Grand Duchess and model Natalie Paley
The Grand Duchess and silent film actress, one of the first famous photos and top models of Natalie Paley.
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Natalie Pal? S lived in Russia quite a bit. She was born in France when her parents - the Grand Duke, General of the Imperial Guard Pavel Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Tsar Alexander III, and mother Olga Valerianovna Pistolkors turned out to be "exiles". They were banned from entering Russia. The fact is that early widowed, the Grand Duke after some time fell in love with the smart, beautiful and charming Olga Pistolkors, who came from the family of a poor and ordinary St. Petersburg official, and was also married. Yes, a very scandalous story for the entire Romanov family. When Olga received permission to divorce her first husband, the prince, secretly from the whole family, married her in Italy. He was deprived of all titles ... The prince's considerable means allowed them to lead a carefree social life in Europe. Their romantic history, as well as Olga's beauty and charm, attracted public attention to them.

The official pardon was received almost ten years later. They could return to Russia, especially since the prince was returned to the rank and reinstated in the service. Olga became his legal wife and received the title of Princess Paley. It seems that there was everything: love, and family happiness, and a title, and a built mansion in Tsarskoe Selo. But ... a revolution was brewing in Russia, which in 1917 changed everything that exists and the future of everyone without exception. Probably, more than once Olga and the Grand Duke regretted what they had so recently rejoiced in - forgiveness, the title acquired, the titles returned. Now they lost everything. In March 1917, the prince and his son Vladimir were arrested. Red commissars dealt with them as well as with many members of the Romanov family ... Husband and son were gone. Olga Valerianovna tried to save her daughters Irina and Natalie, as it became clear to everyone that the same fate awaited them. She managed to get out of Russia through Finland. There was uncertainty ahead. Thanks to the fortune prudently left by the prince in France, Olga Valerianovna and her daughters had a rather comfortable life, unlike many Russian emigrants. She brought up in her daughters impeccable taste and manners, the ability to charm.

There were many Russian emigrants in France who were in much worse conditions than Olga Valerianovna and her daughters. Thrown out of Russia, they, once spoiled by luxury ladies, tried to find an opportunity for further existence. Princesses and countesses became embroiderers, dressmakers, and fashion models.

Russian beauty, along with an aristocratic upbringing, charm and self-presentation, brought a lot of income to French fashion houses.

Irina and Natalie did not even think about further education, they limited themselves to upbringing and education, which their mother gave them. Their half-sister Maria Pavlovna, daughter of Pavel Alexandrovich from his first marriage, recalled that on the faces of the girls there was some kind of concern, latent sadness. They were withdrawn, it was difficult for them to communicate with their acquaintances. The girls harbored in themselves those tragic events, from the memories of which it was impossible to escape, the sadness of the loss of their father and beloved brother constantly pursued them. Olga Valerianovna tried to renew ties in the highest circles of secular society, she constantly moved among the fashionable tailors of French houses. Many of those who were destined to be in the role of exiles opened their fashion houses, for example, the IRFE house (Irina and Felix Yusupov), Kitmir, the embroidery house of Maria Pavlovna (half-sister). And his half-brother, Prince Dmitry, found himself in close relations with the famous Coco Chanel, for whom many Russian emigrants already worked. Thus, the Paley family was in full view of the fashion world all the time.Soon Irina marries the brother of Irina Yusupova, Prince Fyodor Alexandrovich.

Otherwise Natalie decided to dispose of her fate. From birth wayward, independent, like her mother in beauty and grace, she decided to work as a model. Yes, she became a fashion model. The princess-fashion model began to work in the Iteb fashion house and in the IRFE fashion house. Soon she managed to conquer fashionable Paris, they began to imitate her, she became the queen of fashion. She was loved, admired and fascinated, she was imitated. But these were the fashion houses of their exiled compatriots. Soon she became interested Grand Mademoiselle - Coco Chanel... She recommended Natalie to the prestigious fashion house of Lucien Lelong, who also could not resist the exquisite beauty and grace of the Russian princess. They got married in 1927. Natalie possessed not only striking beauty and a noble name. She became the face of the fashion house of Lucien Lelong. Natalie's relatives did not approve of this unequal marriage - the emperor's granddaughter and a tailor.

Everything was repeated for her mother Olga Valerianovna, but only the roles changed (now Olga Valerianovna saw in this marriage an unsuitable candidate for the role of husband for her daughter).

Lucien Lelong was at the mercy of Natalie's beauty. He dedicated the best models of his house for her, her face never left the covers of the best magazines. The perfumes of the Lelong company - "Elle ... Elle", "Mon Image", "Indiskret" were dedicated to the beautiful princess. However, the bright, gifted Natalie herself preferred to see the same men next to her. Her admirers were the artist Pavel Chelishchev, the dancer Serge Lifar (Russian Seasons), Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, for whom this connection, most likely, was the only and fatal ... She was surrounded by interesting and bright personalities, she probably felt like a star of the first magnitude, whom everyone worshiped and fell in love at first sight. How long could her marriage to Lelong last. Of course not. Natalie quickly lost interest in him, she was attracted by another life - she began acting in films. Her beauty, photogenicity, and Lelong's stunning outfits immediately got everyone's attention. And what was more significant for her - she was noticed in Hollywood. In 1937 she divorced Lelong and left for the United States. Impressed by the sad fact of Lelong's divorce, she creates the perfume "Le N", which was enthusiastically spoken about by women of fashion from the 30s and 40s.

In America, her bright, eventful life continues.

She soon marries producer and director John Wilson. But Natalie does not leave the modeling business, she becomes the most demanded and successful model in the American firm "Linkboycher", and at the same time the owner of a popular salon, which was visited by Erich Maria Remarque, Marlene Dietrich famous actors, musicians and artists.

In 1942, in the life of Natalie, there was a meeting with the famous French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It is difficult to say how much this connection meant for Natalie, but for Antoine himself it meant a lot, his letters tell about this - letters of love dedicated to Natalie.

By nature, a melancholic, prone to depression, he needed consolation, and in the person of Natalie he found both a mistress and a friend who knew how to cheer him up and comfort him. But their relationship did not last long. In 1943, Exupery returned to France, and the correspondence allowed them to remind each other of each other, which continued until the very death of the writer.

In Erich Remarque's novel "Shadows in Paradise", the love story between the main characters resembles real events - the love story of Natalie Paley and the writer himself. At the first meeting with Natalie, Remarque, captivated by her beauty and intelligence, for a long eleven years fell under the magical influence of the Russian princess - the beautiful Natalie.

Her delicate skin, gray eyes of a northern beauty, slender figure, smile, brilliant mind, ability to enchant captivated the writer.

They met each other in America, their romance lasted eleven years. But it was a novel, in which there were frequent quarrels and stormy reconciliations, however, none of those who were close to them doubted that this was true love.From the very first meeting, Erich was so captivated by Natalie that feelings for the great actress Marlene Dietrich, with whom he then met, began to fade quickly.

In 1947, when Remarque, after several years of wandering, decides to return to Europe, Natalie also goes with him. And this is where their romance ends. Erich Remarque remains in Switzerland, where he had his own home, and Natalie leaves it more and more often, because she cannot agree with a quiet and serene life, she needs changes, new meetings, new friends, she needs a bright, eventful life ... Love gradually fades away, and Remarque meets his new love and wife, actress Paulette Goddard.

Shortly after parting with Remarque, Natalie returned to America to John Wilson. But then he already drank heavily, became violent, and there was no question of inviting friends home. Natalie felt that life, filled with stormy and vivid events, was gradually fading away, there were fewer and fewer friends around her.

In 1961, John Wilson died of cirrhosis of the liver. Natalie fell into a severe depression, she no longer felt like that bright dazzling star, she felt that she was left alone. As if suddenly everything left her, moved away, even the connection with her sister was cut off. How? Why did this happen? Perhaps, in the whirl of events, she did not notice that she was losing those with whom she could stay for many long years. Perhaps, in pursuit of bright personalities, she could not discern what a person always needs - emotional closeness.

Was she happy? This beautiful and once successful woman probably asked herself many questions.