The following week Alicky began to visibly relax as the imperial train made its way on its long journey towards Spala. Her health had never been robust, for even as a girl she’d had sciatic pains in her legs and she was regularly plagued by migraines and shortness of breath. On holiday trips away from St Petersburg, at Livadia or on the royal yacht, or at Spala, these ailments rarely troubled her.

‘It is anxiety that is the root cause of Her Majesty’s ill health,’ Dr Botkin, the royal family’s doctor, had said to Nicky. ‘If the anxiety could be removed, Her Majesty would, I think, enjoy perfect health.’

Dr Botkin was part of the large number of people accompanying them to Spala, for wherever they travelled, all key members of the royal court travelled with them. As did many guests, invited to make up the required numbers for hunting parties. As Alicky didn’t hunt, she had invited Irène, and Irène’s son, Sigismund, to join them. Irène would be a companion for her while Nicky was out hunting and the girls were enjoying exhilarating horseback rides down forest paths, and Sigismund would be a playmate for Alexei.

While they were all happily en route to Spala, and while playing catch with his sisters down the corridors of the train Alexei fell, banging his thigh hard. Dr Botkin examined him and found a slight swelling just below his groin, but there was no discoloration that indicated internal bleeding and only slight soreness, and none of the usual agonizing pain that followed such a knock.

By the time they arrived at Spala, Alexei seemed to be in full recovery, and Nicky was buoyant, convinced that his son was beginning to grow out of his disease. When he arranged a mushroom-foraging expedition for the next morning, Alexei and Sigismund were included in his plans. Or they were until Alicky heard of them.

‘No, my sweetheart,’ she said to a deeply disappointed Alexei. ‘Wait another few days before scrambling about on your hands and knees. Instead, come with me on a carriage drive into the forest. We can take our cameras and get some wonderful nature shots of animals.’

Mollified, for he liked taking photographs, Alexei agreed, but only on condition that when they returned, he and Sigismund could go boating on a nearby lake.