vers , ▁travel ing ▁together ▁that ▁summer ▁to ▁Bi ar ritz ▁and ▁Paris . ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁they ▁visited ▁several ▁Italian ▁cities , ▁including ▁Ven ice , ▁Pad ua , ▁Florence ▁and ▁Rome . ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁Serge i ▁toler ated ▁their ▁affair , ▁remaining ▁a ▁close ▁and ▁loyal ▁friend ▁to ▁the ▁famous ▁ball er ina , ▁but ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁grand ▁du kes ▁grew ▁t ense . ▁They ▁tried ▁to ▁avoid ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁maintain ▁civ ility ▁while ▁sharing ▁the ▁same ▁woman ▁for ▁almost ▁two ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁The ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁three ▁complicated ▁further ▁as ▁Math ilde ▁became ▁pre gn ant . ▁The ▁baby ▁was ▁conce ived ▁around ▁mid - Se ptember ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁before ▁her ▁trip ▁to ▁Italy . ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁Math ilde ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁a ▁son . ▁Both ▁grand ▁du kes ▁were ▁at ▁first ▁convinced ▁they ▁were ▁the ▁child ’ s ▁father . ▁After ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁K sch ess in ska ▁and ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁And rei ▁maintained ▁that ▁And rei ▁was ▁the ▁father . ▁The ▁child , ▁who ▁became ▁known ▁within ▁the ▁family ▁by ▁his ▁nick name , ▁V ova , ▁received ▁the ▁name ▁and ▁patron ym ic ▁Vladimir ▁Serge iev ich . ▁No ▁surname ▁was ▁made ▁public ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁The ▁birth ▁certificate ▁showed ▁Serge i ▁as ▁the ▁father . ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁Serge i ▁was ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁child ,