Today we received news of a Workers’ March that is to take place tomorrow in St Petersburg. According to Uncle Vladimir (who is now the city’s Governor-General), the march is to culminate at the Winter Palace, where the leader of the march intends handing a petition listing all the workers’ grievances to Nicky. As Nicky isn’t in St Petersburg, but is here, at Tsarskoe Selo, this is clearly an impossible outcome, and it is to be hoped that Uncle Vladimir makes this clear to them and that, even at this late date, the march is called off without there being large-scale public disturbance.

So many things are so very grim, and I often think back to those golden, far-off days when we were young girls enjoying family get-togethers at Osborne, or Balmoral, or even, sometimes, at Windsor. When Granny Queen was alive there was always such a sense of safety! Ella often talks of the days when you and she were best friends and always shared a bedroom at get-togethers and sat up in bed, talking for hours on end and eating Garibaldi biscuits. Even I can never see a Garibaldi biscuit without being overcome by the memory of dear Granny Queen, so small and squat in black silk and her little white lace cap, with its long chiffon streamers, and the wonderful faint scent of orange blossom that she so loved to be surrounded by.

Alicky put her pen down. That, because of her pregnancy, she hadn’t been able to be with Granny Queen when she died was something she knew she would always regret. She had been Granny Queen’s favourite granddaughter. Had her grandmother asked after her, as she lay dying? No one had said she had, but then it had never been something that – fearful of not receiving the answer she so wanted – Alicky had ever asked about.

She picked up her pen again and wrote:

Enough. I must end. Ella and Sergei will be here by the end of the month, and then at least I will have one sister always close by. Irène and Vicky visit as often as they can, but Tsarskoe Selo is such a long, long way from both of them.

All my love, your secret Kindred Spirit, Alicky

PS: When Vicky was last here, she told me it is widely believed by some members of the family that I am so conscious of your Serene Highness background that I have little time for you! As the truth is so very different, I found it very funny, and hope you do, too. xxx