The Grand Duchesses were the two elder daughters of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (formerly Princess Alix of Hesse). During a previous visit to Balmoral in 1896, a film with members of both British and Russian royal families was made by W. & D. Downey. This was the Queen's first encounter with the new cinematographic process and she recorded the event in her Journal for 3 October: 'at 12 went down to below the Terrace, near the Ball Room, & were all photographed by Downey by the new cinematograph process, which makes moving pictures by winding off a reel of films. We were walking up & down & the children jumping about.' The film was projected later in the year at Windsor Castle and on her Journal for 23 November the Queen wrote: 'After tea went to the Red Drawingroom, were the socalled "animated pictures" were shown off, including the groups taken in September [sic] at Balmoral. It is a very wonderful process, representing people, their movements & actions, as if they were alive.'