In circa 1887, members of the Hessian and Russian imperial families gathered at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, creating a rare moment of unity between the Houses of Hesse and Romanov. Grand Duke Ludwig IV hosted his daughters Victoria, Ella, and Alix, alongside visiting Russian royals including Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, whose deepening bond with Ella was already noted in family letters. The gathering followed years of close ties forged since the marriage of Princess Alice of the United Ki