Tea at Trianon: Who Really Killed Rasputin?

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Who Really Killed Rasputin?

An upcoming Russian film claims a British spy did it. For years it was believed that Prince Felix Youssopov killed Rasputin, mainly because Felix bragged to everybody that he himself was the murderer. He was certainly the one who lured Rasputin to his house under the pretext of a wild party. Edvard Radzinsky's excellent book, The Rasputin File, debunks Felix's pretensions while building a case for Grand Duke Dmitri being the actual assassin. The current theory claims that the British government was involved, and the shot that killed Rasputin was fired by a M16 agent, in order to pave the way for dethroning Nicholas II and installing Dmitri on the throne. Via LRC. Share

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: Very interesting!
Grand Duke Felix had a habit of cross dressing when he was younger. (His mother had hoped for a girl) Encouraged by his older brother, Felix wore his mother's dresses and accessories so when he went out for social gatherings his attire drew attention from people.
The party pretext certainly got out of hand! The participants had their share of drink.; June 20, 2007 at 3:41:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Both Felix and Dmitri, according to Radzinsky, were both in love with the Tsar's niece, Princess Irina. She married Felix.; June 20, 2007 at 3:49:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: From an obscure peasant.........Rasputin's life and death is still controversial.; June 20, 2007 at 11:10:00 PM EDT
a thorn in the pew said...: I studied Russian in college and we had a whole series devoted to this. It was fascinating to say the least. By the way, I tagged you for your favorite hymns:
http://athorninthepew.blogspot.com/2007/06/tagged-favorite-hymns.html; June 21, 2007 at 10:29:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Thanks for the tag, thorn!!; June 21, 2007 at 10:38:00 PM EDT