Ekaterina Yurievskaya was born from a morganatic marriage between Alexander II and Princess Dolgorukova. In her childhood, she moved to France with her mother. Although her life promised to be prosperous, fate took a different turn, mainly due to two unsuccessful marriages.

Ekaterina met her first love in France. The young prince Alexander Baryatinsky was attractive, intelligent, and wealthy. Their family life started well, but soon problems arose. Baryatinsky became infatuated with the Italian singer Lina Cavalieri, and their secret affair lasted several years, becoming known to the public. Ekaterina tried to win her husband back, even changing her hair color and attempting to adopt Cavalieri's habits, but to no avail. Baryatinsky remained enamored with the singer until the end of his life.

After her husband's death, Yurievskaya returned to Russia. In Crimea, she met a new love, Prince Sergey Obolensky, who was 12 years younger than her. They quickly found common ground, and it seemed that Ekaterina had found happiness. However, the October Revolution shattered their plans. The couple did not accept the new regime and fled to England with false documents.

In England, they were met without much warmth, and they had to seek work. Yurievskaya performed in restaurants and cafes, but her earnings were modest. Eventually, Sergey Obolensky left her and moved to Australia, where he married the daughter of millionaire Ave Astor.

Ekaterina remained in Hampshire, and for a time, she was helped by Queen Mary of England. After her death, Yurievskaya's life became even harder. To survive, she sold her remaining possessions and spent her last years in a nursing home. Ekaterina Yurievskaya died in 1959 at the age of 81. Only two people attended her funeral: her nephew Alexander Yurievsky, the son of her brother Georgy, and her former husband Sergey Obolensky. Such is the sad story.