Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden's account of the nosebleed Alexei suffered in December 1915 and Alexandra's belief that Rasputin saved his life again

Sources:

The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna, page 215, by Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden, 1928

https://archive.org/details/lifetragedyofale00sofi/page/214/mode/2up

The account:

... On the day of Princess Orbeliani's funeral, the Emperor arrived unexpectedly from Headquarters with the little Cesarevitch, who was desperately ill. He had broken a blood-vessel in the nose, and all the doctors' efforts could not stop the haemorrhage, which had lasted for forty-eight hours. The poor child had had to be supported day and night in a half-sitting posture, and could scarcely speak. The Empress was in an agony. Always calm on the surface, she lived over again in remembrance the hours at Spala in 1912. Again the last remedy — the prayers of the Healer — was called for. The Staretz came, prayed for the child, touched his face, and, almost immediately after, the bleeding ceased. The doctors tried to explain the medical reasons for this, but the mother had seen that all their efforts had failed, and that Rasputine had succeeded. The Cesarevitch recovered, and the reputation of the Staretz as a man with heaven-sent powers stood higher than ever.

Above: Alexandra with Alexei.

Above: Grigori Rasputin.

Above: Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden.