Margaretta Eagar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaretta Eagar
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| Born | 12 August 1863 |
| Died | 2 August 1936 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Governess |
| Parent(s) | Francis McGillycuddy Eagar Frances Margaret Holden |
Margaretta Alexandra Eagar (born August 12, 1863 — died August 8, 1936) was an Irishwoman. She worked as a nanny for the four daughters of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, and his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. These daughters were the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. They were often called OTMA (using the first letter of each of their names). Margaretta Eagar was their nanny from 1898 to 1904.
In 1906, she wrote a book called Six Years at the Russian Court. It was about her time living with the Imperial family.
Early Life and Training
Margaretta Eagar was born in Limerick, Ireland, on August 12, 1863. She was one of ten children. Her parents were Francis McGillycuddy Eagar and Frances Margaret Holden. She trained to be a medical nurse in Belfast. At one point, she was in charge of an orphanage.
Time with the Russian Imperial Family
Eagar became the nurse for the daughters of Emperor Nicholas II in 1898. She stayed with them until 1904. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, who was the girls' aunt, later said that Eagar loved talking about politics.
The four grand duchesses learned English from Eagar. By the time Eagar left the Imperial Court in 1904, the girls spoke English with a slight Hiberno-English accent. This is an accent from Ireland. In 1908, an English tutor named Charles Sydney Gibbes was hired to help them speak with a more standard English accent.
Eagar grew very fond of all four grand duchesses. In her book, she wrote that she left the Russian Court for personal reasons. However, it is also thought that she might have been asked to leave because of the difficult political situation at the time. This was during the Russo-Japanese War, and Great Britain, where Eagar was from, generally supported Japan.
Later Years
After leaving Russia, Eagar received money regularly from the Russian government. This was like a pension for her work as a nurse. She continued to write letters to the grand duchesses. In her letters, she described her work as a governess for other families. She kept writing to them until July 1918, when the family was tragically killed.
Her family members said that she was deeply affected by the murder of the Imperial family for the rest of her life. In her later years, she managed a boarding house, which is like a house where people pay to stay and eat. Margaretta Eagar died in a nursing home in 1936. She was 72 years old.
See also
- Sydney Gibbes
- Pierre Gilliard
