Natalia Pavlovna Paley, the Romanov who became an actress
Discover the unique journey of Natalia Pavlovna Paley, a Romanov princess who found her way into the world of cinema. Explore her life, her films, and her unusual legacy.
Natalia Pavlovna Paley fled with her mother and sister and became a well-known socialite in the United States. Learn the story of the Romanov who became an actress.
Natalia Pavlovna von Hohenfelsen was born on December 5, 1905. She was the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, brother of Emperor Alexander III and uncle of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. Her mother was Countess Olga Paley. Her parents’ marriage was initially not accepted by the Tsar, since both Alexandrovich and Olga had previously been married to other people. The union caused a great scandal within the family.
Olga and Alexandrovich had three children: Vladimir Pavlovich Paley (1897–1918), Irina Pavlovna Paley (1903–1990) and Natalia (1905 – 1981). When the Tsar refused, the couple and their daughters moved to Paris, where Natalia was born amid great luxury and access to culture. It was only in 1912 that the family received a pardon from Nicholas II and were able to return to Russia. In 1914, they moved to a luxurious palace in Tsarkoe Selo.
When Nicholas II was arrested, it was incredible, but his family seemed unaware of the danger that lay ahead. Natalia’s family decided to stay in the palace, even amid the revolts and imminent downfall. Conditions amid the unrest became increasingly worse. Little by little they began to experience hardship, being forced to move to another house when supplies and heating were taken away. The house was later turned into a museum.
Natalia’s brother Vladimir was captured along with other relatives and sent into Russian exile. In 1918 he was executed at the age of 21. His father, Alexandrovich, was also arrested. Olga moved closer, hoping to see her husband again, but he was executed in January 1919. His body was thrown into a mass grave, along with other bodies of the family.
The girls Natalia and Irina remained under the care of a governess. Given the general climate, Olga decided it was time to flee with her 12- and 14-year-old daughters. After a terrifying escape lasting several days, the three managed to reach Finland, leaving for Sweden and then settling in France.
Olga sold her valuable jewelry and bought a house in Biarritz, France. Her daughters were sent to school in Switzerland, but Natalia was unable to interact with her peers due to the trauma she had experienced and the loss of her father:
“I had faced death, so close. My father, my brother, my cousins, my uncles, executed, all the Romanov blood splattered on my adolescence. This gave me a taste for sad things, poetry, the icy and lightning antechamber of death. ” Source
Natalia, however, went on with her life. She met Lucien Lelong at a bazaar. He was a French couturier who had already been married and offered her a job in one of his stores. She started working in the perfume department. Her beauty was noticed by everyone and she soon began a career as a model.
Lucien proposed marriage. Natalia accepted, because the union would be beneficial for both of them: he had been a war hero and she was of noble blood and could boost the business. Rumor has it that the marriage was never consummated, because Lucien was homosexual.
The model was in high demand, posing for famous photographers of her time. But her marriage was doomed to failure after a while. While still married, she began an affair with dancer Serge Lifar and then with Jean Cocteau.
Once separated, Natalia began studying acting with Eve Francis. That same year she made her film debut in L’epervier (1933) and then The Private Life of Don Juan (1934). During this period she went to the United States and managed to make a small appearance in Sylvia Scarlett (1935). The actress was not credited, but became good friends with Katharine Hepburn, the film’s star.
Her career as an actress did not have much of a future and she even participated in one more film in France before retiring from the screen. Even so, she decided to settle in New York. It was there that she met the producer John C. Wilson, a former lover of Noel Coward. The two married in 1937, and once again Natalia entered into a relationship of convenience.
But unlike her first husband, John was an excellent friend. They enjoyed each other’s company and used to travel constantly. In 1941 she became an American citizen and was one of the most sought-after figures at parties. Her fame earned her an invitation to work as a promoter for the fashion house Mainbocher.
Since their marriage was one of convenience, both were open to having relationships with other people. Thus, Natalia had a long relationship with the writer Erich Maria Remarque, and served as inspiration for her novel Shadows in Paradise.
John died in November 1961, at the age of 62. He had spent his last years very weak due to dementia. His departure left Natalia more shaken than anyone expected. She withdrew from society and began to live discreetly. She refused all invitations and did not receive visitors. The company of this woman who was so sought after became her pets and her entertainment was a TV set.
But Natalia was also beginning to have health problems. She had diabetes and gradually began to lose her vision. With her blindness, she became even more bitter and refused to receive even relatives.
In 1981, Natalia fell in the bathroom and fractured her femur. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery, but did not survive. She died on December 27, 1981, at the age of 76. A part of her story had come to an end.
Mais sobre a autora
