The Rebel Romanov
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-1-3985-2598-6 (ISBN)
Description
'What a wonderful book! The storytelling, the research, the deep love of her subject -- this must be the climax of Rappaport's long and illustrious career'
Lucy Worsley
To Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie; to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, granddaughter-in-law. This is the story of Princess Juliane-Henriette-Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg, the Rebel Romanov.
Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany, Julie's quiet life took a fairy-tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family - the Romanovs. But this world of baroque splendour, of opulent palaces and grandeur, was no happily ever after. Taken to Russia at just fourteen, her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe-Coburg duchy from financial ruin. Her husband, Grand Duke Konstantin, was cruel and abusive, Julie was uprooted from her home, family, language and culture.
As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon, Julie finally made her escape back to Germany, where she lived for two decades as a social pariah, denied a divorce by the Imperial Family. Forced to give up two illegitimate children to protect her family's honour, she eventually built a life for herself in Switzerland, where she entertained poets and philosophers, regaling them with tales from the Russian court.
Helen Rappaport recreates the extraordinary life of this forgotten figure. In doing so she sheds new light on the Romanovs, reveals the sacrifices Julie made to further her family's interests - her brother became king of Belgium, her sister gave birth to Queen Victoria - and investigates the true nature of Julie's relationship with Tsar Alexander I. Rich in history, drama and royal intrigue, Julie's remarkable story is told at last.
Lucy Worsley
To Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie; to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, granddaughter-in-law. This is the story of Princess Juliane-Henriette-Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg, the Rebel Romanov.
Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany, Julie's quiet life took a fairy-tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family - the Romanovs. But this world of baroque splendour, of opulent palaces and grandeur, was no happily ever after. Taken to Russia at just fourteen, her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe-Coburg duchy from financial ruin. Her husband, Grand Duke Konstantin, was cruel and abusive, Julie was uprooted from her home, family, language and culture.
As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon, Julie finally made her escape back to Germany, where she lived for two decades as a social pariah, denied a divorce by the Imperial Family. Forced to give up two illegitimate children to protect her family's honour, she eventually built a life for herself in Switzerland, where she entertained poets and philosophers, regaling them with tales from the Russian court.
Helen Rappaport recreates the extraordinary life of this forgotten figure. In doing so she sheds new light on the Romanovs, reveals the sacrifices Julie made to further her family's interests - her brother became king of Belgium, her sister gave birth to Queen Victoria - and investigates the true nature of Julie's relationship with Tsar Alexander I. Rich in history, drama and royal intrigue, Julie's remarkable story is told at last.
Reviews / Votes
'What a wonderful book! The storytelling, the research, the deep love of her subject - this must be the climax of Rappaport's long and illustrious career' -- Lucy Worsley 'Beautifully written, incredibly moving and illuminates the whole age' -- Jessie Childs 'Rappaport's account of this pretty, spirited and flirtatious young woman's dismal time in Russia is absorbing' -- Miranda Seymour * Literary Review * 'A nimble guide through the stately jumble of German dynasties' * New Statesman * 'Accomplished and richly detailed' * Country Life * 'Sparkling... A captivating historical saga of a woman in revolt' * Publishers Weekly * 'A brisk rendering of tumultuous times...[and of] a woman caught in the whirlwind of history' * Kirkus Reviews * 'What a wonderful book! The storytelling, the research, the deep love of her subject - this must be the climax of Rappaport's long and illustrious career' -- Lucy Worsley 'Beautifully written, incredibly moving and illuminates the whole age' -- Jessie Childs 'Rappaport's account of this pretty, spirited and flirtatious young woman's dismal time in Russia is absorbing' -- Miranda Seymour * Literary Review * 'A nimble guide through the stately jumble of German dynasties' * New Statesman * 'Accomplished and richly detailed' * Country Life * 'Sparkling... A captivating historical saga of a woman in revolt' * Publishers Weekly * 'A brisk rendering of tumultuous times...[and of] a woman caught in the whirlwind of history' * Kirkus Reviews *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
1x8pp colour plates
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
265 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-2598-6 (9781398525986)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Helen Rappaport was born in Bromley, Kent, and studied Russian at Leeds University, before working as a translator and copy editor. She has been a full-time writer for more than twenty-three years, and in 2003 discovered and purchased an 1869 portrait of Mary Seacole that now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, sparking a long investigation into Seacole's life and career.