RUSSIA: A good, small selection of four 8vo pages removed from an album bearing seventeen signatures, to the rectos and versos, by various Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses of Russia, members of the House of Romanov, and a few other members of European royal families including George Mikhailovich (1863-1919) Grand Duke of Russia, General in the Russian Army, Maria of Greece and Denmark (1876-1940) Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia, wife of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich, Sergei Mikhailovich (1869-1918) Grand Duke of Russia, murdered by the Bolsheviks, Xenia Alexandrovna (1875-1960) Grand Duchess of Russia, sister of Tsar Nicholas II, Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933) Grand Duke of Russia, husband of Grand Duchess Xenia and an advisor to Tsar Nicholas II, Nicholas Mikhailovich (1859-1919) Grand Duke of Russia, a first cousin of Emperor Alexander III, Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark (1888-1940) Greek and Danish Prince, son of King George I, Olga Constantinovna (1851-1926) Grand Duchess of Russia, Queen consort of the Hellenes 1867-1913 and briefly Regent of Greece November - December 1920, Vera Konstantinovna (1854-1912) Grand Duchess of Russia, granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I, Konstantin Konstantinovich (1858-1915) Grand Duke of Russia, grandson of Tsar Nicholas I and a poet and playwright, Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg (1865-1927) Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna of Russia, wife of Konstantin Konstantinovich, Tatiana Constantinovna (1890-1979) Russian Princess, daughter of Konstantin Konstantinovich, Constantine Constantinovich (1891-1918) Russian Prince, son of Konstantin Konstantinovich, murdered by the Bolsheviks, Oleg Konstantinovich (1892-1914) Russian Prince, son of Konstantin Konstantinovich, died at the young age of 21 from wounds suffered whilst fighting the Germans in World War I, Igor Constantinovich (1894-1918) Russian Prince, son of Konstantin Konstantinovich, murdered by the Bolsheviks, Andrew of Greece and Denmark (1882-1944) Greek and Danish Prince, father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Alice of Battenberg (1885-1969) Hessian Princess, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (1872-1938) Greek and Danish Prince, cousin of Tsar Nicholas II, Elena Vladimirovna (1882-1957) Russian Grand Duchess, wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, Vera Constantinovna (1906-2001) Russian Princess, daughter of Konstantin Konstantinovich, Georgy Konstantinovich (1903-1938) Russian Prince, son of Konstantin Konstantinovich etc. Some very light, minor age wear and a few tape stains to the edges, generally VG, 4

 

Provenance: The present pages were removed from the personal album of Baron Robert Stuker (1863-1940) Swiss historian, interpreter, diplomat and educator, a language specialist who was appointed tutor at the Greek Royal Court under King George I. Stuker was later appointed as Royal Chamberlain, Court Librarian and Personal Secretary to the King. Stuker accompanied members of the Greek Royal family on trips, took on sensitive diplomatic missions and became the King's advisor. Following his service with the Greek Royal family, Pope Pius XI appointed the Reformed Protestant Stuker as master of ceremonies and interpreter at the Vatican in 1924, posts he was to hold until 1935. In later years the album was added to whilst in the custody of Jurg Stuker (1914-1988) Swiss antiquarian bookseller and founder of the Stuker auction house in Bern, stepson of Robert Stuker.