Russia's Tsar Nicolas and his family died a gruesome death, executed by the Bolsheviks, after Nicolas was forced to abdicate following the Russian Revolution of 1917. King George V of Great Britain was Nicolas' cousin and agonized over offering the Romanov family refuge in England. George never made that offer. The irony is that Nicolas and George were all part of Queen Victoria's huge European royal family. In fact, she was known as "The Grandmother of Europe." Author and historian Nancy Bilyeau explains the intricacies and destinies of these ruling families.