Source:
George Hawkins at Letters and writings of Nicholas II and his family on Facebook
"Soon after her engagement, Alix began learning Russian in earnest, though she found it difficult. By September 1894, she was confident enough to write 2 pages of her daily letter to Nicholas in Russian by herself without help from Ekaterina Schneider - naturally enough there were mistakes, (and she wrote she was afraid of making mistakes) but an amazing effort for someone who had only been learning for approximately 3 months. ..."
The letter excerpt:
... о тебе, я скучно без мой дорогой лаусбуб. — Когда будешь ты у нас. И ты думаешь что я делала успехы, но я боюсь (ошибок?) — Это письмо очень скучно, но я не могу говорить что я хочу, подому что я забываю слова, и я пишу теперь одна. — Я так доволен чтобы доктор мог уехать, и что твой отец спит лучше. Говорй ему много Grüsse для обо мне. —
English translation (by Hawkins):
[I cannot live without you. I think] about you [all the time], I'm lonely without my dear lausbub. When will you be with us. And you think that I made progress, but I'm afraid (mistakes?) [—] This letter is very boring, and I can't say what I want, because I forget the words and I'm writing by myself now. I am so pleased that the doctor can leave, and that your father sleeps better. Give him a lot of greetings from me.
Above: Nicholas and Alix.
Above: Nicholas's father, Tsar Alexander III, with his wife, Empress Marie Feodorovna, formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark.
Notes: In correct Russian, доволен for a woman is довольна.
I too know all too well the challenge of writing without help in a second or beyond language!
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