If you have never visited Hillwood in northwest Washington, you are missing out. The house was the home of the late Marjorie Merriwether Post, who used her wealth to save many Romanov treasures, as well as other art.
October 3rd was a lovely, warm autumnal day, when a group of twelve friends from the USA, the UK, and Australia traveled to Hillwood for a tour of the house and gardens and to see the exhibit on Natalie Paley, the daughter of Grand Duke Paul and his second wife, Olga Pistikors. This was a morganatic marriage. Olga was styled as Princess Paley, a princely title also given to her three children by Paul: Vladimir, Irina, and Natalie.
 |
| Grand Duke Vladimir |
 |
| Heading up the stairs. Catherine the Great is in the middle |
 |
| King Peter II of Yugoslavia, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth , Queen Astrid of the Belgians |
 |
| I spy King Haakon VII |
 |
| 2 Faberge eggs. Earlier in the week, several of us traveled to the Virginia Fine Arts Museum, which has the most extensive Faberge collection outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. |
 |
| Crown Prince Harald (now) King of Norway |
 |
| King Haakon VII |
 |
| The kitchen |
 |
| Marjorie’s breakfast tray |
 |
| Marjorie’s jewels |
 |
| Marjorie’s dress |
 |
| Nuptial crown worn by Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine when she married Nicholas II |
 |
| Our group on the staircase |
 |
| Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Luxembourg |
Now the garden tour — a selection of formal and informal gardens
The exhibition’s companion book, The Belle Époque Life in Paris Olga Paley and Paul of Russia
This latter event will be held on October 21st.
