Page "Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" Paragraph 30

After two weeks in Haiko, the family moved to a rented house in Porvoo where, in August 1917, Victoria gave birth to Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia, her only son and the heir to the dynasty.

The family remained in Finland, a former Grand Duchy under Russian rule, which had declared its independence in December 1917.

They hoped that the White Russians would prevail.

They gradually ran out of supplies and had to beg for help from family.

In July 1918, Victoria wrote her first cousin, Margaret, the Crown Princess of Sweden, begging her to send baby food so she could feed Vladimir.

She was alienated from England because she felt her English relatives had not done enough to help the Romanovs.