Lot Essay
HSH Princess Dorothea von Lieven, neé Countess Benckendorff (1785-1857) was a maid of honour to Empress Maria Fyodorovna of Russia. She married Prince Khristofor Andreyevich Lieven, the Russian ambassador to London 1812-1834. In 1834 he was appointed educator to the heir to the throne, tsesarevitch Alexander Nikolaevich, however, she lived in Europe on the pretext of health problems, finally settling in Paris, where she held salons. She was closely associated with Francois Guizot after her husband's death in 1838.