Pierre Gilliard on Rasputin's death and Alexandra's reaction to it, December 31, 1916 (New Style)

Sources:

Treize années à la cour de Russie: Le tragique destin de Nicolas II et de sa famille, page 155, by Pierre Gilliard, 1921

https://archive.org/details/LeTragiqueDestinDeNicolasIiEtDeSaFamille/page/n151/mode/2up

Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, pages 182 to 183, by Pierre Gilliard, translated by F. Appelby Holt, 1921

https://archive.org/details/cu31924028372088/page/n211/mode/2up

The account:

.... Soudain, comme un coup de foudre, éclata la nouvelle de la mort de Raspoutine. C'était le 31 décembre, et, le même jour, nous partions pour Tsarskoïé-Sélo.

Je n'oublierai jamais la profonde émotion que j'éprouvai en renvoyant l'impératrice. Sa figure bouleversée trahissait, malgré elle, l'intensité de sa souffrance. Sa douleur était immense. On avait brisé sa foi, on avait tué celui qui seul pouvait sauver son enfant. Lui parti, tous les désastres, toutes les catastrophes étaient possibles. Et l'attente commença, l'attente torturante du malheur qui ne saurait être évitée...

English translation (by Holt):

Suddenly the news of Rasputin's death fell like thunderbolt. It was December 31st, and the same day we left for Tsarskoïe-Selo.

I shall never forget what I felt when I saw the Czarina again. Her agonised features betrayed, in spite of all her efforts, how terribly she was suffering. Her grief was inconsolable. Her idol had been shattered. He who alone could save her son had been slain. Now that he had gone, any misfortune, any catastrophe, was possible. The period of waiting began — that dreadful waiting for the disaster which there was no escaping. ...

Above: Alexandra.

Above: Grigori Rasputin.

Above: Pierre Gilliard.