▁thinking ▁of ▁her , ▁and ▁certainly ▁not ▁a ▁day ▁without ▁my ▁giving ▁her ▁bitter ▁tears . ▁It ▁cannot ▁be ▁otherwise ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁I ▁live , ▁even ▁if ▁she ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁two ▁dozen ▁children ." ▁ ▁Person ality ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na ▁was ▁distinguished ▁by ▁a ▁soft , ▁mel od ious ▁voice , ▁and ▁a ▁beautiful ▁o val ▁face , ▁with ▁del icate ▁features , ▁a ▁Greek ▁profile , ▁large ▁al mond - sh aped ▁blue ▁eyes ▁and ▁cur ly ▁ash ▁bl ond ▁hair , ▁which ▁she ▁usually ▁left ▁floating ▁on ▁her ▁shoulders . ▁With ▁an ▁elegant ▁figure , ▁reg al ▁carriage ▁and ▁a ▁beautiful ▁ang el ic ▁face , ▁she ▁was ▁regarded ▁by ▁contempor aries ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁women ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁probably ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁cons ort ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Ch arm ing , ▁gener ous ▁and ▁intellectual , ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na ▁loved ▁literature ▁and ▁the ▁arts . ▁She ▁took ▁music ▁less ons ▁from ▁Ludwig - Wil helm ▁Te pper ▁de ▁Fer g us on ▁( 1 7 6 8 – after ▁ 1 8 2 4 ). ▁Unfortunately , ▁she ▁possessed ▁a ▁sh y , ▁with dra wn ▁person ality ▁which ▁failed ▁to ▁ende ar ▁her ▁to ▁either ▁the ▁Russian ▁court ▁or ▁her ▁in - la ws . ▁She ▁preferred ▁simplicity ▁and ▁sol itude ▁to ▁the ▁pom p ▁and ▁ceremony ▁of ▁life ▁at ▁court . ▁ ▁Her ▁marriage ▁also ▁failed ▁to ▁bring ▁her ▁ful fill ment . ▁Although ▁Elizabeth