Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia before World War I broke out, Grand Duchess Anastasia visited her brother, Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, and his family in England. When many eagerly greeted the outbreak of war, after the Austrian ultimatum, she wrote to Tsar Nicholas II: ""I hope that the war will not happen and that we even can say ‘perhaps in a few days, we’ll all be together again'"". The conflict split her family. Her son was a reigning prince in Germany and her younger daughter was the Kaiser's daughter in law. On the opposite side, her brothers in Russia were fighting to defeat
Maria Alekseyevna of Russia convent, and passed messages and money between Lopukhina and her son Alexei Petrovich. When Alexei Petrovich left Russia, she met him on the way and brought a letter from him to his mother. After the arrest of Alexei, Maria was taken in custody accused of having assisted his escape. She was imprisoned, first in prison and then in house arrest in Saint Petersburg. She was released in 1721. Maria Alekseyevna of Russia Tsarevna Maria Alekseyevna (; 18 January 1660 - 9 March 1723) was a Russian Princess, daughter of Tsar Alexis of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya, sister of Tsar Feodor