In this gallery of portraits are included the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Alexander III and mother of Emperor Nicholas II; the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich; the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the wife of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; the Grand Duchess Cyril, the wife of the Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich; the Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna, eldest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II; and finally, Princess Zenaide Yousoupoff, the mother of the infamous Prince Felix Yousoupoff. In dealing with these ladies of the Russian Court, the author evokes all the mystery, fascination, splendour, elegance and barbarism of Tsarist Russia. Ms Buchanan writes with a charm and ease most fitting to the characters she describes.