Born in Ireland, Margaretta Eagar had been selected in 1898 by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to take charge of her daughters. By 1904, she had taken on the roles as nanny, nurse, and friend to the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia, all of whom she loved dearly.

She notes in her book: “Shortly after the birth of the Tsarevich, I said to the Empress that I often thought of writing my memoirs. She encouraged me to do so, saying so many untruths had been published that it would be a relief to have an account of the Russian Court which was absolutely true.”

She portrays the Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as patient and loving parents to their children, as observed by Eagar. Her memoirs offer numerous anecdotes of the grand duchesses daily routine, their personal tastes, personalities, and their travels. She also offers her personal impressions of life in St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Crimea, as well as the palaces and residences of the Russian Imperial family.

Originally published in 1906, this new expanded edition will feature two additional chapters about the grand duchesses, written by Miss Eagar in 1909, five years after she left Russia. Also, an extensive 46-page introduction, written by *Charlotte Zeepvat will be included that includes previously unpublished material on Miss Eagar's personal life before and after Russia, her thoughts on the grand duchesses, letters by or about her from the State Archives of the Russian Federation, the reason why she left Russia in 1904, as well as some of her own writing that does not appear in her book.

This new, expanded edition of Six Years at the Russian Court will be a welcome addition to any one with an interest in the four daughters of the last Russian tsar.

*Charlotte Zeepvat is the author of two books on the Romanovs: The Camera and the Tsars: The Romanov Family Album (2004), and Romanov Autumn: Stories from the Last Century of Imperial Russia (2000).