The Romanov sisters were the most photographed princesses of their day, yet the world knew very little of the four girls in the official portraits.

The daughters of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, and German-born Alexandra of Hesse, have often been considered nothing more than the pretty backdrop to the larger and more dramatic story of their parents and tragic haemophiliac brother Alexey.

Despite what portraits depict and the sisters’ self-styled title OTMA (an acronym built from the first letter of each of the daughter’s names in order of birth), the Romanov princesses were far from interchangeable.

Behind the dutiful and bland image existed four very vibrant and fascinating and most of all, distinct, personalities.

Meet the real princesses behind the chocolate-box image…