Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Георгий Михайлович Романов; German: Georg Mikhailowitsch Romanow; born 13 March 1981) is the heir apparent to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, a claimant to the disputed Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia.[1] She attributes to him the title of Tsesarevich and he bears, as a title of pretence, the prefix of "Grand Duke" with the style of Imperial Highness; as a cadet member of the branch of the House of Hohenzollern which formerly ruled the German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, he is also traditionally entitled "Prince of Prussia" with the style of Royal Highness.[2]
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich | |||||
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Born | Madrid, Kingdom of Spain | 13 March 1981||||
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House | Romanov | ||||
Father | Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia | ||||
Mother | Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia | ||||
Religion | Russian Orthodox |
Russian imperial family |
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![]() Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire |
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia Prince Andrew Romanov
Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff |
Extended imperial family |
Early life
George was born in Madrid in 1981, the son of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (daughter and heir of Vladimir Cyrillovich, Grand Duke of Russia.[3][2]) and her husband Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia (titled at the time: Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich),[4][1] (son of Prince Karl Franz of Prussia and Princess Henriette of Schönaich-Carolath).
George was baptised on 6 May 1981, in Madrid; his godfather is Constantine II of Greece. Also present at the baptism were King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain and Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria.[5] George was given the title Grand Duke of Russia by his maternal grandfather,[6] prompting Prince Vasili Alexandrovich, then president of the Romanov Family Association, to respond in writing that "The Romanov Family Association hereby declares that the joyful event in the Prussian Royal House does not concern the Romanov Family Association since the newborn prince is not a member of either the Russian Imperial House or of the Romanov family".[7]
In anticipation of his eventual succession as pretender and with his maternal grandfather's approval, his mother applied for a change of name with the French authorities as "Grand Duke George of Russia" instead of "Prinz von Preußen".[7] His father, who stopped using his Russian title after his separation, has said of his son, "I have his German passport right here; I always carry it with me. It says he is Prince George of Prussia".[7]
George spent the first years of his life in France before moving to Spain.[8] There he and his mother lived, along with his maternal grandmother, in the home of his maternal aunt, Helen Kirby, who inherited a significant fortune from her father, Sumner Moore Kirby.[9]
Education and career
George was educated at Runnymede College in Madrid, D'Overbroeck's College, Oxford and at St Benet's Hall, Oxford.
In Brussels, he worked at the European Parliament where he was an assistant to Loyola de Palacio, former European Commissioner for Transport and Energy. Later he moved to Luxembourg where he was employed at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Atomic Energy and Security.
On 12 December 2008, he was appointed an aide to the Director General of MMC Norilsk Nickel, a major Russian nickel-mining company.[10]
In 2012 he was nominated chief executive of Metal Trade Overseas, the main sales hub for Norilsk Nickel in Switzerland.[11]
In 2014 he started his own company, Romanoff & Partners, in Brussels.[12]
Heir to his mother
On 21 April 1992, upon the death of his maternal grandfather Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich, George's mother claimed to have succeeded as the sovereign and Curatrix of the Throne of Russia,[13] making him, to supporters of his mother, heir-apparent and tsesarevich. He visited Russia for the first time shortly thereafter to attend the funeral of his grandfather.[8] His claim to the throne is contested, for reasons detailed in the article on the line of succession to the Russian throne.
In 1996, when he, his mother, and his grandmother Leonida returned to Russia after living in Madrid, one of President Boris Yeltsin's former bodyguards was assigned as tutor to the 15-year-old prince. He was also set to study at a Russian Naval college but these plans were dropped.[14]
On 17 July 2018 he participated, along with his mother, in the liturgical commemoration of the centenary of the assassinations of Saints Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children conducted in Yekaterinburg by Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow.[15]
Honours
Portuguese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa[16][17] Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Obedience of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 1st Class[18][19][20]- Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: Member of the Decoration of Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, 1st Class[21][22][notes 1]
Ancestry
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References
- de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 99, 111, 799 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser, Band XIV. "Haus Preußen". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1991, p. 153. (German) ISBN 3-7980-0700-4.
- Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd (1973). Burke's Guide to the Royal Family. London: Burke's Peerage. pp. 297, 302. ISBN 0-220-66222-3.
- Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. pp.82-84, 127, 152, 173. ISBN 91-630-5964-9
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Succession to the Imperial throne of Russia.
- Massie p. 264
- Massie, 270.
- "Georgii Mikhailovich". imperialhouse.ru. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
- "A Long Memory for Murder". Haaretz. 24 August 2001.
- "Georgy Romanov appointed as Advisor to General Director of MMC Norilsk Nickel".
- "Норильский никель - Главная страница".
- "Romanoff and Partners | Home".
- Dynastic Succession Archived 9 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Slater, Wendy (2007). The Many Deaths of Tsar Nicholas II. Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-415-34516-3.
- Tass. 17 July 2018. Patriarch Kirill I Leads Procession Commemorating Slain Czarist Family. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- http://www.imperialhouse.ru/rus/allnews/news/2019/21-noyabrya-2019-vizit-na-rodinu-glavy-doma-romanovykh-i-ee-naslednika-po-priglasheniyu-vsemirnogo-russkogo-narodnogo-sobora-i-torzhestvennye-tseremonii-21-noyabrya-2019-goda.html
- http://www.imperialhouse.ru/images/news/21-11-2019/2019-11-21-13.jpg
- http://www.imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/3982.html
- http://www.imperialhouse.ru/images/oldsite/image/photo-gallery/news/2014/3983/8.jpg
- http://www.imperialhouse.ru/images/news/21-11-2019/2019-11-21-2.jpg
- http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/2018/20180514_hihsynod.html
- "The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - Official Website".
Further reading
- Massie, Robert K. (1995). The Romanovs The Final Chapter. Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0-224-04192-4.
Notes
- ”For hard work by strengthening the good work of the Imperial Fund for the Study of Oncology and in connection with the long-term, dedicated and glorious service to the good of the peoples of our Fatherland and the Russian Diaspora”.
External links
- Official Website of the Russian Imperial Family (in English)
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia Born: 13 March 1981 | ||
Titles in pretence | ||
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Preceded by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna as Empress of Russia (Titular) |
— TITULAR — Tsesarevich 21 April 1992 – present Reason for succession failure: Russian Revolution: Abolition of monarchy and Dissolution of Russian Empire |
Incumbent |
Lines of succession | ||
First | Line of succession to the former Russian throne 1st position (disputed) |
Succeeded by Prince Andreas, 8th Prince of Leiningen |
Preceded by Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia |
Line of succession to the former German throne 7th position |
Succeeded by Prince Franz Friedrich of Prussia |
Preceded by Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia |
Line of succession to the British throne descended from Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, son of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom |
Succeeded by Prince Franz Friedrich of Prussia |