Page "Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia" Paragraph 17

The couple were close to Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna and the Tsar trusted Sergei more than his other brothers.

In 1886, Alexander III appointed him Commander of the Preobrazhensky Life Guard Regiment, entrusting him with introducing the Tsarevich ( the future Nicholas II ) to army life.

Sergei and Ella represented Russia in 1887 during Queen Victoria ’ s Golden Jubilee and in 1888, they were sent to the Holy Land on the occasion of the consecration of the church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, built in memory of Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

By 1892, six years into the marriage, Sergei was already certain that they would not have children and he left a will making the children of his brother Paul his heir after his and his wife ’ s deaths.