The Romanov dynasty was the second imperial dynasty to rule Russia.

That's right, I'm famous!

The direct male line of the Romanov family came to an end when Empress ELizabeth died in 1762. Peter III (grandson of Peter the Great)then took the throne that year.

Oh no! I'm dead!

It's okay, I'll take over.

The last Romanov Tsar (Nicholas ll) began his reign in the autumn of 1894. Nicholas' father, Tsar Alexander lll died unexpectedly at age 49. The new tsar (age 26) married Princess Alix of Hesse (granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England). Princess Alix converted from Lutheranism to Russian Orthodoxy. She was renamed Alexandra Feodorovna).

I am the great Alexandra!

Yay! We are newlyweds!

Queen Victoria had many children throughout Europe and gave a defect in a gene to some of these children. This disease is called hemophilia, and regulates normal blood clotting and is incurable.

This is terrible!

The hemophilia gene was also passed onto her own son as well as the male grandchildren and great-grandchildren through their mothers in royal houses of Spain and Germany.

Oh no!

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna learned in 1904 that she was a carrier of hemophilia a few weeks after the birth of her son and heir to the Russian throne, Alexei.

I'm ill!