Irina
Romanov, was the daughter of Grand Duke Alexander and Grand
Duchess Xenia, and niece of Nicholas II.
Irina
married Prince Felix Yusupov on 22nd
February, 1914. They spent their honeymoon in France, Egypt, Italy,
England and Germany.
Like
many members of the Royal Court, Irini and her husband objected
to the influence that Gregory Rasputin
had over the Tsar and his wife, Alexandra
Fedorovna.
In
1916 rumours began to circulate that Alexandra and Rasputin
were
leaders of a pro-German court group and were seeking a separate
peace with the Central Powers. Rasputin
was also suspected of financial corruption and right-wing politicians
believed that he was undermining the popularity of the regime.
In
December, 1916, Felix
Yusupov and
Vladimir Purishkevich, the leader
of the monarchists in the Duma, and Grand
Duke Dmitri, formed a conspiracy to murder Rasputin.
On
29th December, 1916, Gregory
Rasputin was
invited to Yusupov's home where he was given poisoned wine and cakes.
When this did not kill him he was shot by Yusupov and Purishkevich
and then dropped through a hole in the frozen canal outside the
house.
After
the Russian Revolution Irina and Felix
Yusupov emigrated
to the United States. His memoirs, Lost
Splendor, was published
in 1953.
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