In 1906 Queen Alexandra and her sister the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia purchased Hvid©ıre, a villa on the Danish coast, a private home. Until 1914 the sisters visited the property every autumn, entertaining friends and many royal relatives in an informal atmosphere. It was indeed a royal retreat. The first world war put an end to these happy times but in 1919, now exiled from Russia, the Dowager Empress made the villa her home and Hvid©ıre became a court in exile. In 1920 she was joined by her younger daughter Olga and her family, who all lived at Hvid©ıre, not always happily, until the Empress's death in 1928. A Royal Retreat tells the story of the purchase, renovation, the many royal visitors and finally the sale of this forgotten royal home. Magnificent original illustrations from a private collection.