Tsarina Alexandra of Russia

Alexandra was married to the Tsar of Russia but was herself a leader of people for example she used her royal influence to turn palaces into hospitals for men wounded in the first world war. She spent her private money on treatment of poor Russian people who could not afford it. But she also loved her husband and family sacrificing her own safety to be with him during the revolution when he was being put on trial for his life. "It is a rare treasure to have the life of a woman so near to us in time that we feel her struggles to be our own; her mistakes reflect our own inclinations; her virtue, our potential. Her sainthood, far from removing her from our sight should only make her dearer and closer, for in the goodness of her life we touch our own humanity and the struggle for heaven." - Nun Nectaria (McLees)