Natalie Paley is the granddaughter of the emperor, who conquered Western podiums and movie screens

She was called the Queen of Paris, she was the first princess on the podium, her beauty was admired by Saint-Exupery, Remarque and Cocteau. Natalie Paley, the granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II, found herself in forced emigration in 1919. Many aristocrats then had to get a job. Natalie chose a profession that made her mother blush - she became a model, and then a movie actress. In the fashion world, she also managed to achieve notable successes.

Natalia Pavlovna Paley was the daughter of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov, granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II and cousin of Nicholas II. The life of the imperial family was crossed out by the revolution of 1917. Natalia's brothers and father were arrested, in 1918 her brother, aunt and cousins were thrown alive into a mine, and in 1919 her father was shot. A mother with two daughters miraculously managed to escape abroad.

The money, thoughtfully left by my father in France, soon ran out. Natalia needed to get a job. When she told her mother about her intention to become a "mannequin" (as the models were called then), she burst into tears of shame: the princess on the podium is a disgrace for the royal family! But after thinking about it, she still gave her consent.

Natalie Paley was introduced to Coco Chanel, who admired the "breed" and the refinement of manners of Russian aristocrats. Chanel recommended Natalie Paley as a model to one of Lucien Lelong's prestigious modeling firms. The famous couturier could not resist the Russian beauty, and soon she became not only a model, but also his wife. The marriage of the princess and the "tailor" was called unequal, although mutually beneficial: Lelong was rich, successful and sewed clothes for the upper class.

Natalie became a sought-after model, her face adorned the covers of newspapers and magazines, her husband dedicated collections of clothes and perfumes to her. She was called the Parisian queen of fashion, women imitated her manner of bearing, walking and talking.

Fashion historian A. Vasiliev wrote about her:

In the 1930s, Natalie began acting in films. She knew how to look spectacular on the screen, although there were quite contradictory reviews about her acting abilities. The marriage with Lelong soon broke up. Natalie was invited to Hollywood, and in 1937 she moved to the USA. There she remarried — to theater producer John Chapman Wilson. Natalie dreamed of conquering Broadway, but it didn't work out with the theater. She continued her modeling career, became the face of the Lynchbeacher company. In 1941, Paley took U.S. citizenship.

The first princess on the podium.

Her second marriage could not be called happy, given her husband's addiction to alcohol. Natalie had an affair with Antoine Saint-Exupery, it was bright, but short-lived. The writer said that Natalie "radiates the light of milk and honey." Erich Maria Remarque also could not resist the princess. Their romance lasted 11 years. Remarque called his beloved "a ray of light among dolls and monkeys."

In 1961, Natalie's husband died of cirrhosis of the liver. She became depressed, and for a while she also abused alcohol. For the past 20 years, she has not answered calls and letters, and has led a reclusive lifestyle. In 1981, a woman broke her hip and found herself bedridden. Then Natalie took a lethal dose of sleeping pills — she could no longer feel helpless and lonely.