Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia

For the son of Alexander III, who succeeded his father on the throne in 1894, see Nicholas II of Russia.

Nicholas Alexandrovich, Heir, Tsesarevich and Grand Duke of Russia (Цесаревич Николай Александрович, Наследник-Цесаревич и Великий Князь) (20 September 1843 – 24 April 1865) was Tsesarevich&mdash;the heir apparent&mdash;of Imperial Russia from 2 March 1855 until his death in 1865.

Early life
Born at Tsarskoe Selo and nicknamed "Nikha", he was the eldest son of then-Tsesarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I, and Empress Maria. In 1855, his paternal grandfather died, and his father succeeded to the throne as Emperor Alexander II.

Engagement
In the summer of 1864, Nicholas became engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was the second daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel and was a younger sister of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, wife of the heir-apparent to the British throne.

Death
Until 1865, Nicholas was thought to have a strong constitution, but early in that year, during a tour in southern Europe, he contracted an ailment that was initially incorrectly diagnosed as rheumatism. Nicholas's symptoms at that time included back pain and a stiff neck, as well as sensitivity to noise and light. He thought little of his ailments, however, and continued his tour in Italy.

His health rapidly worsened, and he was sent to Southern France, but this move brought him no improvement. It was eventually determined that he was suffering from cerebro-spinal meningitis, and it was speculated that this illness of his was caused by a previous accident in a wrestling match, in which Nicholas participated and was thrown down. In the spring of 1865, Nicholas continued to decline, and he died on 24 April 1865, in Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

It is believed that on his deathbed, Nicholas expressed the wish that his fiancée become the bride of his younger brother and successor as Tsesarevich, Alexander, and in 1866, the couple was married.

Nicholas's death at the early age of 21 thoroughly devastated his mother, who was said to have pored obsessively over all aspects of Nicholas's life. Empress Maria never recovered from his death.

In 1867, construction was begun on a chapel named in his honor (fr:Chapelle du tsarévitch Nicolas Alexandrovitch) in Nice, on the exact place where Nicholas was said to have died, and in 1868, the chapel was inaugurated, with his brother Alexander and his wife, the re-christened Maria Fyodorovna, in attendance.