na , ▁Nicholas ▁I ' s ▁el dest ▁daughter . ▁Maxim ilian ▁was ▁subsequently ▁best owed ▁with ▁the ▁style ▁Imperial ▁High ness ▁and ▁given ▁the ▁title ▁Prince ▁Roman ow sky . ▁As ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁Russian ▁grand ▁duch ess ▁and ▁an ▁en no bled ▁Russian ▁prince , ▁Eugen ia ▁and ▁her ▁sib lings ▁were ▁always ▁treated ▁as ▁grand ▁du kes ▁and ▁duch esses , ▁bearing ▁the ▁styles ▁Imperial ▁High ness . ▁ ▁Princess ▁Eugen ia ▁( She ▁was ▁called ▁Eugen ie , ▁the ▁French ▁form ▁of ▁her ▁name , ▁by ▁her ▁family ) ▁spent ▁her ▁child hood ▁in ▁the ▁Mari in sky ▁Palace ▁with ▁her ▁sib lings . ▁Both ▁of ▁her ▁parents ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁art istic ▁and ▁scientific ▁endeav ors ▁so ▁Eugen ia ▁ ▁received ▁a ▁better ▁education ▁than ▁most ▁prin cess es ▁of ▁her ▁time . ▁She ▁studied ▁music , ▁drawing , ▁dan cing ▁and ▁languages . ▁As ▁a ▁girl ▁she ▁enjoyed ▁horse - rid ing . ▁Hun ting ▁with ▁horses ▁and ▁r iding ▁became ▁h obb ies ▁she ▁enjoyed ▁throughout ▁her ▁life . ▁ ▁After ▁their ▁father ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria ▁m organ atically ▁rem ar ried ▁to ▁Count ▁Gr ig ori ▁St ro gan ov ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁As ▁this ▁union ▁was ▁kept ▁secret ▁from ▁her ▁father ▁Emperor ▁Nicholas ▁I ▁( and ▁her ▁brother ▁Emperor ▁Alexander ▁II ▁could ▁not ▁permit ▁the ▁union , ▁prefer ring ▁instead ▁to ▁fe ign ▁ignor ance ), ▁Maria ▁was ▁forced ▁into ▁ex