ile ▁abroad . ▁Alexander ▁felt ▁sympathy ▁for ▁his ▁sister ▁however , ▁and ▁paid ▁special ▁attention ▁to ▁her ▁children ▁from ▁her ▁first ▁marriage , ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁without ▁their ▁mother . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁her ▁rank , ▁Eugen ia ▁often ▁served ▁in ▁various ▁court ▁functions . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁for ▁instance ▁Eugen ia ▁accompanied ▁Dow ager ▁Em press ▁Alex andra ▁Fe odor ov na ▁to ▁France , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁gre et ed ▁by ▁Napoleon ▁III ▁and ▁Em press ▁Eugen ie . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁the ▁prin cess , ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria , ▁and ▁other ▁prominent ▁royal ▁figures ▁officially ▁gre et ed ▁U . S . ▁Amb assador ▁Cass ius ▁Clay ▁and ▁the ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁Gustav us ▁Fox ▁with ▁a ▁lav ish ▁ban quet ; ▁Clay ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁honor ▁of ▁sitting ▁between ▁Eugen ia ▁and ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Alex andra ▁I os if ov na . ▁Clay ▁and ▁Fox ▁had ▁previously ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁palace ▁of ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁Maria , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁officially ▁presented ▁to ▁Princess ▁Eugen ia ; ▁they ▁a te ▁l unch ▁together , ▁and ▁afterwards ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁journey ed ▁back ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁other ▁vis its ▁of ▁state . ▁ ▁Mar riage ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁woman , ▁various ▁candidates ▁were ▁put ▁forth ▁as ▁potential ▁hus b ands . ▁One ▁such ▁possibility ▁was ▁Crown ▁Prince ▁Um berto ▁of ▁Italy . ▁Nothing ▁came ▁of ▁this ▁however