Spoiled and despotic, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich (1779–1831) was nothing like the heir to the Russian throne. The son of Emperor Paul I, who was murdered by conspirators, and the brother of Alexander I, he dreamed of living like a private person. He refused the imperial crown even when all of Russia had sworn allegiance to him. What this led to is well known. The rebels in Senatskaya Square shouted “Hurrah!” to Konstantin—and… the Constitution (apparently considering it the grand duke’s wife). Then came the uprising in Poland, in which Konstantin Pavlovich also played a not very enviable role. The book vividly and engagingly tells about the life of one of the most eccentric members of the House of Romanov.