Princess Amira Alexandrovna of Russia was born on March 12, 1858, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. She had several older siblings:

Crown Prince Alexander (future Emperor Alexander III), born in 1845 (28 years old in 1873).

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, born in 1847 (26 years old in 1873), married to Prince Alfred of the UK.

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, born in 1851 (22 years old in 1873), married and living in exile.

Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, born in 1858 (15 years old in 1873), close in age to Amira.

Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich, born in 1856 (17 years old in 1873).

Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna, born in 1854 (19 years old in 1873), married into a prominent European family.

By 1873, at 15, Amira felt the weight of royal duty pressing on her. While her older siblings had already married into European royal families to strengthen alliances, Amira wandered the palace gardens, quietly wondering if her life would follow the same path. Surrounded by beauty, she questioned if she could ever live beyond the expectations laid out for her.