A Newly Discovered Letter From Prince Philip’s Uncle Sheds Light on a Royal Family Mystery

A letter from Lord Louis Mountbatten that had been written and lost for 45 years was found in the estate of a dead collector. Mountbatten had written it 4 years before his untimely demise and it mentioned truths about what happened to Russia’s Imperial family member Anastasia Romanov that could shake the foundation of everything history buffs believed to be true about her and her untimely disappearance. The Letter Revealed the Facts of 1918 Public Domain The letter was discovered in the collection of someone who had recently passed away, which was why it took over 45 years before the public had any knowledge of it. And why the mystery took over 100 years to solve. But, the subject matter was something that millions of people were intimately aware of. The British and Russian Royals Were Intricately Linked Public Domain Lord Louis Mountbatten was Queen Elizabeth’s second cousin and uncle to Prince Philip. But it was his connection to the Romanov family from Russia that peaked everyone’s interest after a long-forgotten letter was discovered that shed light on the British Royal Family’s connection to Anastasia’s disappearance and the execution of her family. The Man Who Wrote the Letter Public Domain Lord Louis Mountbatten is Prince Phillip’s uncle, so he has close ties to the current Royal Family. He has also been described as Prince Charles’s mentor, so they have been seen together often. So, why was he so interested in the disappearance of the youngest daughter of Russia’s Imperial Family, and why did this matter interest him for decades? He Has Ties to the Royal Family PR Photos Mountbatten is also Queen Elizabeth’s second cousin, further cementing him in the history of the Royal Family. The letter that he wrote also shows that he had knowledge of facts that most members of the public weren’t aware of regarding the disappearance of Anastasia Romanov. He Had Family Ties to the Russian Imperial Family Public Domain Mountbatten had cousins in the Russian Imperial family from his mother’s side. His aunt was Empress Alexandra and his godfather was Emperor Nicholas II. But having such a strong lineage didn’t keep him from looking for love in all the wrong places. He Fell for His Cousin Public Domain Mountbatten had fallen hopelessly in love with the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, who happened to be his cousin. He was 10 and she was 11 at the time, and he claimed he wanted to marry her. And it seems he continued to hold feelings for her up until his death. According to rumors, he kept a photo of Nikolaevna in his room. But tragedy had ended any hope of a future with his cousin. They Were Remembered Fondly Public Domain In the biography of Mountbatten’s life titled “Mountbatten: Hero of Our Time,” which was written by Richard Hough, the Royal Family member remembered his Romanov cousins, “Oh, they were lovely, and terribly sweet, far more beautiful than their photographs show.” His Family Was Murdered Public Domain In 1918, the Romanovs were executed, which left Mountbatten emotionally ruined. He knew that Nikolaevna was among the fatalities, but the motive behind the murders weren’t clear. And ultimately, he was left with the same question that everyone else had, where was his other cousin, Anastasia? Anastasia’s Dad Wasn’t Happy She Was a Girl Public Domain Long ago, Tsar Nicholas wasn’t a happy camper when he learned that his wife, Empress Alexandra had given birth to yet another little girl. The reason for this was that he wanted a male heir to inherit the throne. But eventually, he got over it and embraced Anastasia. The Little Pair Public Domain Mountbatten’s future crush Maria and his other cousin, Anastasia were the youngest in the family. So, naturally, they earned the nickname, “The Little Pair.” But the fact that Anastasia was a royal didn’t stop her from being a total nightmare. She Was a Total Pest Public Domain Anastasia gained the reputation of being a total pest. In fact, she was known for hitting other kids. And as far as the palace’s staff was concerned, they were always falling victim to one of her pranks. But perhaps the reason she acted out was because of a series of health issues. She Was a Sick Child Public Domain Despite being a handful, Anastasia had experienced a few illnesses as a child, which included hemophilia, which her family also had, as well as other ailments like problems with her back muscles. But that didn’t explain why she was such a rotten student. She Had Chores to Do Public Domain Even though the Romanov daughters were literal royalty, they still had household responsibilities, like chores and other housekeeping tasks. They were all taught to sew and in their spare time, they sewed clothes for their dolls. Their mother, Empress Alexandra, ensured that they wouldn’t be spoiled. Her Mother Ensured That She Wouldn't Be Spoiled Public Domain In fact, Empress Alexandra also ensured that her daughters weren’t too entitled by forcing them to take cold baths and sleep on beds made of iron because it was what her mother made her do as a child. She made sure that her children didn’t come to expect too many luxuries. She Was the Youngest Daughter Public Domain Anastasia was often called an “imp,” which meant a small demon or mischievous child, but she was tough enough to handle any nicknames or teasing that came from her family. She often misbehaved to make her siblings laugh, and her three older sisters weren’t afraid to put her in her place. She Was a Troublemaker in School Public Domain Anastasia was more of a rebellious little leader and not a follower. So, she had a tough time following school rules or even staying in her seat for too long. She wasn’t a fan of school work either, so she often climbed a tree to evade her school responsibilities. And on occasion, she manipulated her teachers to get out of trouble. She Bribed Her Teacher Public Domain She knew she wasn’t going to stop being a rebel, but she had to find a way to get into her teacher’s good graces. So, whenever she didn’t feel like doing her school work, she tried bribing them with flowers. And if they refused, she simply gave them to another teacher who was more easily manipulated. But sadly, her tactics couldn’t save her life in the end. They Didn’t Have Enough Facts Wikimedia Commons / Allan Warren / CC 3.0 In a 1969 interview, Mountbatten stated: “We had very little news of the family after the Bolsheviks took over. We all hoped that they would ultimately be sent into exile, but we feared the worst. Even when it happened, it was a long time before we heard the details, which were quite horrible." But why wasn’t Anastasia found with the rest of her family? Her Remains Weren’t Found Public Domain Investigators searched for Anastasia among what was left of her family’s lifeless bodies, but she wasn’t among them. But Mountbatten, the British Royal family, and the surviving members of the Russian Imperial family, weren’t entirely convinced that she was alive either. And yet, many women throughout the years claimed to be Anastasia. There Were Lots of Imposters Unsplash Over the years, many women claimed to be Anastasia, particularly a woman named Anna Anderson. Mountbatten was able to discredit her claims and made sure that she never received the recognition she tried to steal from the real Anastasia. But Anderson never let up. Anderson Claimed to Be the Real McCoy Unsplash Anderson’s claims were quickly dismissed despite having a small group of supporters that claimed she was legit. Sadly, Anderson spent decades walking in and out of mental institutions, and some people claimed that she was actually a Polish factory worker named Franziska Schanzkowska. But what did a surviving member of the Romanov family have to say about Anderson’s claims? Anastasia’s Relatives Didn't Believe It Public Domain Dowager Empress Marie was Anastasia’s grandmother and she refused to meet Anderson, claiming that she was not her granddaughter. This sentiment was later shared by Anastasia’s Aunt Olga, who did agree to meet Anderson. But after the visit, Olga said, “I was looking at a stranger.” But could the family’s staff identify the real Anastasia? Mountbatten Didn’t Think She Was Anastasia Public Domain Mountbatten never publicly spoke about Anderson’s claims, but in private “He lobbied hard for her not to be recognized or be given publicity and spending large some of money challenging her claims in court,” according to historian Andrew Lownie. Staff Members Were Used as Witnesses Public Domain For nearly 100 years, hundreds of people had claimed to be Anastasia. But when the Romanov’s former staff members were called in to identify the alleged Anastasias of the world, they called out all the pretenders as total fakes. Meanwhile, Mountbatten still wanted to know what happened to the Romanovs, so he visited the place they took their last breaths in. He Visited the Romanov’s Former Homes Public Domain In 1975, Mountbatten visited the Romanov’s former homes at the Imperial Russian palaces in the (then) Soviet Union. He reportedly brought up Nikolaevna. He was quoted saying: "I was over-powered by the emotion of going back to a country I had known fairly well as a child, where so many of my closest family had lived in such tremendous splendour, and then been murdered in this ghastly way." The same year he wrote a letter that seemingly clarified what happened. He Set the Record Straight Wikimedia Commons / Archives New Zealand / CC 3.0 The letter was dated “11th March 1975,” and clarified that Anastasia had suffered the same fate as her family. The only difference was that she didn’t die right away so they found a more aggressive way to murder her. But did Mountbatten blame his late uncle for the Romanov’s brutal murder? His Uncle Might Be to Blame Public Domain Towards the end of the letter, Mountbatten hinted that his uncle’s lack of leadership may have been the reason the Romanovs were so easily disposed of. “The Emperor Nicholas II was a charming and kind man but too weak to be a successful autocrat,” he wrote in the last line. But who was the letter addressed to? The Purpose for the Letter Public Domain The letter was addressed to Mr. Woodcock-Clarke, but no one really knows much about him or why Mountbatten felt the need to share the news about Anastasia with him. But he seemed eager to put an end to the mystery of his cousin’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, he never lived long enough to see this chapter of his family’s history get put to rest. He Never Saw the Anderson Case Close Public Domain The debate about whether Anna Anderson was in fact Anastasia continued over the years, but Mountbatten never got the chance to see the Anderson case officially close. Unfortunately, his life came to an end in an eerily similar fashion as his cousins. He Was Assassinated Public Domain In 1979, Mountbatten had taken his family out to his summer home on the outskirts of Northern Ireland. It was supposed to be a day of relaxation over by the water until they all met a terrible end when the IRA bombed their fishing boat. But was his cousin really dead like his letter suggested? DNA Testing Helped Close the Case Unsplash The mystery of the Romanov case came to a shocking conclusion 28 years after Mountbatten’s horrible death. With the use of DNA testing, scientists were able to identify Anastasia’s remains as well as those of her younger brother, Alexi. But why did it take so long to solve this mystery? Clues Were Found in the Basement Public Domain The family met their untimely death in the basement of their home. In an effort to protect themselves from bullet wounds, they all sewed precious jewels into their clothing as protection. Sadly, they met their end in this basement, which is exactly where scientists have come looking for evidence about this crime. Forensic Techniques Were Limited Public Domain Bayonets and two separate rounds of gunfire were used to dispose of Anastasia’s family. Their bodies were then found in Yekaterinburg, Russia. But forensic techniques weren’t quite as advanced in those days, so it took many years to identify all the bodies. But what of Anderson’s claims? Was she even related to the family? Anderson’s Claims Were Officially Debunked Unsplash As far as Anderson was concerned, she had claimed to be Anastasia from 1928 to 1994, but there was no way to confirm or deny it. And yet, after her death, DNA testing proved that she was actually not related to the Romanovs in any way and put any and all doubts to rest. Her Story Became an Animated Film 20th Century Fox Many young people today are probably aware of the story of Anastasia because of the 1990s animated film “Anastasia.” The film from 20th Century Fox Studios tells the story of an orphan who is secretly the daughter of the royal family, but there are a few historical inaccuracies in the plot. There Were a Few Historical Inaccuracies 20th Century Fox One detail that was completely based in fact was the yellow dress depicted on Anastasia’s character. There are records that show the real Anastasia wearing a similar gown just days before her death. The Family Assisted in the War Effort Public Domain In the midst of the tension of World War I, the Romanov family tried their best to assist in the war efforts by assisting wounded soldiers and even visiting them at their bedsides. Anastasia and her sister Maria were too young to do much helping, so they played checkers with wounded soldiers instead. They Knew Many Luxuries Unsplash The Royal Family knew a lot of luxury, even though they didn’t always flaunt it. They had a yacht called The Standart which had chandeliers inside and mahogany wood detailing. But their many luxuries would cause tension between the Royal family and the government, and also tension between the family and the people of Russia. The End of a Royal Era Public Domain There is no longer a Royal Family in Russia. Nicholas II was the final emperor of Russia and after his failures during World War I, which lead to dire situations for his people, he abdicated his position. This portrait was taken just moments before he was imprisoned by the government. "The Most Shameful Chapter in Russia's History" Public Domain In 1998, the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, describe the killings of the royal family as one of the most shameful chapters in Russian history. No one was ever prosecuted for the crime, because it was only in in last decade that DNA evidence made the details of the situation evident. And nowadays, Royal families have far more protection.

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