The Child with the Blue Eyes

In 1931 Queen Marie of Romania wrote an essay in honor of her youngest daughter, Princess Ileana, who was about to be married. The essay, entitled "The Child with the Blue Eyes," expresses the feelings of almost every mother when about to send a beloved child out into the world. Of her six children, Queen Marie had been allowed to raise Ileana herself and supervise her education, and so was especially heartbroken by the separation.

Ileana's brother the king had more or less pressured her into a marriage which was more to his advantage than hers. Her destiny was to be riddled with hardship and tragedy. Tribulations, however, only refined the soul of Ileana, deepening her spiritual quest. After coming to America she eventually became an Orthodox nun, known as Mother Alexandra. She inherited her mother's gift of expression, as can be seen in her numerous spiritual writings. Here is Mother Alexandra's meditation on the Our Father and here is her autobiography. Share