ten berg ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria ▁Nik ola ev na ▁of ▁Russia . ▁Although ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁House ▁of ▁Beau har na is , ▁she ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁native ▁country , ▁Russia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁she ▁married ▁her ▁distant ▁cousin , ▁Duke ▁Alexander ▁Pet rov ich ▁of ▁Old enburg . ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁an ▁only ▁child , ▁Duke ▁Peter ▁Alexand rov ich ▁of ▁Old enburg . ▁ ▁Princess ▁Eugen ia ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁were ▁particularly ▁noted ▁for ▁their ▁extensive ▁phil anth ropy ▁throughout ▁Russia ; ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁in ▁fact ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁a ▁newspaper ▁source ▁could ▁claim ▁that ▁" there ▁[ w ere ] ▁probably ▁not ▁two ▁who ▁are ▁so ▁univers ally ▁bel oved ▁as ▁the ▁Duke ▁and ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Old enburg ". ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Princess ▁Eugen ia ▁of ▁Le uch ten berg ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁Mari in ski y ▁Palace ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁child ▁and ▁third ▁daughter ▁of ▁Maxim ilian ▁de ▁Beau har na is , ▁ 3 rd ▁Duke ▁of ▁Le uch ten berg ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria ▁Nik ola ev na ▁of ▁Russia . ▁Eugen ia ' s ▁father , ▁Maxim ilian , ▁Duke ▁of ▁Le uch ten berg , ▁had ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁eventually ▁winning ▁the ▁hand ▁of ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria ▁Nik ola ev