In 1894 Princess Alix of Hesse, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. A Royal Bond: Queen Victoria and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia Queen Victoria and her granddaughter, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, shared a bond that went far beyond that of a typical grandparent and grandchild. Born in 1872 as Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Alix was the fourth daughter of Princess Alice and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse. Through her mother, she was a beloved granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who considered her a favorite. After the tragic passing of both her mother and sister Marie to diphtheria in 1878, Victoria stepped in as a surrogate mother, fiercely protective of the young princess. "While I live," she once said, "Alicky, till she is married, will be more than ever my own child." Victoria oversaw Alix's upbringing closely, handpicking her tutors and requiring monthly progress reports. Alix often spent holidays with her British cousins, strengthening her ties to her royal heritage. She cherished the gifts her grandmother lavished on her for birthdays and Christmas—dresses, jewelry, and dolls among them. Alix's letters to Victoria, signed as “your loving and grateful child,” revealed her deep affection, viewing her grandmother as "the best and dearest of grandmamas." When Alix became engaged to Emperor Nicholas II, she reassured Victoria that her marriage would not weaken her loyalty. Queen Victoria's death in 1901 left Alix devastated. At her memorial service in Saint Petersburg, Alix wept openly, surprising many who saw her as reserved. This rare display of grief highlighted the depth of her love and the lasting impact of her cherished relationship with Queen Victoria. Princess Alix of Hesse stayed at Cathcart House, a boarding house in Harrogate then owned by a Mrs Allen. The princess travelled to Harrogate, under the name of Baroness Startenburg, to take “the cure’”in the town’s famous baths as a treatment for her sciatica. It was while the princess was staying there that Mrs Allen gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy. The princess took their arrival as a good omen for her forthcoming marriage to the then-Grand Duke Nicholas – soon to become Tsar – and she asked to be godmother to the twins and that they be named Alix and Nicholas. Afterwards she maintained a close relationship with her godchildren and regularly sent them gifts. In 1911, a tea-party was attended by Empress Marie of Russia; Queen Alexandra, former Empress of India; King Manuel of Spain; Prince Christopher of Greece; Princess Victoria and the Grand Duchess George of Russia. Princess Alix, who became the Tsarina Alexandra, was murdered along with her family by the Bolsheviks in July 1918. A.A Thomson MBE wrote an autobiographical novel called ‘The Exquisite Burden’ about his upbringing in Harrogate. It was set in Mexborough Hall, which was a disguise for Cathcart House.