Vera Konstantinovna Romanova

ROMANOVA Vera Konstantinovna — a Russian Grand Duchess by birth, later Duchess of Württemberg and a patron of charitable institutions. Her parents were Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, born Princess of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1863, at the age of nine, Vera moved from Saint Petersburg to Stuttgart to live with her aunt, Crown Princess Olga Nikolaevna of Württemberg, and Olga's husband Karl. They raised her as a daughter and formally adopted her in 1871; her biological parents remained Konstantin and Alexandra.

In 1874 Vera married Duke Wilhelm Eugen of Württemberg. Their son died in infancy; their twin daughters Elsa and Olga were born in 1876. Vera was widowed in 1877. She subsequently supported institutions for people in need, health care, women's education and other philanthropic causes. Following Queen Olga's death in 1892 she inherited Villa Berg in Stuttgart and continued to support some of Olga's charitable initiatives. In 1909 Vera joined the Lutheran church, having previously been Russian Orthodox, and supported the construction of a Protestant church before her death in Stuttgart.