Nicholas II of Russia
On 1 March 1881, following the assassination of his grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, Nicholas became heir apparent upon his father's ascension as Alexander III. Nicholas and his other family members bore witness to Alexander II's death, having been present at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, where he was brought after the attack. For security reasons, the new tsar and his family relocated their primary residence to the Gatchina Palace outside the city, only entering the capital for various ceremonial functions. On such occasions, Alexander III and his family occupied the nearby Anichkov Palace.
Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse)
In 1866, Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. With the passing of the years, they grew apart, particularly after the birth of their last son and the deterioration of her health. While the Empress remained in love with her husband, Alexander II had many affairs, but they did not threaten their marriage. From the mid-1850s until 1862, he had a relationship with Alexandra Sergeevna Dolgoruki (30 November 1834 – 12 September 1913). Alexandra belonged to one of Russia's most illustrious families and became one of the Tsarina's ladies in waiting in 1853. This affair ended in 1862 when Alexandra married general Pyotr Pavlovich Albedinsky (1826-1883). In 1865, Alexander II fell deeply in love with 18-year-old Princess Catherine Dolgoruki, a distant cousin of his former mistress. Catherine resisted him for over a year, but in July 1866, they became lovers. Inevitably Maria Alexandrovna heard about the affair, but initially, she did not attach great importance to it.