was tsar for a short period. This is an amazing story and I was struck by eerie similarities to Duke & Duchess of Windsor.

[Lindsey Meridith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! The book not only “told a story” but did not forsake fact for entertainment. I could tell the subject matter was heavily researched and that the authors put a lot of time into this story. I felt very “connected” to the characters and it was so nice to hear about other Romanov family members- a different side. I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in history, monarchy, revolution, and of course, war. I cannot leave out, however, that I also recommend this for those who appreciate a ‘true’ love story!

[Laini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful glimpse at one of the OTHER Romanovs, the czars brother Grand Duke Michael, and the beautiful Natasha, with whom he had to elope, since his family absolutely forbid the marriage. She was a divorcee and a commoner. Their life together was happy yet abbreviated, and with the Russian Revolution occurring at that time, had to end tragically.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bio on the Tsar that never was and his commoner wife. Lovely love story with an unfortunate ending. It's also very difficult to find biography's on the more junior members of the family so I felt it was quite a find when I bought it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was very impressed by the Crawfords' work here. Extraordinarily thorough and very well-written.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an admirably well researched biography of the Grand Duke Michael, the 'last' Tsar (he wasn't but it would take too long to explain why). What I don't accept is the presentation of Michael and his morgammatic wife as some sort of shining example/alternative to his brother Nicholas and his appalling wife Alexandra. All the Romanovs were a shower of vastly over privileged and greedy nincompoops who hogged all the best jobs and real estate (every male member of the family seemed to have several palaces to live in). The grand duke Michael was particularly dim but no dimer than his brother or father. The biography is interesting but as an attempt to make me as a reader into a fan of Michael it was a dismal failure.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and enjoyable story of Michael, the younger brother of the last Russian tsar, and Natasha, a beautiful Russian woman who, because she was a commoner and twice divorced, was barred from becoming Michael's acknowledged wife. They did marry, but Natasha was ostracized by the imperial family so cruelly that it makes the treatment of Wallis Simpson look enlightened. (Actually, the authors don't tell us what Natasha thought about that affair. Too bad, it would have been interesting.)

Much as I enjoyed it, I have some reservations about the book. For all the detail the Crawfords cram into it, they never give us a measured assessment of the two lovers at its center. Michael was clearly a highly likeable man, but was he as weak as his brother? Had he lived, would he have had the skill to survive as a constitutional monarch, as he would have liked? And Natasha remains a mystery. The authors are clearly sympathetic to her, but at the same time they show her being vain, selfish, arrogant, and opportunistic. Was she the adventuress the Romanovs claimed she was? I believe she loved Michael, but would she have risked her life and fortune if he had not been a grand duke? The authors give us no help there.

Also, while the Crawfords are generally evenhanded in their treatment of the other characters in the drama, they completely lose control when it comes to the Empress Alexandra, Michael's sister-in-law and Natasha's chief enemy. At various times in the book they call her "insane," "increasingly mad" (if she was already insane, how could she get madder?), and "domineering, neurotic, and hysterical." It makes me wonder whether they had some underlying agenda in writing the book.

But, overall, an enjoyable read. I listened to the audiobook, well narrated by Nadia May.

[RumBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What initially intrigued me about this book was it's title, calling Michael the last Tsar of Russia. I always believed that Nicholas II was the last Tsar of Russia, which he was, but since he had to abdicate his throne, and the Bolsheviks would not let his son Alexi take the title, his brother Michael became the "last Tsar" of Russia. This was, at it's heart, an account of forbidden love, and the crumbling of a dynasty. Michael was never meant to marry Natasha, but he did, and the consequences of that decision had far reaching ripple effects. I was truly most interested in how Michael's life resolved itself, knowing very little about him. It was as sad an ending as his brothers, and Natasha's was quite difficult after the Revolution as well. The best non-fiction not only holds your interest, but teaches you something in the process, and this book did that very well.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book. I have read it twice and rate it highly: well-researched, well-written and filled with interesting detail about that period of Russian history. A beautiful but tragic story. Having spent time in St.Petersburg, staying at the Grand Hotel Europe on Nevsky Prospekt and having visited Tsarkoe Selo, I could appreciate many of the events described in the book. It begs the question: What if? Would history have taken another course if Michael had remained Tsar at such a critical time? I would recommend the book to any lover of Russian history and even to those readers who love a story containing romance, tragedy, adventure and intrigue.

[Gerry Durisin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a very different portrayal of Nicholas & Alexandra emerges here, in contrast to Massie’s book! Michael, barely mentioned in previous books I’ve read, is portrayed as smarter, more practical, and potentially a much stronger leader, but one who was badly mistreated by his family for falling in love with the “wrong” woman, and then ultimately murdered by the Bolsheviks for being what he never really wanted -- royalty. Took a long time to get through because of the abundance of detail, but well worth the effort.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This filled in some big gaps in my knowledge regarding Grand Duke Michael and the role he played in the ending of the dynasty. It was fascinating to finally understand how that unfolded and the conditions he was dealing with at that late hour. Truly a remarkable man. Like all Romanov stories, another sad and tragic ending though I never cease to wish for a different ending which of course can never be.

[Avril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work on the younger brother of Nicholas II. Detailed account of the days leading up to the revolution and formation of the provisional government highlighting Michael's movements, which are usually consist of a few brief sentences in other works.

[David Gwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of the rather rocky life and dramatic end of a less well-known Romanov ... the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, who was to ever-so-briefly be named the last Russian Tsar after the abdication of his older brother, Tsar Nicholas II. Wonderful read and highly recommended!

[Laura Scribner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! This book!

I learned an incredible amount, and in many ways, this read more like a text book than your standard nonfiction fare for the non-student. Nevertheless, it was a good workout for my brain and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t exactly text book, but very close. And as it turns out, I know so little about Russia and this time, that I’m pretty sure most of my “knowledge “ was based on the cartoon movie, and there was no singing sidekick of a bat to Rasputin in this!

[andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my mother after she’d told me she thought I would really like it. I love both history and historical books, and after taking a class in Central and Eastern European Studies during the past year for my degree I’ve grown specially and increasingly fascinated with Russian history. My class however started right after the Russian Revolution, in 1917, and I knew little about the Romanovs. Still, and as much as I’m a hopeless romantic at heart and enjoy reading love letters, reading a whole book of letters sent back and forth between the last tsar and his lover sounded inevitably boring.

I couldn’t have been more wrong however, because it was anything but. It was also not what I was expecting. Through Micheal and Natasha’s letters to each other, together with correspondence between them and other family members, friends and others in their circle, and a vast array of different sources and documents, Rosemary and Danny Crawford offer a fascinating look into the last years of the Romanov dynasty. Very well-researched, it’s a fascinating look into the intricacies of the familial relationships, dynamics and loyalties of the Romanovs and all their allies, friends and - many - royal relatives across Europe (seriously, it’ll make you say, “how were they also related?” more than once). It’s also nothing short of remarkable how well-explained everything is considering the number of characters - so many of which are named the same - the messiness of the family tree and the complexity of the historical and political events involved.

One of my few criticisms would be that despite generally being careful not to paint neither an overly flattering nor entirely unsympathetic picture of the rest of the characters, including Nicholas, Micheal and Natasha, the authors fall pray to brushing off the Empress Alexandra as a neurotic, hysterical woman, referring to her as “insane” and “mad” throughout the book. This is a vast and unfair oversimplification of her character and it’s disappointing to see women throughout history continued to be depicted in this way.

Nevertheless, it was a surprisingly enjoyable and hard to put down book and one from which I learned an incredible amount! Mother knows best, as usual.

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books about the Romanov family over the years. Rosemary and Donald Crawford's "Michael and Natasha : The Life And Love Of Michael II, The Last Of The Romanov Tsars" is one of the best - certainly the most riveting. Although very well researched, documented and indexed, the book reads like a wonderful novel. It is an extraordinarily moving love story and gives the reader a bird's eye view into the lives of the Romanovs and the fall of their dynasty.

Grand Duke Michael, was the dashing youngest brother of the last Tsar of Russia. The book chronicles Michael's early life, giving a detailed account of his relationship with his family. He became involved with Natalia, (or Natasha) Cheremetevskaya, a commoner, while he was serving in the imperial army. She was 26, quite beautiful, and captured Michael's heart during their first dance. Natasha was twice divorced and was widely dismissed as a scheming social climber. Michael's romantic courtship of Natasha, their extremely close relationship, morganatic marriage and banishment from Russia is all documented here, along with observations by friends, family and actual letters. There are also never-before-seen photographs. Apparently Grand Duchess Olga, Michael's sister, not only knew Natasha, but evidently was a friend. Some of the unusual photographs in the book document this friendship. After the couple married, Olga turned her back on them. When Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, and abdicated for his young son, Michael was offered the throne, but he refused the opportunity to rule Russia because society and the Russian people would never have accepted his wife. There exists the possibility that if Michael had accepted the crown, there may have never been a Bolshevik Revolution.

One of the most fascinating books on the period that I have read. It is a powerful and tragic story and I highly recommend it.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally love what this book brought to my attention. Wonderful to get the inside story from another POV, and what a bitch that Alexandra was. Good grief but she should of had a smack upside her head. She got worse than that of course - none of them deserved their grisly fate but it is easy to see why N and A were so despised; if they had to go then the whole nest had to be cleaned out, that figures, but oh! And what happened in those years after was not so good for your average russian either.

If this book has a fault it is that it could have used some front loaded editing but for me, this was the bees knees and many pennies dropped in my personal understanding of the situation.

blurb - The unknown story of the last Tsar of Russia set against backdrop of wealth, love, sex, royalty, war, revolution and murder. The relationship and subsequent marriage of Michael and Natasha was one of Greatest scandals in Russian History. It lead to Michael's disgrace, humiliation and banishment. Michael and Natasha is the first full account of this magnificent love story. But it is also more than that : It charts the decline of the last age of elegance and provides a fascinating insight into the daysleading up to the Russian Revolution. This is an outstanding romance, a Royal scandal and a compelling historical drama with a supremely tragic ending.

[jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Romanovs are my favorite European royalty. Somehow the typical in-bred decadence of Victorian age nobility gets even more entertaining set in Russia. Even though it turns out the Romanov tsars weren't allowed to marry their first cousins like other European royalty could -- silly Orthodox church.
The relationship between Micheal and Natasha itself was pretty boring -- almost everyone's love letters are the same -- except where it annoyed his family and became dramatic. The parts where the Ohkrana (royal secret police as far as I could tell) tailed them around Europe were entertaining, and the parts detailing the various other "inappropriate" marriages his relatives made, and how those were more or less acceptable than Micheal's own, were also pretty good.
I didn't get really into the book until the revolution of 1917. It was interesting to read such a detailed account from the point of view of how it affected the imperial family; I've mostly learned about it from the perspective of the revolutionaries. The parsing of the various legal problems with the "abdications" and succession of Nicholas/Alexis/Micheal was probably my favorite part, because I am a nerd.
Not something I would highly recommend, but well researched and interesting topic.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew a fair bit about the fall of the Romanov dynasty in Russia; what I didn't know was that Tsar Nicholas II reluctantly abdicated in favor of his brother Michael, who became Tsar for around a day or two in the slim hopes that Russia and the House of Romanov could be salvaged by creating a constitutional monarchy whereby Michael could/would continue as Tsar by election, much as the founding member of the dynasty - Tsar Michael I Romanov - had in 1613.

The book was a fascinating read, establishing the very genuine differences between Nicholas and Michael both personally and professionally (Michael was a military commander, who did his best to circumvent the disastrous influence of Nicholas's wife Alexandra on the politics, economics, and socioreligious aspects of Russia. Had Michael been Tsar instead of Nicholas, I expect the November Revolution of 1917 might never have happened and the Romanovs would have survived.

A sad ending, of course, but also a very frank look at how the Bolsheviks seized power and manipulated the end of the monarchy and the Romanovs through violence, deceit, and ruthlessness. For anyone interested in Russian History, I highly recommend this book.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book about the younger brother of Nicholas II. Michael probably couldn't be correctly called "the last tsar" in spite of the title because he would not accept the title until the representatives of the factions had assembled and declared what sort of government they wanted. He was urged to abdicate, but did not. He issued a manifesto explaining what should happen before he could be proclaimed tsar.

Technically there were a few who swore their loyalty to him as Nicholas' successor, but Michael may not even have been aware of that. So, the title didn't win me over, but I was very interested in the details of the Russian Revolution from the view of Michael and other members of the Romanov family. It brought me to re-think and to research other ideas about Alexandra's character and whether or not Nicholas could have prevented the Revolution.

[Laamakunkku · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about the Romanovs (favourite non-fiction subject of mine) but for some reason Michael and his wife are both quite unfamiliar to me. This book certainly fixed it. Michael&Natasha seems to be a well researched book about Tsar Nicholas' brother who wanted to marry a certain woman and didn't care if he was constantly forbidden to do so. I have to say both brothers had some wives... But they did love them. In both cases that also kind of brought their ruin too...

I love books like this with real letters included instead of just telling the story otherwise. Only in some parts I was mildly bored when it got too political but given the subject I'd say it's understandable. I wish there would've been a little more about their life after the revolution (or Natasha's at least), but I take what I get. Nicely done.

[Rd · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sort of ghost-like figure in history...youngest son, older brother and heir dies so he is the heir to the Russian throne. Then a nephew is born as the new heir, but he has hemophilia. And then he falls in love with a twice-divorced commoner. As a finale, he's offered the throne after his brother Nicholas' abdication, but fears for his life and doesn't take it. Eventually, he is taken out into a field and shot - just for being a Romanov...who when given the option, wanted the people to rule.

He literally got no credit for his military life, or anything else he ever did. He's just, as I said, a ghost or a footnote in history...sad...

[Oswaldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para los amantes de la vida de la familia real rusa, la historia de amor entre el heredero del imperio zarista y la mujer por la que declinó el trono. Entretejiéndose en el declive de la época de la Rusia Imperial,la revolución de la nación y las costumbres de la familia más influyente de la época. Otro libro que he leído una y otra vez!!!

[Zosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read a book on Michael and Natasha-especially Natasha, because she hasn’t exactly been treated very well by history. Their story is by turns a beautiful love story and a terrible tragedy. Interesting to think about how their lives might have turned out if the Russian revolution hadn’t happened. Very well researched and I loved reading their love letters.

[Natalia Vodianova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am Russian and learned so much about the final years of Russian Empire from this book. The love story and Michael's character is admirable but what impressed me most is the details and research that went into this book. If you love history, this book is for you.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

True account of the last of the Romanov Tsars. Very detailed and pretty boring; skim read.

[Janet MacLeod Trotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An egrossing read - beautifully depicted characters and packed full of intersting information, yet reads like an epic novel. Excellent.