Marias sweet disposition and looks earned her the nickname treasure from her father Nicholas, but her sisters treated her horribly. She joined her sister Anastasia on the floor, the two girls surrounded by the sounds of certain death. A priest took these duchesses to the Ural Mountains to live as nuns, and upon passing, they were buried under the names of the Grand Duchesses they claimed to be. The Romanovs were kept inside a house with whitewashed windows and only allowed to go outside for one hour each day. Then Rasputin left and the Romanovs prayed for a miracle. Allegedly, Ermakov tried to strike the screaming survivor once more with his bayonet, and failed for a second time. Soon, some evidence arose that gave credence to these claims. Her family discovered their relationship and quickly sentSkorokhodov to prison. One of the guards, Ivan Skorokhodov, even smuggled in a cake for Marias 19th birthday, although when the pair were later discovered in a compromising position, the guards were replaced with a decidedly less-friendly set. King George V looked nearly identical to Nicholas II, and they were very close. Even the younger Romanovs were aware there was danger afoot. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Room where the Romanov family were killed on the night of 16/17 July 1918 (Photo Credit: Universal History Archive/ Getty Images) The graves of the Romanov family were discovered in 1991, and their identities confirmed by DNA testing. Just months after meeting and falling in love with Voronov, Olga had to watch as he married one of her ladies-in-waiting instead. However far Rasputin strayed after Nicholas sent him away, Maria and her family still frequently associated with him until his passing in 1916. Totally normal for a boy his age, but Alexei Romanov wasnt like other boys. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. Nicky started a brief but wild affair with Mathilde Kschessinska, a stunning ballerina. Oct 12, 2018. This twist of fate changed everything. by | Jun 2, 2022 | pirati in viaggio toscana | comune di monopoli offerte di lavoro | Jun 2, 2022 | pirati in viaggio toscana | comune di monopoli offerte di lavoro He rescinded his offer of safe haven in England. Throughout, her mother Princess Alice refused to leave her childrens sides and managed to nurse Alexandra and some of her siblingsback to health. The guards remembered her fun-loving personality and undeniable beautyher friendliness and unabashed flirtation. The Ipatiev House, was a neat and tidy merchant's mansion - and a well guarded one too. But this came at a great cost. The Romanovs and Rasputin. She was absolutely lovely. Although the pair would never meet again, Mountbatten kept a picture of Maria Romanov near his bedside until his death. Judging by these symptoms, modern doctors believe the Tsarina may have suffered from a thyroid condition called Graves disease, but she would get no relief any time soon. With the rumors surrounding Rasputin complicating things for the Romanovs, their position grew more precarious still with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. In truth, Alexandra had been taken in by mystics for quite some time by then. It is widely debated whether Catherine the Great and her husband, Peter III, had any . But not all was lost. exual revelations are not a traditional feature of the Romanov myth. Eventually, Alexandra managed to survive her brush with mortality, but the people she loved most werent so lucky. It happened none too soon: The old Tsar died just weeks later, and Nicholas became the ruler of all Russia. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. He lay in bed, contorted in pain, with dark patches under his eyes and a frighteningly swollen leg. It took only mere moments for the celebration over Tsesarevich Alexeis birth to turn terrifying. The Tsars sister called Rasputin sinister, and refused to speak about him to the children. Born in June 1899, Maria Romanov was the third of the Russian royal familys five children. To the end of his days, Mountbatten kept a photo of Maria at his bedside, even while he staunchly believed that no photograph could do her beauty justice. Maria only wished that the guards could afford her a tiny bit of freedom. ST. PETERSBURG, Russia Under the watch of a ceremonial honor guard, the bride walked slowly down the aisle as a flock of young attendants held her 23-foot train aloft. Catherine the Great (1729 - 1796) Getty Images. In 1894, Nicholass father Alexander III fell dangerously ill and was on his deathbed. Born Princess Alix of Hesse and the Rhine in 1872, she was actually a granddaughter of Queen Victoriaand Victorias favorite grandchild to boot. From that day, the Tsar and Tsarina trusted Rasputin above all else when it came to Alexeis health. His wedding was only further proof of this. More than anything else, both Nicholas II and Alexandra believed in one thing: God chose them to be Tsar and Tsarina. It was supposed to be a joyous timebut it didnt take long before it turned into a horror story. A new government organization called The Bolsheviks was on the rise, which featured Vladimir Lenin as its leader. Reportedly, when Nicholas heard the news, he had to take a long walk to collect himself. widely considered to be the most beautiful. In 1914, Maria faced a life-threatening ordeal. His son was Alexei Nikolaevich. Answer (1 of 9): Definitely yes, they suffered both physically and mentally. Yet, Maria Romanov soon found she was still able to pursue her favorite pastime in the House of Special Purpose. She began flirting with the teenage guards, one of whom later recalled her as a girl who loved to have fun and quickly became the guards favorite of the Romanov children. In Tobolsk, it was ex-Tsarist army guardsmen who held them, but in Yekaterinburg the Red Guard were in charge former workers, many of whom had done jail time and hard labor under the Tsarist regime, historian Ivan Silantyevnotes. Within mere hours, the little Tsesarevich was at deaths door. Rumors sprang up and spread like wildfire, claiming that Rasputin had not only seduced the governesses, but also Maria and her sisters. ".It was fun to bathe in your bathroom, I enjoyed myself like a pug-dog, and, of course, I did "business" in . June 12, 2022 . In 1907, a three-year-old Alexei Romanov stumbled and hurt his leg. A whole ragbag of assorted Romanovs emerged over the years with a catalog of crazy stories; a woman in Lake Como, Marga Boodts, announced that she was Olga; a British historian claimed Tatiana was . There was no reception or even honeymoon for the two lovebirds, and Alexandra later told her sister that it was a mere continuation of masses for the dead. And there were darker days ahead. When the Bolsheviks discovered that the children were still alive, they had to round them up again and painstakingly finish the job. alaska air cargo sitka phone number. Mountbatten wasnt the only royal who had his eyes set on Marias hand in marriage. May 20, 2021; yats chipotle alexio recipe; workplace accident prevention strategies . Thanks for your time! For perhaps the first time ever, the Romanovs had to do their own laundry and make their own food. In March 1917, a staggering change rocked Marias world: Her father abdicated the Russian throne. . In 1994, experts compared Anna Andersons tissue to a sample from Anastasias relative Prince Philip. However, the governess scandalized the family by reporting on Rasputins visits to the nursery. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. The elder two sisters Olga and Tatiana were The Big Pair and likewise shared a room and told each other secrets. At least three of the Romanov children had pet dogs at the time of their execution. She initially went to visit her father and her brother Alexei, but soon found herself totally taken with the ravishing Officer Nikolai Dmitrievich Demenkov. In fact, Olga nicknamed her fat little bow-wow.. Lenin decided to move the Romanovs to the Urals, where he considered the Bolsheviks held a stronger position. Her first cousin, Louis Mountbatten, had a wild crush on her, and she remained dear to his heart until his passing in 1979. Once, while watching a string of handsome officers march by, she exclaimed, I should like to kiss them all! No matter where she went, she was apt to develop full-blown crushes. A good idea in theory, but these precious baubles would come back to haunt them in the most brutal way. did maria romanov sleep with a guard. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Wanted Facts About Yellowstone, TVs Killer Western Drama, Secret Facts About Peter Sellers, The Tragic Comic, Licentious Facts About Marie-Louise OMurphy, King Louis XVs Little Mistress, Trailblazing Facts About Hattie McDaniel, The Hollywood Pioneer. While hed lay in agony before, scarcely able to move, he now sat up in bed, his fever and swelling gone. The immediate . After Alexandras labor, doctors noticed that Alexeis cut umbilical cord wound wouldnt stop bleeding. Prince Carol of Romania formally proposed to Maria in 1916, during a visit to Russia. And then it took an even crueler turn. Rasputin became "Our Friend" to the Romanov family, and was summoned whenever Alexei needed faith healing. Unfortunately, in St Petersburg, back in the summer of 1917, the Russian Revolution broke out.. Russia, now in political turmoil, was not a safe place to be but moreover, the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, along with her siblings, were struck down with measles and . With a dawning sense of dread, the truth of it all became terribly clearMaria and her family were about to lose their lives. Whenever Maria wrote letters to her father, she would always ask him to say hello to Demenkov. By now, nervous exhaustion and her many disappointing pregnancies had turned Alexandra into a listless and immobile shade of herself. Despite her wealth of adulation and her royal blood, Maria Romanov and her sisters had a surprisingly spartan young life. Her mother-in-law Maria had even sneered at her taste for crazy, dirty, religious fanatics and worried at her judgment. Maria Romanov and Anastasia making faces at the camera in a moment of fun after the revolution. Simply put, Nicholass family hated Alexandra, with most of that hate coming from his mother Maria. A political cartoon depicting Nicholas and Alexandra as puppets controlled by Rasputin. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? In the midnight hours of July 17, 1918, the end finally came. The Tsar wasnt prepared for battle and his troops were already exhausted from earlier conflicts. She also seemed to sense that Russia was rising up, once asking a servant, Why has the feeling in the country changed against my father? These unsettling inklings would soon turn into full-blown terror. Yet, when archeologists took a look at the skeletons, they confirmed that the bones belonged to individuals of Maria and Alexeis ages. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. 3: Maria did NOT wear a jewel-lined corset. Affections such as these, however, were easily misinterpreted by the outside world, who had no idea of Alexeis illness and could not understand how the Siberian mystic wielded such influence over the tsarina. Deeply religious people, each morning they prayed before doing their best to keep themselves busy with anything they could. As a young girl, Maria met one of her greatest admirers. Her family nicknamed her big blue eyes Maries saucers, while her great-aunt claimed Maria to be a real beautywith enormous blue eyes. Once, a gentleman even said that Maria had the face of a Botticelli angel. "What is going to happen to meto all Russia?" he asked an advisor when he . The fallout to this was more unsettling than you can imagine. Rather than cheery, she became solemn and withdrawnand that was the least of her worrisome behaviors. Later investigations have revealed that a total of 70 bullets, which equates to 7 bullets . The revolutionaries didnt look kindly on the Romanovs continuing to live in privilege. Her childhood nanny recalled how One day the little Grand Duchess Mari[a] was looking out of the window at a regiment of soldiers marching past and exclaimed, Oh! Yet, Maria wasnt always playful. massey hall obstructed view June 24, 2022. steve rhodes obituary 2021. medieval dynasty rye vs wheat Comments closed did maria romanov sleep with a guard. Maria is first on the left. And with all this boudoir talk, the inevitable happened. After that, the Chekists started shooting. It wasnt long, however, before her infectious personality won them over. Nicholas quite literally rushed into marriage after his fathers passing. He decided to cast Rasputin out of St. Petersburg for the foreseeable future. The Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg was the site at which the Romanov family had been held under close guard from the end of April 1918 until their assassination on 17 July 1918 . Maybe throwing grenades into the rooms after they fell asleep? To help raise their morale, Maria and her sister Anastasia played checkers and billiards with the officers at the private hospital. He had no support and no troops. Sofia quite rightly reported this gross scene to Tsar Nicholas, who wasnt quite as mesmerized by Rasputin at that point as his wife was. They did not suspect that they would never have the need for it. She was the third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Over the years, they grew closer and closer, and soon they were both very much in love. It was useless. The now most widely remembered grand duchess, Anastasia was "the wild child" of the family. However, no matter the cause, there is no doubt that Marias last moments were filled with fear, helplessness, and excruciating pain. The matriarch disliked how insular, neurotic, and stubborn the princess was, and doubted that she could ever make a suitable Tsarina for Russia. account vary cried out and covered her face with her hands. She was stabbed again in such a frenzy that several soldiers vomited while others fled the scene. Almost two decades later, officials finally found Maria and Alexeis bodies near Yekaterinburg, in a place that matched Yurovskys description. It was all heading down a very dark path. My mom never told me how her best friend died. The former emperor died instantly, but his daughters were not so lucky - the shots ricocheted off the diamonds sewn inside their clothes, so the Chekists finished them off with bayonets and knifes, not stopping until every member of the family was dead. These extracts have been chosen to provide an idea of daily life for the Tsar and his family and specifically to give a picture of life in the Alexander Palace. Although Mountbatten kept a photo of Maria at his bedside, he staunchly believed that no photograph could do Marias beauty justice. And now, go to sleep.. She sneered at him, You are a very ugly man and I dont like you one bit! Then again, Olga suffered in ways few could see. Tsar Nicholas II with daughters (left to right) Maria, Anastasia, Olga and Tatiana Romanov. Vice Admiral Sir Francis Pridham, KBE, CB, was the First Lieutenant of the HMS Marlborough, when it arrived in Yalta on April 7, 1919 under orders of the British Royal Navy to evacuate Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, sister of Queen Alexandra, and members of the Russian Imperial Family. But when he ordered them to fire upon the gathering citizenry, he got the shock of his life. But her angelic face hid a disturbing truth. did maria romanov sleep with a guard. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. For one, they insisted ongasp!sharing a bed. However, Maria was special in her very own way. But life for this royal was far from easy, and it wasnt long before her gilded childhood morphed into a terrifying nightmare. Room in the Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg, where the Russian royal family was brutally murdered, 1918. Despite her fiery temper and strong backbone, Maria was a romantic at heart, and it wasnt long before she softened toward one guard in particular. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. However, the remains of the Romanovs were finally discovered in 1991, but the missing bodies of Alexei and one of the Little Pair breathed new life into old rumors. Since Alexandra was the only woman he would consent to marry, his mother and father gave in at last and let the engagement go ahead. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Allegedly, the guards left Maria and her family like this for about half an hour. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThe five Romanov children. Maria and the guard story: did something inappropriate really happen between the Grand Duchess and the guard Ivan Skorokhodov at The House of Special Purpose. This was where the Romanovs met their chilling fate. And in contrast to her younger sister, who was more mischievous and reckless, Maria (or Mashka as she was known to her family) was described as merry and good-natured. As a young adult, Maria was a shameless flirt, always batting her lashes at the young officers and even those who guarded her. Even years after his death, the Mad Monk still had an eerie hold on them. And she wasnt about to let this crush fizzle out. Myth 3: He was Russia's secret ruler. But as time went on, the rot at the center of the Romanovs grew more obvious. 2: The Whites weren't due for another 8 days and they were the Tsarist forces aka not a threat. lena knows kara is supergirl fanfic did maria romanov sleep with a guard. First, officers searched Maria upon arrival, then officers installed a fence to limit the familys view of the street. If you think that would make him a spoiled brat, youre right on the money. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. In April 1918, the Bolsheviks moved the Romanovs to the city of Yekaterinburga truly miserable journey. When Alexandra was barely a year old, her hemophiliac brother Frederich died after a nasty fall, and Alexandra herself was a carrier of the brutal disorder. Thanks for your time! At night, the guards used to sing vulgar songs or something about death to the monarchy under the prisoners windows. This reawakening spooked the heck out of Ermakov. Cuts that wont stop bleeding arent the only problems that come with hemophilia. In addition to the illicit birthday cake, Skorokhodov allegedly stole Maria away from her party for a private interlude. The familys fortunes began to truly unravel when Rasputin was murdered by one of their own relatives in 1916. In 1984, Anna Anderson, now living in the U.S. and married to a man who called her Anastasia, died of pneumonia. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 601,1291, PP.12,26, March 8, 1914. Yet when revolution ousted Nicholas, George dealt his cousin an utterly cold-hearted betrayal. You must thank God for healing you. In 1917, Maria and the Romanov family faced a violent revolution against them, which called for the end of their dynasty and Imperial rule. With rude guards and dire circumstances (the ex-emperors daughters, for instance, had to sleep on the floor, and the Tsarevich Alexey suffered from hemophilia and couldnt walk) Ipatiev House was hardly a royal residence. While many believed it was Anastasia who was missing, scientific advancements eventually proved otherwise. He was always particularly friendly towards Maria, and this affection soon developed into something more. An officer told an offensive joke, causing another woman to abruptly leave the room. On July 17, 1998, The Romanovs were laid to rest in the traditional burial place of the tsars, St. Petersburg's Sts. In 1917, British intelligence officers developed several options for evacuating Tsar Nicholas II from Russia without delay, but the British government and King George V did not have enough resolve to carry out this operation. montaukett tribe membership. Because of this tragic scenario, the family risked losing the loyalty of those around them. And they certainly werent thrilled with the announcement of another Grand Duchess. Answer (1 of 5): Maria was raised in the company of officers and soldiers, she was always very protected and it was common for her to have a crush on soldiers, so much so that she used to say that she wanted to marry a Russian soldier and have many children, she was not very aware that she could . As a result, the regime for the royals was harsher. 1. Alix hardly slept all night, and towards morning the pains got stronger. When the bayonet didnt work, Ermakov struck her head, leaving her unconscious and making him believe shed succumbed. After everyone gathered in the basement, Yurovsky stated out loud that Nicholas supporters were trying to free them, and therefore it was his duty to bring to an end the 300 year old house of Romanov. Cornered on all sides, Maria couldnt help noticing the stark difference to the life she had enjoyed before the revolution. When she returned to work at Tsarskoye she kept the flame alive, even if her methods were embarrassingly infantile. He prayed over Alexeis withering frame and said: Your pain is going away. 20 fascinating portraits of the Romanovs youve probably never seen before, A long history of Western meddling: How foreign troops intervened in Russia a century ago. But more hardship was on the way. No too much noise Yurovsky proposed stabbing them while they slept.. Items have been gifted by the descendants of Briton Charles Gibbes, Alexei's . Later on, people would call him Vile Nicholas, Nicholas the Hangman, and Bloody Nicholas. Thanks for your help! At the time of Marias surgery, doctors knew that her brother Alexei had hemophilia, but also felt that Maria and many of her family members might carry symptoms of the disease. The Big Pair and the Little Pair each shared bedrooms with plain cots and started their days with a cold bath. The execution of the Romanovs lasted 20 minutes. The young Alexandra was reportedly so bereft at her loss that her whole personality changed. It was about to reach a breaking point. 'Peterhof, A happy day: the Lord has sent us a third daughter - Maria, who was safely born at 12.10! After some deliberation, Marias sisters decided on Maria to go, as all three of her sisters had other priorities in one way or another, and Alexei had had a hemophilia attack which left him partially paralyzed. Seven years later, five skeletons were found in a forest near Ekaterinburg, soon . It didnt matter how many men Tsar Nicholas had, they just couldnt contend with the Germans. Responding to rumblings of revolution, Tsar Nicholas entered Saint Petersburg and tried to bring his country back under his control. Um, sure doesnt sound like this guy is ready to tie the knot. During an operation to remove her tonsils, she almost passed from blood loss. However, when the Marxists revolutionaries known as the Bolsheviks seized power in October 1917, they decided to move the family to Ekaterinburg, where the fervently-Bolshevik population would prevent any attempts at rescue or escape. Running out of options, Alexandra called for a strange mystic from Siberia who claimed to be able to heal the boy. Maria and her siblings felt completely safe in the presence of Rasputin, and often allowed him to visit them before bed while wearing their nightgowns. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. As the Dowager Empress Marias dirty fanatics comment makes clear, not everyone in the palace was under Rasputins spell, and the girls governess Sofia Tyutcheva was decidedly anti-creepy holy dude. did maria romanov sleep with a guard. Life at the Ipatiev House was harsh. This hope was sorely misplaced. In fact, these crushes often got too close for comfort. Wikimedia CommonsThe bullet-riddled basement of the Ipatiev House where the Romanovs met their grisly end. Because of this, Maria decided to burn much of her written work, including letters and diaries. The heavy smoke from the weaponry caused the guards to take a temporary respite, and they left the room to let it air out. Less than two years after Olga was born, Empress Alexandra gave birth toyet another girl, the Grand Duchess Tatiana. Then, in 2000, they went the extra mile and canonized Maria as well. Throughout her time as Tsarina, Alexandra never quite managed to win the hearts of the Russian people. The cavalrymen under Tatianas command immediately noted her combination of regal bearing and childish innocence. If anyone who opposed the Bolshevik government found the burial site, Yurovsky wanted them to think that they got the site wrong, given that the number of bodies was wrong. She became increasingly uneasy with the restrictions guards imposed on her family at Yekaterinburg. The slightest bump could cause the boy to hemorrhage for days, with the tsarina often becoming hysterical and completely breaking down, shutting herself and the young prince away from the outside world. In 1884, she met the future Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, then just a prince, at her sisters wedding. After a grueling, five-day journey, they finally made it to Yekaterinburg. It left horror in its wake. TheBolsheviks had decided to execute the royal family rather than move them. For most of his life, Nicholas Romanov kept a diary, writing scrupulously, almost drearily carefully noting events such as playing cards and having dinner. She knew exactly what that meant, crying out: Oh, it cannot be true. As such, they decided to haze her and expose her to lewd material. For years, rumors abounded that at least one of the grand duchesses had survived. The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievich, Jr., departing Yalta on board the HMS Marlborough. Because of his constant presence in the royal court, whispers grew that Rasputin was acting as a puppet master over the royal couple. According to scientists, it was highly probable that these were the correct remains. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. In 1914, WWI broke out. But as yet, they didnt even know the true meaning of upheaval.. In fact, when he was just a boy, Nicholas witnessed his grandfather Alexander IIs violent, bloody end after a radical threw a grenade at him. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. The bullet-riddled basement of the Ipatiev House where the Romanovs met their grisly end. Two girls in a row might be bad luck, but three was beginning to look like a curse for Alexandra and Nicholas. But for all that Alexandras life looked like a fairy tale, it quickly turned into an absolute nightmare. As it turns out, officers intentionally moved Maria and Alexei from their familys burial site, in the hopes of throwing off anyone who found it in the future. All Rights Reserved. Soon enough, people started to notice. But although it seemed like the end, the battle was only just beginning. The Russian Imperial Romanov family (Nicholas II of Russia, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei) were shot and bayoneted to death by Bolshevik revolutionaries under Yakov Yurovsky on the orders of the Ural Regional Soviet in Yekaterinburg on the night of 16-17 July 1918. Anastasia Romanov. The Chekists came up with a third option. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Meanwhile, Maria got off with a scolding. In those moments, Alexei could scarcely move without feeling excruciating pain. He went to Evgeniy Botkin, who woke up the entire family. Maria Romanov and Anastasia roughhouse with their cousin, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. word instagram iphone. Ermakov focused on Maria and her sister Anastasia, who hadnt yet been hit. Discoverers originally found the grave almost a decade prior, but at the time, the Russian government decided to keep it a secret. did maria romanov sleep with a guard. She couldnt move around without feeling their eyes digging into her back. Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the Younger* (1890 - 1958), daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia (a son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) who was killed by the Bolsheviks in January 1919. The entire royal household did everything in their power to keep these episodes from happeningbut they were only delaying the inevitable. He created a whole story about how Maria escaped to Romania, where she lived and had a daughter, thus making it possible for him to be a grandson.