The French nobleman known as the Count of Paris was Louis-Philippe-Albert d'Orléans. He was the grandson of King Louis-Philippe I of the Orléans dynasty and the son of the deceased Crown Prince Ferdinand-Philippe d'Orléans. As the legitimate heir of the Orléans dynasty, his second daughter Hélène was theoretically a suitable match for the Tsarevich of the Russian Empire, Nicholas. However, times had changed.
Now it was the Third French Republic, and the title of Count of Paris had been bestowed before the Second Empire under Napoleon III, before the Second Republic, and before the Orléans dynasty had fallen.
As Nicholas reminisced about these European noble families, he was speeding toward St. Petersburg on a Russian express train, traveling at 60 miles per hour, or 72 kilometers per hour. This speed was a result of efforts by Witte, who had worked hard to improve the railway system during his tenure.
Russian railway passenger services were similar to those in other European countries, with first, second, and third-class compartments. However, the handling of the tracks' joints in Russia caused the trains to sway noticeably.
Nicholas, undoubtedly, occupied one of the last three carriages of the express train, farthest from the noise and coal smoke of the steam locomotive, in the first-class compartment.
The number of people accompanying the Tsarevich on his return journey was far fewer than those in the inspection group because Emperor Alexander III had other assignments for them.
Witte did not accompany Nicholas back either. As the temperature warmed in June, the famine in the countryside had slightly eased with the first summer grain harvest. However, as the famine subsided, new dangers quickly emerged.
A large cholera outbreak had erupted in the middle and lower Volga River region, the area most severely affected by the famine. The survivors, already severely weakened by the famine, now faced disease spread due to a lack of medical resources.
In a telegram, Alexander III had instructed the new Minister of Finance, Witte, to continue leading the inspection team, but their focus would shift from investigating the poor harvest to inspecting the rural cholera epidemic.
Therefore, at the Kharkov train station, it was time for Nicholas to part with most of the inspection team members.
"Our report was blocked by the Interior Ministry's censorship," Witte informed Nicholas truthfully as they parted.
"You mean... the Interior Ministry opposed it?" Nicholas was somewhat reluctant about this sudden recall by his father, but no one dared to defy the Emperor's orders, so he had to board the train back to St. Petersburg as quickly as possible.
"Not entirely; the opposition was much broader than just the Interior Ministry. Moreover, Your Highness, your father also dislikes this report," Witte, who had his own network and sources, hinted at the resistance the report had faced.
"In that case, I'll return to St. Petersburg," Nicholas said quietly, only turning back to speak to Witte once his luggage was loaded onto the carriage.
The burly, slightly stooped new Minister of Finance nodded silently.
It was clear that the series of rural inspection reports was also Witte's hard work, and seeing them ignored was a significant blow to him as well. But this was reality, and one must bow under the eaves.
"Your Highness, when you arrive in St. Petersburg, you will catch the visit of the Count of Paris. This is invaluable for Franco-Russian friendship," some officials from the Foreign Ministry accompanying the Tsarevich mentioned the recent diplomatic shift in Russia.
Nicholas was also aware of this—the Franco-Russian Alliance.
France and Russia were almost the most distant countries on the European continent, not just geographically but also in terms of systems. The Russian Empire was the most autocratic empire in Europe, while France was now the only great republic without a monarch.
But a series of diplomatic changes had gradually brought these two vastly different countries together. Both faced a significant challenge: the German Empire.
The origin of the French Third Republic lay in Napoleon III's defeat at Sedan and the collapse of the Second Empire. The proud French were defeated by the German army led by Prussia, starting a century-long rivalry.
Afterward, the diplomatic maneuvers of German Chancellor Bismarck ensured that France, as a republic, faced unprecedented diplomatic isolation across Europe.
Russia's relationship with Germany was even more complex than the deep-seated enmity between France and Germany.
At the Congress of Berlin in 1877, Russia, having paid a huge price in the Russo-Turkish War, faced opposition from all the great powers, particularly Britain, which feared Russian entry into the Mediterranean.
Bismarck disregarded traditional Russo-German friendship and placed a German prince from Coburg on the throne of the previously pro-Russian Bulgaria.
Subsequently, Germany consistently favored Austria-Hungary's interests in the Balkans, forming the Triple Alliance with Italy.
Feeling isolated, Russia found itself without a foothold in Europe, prompting Alexander III to shift his focus to the Far East.
In March 1890, the Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia expired, leaving Russia as the second great power in Europe without an ally, after France.
Pro-German sentiment existed among the Russian public, but Germany viewed the Slavs as barbaric and backward, similar to Eastern yellow races.
Trade disputes, Balkan interests, and Germany's fear of Russia's population growth added to the complexity of European diplomacy.
The flirtation between France and Russia began in the 1880s, with Russian bonds sold in Paris eagerly bought by French investors.
In 1890, at an exhibition in Moscow, Alexander III and his wife unexpectedly attended, quickly turning public flirtation into an official honeymoon.
The French acted swiftly, and Alexander III's decisiveness was equally important.
In July 1891, the Russian Tsar reviewed visiting French warships at Kronstadt, accompanied by the "Marseillaise"!
To the strains of the song that called for overthrowing tyrants and rallying citizens against autocracy, the autocratic Tsar of all Russia, Alexander III, repeatedly saluted the French naval officers.
The "Marseillaise" had been banned as a subversive song in Russia since its inception.
But on this day, the song was no longer subversive!
Days on the train were quite dull. This express train wasted little time, stopping only occasionally to refuel and replenish water.
The first-class compartment where Nicholas was seated was predominantly blue in color. The floor was covered with Persian wool carpets featuring indigo geometric patterns. The compartments were furnished with high-quality mahogany tables and chairs, and the leather upholstery on the sofas was reputed to be made from buffalo hide.
"Your Highness, please take a look at the portrait of Princess Hélène," said one of the newly boarded officials, presenting a portrait of Hélène for the Tsarevich's review as they traveled through the black soil region of central Russia.
In French, the "h" in Hélène is silent, and the "é" is pronounced /ei/, while in English, the "h" is pronounced, hence Hélène can also be referred to as Helen.
Nicholas spoke both English and French, but for Russians, French was the more elegant language, so he always referred to her as Princess Hélène.
"Hmm..." Nicholas observed the portrait of Hélène, who appeared delicate, fair-skinned, petite, and gracefully charming.
The opulent new Rococo-style dress cinched Hélène's slender waist, with an outfit that revealed much of her shoulders and a full upper chest. The sleeves were tight at the shoulders and wide at the ends, with a hoop skirt that created a voluminous curve with its pleated, decorated fabric.
The extravagant, vibrant, and luxurious fashion style seemed to continue the hedonistic spirit of the Second French Empire. To Nicholas, Princess Hélène looked like a "doll" meant for men's admiration.
"She is very beautiful," Nicholas remarked to his attendants after carefully studying the portrait.
"Indeed, Your Highness. Princess Hélène is renowned throughout European royalty for her beauty," some diplomats echoed Nicholas's compliment, praising Hélène's portrait.
"How tall is she?" Nicholas inquired.
"About 5 feet 11 inches," came the reply.
"..." Nicholas fell silent upon hearing this. He himself was only 5 feet 7 inches, approximately 1.7 meters tall, whereas 5 feet 11 inches was about 1.8 meters, and 6 feet would be around 1.82 meters.
This felt like an unfair comparison. The portrait did not make her appear so tall. What kind of early Photoshop trickery was this?
"Princess Hélène's sister, Queen Amélie, is 6 feet 1 inch tall," explained one of the diplomats, noting that Hélène's sisters were also quite tall.
Princess Amélie, the eldest daughter of the Count of Paris, was now the Queen of Portugal. Her height converted to the metric system was about 1.84 meters.
Well, Nicholas thought, perhaps the height genes in her family were just particularly strong. He could only console himself with this thought.
After discussing Hélène's appearance, the Tsarevich inquired about the personality and interests of this fiancée he had never met.
"Princess Hélène received the finest education."
"Yes, she has a gentle temperament, elegant demeanor, and is very well-mannered."
"She is also a compassionate person."
The chorus of praises made Nicholas suspect the French had bribed everyone around him.
"If that's the case, I look forward to meeting Princess Hélène," Nicholas said.
While Nicholas hurried back to St. Petersburg, the Count of Paris and his entourage were on a tranquil voyage across the Baltic Sea, preparing Hélène for her new life.
Hélène, the most beautiful of the Count's daughters, had no shortage of suitors. One of her suitors was Prince Albert Victor, the eldest grandson of Queen Victoria of England.
After the failed Boulangist movement in 1886, which threatened the existence of the Third French Republic, the French royalists and old nobility were severely weakened. The Republic's politicians cracked down on these anti-republican nobles, forcing them into exile.
In 1887, in London, Princess Hélène met Prince Albert. By 1890, they seemed to have fallen in love, with Albert even willing to renounce his claim to the throne for the Catholic Hélène.
However, Hélène's father, the Count of Paris, vehemently opposed her marrying an Englishman, and the marriage plans fell through. Not long after, in the influenza pandemic of 1890-1891, Prince Albert passed away.
This left Princess Hélène deeply saddened.
"Hélène, you must move on and leave the past behind," the Count of Paris comforted his daughter, noticing her lingering melancholy.
In the luxurious upper cabin of the ship, the Count, impeccably dressed, held his beloved daughter close, urging her to rest her head on his shoulder.
The father and daughter shared a difficult memory. Hélène had deeply loved Prince Albert and had even considered converting to Anglicanism.
As the main claimant to the French throne, the Count of Paris hoped to restore the Orléans dynasty by toppling the Third Republic, thus valuing alliances with other major European royal families—except the English.
The animosity between England and France outweighed any potential benefits from an alliance with the British.
After separating Hélène and Albert, the Count of Paris saw an opportunity when Empress Maria of Russia, through her connections with the Danish royal family, extended an olive branch.
Empress Maria had been orchestrating this match for five or six years. However, the arranged marriage between the aristocratic families had been stalled because Tsarevich Nicholas had adamantly declared that he would marry no one other than Princess Alix of Germany.
To the Count of Paris, the Russian Empire was far more acceptable than the British.
"But I don't speak Russian! Oh, and it's so cold there!" Hélène exclaimed, half-covering her face, her mood low.
Like Nicholas, she had never met her arranged fiancé, making her feelings sensitive, complex, and anxious.
"Don't worry, St. Petersburg looks just like Paris..." the Count of Paris reassured his daughter, trying to ease her anxiety. "The Russians take pride in speaking French. The Russian aristocrats in St. Petersburg might not even speak Russian as well as you will."
In addition to her father, her unmarried sisters, Princess Isabelle of Orléans and Princess Louise of Orléans, were also by her side, trying to soothe her restlessness.