“I Used to Be a Champion at Russian Vodka, But Now I Drink French Champagne!”
Written by Kristina Moskalenko
Playful quip, but for many of us, history class was a boring opportunity to doodle mustaches on portraits of kings and queens or scribble random notes in the margins. Yet, history, when it comes alive in a way that’s personal, tangible, and unforgettable, transforms into something far more exciting. When you can hear the stories, feel their weight, and experience their true essence, history becomes an adventure. Take, for instance, this vodka-champagne phrase, shared with me by Princess Olga Romanoff, the sole official descendant of the Romanov family—an encounter that was nothing short of extraordinary.
Provender Manor: A Glimpse into Royal History
And not just anywhere, but in a stately 33-room manor. This majestic estate, Provender House, nestled in the heart of Kent, England, belongs to Princess Olga Andreevna, a direct descendant of the Romanovs. It was here that she graciously invited us to experience a slice of history. Interestingly, Olga was once considered a potential bride for Prince Charles, as reported by Harper’s Bazaar. However, the royal match was not meant to be. Was it fate? Probably not—certainly, Olga wasn’t interested.
“Water or wine?” Olga Romanova asks, her smile both mischievous and warm. Looking effortlessly chic, she’s the picture of grace and style. Her slim, athletic frame is perfectly complemented by a simple turtleneck and jeans—a timeless yet understated choice.
“Many people think that as a princess, you simply walk around the house in a tiara all day,” she laughs. “But, in reality, I adore spending time with my horses and ponies. That said, ‘noblesse oblige,’ so five times a year, I make my way to balls: I scrub myself up and do makeup”…
… And the pâté and cheese we’re enjoying over this conversation? Locally sourced here in Kent, and I must say—compliments to the producers…
Reflections on Youth and Elegance
As the conversation continues, she recalls fond memories of her youth: “When we were young, we always visited Claridge’s and Dorchester hotels!”
“My mother always praised their exceptional price-to-quality ratio. The guests, so refined and elegant, were a joy to observe. My first ball and wedding breakfast took place at Dorchester. And let’s not forget the unforgettable five o’clock tea at The Ritz. But now? It’s different. People wander through hotels in jeans, shorts, and Uggs, with tables scattered throughout. The hotel has lost its signature Je Ne Sais Quoi—its glamour is no more. Such a shame…”
As I look down at my own jeans, I can’t help but agree with her.
The Life and Times of Princess Olga Romanoff
Born in 1950 in the UK, Olga Romanoff is the only daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia from his second marriage to Englishwoman Nadine Sylvia Ada MacDougall. HRH Olga’s father was the grandson of Emperor Alexander III and the great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I, while Olga is also the granddaughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna.
A Royal Ball or a Pool? The Ultimate Choice
In 1968, Princess Olga faced a decision. “My parents gave me a choice: have a ball or build a swimming pool at the estate,” she recalls with a laugh. “I chose the ball. I knew I wouldn’t live with them forever, and my father would never put a foot in a pool anyway!” She adds with a twinkle in her eye, “The ball had 350 guests—everyone my parents ever owed something to!”
“I chose a Regency romance theme for the ball. Guests had to wear outfits from the wild youth of George IV,” Olga says with a laugh. “Regency dresses looked great on slim girls like me, but my mother, who was fuller-figured, didn’t look so good in one…”
Puritan Principles and a Perfectly Planned Ball
Princess Olga also fondly recalls her mother’s strict Puritan approach to the event: “My mother insisted on bright lights and no dark corners at the ball—‘No hanky panky in the dark!’ She wasn’t having any of it. My friends had a blast, and I just kept my reputation intact for a successful marriage.” She adds with a chuckle, “By the way, back then, divorced people, bankrupts, and ex-convicts weren’t allowed into the royal box at Ascot. Now, you can meet all of them there…”
A Royal Engagement That Wasn’t Meant to Be
In an intriguing twist of fate, Princess Olga’s life intertwines with Prince Charles. In 1967, Harper’s Bazaar published a list of European princesses considered for Prince Charles. Olga met all the criteria, but her Russian Orthodox faith led to her exclusion. “I met Charles twice and immediately knew it wasn’t for me,” she reflects. “If he had married me, he would have been miserable. I’m strong-willed, blunt, and always speak my mind. I don’t do polite silences. I’ve always liked ‘bad boys,’ and a responsible man like Charles would have made my mother so happy, but no thanks, I had no intention to marry for my mum!”
“It really annoys me when people say ‘Princess Diana,’ because it’s incorrect,” says Princess Olga. “You only become a princess with the name given at birth if your father is a prince. Her father wasn’t a prince, so she was Princess Charles or Princess of Wales by marriage.”
Royal Titles: Real and Not Real
Looking quite emotional when talaking about British Royals, Princess Olga offers more insights into the British aristocracy: “In British aristocracy, there are two kinds of titles—‘real’ and ‘not real.’ Sometimes titles go on sale, usually the ‘not real’ ones. These titles come from extinct families, just gathering dust in history, and now they’re sold. People also can have several titles, and when they need money, they can sell a couple of ‘extra’ ones. But I’d never sell mine—it’s part of me.”
“When I travel around Russia, I don’t feel bitter that the imperial legacy, which should be mine, belongs to others,” she reflects. “I live in the UK, and to maintain and repair my house, I rent it out for weddings and events. If not for the 1917 Revolution, my father would have stayed married to his first wife, never left Russia aboard the British ship Marlborough, never met my mother, and I wouldn’t have been born.”
“What makes me a little sad is seeing the Romanov jewels on other people. My grandmother, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, managed to take some of the family jewels out of Russia in 1919. Later, in the 1940s, she auctioned them. Queen Mary, wife of George V and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, bought them the night before the auction, and now, these jewels are often worn by the British royal family.”
Family Legacy and Personal Reflections
Olga shares more personal memories, “My grandmother had an album where she sketched the Romanov jewels in their real size. I sold that album to fund repairs on my house.” Occasionally, Olga sells photographs and documents, and recently she spotted some of the letters she had sold in a big exhibition in Russia. There are, however, items she won’t part with, such as a set of china made for Nicholas II’s wedding and a pen her grandfather used to engrave the time and date of her father’s birth on the Winter Palace window.
“My father was the only one of seven children born in the Winter Palace. He didn’t have the right to be called a Grand Duke, but when he was born, there was a 21-gun salute, which was usually reserved for the birth of Grand Dukes. It was done to congratulate my grandmother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, with her first grandchild.”
A Deep Connection to Russia and Her Heritage
“I heard so many stories about St. Petersburg from my father, so when I first visited, I felt at home,” she says. “It’s a comfortable city for me. When I travel through Russia, I feel very Russian. But… in Scotland, I feel Scottish; in Denmark, Danish. I have many different bloodlines!”
“I know four Russian words: yes, no, thank you, and ‘dushka’ (darling). But the Russian side of me is clear: I’m melancholic, I hate winter and autumn. My father spoke five languages, but people used to joke about the men of the House of Romanov: ‘They can speak five languages, but usually, they remain silent in all five. I can’t allow myself to get depressed like my father, but I do feel down sometimes”.
A Love for Cossack Music and Vodka
With a smile, Olga adds, “I love Cossack music and wouldn’t say no to a shot of Russian vodka. My daughter and I used to compete at balls to see who could drink more shots. I could manage six or seven. Now, I prefer champagne”.
…When the wine runs out, we switch to coffee with dates. Despite her simple lifestyle, Olga doesn’t let anyone carry coffee around the house—it might spill on the floors or carpets…
A Wild and Barefoot Romanov
In October, Princess Olga Romanov released her highly anticipated book “Princess Olga, a Wild and Barefoot Romanov”, offering a glimpse into the fascinating childhoods of the Romanov family. Growing up in the grandeur of the Russian Empire, her father experienced a royal childhood like no other. For his first three years, he was dressed as a girl and treated with royal luxury. At age four, he entered military school, complete with a strict teacher and English nanny, living in dorm-like conditions with a hard bed. Meanwhile, Princess Olga’s mother faced a tough private English school where harsh conditions made her life difficult. From her stories, it sounded like something out of a survival challenge. No heating, freezing conditions, and strict rules—students had to carry buckets of cold water no matter the weather. Walking up the stairs? Only in the middle. Touching the polished handrails? Forbidden!
“My poor mother suffered terribly,” Olga recalled. She froze her fingers, damaged her lungs, and battled pneumonia constantly. Yet, despite these brutal conditions, private schools were still considered the ultimate dream for parents.
“My mother hated school so much that I ended up being schooled at home. It was quite eccentric in the 1950s,” Olga reflects. “While other kids went to school, I stayed at home under my mom’s watch.” Despite her longing to attend school, Olga was kept at home, spending her days outdoors riding ponies and playing with her mother’s prized fighting cocks. “When my daughter later told her teachers I never went to school, they thought I was a ‘special child,’” she jokes.
An Eccentric Upbringing and Family Life
The princess had four children, though tragically, her youngest son passed away at just two years old. “Four children, but only three survived,” she shares. Her son, Francis Matthew Romanov, even appeared on The Bachelor in 2012, adding a modern twist to the royal legacy. During filming of the show, Princess Olga traveled to Crimea to visit her family’s palaces, including the renowned Livadia (where Yalta conference took place in February 1945 between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met to plan post-war Europe) and Massandra.
A Visit to Ai-Todor Palace
But her visit to her grandfather’s another palace in Ai-Todor was far from smooth. “We arrived at the massive gate, rang the bell, and a grumpy babushka (old lady) opened a small door and chased us away!” she recalls with a laugh. Undeterred, Princess Olga contacted the director and finally gained access. The palace was now a children’s sanatorium for kids recovering from trauma, yet they appeared to be happy. “To the left of the main gate, there’s a small church where my father and his first wife were married. And the dining room still has frescoes from the past!”
“A stray dog followed us, and the translator was worried we’d get fleas,” she laughs. “I couldn’t help but think, ‘I’m walking where my grandma and her brother did, I really want to adore the moment and not think about the fleas!’”
A Modern Twist on the Royal Legacy
Despite her royal roots, Princess Olga embraces her British side with a love for the most outrageous British TV shows and soap operas. She’s been a fan of EastEnders since the beginning because, according to her, the characters are even bigger fools than she is. This, of course, boosts her confidence! Her children often laugh at her, but it’s clear she’s enjoying every moment of her playful self-deprecation.
Princess Olga’s Love for Hunting
Princess Olga’s love for hunting adds another unique element to her personality. In her younger years in Florence, she had a boyfriend, Alfio Rapisardi, an artist well-known in the ’70s for his striking paintings of horses and women. She even sent him a photo of herself fox hunting, which he later recreated in one of his artworks.
“While I may not be wearing hunting attire in the artwork, at least I’m wearing something! Given that his later works took a decidedly risqué turn, I suppose I should consider myself lucky!”
Life at Provender House: A Historic Estate with a Unique Twist
At this moment, Princess Olga Romanoff takes a deep breath and suggests we step outside into the historic three-acre gardens of Provender Manor. “It’s getting far too warm in here,” she says, leading the way.
As we step into the fresh air, I notice something unexpected—the house leans slightly in some areas, a quirk cleverly hidden from the grand front view. “It was built 700 years ago,” the princess remarks with a knowing smile. “Back then, they hadn’t quite figured out foundations. Of course, that means never-ending maintenance costs today.”
Then, with a perfectly timed twinkle in her eye, she adds, “So, besides attending royal balls, hunting, and looking after my ponies, I also sell… myself.”
“She pauses for dramatic effect before delivering the punchline: “People can book a weekend here with me—of course, for a fee! After all, I’ll need to hire a cook and make sure everyone is entertained. Funny how times have changed—my great-grandmother had twenty servants running this place!””
A Glimpse into Royal Life
Provender House, once home to Princess Olga’s great-grandmother, who had 20 servants, is a royal treasure that provides a window into the unique, multi-generational history of the Romanovs.
Address: Provender House Provender Lane, Norton, Nr Faversham, Kent ME13 0ST Phone: 07773 790872 Email: info@provenderhouse.co.uk
Photos: Egor Piskov, Kristina Moskalenko, HRH Olga Romanoff Archive
Originally published at: https://russianroulette.eu/hrh-princess-olga-romanoff/
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