Father Valerian Karnovich | Name Princess Paley | |
 | ||
Issue Alexander Erikovich PistohlkorsOlga Erikovna von PistohlkorsOlga Erikovna von PistohlkorsMarianna Erikovna von PistohlkorsPrince Vladimir Pavlovich PaleyPrincess Irina Pavlovna PaleyPrincess Natalia Pavlovna Paley Mother Olga Vasilyevna Meszaros Spouse Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia (m. 1902–1919), Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (m. 1902) Children Vladimir Paley, Natalia Pavlovna Paley, Irina Paley, Marianne Pistohlkors, Alexander Pistohlkors Grandchildren Prince Michael Feodorovich of Russia, Olga Ramel, Princess Irene Feodorovna Romanova Great grandchildren Alain Pelle, Joelle Soulas, Prince Michael Mihailovich Similar People Grand Duke Paul Alexandr, Vladimir Paley, Natalia Pavlovna Paley, Grand Duchess Maria Pa, Grand Duke Dmitri Pa | ||
Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (Ольга Валериановна Палей) (2 December 1865–2 November 1929), was the second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.
Contents
Early life and first marriage
She was born Olga Karnovich at St. Petersburg, the daughter of Valerian Karnovich and his wife Olga Vasilyevna Meszaros. She married Erich Gerhard von Pistohlkors (1853–1935 Riga) in 1884, by whom she had four children:
Scandal of second marriage
She later began an affair with Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, causing a great society scandal, and bore him a child, Vladimir. Her marriage to Pistohlkors was terminated by divorce, and Paul asked permission of Tsar Nicholas II to marry Olga, but he refused.
In 1902, Paul married her morganatically, but the marriage was not approved, and she was given no titles. In 1904, Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria granted Olga the title of Countess von Hohenfelsen. Nicholas II later acquiesced to the marriage and made her Princess Paley.
Olga and Paul had three children:
Exile
Olga left Russia in 1920 with her two daughters to Finland, after her son and her husband were executed by the revolutionary government. She died in exile in Paris on 2 November 1929, at the age of 64.