Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova
Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova (; 29 June 1829 – 14 January 1879) was a Russian noblewoman and lady-in-waiting to Empress Alexandra, of the Imperial Court of Russia. She was the Countess Ribeaupierre and wife of one of the richest landowners . Biography Tatiana was the youngest daughter of Count Alexander Ivanovich Ribopierre, a Russian diplomat of Swiss origin and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Potemkina, who was a sister of Prince Potemkin. She was born and raised abroad, where her father was stationed. In addition to her native French, she learnt German, Italian, English and Russian. In 1839 the Ribopierres returned to Saint Petersburg and settled in a house on Bolshaya Morskaya. Tatiana often visited her grandmother and namesake, Tatiana Vasilievna Yusupova at her palace on the Moika where she became close to her cousin Nikolai Yusupov, with whom she maintained correspondence since 1852. Their close relation was the main reason why they could not marry, as marriages between cousins were forbidden by the Orthodox Church. Yusupov's mother also apposed the union which led to Nikolai being sent to the Caucasus, then Riga after graduation from university. Immediately after the coronation of Alexander II, Count Ribopierre received official permission from Vladimir Adlerberg for the marriage of the pair. They were married 26 September 1856 in the St. Nicholas Church, village of Buturlino, Yukhnovsky district. For the occasion Queen Marie of Prussia bestowed Tatiana with the Order of Theresa. They were also congratulated by Prince Charles of Prussia. Emperor Alexander invited the couple to Nice after the wedding, but the Holy Synod filed a case for an illegal marriage. The Yusupovs spent the first years of marriage together in Munich and Paris. Tatiana was popular at the court of Napoleon III. In her own words she "was surrounded by ceremonial courtesy and attention" and her "tiara produced a magical effect, the emperor looked at her for a long time, and then came up and asked who made her". Around this time a ceremonial portrait of Yusupova was made by Winterhalter depicting her in a diamond-pearl diadem, which she bought from Caroline Bonaparte, a maid-of-honour cipher, and the Order of Teresa. In the autumn of 1858, the couple returned to Saint Petersburg and resumed court life. In 1861, five years after the pair were wed, Tatiana became pregnant. The legality of the marriage was still a problem, all attempts to obtain a marriage certificate were unsuccessful. In order to solve the issue of the Yusupov inheritance, and to protect himself from the claims of the princes Golitsyn, Nikolai decided to transfer all his family estates to his wife for life, which he did in 1862. This caused rumours which claimed that the princess had forced her husband to do this, and that he was completely subordinate to her. In reality, contemporary sources show that the spouses had very little in common. Yusopov was a man of extremes, often harsh and official which repelled those around him. He generously gave money to others and spent little