Olga Valerianovna Paley
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| Her Serene Highness Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley | |
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| Born | December 2, 1866 |
| Died | November 2, 1929 Paris, France |
| Parents | Valerian Karnovich and Olga Vasilyevna Meszaros |
Her Serenity Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (Олга Валериановна Палей) (December 2, 1866–November 2, 1929), was the second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.
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[edit] Early life and first marriage
She was born Olga Karnovich at St. Petersburg, the daughter of Valerian Karnovich and his wife Olga Vasilyevna Meszaros. She married Eric Augustinovich von Pistolkors, by whom she had three children:
- Alexander Ericovich von Pistolkors (1885 - 1944), who married Alexandra Taneyeva.
- Olga Ericovna von Pistolkors (1888 - 1963)
- Marianna, or Marianne, von Pistolkors (1890 - 1976), who married Count Nicolai de Zarnekau.
[edit] Scandal of second marriage
She later began an affair with Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, causing a great society scandal. After the death of Grand Duke Paul's first wife Alexandra Georgievna of Greece, Olga became Paul's mistress, bearing him a child Vladimir Pavlovich Romanov. She divorced von Pistolkors. Paul asked permission of Tsar Nicholas II to marry her, but he refused. In 1902, Paul married her morganatically anyway, but the marriage was not approved and she was given no titles. In 1904, Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria granted Olga the title of Countess von Hohenfelsen. Nicholas II later acquiesced to their marriage, and made her Princess Paley.
Olga and Paul had three children:
- His Serene Highness Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley (1897-1918), a remarkable poet.
- Her Serene Highness Princess Irina Pavlovna Paley (1903-1990), married her cousin HH Prince Feodor Alexandrovich and later Count Hubert Conquere de Monbrison.
- Her Serene Highness Princess Natalia Pavlovna Paley (1905-1981), married firstly Lucien Lelong and later John Wilson.
[edit] Exile
Olga left Russia in 1920 with her two daughters to Finland, after her son and her husband were murdered by the Bolsheviks. She died in exile in Paris.
[edit] External links
- Memories of Russia - by Princess Paley
