George, Nicholas & Wilhelm 3 Royal Cousins

Recently, while browsing the book store, I noticed the book "George, Nicholas and Wilhelm Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I" by Miranda Carter. Thanks to the intermarriage between the royal families of Europe, there existed little Russian blood in the Romanovs, the last ruling dynasty of Russia. Why? Because it was predominantly German due to the endless marriages to the German royal family. In fact, the last Romanovs appeared to be westernized aristocracy more so than Russian.

Intrigued, I bought the book with the three exquisitely mustached men on the cover: George V of England, Nicholas the II of Russia and Wilhelm II of Germany to learn how they came to rule Europe in the days that preceded World War I. I especially hoped to learn more about Nicholas II and was not disappointed.

The 400+ pages, in four parts, are a monumental undertaking by Ms. Carter. She describes the changes that took place in the world through the lives and correspondence of this trinity with the end result being the dissolution of the monarchy in Russia and Germany.

The book begins with the family trees and bloodlines of royalty in the mid-19th century: the intermingling is obvious.

Ms. Carter explores the childhood of the cousins, progresses to their alliances and marriages, and ascension to rule and in two instances, descent. The element of humor appears throughout the pages and makes these men appear more human than divine even though Wilhelm, full of arrogance and self-import believed that “the fellowship of monarchs was heaven-ordained.” (Nicholas shared this view.) Perhaps Wilhelm was begging for admiration; the deformity to his left arm caused during delivery was a cross he bore his entire life.

The book is chock full of interesting and intimate tidbits. For example, George the V had a quiet, isolated childhood, adored his mother and was possibly dyslexic because he had learning problems. Nicholas the II too was raised in isolation, had a flair for languages, loved the army and had a passion for the “theatrical rites” of the Russian Orthodox Church. He did not harbor a desire to become tsar, either.

Mother Russia during this time period was archaic as compared to her European counterparts and not living in the modern age. Ms. Carter reconfirmed why the Russian Revolution occurred. It was bound to: royalty, the minority lived in splendor, but the majority, peasants, lived in squalor. Religious persecution and massive exploitation of peasants brought it all to an explosive end. The massive strikes, unrest and negative influence of the enigmatic Rasputin that preceded Nicholas’ abdication went unheeded. Not soon after, Wilhelm too abdicated.

Ms. Carter includes black and white photographs in the book and the resemblance of George and Nicholas is remarkable. No wonder the two were often mistaken for one another. They shared other traits too: a preference of the family life to court and hunting. It’s a shame that this likeliness couldn’t save Nicholas and his family from their demise: although his English cousin George made a half-hearted offer to help him, nothing came of it in the end. I suppose George felt that bringing the Romanov’s to England would pose a threat to his own royal standing.

In summary, I enjoyed this historical account and the book was worth the money I spent on it. I recommend it highly to history buffs who yearn to learn more about this epoch in time and to the rest of us who are searching for a good read.


Buy "George, Nicholas & Wilhelm Three Royal Cousins & the Road to WWI" on Amazon.com