The Rebel Romanov

Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had

By: Helen Rappaport

Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon

In 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia was in search of a bride for her grandson Constantine, who stood third in line to her throne. In an eerie echo of her own story, Catherine selected an innocent young German princess, Julie of Saxe-Coburg, aunt of the future Queen Victoria. Though Julie had everything a young bride could wish for, she was alone in a court dominated by an aging empress and riven with rivalries, plotting, and gossip—not to mention her brute of a husband. She longed to leave Russia and her disastrous marriage, but her family in Germany refused to allow her to do so.

Finally, Tsar Alexander granted her permission to leave in 1801, even though her husband was now heir to the throne. Rootless in Europe, Julie gave birth to two—possibly three—illegitimate children, all of whom she was forced to give up for adoption. Despite entreaties from Constantine to return and provide an heir, she refused, eventually finding love with her own married physician.

At a time when many royal brides meekly submitted to disastrous marriages, Julie proved to be a woman ahead of her time, sacrificing her reputation and a life of luxury in exchange for the freedom to live as she wished. The Rebel Romanov is the inspiring tale of a bold woman who, until now, has been ignored by history.

©2025 Helen Rappaport (P)2025 Tantor Media

Another poor royal sacrificed by her money hungry parents all for the sake of keeping up with the status quo.

I have always been captivated by princess Julianne since learning of her famous siblings and family. However, very little information is available and when I learned about this books release, it became #1 on my list. Unfortunately, the intimate details of her life have been lost to history but the amount of information I have learned through this book is amazing! Of course, we all wish to know her own thoughts while living at the Romanov court, with a tyrant of a father- in-law and a psychopath of a husband. However, the amount of detail provided in this book provides a detailed overview of her life and I walked away with an understanding of the person she was and her desire to live a full life ahead of her times. She is a remarkable and brave woman whose life should not be shrouded in mystery or be diminished due to her more famous siblings.

Wanted to like it more than I did

This book has an interesting topic and a good reader. I enjoyed learning about this part of history, but the book wandered a lot near the end, and the way the story is framed also hampered the enjoyment. Julie surely went through many things in her life, but calling her "ahead of her time" or "inspirational" is oddly hyperbolic. Nothing in the book really delivers on this framing. It seems an odd and unnecessary attempt to make a heroic figure out of someone who is much more interesting and sympathetic as a real person navigating difficult situations.