Konstantin von Benckendorff

Konstantin von Benckendorff (

Life and career

Konstantin von Benckendorff was born into Russia's distinctive

Trained as a diplomat, he joined the army to take part in the concluding stages of the Napoleonic Wars, specifically in the taking of Kassel, Fulda, Hanau, Reims, and Soissons. After the war, Benckendorff returned to diplomacy.

Five years later, he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to

Personal life

Konstantin married on 1 September 1814 Natalia von Alopaeus (4 February 1796, Berlin – 29 January 1823, Stuttgart), daughter of Count Maximilian Magnus von Alopaeus and his wife, Friederike Wilhelmine Henriette Antoinette von Quast. They couple had two children:

• Count Konstantin Alexander von Benckendorff (22 October 1816, Berlin – 29 January 1858, Paris), married in
  Croy
  (2 November 1825 – 8 January 1890)
• Countess Marie von Benckendorff (1818 – 31 October 1844, St. Petersburg), married to Prince Pavel Matveyevich Golenischev-Kutuzov-Tolstoy (20 November 1800 – 27 February 1883).

Honours and awards

• Order of St. Anna
  • 2nd class, with diamonds - 1812
  • 1st class - 17 April 1823
  • Diamonds added to 1st class - 16 February 1824
• Order of St. George
  • 4th class - 8 February 1813
  • 3rd class - 10 September 1815
• Order of St. Vladimir
  • 4th class - 25 January 1812
  • 3rd class - 18 September 1813
  • 2nd class - 22 July 1827
• Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class (Prussia)
• Knight First Class of the Order of the Sword (Sweden)
• Knight of the Military Order of Max Joseph (Bavaria)
• Imperial Order of Leopold (Austria)
• Golden Sword with the inscription "For Bravery", with diamonds
  , twice (1814 and 1 January 1828)
• Silver medal "In memory of the War of 1812"

References

Further reading

• Judith Lissauer Cromwell, "Dorothea Lieven: A Russian Princess in London and Paris, 1785-1857" (McFarland & Co. 2007)
  ISBN 0-7864-2651-9

• Biography (in Russian)