Most Beautiful Princess

At the age of nineteen, Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth of Hesse, stepped into the glittering court of the Romanovs, beginning a journey that would lead her from the shimmering ballrooms of St. Petersburg to the back streets of Moscow. Through intrigues, assassination, war and revolution, to the tragedy of her own horrific murder, she remained true to her calling to bring beauty into the world. Based on the true story of 'the most beautiful princess in Europe', this novel is written in tribute to a remarkable and courageous woman.

Thoroughly grounded in historical accuracy, this novel was developed from Christina Croft's earlier biography of Grand Duchess Elizabeth, which was short listed for the UK Biographer's Club Award. The book contains no named fictional characters but brings alive such diverse personalities as Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Grand Duke Serge and the myriad of fascinating characters who peopled the courts of the late 19th and early 20th century monarchies. It follows Ella through the gossip and intrigues surrounding her marriage and the horrific murder of her husband, through to her remarkable decision to transform her own life and the lives of the poor. Her increasingly strained relationship with her sister, Tsarina Alexandra, and the pressures of war and revolution make for a compelling story, reaching a dramatic conclusion.