The Romanov family, the most famous Russian royal family, were responsible for spreading Russian culture and growing the Russian Orthodox Church. The Romanov dynasty began in 1613 and lasted until January 1762 when the monarchs claimed the throne as relatives of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, who had married Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is the great-great-grandson of Russian Tsar Nicolas I.
DNA testing confirmed the royal identity of the remains of every monarch and their other half, and they were transferred and formally interred in a special chapel in St. Petersburg. The Romanov family, the last dynasty to rule the Russian Empire, saw their rule end when the entire family was killed in 1918 during the Russian Revolution. Prince Philip was connected to the Russian family through his maternal side, while Queen Victoria was Czarina Alexandra’s grandmother.
In the mid-1970s, the mass grave of the Romanov family (minus two of the children) was discovered and officially exhumed after the fall of the Soviet Union. Forensic DNA testing confirmed the royal identity of the remains, and Prince Charles and his grandsons, Princes William and Harry, are all Romanov relatives.
There are still living descendants of the Romanov family, including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Princess Olga Andreevna. The Romanov Family Association, an organization for descendants of the former Russian Imperial House, was created in 1979 and officially registered in Spain.
There are many descendants of the Russian Imperial House alive today who are not dynasts, with non-dynastic descendants spread across the world.
| Article | Description | Site |
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| Who are the current royals that descend from the Romanov … | However, there are still living descendants of the Romanov family. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II is the … | quora.com |
| Modern Descendants of the Russian Royal family | Hundreds of living relatives, famous and infamous, can claim a Romanov connection. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | townandcountrymag.com |
| House of Romanov | The Romanovs share their origin with two dozen other Russian noble families. Their earliest common ancestor is one Andrei Kobyla, attested around 1347 as a … | en.wikipedia.org |
📹 Who Would Be Tsar of Russia Today? Romanov Family Tree
CREDITS: ========================= Chart & Narration: Matt Baker https://usefulcharts.com/ Animation: Syawish Rehman …
Are There Any Heirs To The Russian Throne?
Today, none of the Romanov descendants officially claim the Russian throne, but the historical legacy continues through Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and her son, Grand Duke George. The Romanovs originally ceased to rule after the death of Feodor I in 1598, leading to the Time of Troubles and the emergence of False Dmitrys, who posed as the late Ivan IV's son. Modern claims to succession are complex, with some extended family members, including Maria Vladimirovna, asserting their right to royal status.
In 1969, her father, Grand Duke Vladimir, named her as the heir. Various other members of the Romanov lineage exist today, including Prince Andrei Alexandrovich, but the official royal throne remains out of reach following the 1917 revolution. Notably, even though a restoration seems impossible, these descendants maintain their noble titles, preserving their family's heritage. Some claimants to the title include Karl Emich from the Kirillovich branch, who converted to Orthodox Christianity.
In recent events, Grand Duke George married in St. Petersburg, marking the first royal wedding on Russian soil in over a century, thus maintaining public interest in the Romanov legacy. Despite the absence of an established heir today and the ongoing debates over legitimacy, the Romanov family's historical significance remains evident in Russia’s cultural narrative.
Are There Any Russian Royalty Alive Today?
The modern Russian Imperial House, as per succession laws, comprises two individuals: Grand Duchess Maria of Russia (b. 1953) and Tsesarevich Grand Duke George of Russia (b. 1981). Following the execution of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, and his family in 1918, living descendants of other imperial members still exist. Although the restoration of the dynasty is deemed impossible, these descendants maintain their royal titles and heritage.
Noteworthy descendants include Prince Andrew Romanoff, who passed away in 2021; he was a grand-nephew of Nicholas II and led the House of Romanov. Notably, Queen Elizabeth II's husband is related to the last tsarina, Alexandra Romanov. A significant royal wedding occurred in Russia in recent history, uniting Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov and Rebecca Virginia Bettarini, marking the first royal wedding on Russian soil since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
Moreover, there continues to be interest in the lives and claims of the numerous descendants, with the surviving members characterized as "the world’s best-kept secret." The Romanov Family Association supports relatives globally, showcasing their ongoing connection to history despite the historical upheaval that claimed the lives of the immediate family of Nicholas II.
Are There Any Descendants Of The Russian Royal Family?
Yes, there are many living Romanovs today, though no direct descendants of Czar Nicholas II have political power in Russia following the execution of his immediate family in 1918 during the Russian Revolution. The Romanov Family Association (RFA) includes legitimate male-line descendants of the Russian emperors, though it doesn't encompass the entire family tree. Some notable claims to the Romanov legacy include Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is a grandnephew of Tsarina Alexandra, illustrating the interconnectedness of European royal families.
While the eighteen Romanovs killed during the revolution receive significant attention, numerous other relatives also exist across the globe. Even without political authority, these descendants maintain the family's heritage. The RFA, founded in 1979, is dedicated to this purpose. Current descendants are sometimes referred to as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov and may include figures like Prince Andrew Romanov and Prince Rostislav Romanov, who lives in Russia.
With the British royal family having ties to the Romanovs, Prince Charles and Prince William also carry this connection, emphasizing the global and historical significance of the Romanov dynasty despite its tragic end.
Are There Any Russian Noble Families Left?
С момента распада Советского Союза в 1991 году в России вновь стали возможны аристократические ассоциации и организации, поддерживающие дворянские традиции, однако русский дворянский класс больше не существует. Существуют сотни живущих потомков, претендующих на родство с Романовыми, включая родственные связи супруги королевы Елизаветы II. В то время как внимание сосредоточено на восемнадцати Романовых, убитых во время революции, на самом деле гораздо больше их родственников и потомков, включая законных и мorganatic супругов.
Исследователь Смит показывает на примере семьи Шереметевых и Голицынов, что дворянство было неотъемлемой частью России, чьи корни уходят в 16 век. Несмотря на невозможность восстановления династии, потомки сохраняют наследие своих предков. Большинство аристократов уехало за границу после Октябрьской революции, осев в иностранных столицах. В большинстве случаев потомки дворян адаптировались к культурам стран, где они теперь живут. Романовы имеют общего предка, Андрея Кобылу, впервые упомянутого в 1347 году. С начала 20 века судьба русского дворянства вызывает интерес и обсуждения.
Does Russia Still Have A Royal Family?
The restoration of the Russian monarchy is a hypothetical scenario that envisions reinstating the monarchy in today’s Russian Federation, which has been absent since Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917, and was executed along with his family in 1918. Historically, Russia's royal family, the House of Romanov, ruled for over 300 years, significantly influencing the nation's history and culture. Recent developments include a descendant of the Romanovs marrying an Italian bride in Russia, marking the first royal wedding on Russian soil since the end of the imperial era.
Although a restoration of the monarchy is deemed improbable, some descendants, despite lacking any claim to a throne, preserve their royal heritage. Following the brutal murder of the Romanovs, interest in their legacy endures, evidenced by gatherings of noble families and events celebrating royal ties. The current notion of a constitutional monarchy in Russia remains more theoretical than practical, as contemporary governance does not endorse any royal hierarchy.
The surviving members of the Romanov family, residing in various parts of Europe and Asia, maintain a cultural presence, yet there is no significant movement advocating for the monarchy's official restoration. Discourse around the monarchy continues, with some believing the 1917 revolution was a mistake, yet the Imperial House itself has expressed no desire for reinstatement.
Were Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip Related?
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were second cousins once removed as well as third cousins, both being great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Their familial connections stem from shared ancestry, notably through Christian IX of Denmark, a common lineage among European aristocrats. The couple's relationship began in childhood, and they rekindled their bond in 1939 when Elizabeth was the heir apparent. They married in 1947, enjoying a 74-year union until Philip's death in 2021.
Although they were distant relatives, both came from royal backgrounds; Philip was born a prince of Greece and Denmark. Their deep connection not only included shared family ties but also a lifetime of shared experiences, memories, and love. Elizabeth had reportedly been enamored by Philip since she was 13, and their relationship blossomed from initial acquaintanceship during family gatherings, specifically at a wedding in 1934, marking the start of their enduring royal romance.
Are There Any Living Descendants Of Catherine The Great?
Yes, there are numerous descendants of Catherine the Great, the renowned Russian empress who reigned from 1762 to 1796. Notably, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, whose mother descends from Grand Princess Anna, is among them. The British royal family also shares lineage with Catherine; Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George are all direct descendants, highlighting Catherine's expansive legacy following the Romanov dynasty.
After the 1917 Russian Revolution, many Romanov family members fled Russia, leading to descendants scattered globally, including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The connection to Catherine extends to several European royal families.
Prominent descendants include the children of Princes William and Harry. Catherine, born in Prussia, was a significant figure in not only Russian history but also in the genealogical fabric of several current royal households. Besides her descendants in Britain, the lineage also encompasses the Boleyn family connections; King George I is a noted descendant. Despite speculation about certain lineages, historians emphasize the lack of concrete evidence linking many claims.
Nevertheless, the legacy of Catherine the Great persists, showcasing her influential bloodline in various modern royal families, evidenced by royal claims and descendant charts tracing her impressive genealogical impact.
Are There Still Russian Nobility Left?
After the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, aristocratic associations in Russia were reinstated, though the noble class as a social entity ceased to exist. Many historical noble families were previously known, largely due to the significant number of nobles who became "White émigrés" or were victims of the Civil War and the Bolshevik Red Terror. During the Civil War, entire regiments of noble officers fought for the White Army. Despite the brutal execution of the Romanovs, descendants of Czar Nicholas II still claim royal connections today.
The Russian nobility, who contributed to early democratic efforts, generally left after the October Revolution, relocating to foreign capitals. Notably, some contemporary nobles insist on retaining and being addressed by their titles, although the majority of noble families have assimilated into foreign cultures. The concept of "former people" refers to the decimated nobility, and the legacy of their landholding continues to be a point of discussion among historians.
The remaining descendants of noble families in Russia are difficult to estimate, but any noble rights, such as claims to the throne, remain contentious. As time passes, the link between modern Russians and the 18th-20th century nobility diminishes, reflecting the transformative impact of the revolutions on the aristocratic way of life.
📹 The Downfall Of The Romanov Family
The story of how the rulers of Russia for over 300 years met the end of their reign. MERCH: We’ve got it! SHOP NOW: …
I was born in Finland. My grandfather, born in 1895 (Finland was back then a Grandutchy of Russia), lived and served in the army quite near the Russian border, and for reasons I have never known, got some of the furniture of the Romanovs, including a piano, which my family then gave to a local museum. I remember for instance the chairs, all of them carrying the Romanov seal underneath. They have always fascinated me very much, and God knows where these items have ended up after my grandparents died. Major world history mixed up with little personal stories.
Maria has a son in Spain, and Maria’s husband is a Prince of the Hohenzollern family, therefore making their son, George Mikhailovich Romanov, the great great grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II. I think Maria and George have very strong claims to the House of Romanov. However, I’m not sure if George has any heirs of his own. I don’t even think he’s married and he’s 39, so there’s a chance the line might die with him.
What I find crazy is that there have been multiple impostors pretending to be Princess Anastasia, which were apparently so notable that they made an animated movie about the whole thing. Fun fact: Anastasia’s name comes from the Greek word for “resurrection,” which sort of makes the idea of her having impostors somewhat more justified.
I too have my own indirect link to the Tsar & his family. A great-aunt of mine (who was the same age as Anastasia), was from the gardener family for the family. I grew up hearing first-hand stories of what the girls were like, particularly Anastasia, whom my great-aunt played with as kids. My great-aunt use to light up when she talked about her time growing up with the Romanovs. Never once said a single thing to disparage them as people, even Nicholas, she always spoke well of him as a great family man.
Kirill lost all rights to the throne when he declared his loyalty to the provisional government right before the addiction of Nicholas II. He broke his sworn oath to the crown, therefore he and his entire line are disqualified. Further, Kirill married Victoria Melita without permission of the tsar, they were first cousins and they were not married in a Russian Orthodox Church. Pauline Law was breached on three different counts on this marriage. This resulted in Kirill being banished from Russia (temporarily) and removed from succession. His name was stricken off the list. Nicholas later forgave Kirill for this marriage and reinstated him, however Kirill was NOT reinstated in the church records as being back in the succession line. Therefore, Kirill was not a legitimate claimant for two very good reasons. Thus, his son Vladimir and granddaughter the current Maria would have lost their succession rights as well due to Krill’s violations. This branch are not legitimate claimants.
Talking about Grand Duches Maria’s claims to russian crown, there’s one not too well known, but technically quite essential detail. When her grandfather, Grand Duke Kirill, proclaimed himself emperor in exile, he decided to forgot one quiete significant episode from 1917 – the fact that in February 1917 he recognized the Provisional Government and nd the February Revolution BEFORE the abdication of Nicholas and his brother Mikhail. By that according to the laws of Russian Empire Grand Duke Kirill committed high treason and lost all possible rights to the throne.
Since the revolution was a shock of great magnitude, comparable to the The Time of Troubles (Smuta) in Russia from 1598 to 1612, I believe that the search for candidates for the throne among the members of the deposed House of Romanov should be stopped. In my opinion, a new Zemsky Sobor should be held – a procedure during which the Romanov dynasty was brought to the throne, and a new ruling dynasty should be elected on it. There is another option: technically, we can use the precedent that took place after the suppression of the line of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, when power passed to the next oldest branch of the Rurikovich – Shuisky. From this, for example, it follows that technically the next oldest clan, the Odoevskiye, should have become tsars, but it was cut short in 1869. There are quite a lot of princely families descending from Rurik, and if you wish, you can establish which of the currently existing branches is the first in seniority at the moment. By the way, this is a rather interesting topic, I suggest the author of the website to make a article about it.
Kirill marched with the revolutionaries in 1917, wearing a red band on his arm when Nicholas was overthrown, he was a coup, he hoped to be appointed by the provisional government as the new Czar. Nicholas’s mother disapproved of Kirill, and claimed that he was expelled from the line of succession along with his descendants for high treason to Emperor Nicholas II. Maria has already given many statements where she despises Nicholas II and her children, when she hears the exhumation of the bodies recently, they called her to attend a ceremony, she did not want to go, saying that the last reigning Emperor was not of her family. She doesn’t even care about the legacy of the last Emperor, just like her grandfather Kirill and great-grandfather Vladimir, she has her eye only on the crown. Vladimir always envied Alexander III and his descendants, Vladimir and Kirill considered themselves more worthy than Nicholas. There are several texts relating to this ambition of the Vladimir lineage
In 1991 I think it was, Vladimir and his grandson visited his birthplace in Porvoo, Finland. His parents had fled Russia in a horse drawn sleigh over the frozen waters and sought refuge at a friend’s manor house just outside the town. This place is today a famous hotel, spa, and restaurant and Vladimir could stay in the actual house of this birth. At the time my husband and I owned and managed the local radio station. Vladimir granted us an interview! So we spent a very nice afternoon with them at the manor. Vladimir was a gentle and soft spoken man, who loved his people and his greatest wish was to visit mother Russia. And later he got to do that! He told us about being raised as a future tsar, and his grandson was being educated in the same manner. He had no interest to rule and dominate, he just wanted to be an inspiring father figure to his people …
I had the opportunity to talk to Prince Paul Ilyinsky in the late-90s and asked if he ever considered himself an heir to the throne. He said he never thought much about it and more often thought about his time as a Marine Lt Colonel, because that was what he was more proud of. He seemed like a cool guy and was super nice to this inquisitive teen.
I actually met and had dinner with The Grand Duchess Maria in 1994 in Madrid! Her son was also there and at the time Boris Yeltsin had recognised her and her son as the rightful heirs as other family members also were claimants. This lady was very regal and her English, Spanish and French were flawless. She told me many stories about European royalty. One story was of the funeral of the King of Norway where she was relegated to a room for defunct royals and therefore was ignored by our own Prince Phillip which amused and annoyed her as they are related. It was a surreal evening but we had quite a few Johnny Walkers and soda and she was great fun but so interesting and she hoped that her son would eventually become Tsar again.
If I had to drop either morganatic rule or male-line rule, I would probably drop morganatic rule which seems to be a very late introduction to succession concepts. I doubt the original rulers of Russia, the Rurikids would care much about the nobility of the mother. Some of them were even born to concubines. But they were concerned about the male-line. Also, you can’t maintain the morganatic rule forever in modern day situations but you can track male line descent easier. My personal pick would be Rostislav btw since I think being aligned with the country and having male-line descent fits more to the original concept of kingship.
During the February Revolution of 1917, Kirill marched to the Tauride Palace at the head of the Garde Equipage (Marine Guard) to swear allegiance to the Russian Provisional Government, wearing a red band on his uniform. Kirill had authorised the flying of a red flag over his palace on Glinka Street in Petrograd and in correspondence with a Romanov relative claimed credit for “saving the situation by my recognition of the Provisional Government”. It is probable that he had hoped that by ingratiating himself with the Provisional Government he would be declared regent after Nicholas II was made to abdicate. It was the Provisional Government that overthrew the Tzar, and my supporting that Government Kirill supported the action against the Tzar. This is treason against the Tzar, and that makes him and his descendents trown out. And Maria is NOT a Grand Duchess. The last Grand Duchess of Russia was Grand Duchess Olga.
I’m afraid I totally disagree with you on your choice of Princess Maria Vladimirovna as next Empress of Russia. As has been pointed out earlier, her grandparents, Kirill and Victoria were first cousins, which is against Orthodox law. In addition Victoria was a divorcee which didn’t go well at the time. We must also remember Kirill’s disloyalty to Nicholas II at the time of the revolution, and his mother’s backstabbing and plotting against both Nicholas and Alexandra in the years leading up to the revolution. The Vladimirs always wanted the throne. At the time of the Borki train disaster in 1888 when Alexander III and his family were almost killed, Alexander III is reputed to have said “Won’t Vladimir be disappointed” Maria’s son, Prince George, who is in fact a Prince of Prussia, was married just over a week ago to an Italian lass named Rebecca Bettarini, the daughter of a diplomat. Her family is not of royal or even noble descent, although Maria Vladimirovna has seen fit to ennoble them which she has no right to do. They look a nice couple and I wish them well, but really, its all so pretentious! Other Romanov descendants don’t carry on this way, Its a decision to be made by the Russian people, who at this stage at least, seem reluctant for the monarchy to return.
Wow I am impressed by your wifes relationship to the official Czar’s Photographer. I learned that my grandfather was the official bagpiper to the Laird of Butte, his brother Angus was the official bagpiper to Andrew Carnegie, and their father was the official bagpiper to the Clan Chief Cluny MacPherson! All these men are direct decendants of the macPherson piper who led the Clan into the Culloden battle. 1745. Family trees make history come alive.
Andrew Romanoff did marry the daughter of a nobleman. His first wife was Elena Konstantinovna Durnova, daughter of Konstantin Afanasievich Durnova. The family of Durnova is a noble family name from Russia so a claim could be made that she is nobility as well even if it goes back a few generations. Since Andrew Romanoff died in 2021. His position as head of the Romanoff family could go to his only son with Elena, Alexis Andreevich Romanov.
I heard years ago that the Romanov fortune was secured in the Chase Manhattan Bank, which was apparently the habit of many royal families, namely to have the family fortune somewhere other than at “home” as it were. If this tidbit of history is true, I rather think the governors of Chase Manhattan would seriously contend anyone who came forth to claim the Romanov throne, as the Bank then would have to produce said fortune. If one believes in “follow the money” than one could well ask what role the Rockefeller family had in the Revolution of 1917.. history if allowed to be told accurately, is truly a curious thing….who knows? The supposed heir could end up being a majority stock holder in Chase if the fortune was never removed…..
By the Russian crowning laws YOU HAVE TO BE crowned by the Patriarch (or rather in Russian times Metropolitan) of Moscow, thus only the one who has the support of the Church and patriarch can be Imperator and Tsar. All others who don’t have the support of the Church, that meaning the patriarchy, are illegitimate. That is the rule that has often been forgotten when discussed this topic, since it was never actually officially writen down in state succession rules, although it is in Church ones and in crowning rules (although I might be wrong about the crowning rules, since those changed a lot overtime). That’s why Useful Charts is right that only Maria can be the rightful Imperator. As for the Emperor/Tsar dispute over name of the title, it’s actually very interesting. You see, Russian “Emperors” were both Tsars and Imperators! What does that mean? Well, let me explain. Since Russian rulers considered themselves to be the legitimate successors of the Byzantine/Roman emperors there arose one problem–about the title. You see, in the middle ages, up until the Charlemagne, it is considered that there can be only one true Emperor title ruler–the Roman one. It wasn’t just the highest ruling title as we see it today, it meant that that person, the Basileus in Constantinople, is the literal God’s representative on the Earth, thus ruling not only above the subjects of his Empire, but OVER ALL THE HUMANS, or at least all the Christians! Giving that he is proclaimed to be literally “equal to the apostles” he had one another important duty – taking care of the fate.
You seem to be confusing nobles (Maria’s mother was Princess Bagration) and royals. A non-morganatic marriage in this case would mean it was between two royals, not nobles. Nobles were considered commoners by royalty. Both Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, were commoners even though both were daughters of earls. Emperor Alexander II’s 2nd marriage was morganatic even though his wife was a princess: she was from a noble family, not royal family. I never understood why if Paul I changed the rules of succession, a later Emperor couldn’t change it back. Grand Duke Kirill’s wife was not German. She was the ex-wife of Ernest of Hesse and by Rhine, but was the daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (2nd son of Queen Victoria) and Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander II and sister of Kirill’s father).
The issue with a morganatic marriage is that everyone agrees any children will inherit their mother’s status, not their father’s. Likewise, the wife doesn’t have the same status as her husband. Nothing else changes, the children are legitimate, they just don’t inherit titles and rank from their father. This is why a morganatic marriage, a legal and not a social description, breaks the line of succession, when semi-agnatic does not. Love your website. I can indulge almost all my obsessions here.
I absolutely agree with you, finally someone who agree with me about the russian imperial pretender, Maria Vladimirovna Romanova is, indeed, the more legitimate pretender to the throne of the Russian Empire, the orthodox church is the perfect backer for her, as the Emperor of Russia is supposed to be close to the faith (autocrat is an orthodox title) and also we need to go by logic: If Tsar Kyrill I would have reigned, then his son, Vladimir I, would have reigned too, so if we look at his time as tsar, then we can see that it’s the time where all the europeans monarchy were putting new succession laws (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) into effect, most if not all of them put absolute primogeniture as the main body of the law. So if Vladimir would have reigned and did not have any sons, he would probably have changed the succession law to a more modern and just succession system. So it’s logical to think that Maria I Romanova is the first Russian legitimate Empress since Catherine II the great, more than 250 years ago. Her majesty also have a son, Tsarevitch George Romanov, 28 years-old, his mariage with Rebecca Virgina Bettarini, daughter of an italian diplomat, is set to be on the 1st of October 2021 in Moscow. His highness George also have a place in the British throne succession as the 118th, as a descendant of Queen Victoria, but he is also a pretender to the German Imperial throne for, his father, Prince Franz-Wilhelm Von Hohenzollern, is at the 11 place on this throne, so Tsarevitch George also have the 12th place in this succession order (A Russo-German Empire.
Just as a point of order: The abdication of Nicholas II in favour of Michael was technically illegal, since there was no legal room for the crown passing to anyone other than a direct descendant of the last emperor if there were any such alive. Since Alexi was still very much alive at the time, this would have made Michael illegitimate as emperor. Nobody bothered much with this at the time because society was collapsing and it was Nicholas condition for abdicating, which everyone wanted. Nor is it all that relevant today, since neither Alexi nor Michael have any surviving decendants, male or otherwise, morganatic or othrwise. But since we are currently assesing legitimacy it should probably be mentioned. Cheers
You forgot Nicholas II sister Olga who had 2 sons. Also, Michael abdicated in favor of the Russian people. Kirill had given up his titles and sided with the red army, going so far as to fly the red flag outside his palace. Alexandra saw it from Tsarskoe Selo and was furious. So how can someone who gave up their titles to still have their family line inherit?
I’m a Canadian who lives in Ontario. In the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto I saw a large crystal object on display that belonged to the Russian Royal Family and was smuggled out of the country during the Revolution. I can’t remember what the object was as I saw it a decade ago, but I want to say that it was a vase.
Maria does appear to be the top candidate, but there is another consideration. The tree which is presented does not go beyond her generation. From the photo, she is beyond childbearing ability, so if she doesn’t have children, or nonoe of her children have children, making her he successor woudl be rather pointles – just kick the problem down the line one more step. So a consideration for the best choice is to see the next coouple of generations of the 6 candidates.
I think the 3 strongest claims to the throne are Andrew (and his kids), Maria, and Dmitri. Personally if I had to choose I would pick Andrew as I feel like he would be most likley picked by the Romanovs pre 1918. Vladimir may have been the last undisputed head of house, but Andrew fallows all of the rules, so his children would be closest related to the legitimate heir.
5:55 Nobody annexed anyone. Since the time of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, Georgia (or rather, the kingdom of Kartli) has been constantly seeking protection from Russia. There was nothing humiliating in this for Georgia: a small, fragmented Orthodox country could not resist the powerful Muslim empires: the Ottoman and Persian, which sought to include Georgia in its composition. Fortunately for Georgia, on July 24, 1783, in the Georgievsk fortress between Russia and Georgia (the Kartli-Kakhetian kingdom), the famous Georgievsky treatise was signed on the transfer of Georgia to the protectorate of Russia.
I don’t know if he’s still alive but there was someone here in Canada, in Richmond Hill Ontario, who claimed he was a direct descendant to the last Tsar. I can’t remember his name. I saw him interviewed on a local news broadcast. He didn’t speak a word of Russian. Also, the Grand Duchess Olga, the last person to be born from a ruling monarch, Alexander II, died here in Toronto Ontario in 1960. Her older brother, of course, went on to become Nicholas II.
My maternal grandfather was a Fredericks/Freedericksz/Фредерикс (spelled several ways depending on how whichever branch of the family wanted to spell it and which country they lived in) who was the last Minister of the Imperial Court of Russia. Count Fredericks/Freedericksz/Фредерикс was his cousin. Buried in Finland. SUOMI
Long ago sometimes in 1967 I was told by my paternal grandfather that his great grandfather was from Russia,Somewhat linked to the Tsars. The story was my grandfather’s great grandfather was forced leave the palace of the Tsar,when surrounded by the Russians who wanted Tsar Nicholas II out. This story was hard to believe then,till my late father told me one day that my grand father was very fond of Russian history and was living in imaginative world where he became one of the Tsars.
FACTS: 1. Maria Vladimirovna’s husband was a Hohenzollern (and therefore, German) prince named Franz Wilhelm Prinz von Preussen and together they had a son named George Mikhailvich before they divorced the year thereaft. 2. Franz Wilhelm was the grandson of Prince Joachim, who would have become the King of Ireland had the Central Powers won World War 1.
Hello, You explain well matters which usually can get confusing. Here is still a suggestion to make your presentations even better: When somebody looks at your genealogical charts on a regular size smartphone the individual images of persons and their names are in fact close to indistinguishable. This is a pitty. You can please explore how to zoom into the larger picture to make the portrait photo of the person you just talk about much larger and many viewers very happy. I am sure there is a way to do the zoom effect with a bit of additional effort. One way can be that you simply include a cut out image of the genealogical tree each time you talk about a particular person long enough. I will now have a look at your other articles. P.S. in this article you could have mentioned just for general information, that with Peter the Great having children with a former communer and house maid the rule of morganatic or not was at the discretion of the Tsar. Therefore all claimants to the throne who followed are supposed to be the descendants of a woman who started as a maid and not much is known about her ancestry. Maybe you can also explore a bit the situation created by the designation of Michael by his older brother in 1917 in the abdication text. The ensuing decision of Michael to “let the people vote for a Tsar” is indeed still a valid legal act. 100% up to now. Because the Provisional Government of Russia was based on the free decision of Michael to sign that document in 1917 to let the People of Russia decide.
I respectfully wish to inform you that your usage of the term “morganatic” is incorrect. Morganatic marriages were when two people of different rank married, ie: marriages between nobility &/or commoner & a member of a royal house or dynastic house. Marriages of people who were equal in rank are referred to as agnatic or dynastic. Morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal’s position or privileges being passed to the spouse, or any children born of the marriage. Wikipedia
I’ve always found things like this interesting since when I was younger my dad claimed my great uncle was found by a report to be the heir to one of the high Kings of Ireland that would have left my granddad and now dad, and aunt as the heirs . I don’t know how valid or even true the stories I was told when younger was but I always remember it
It’s all fascinating but the claimants who take it seriously are a bit silly. To me regardless of a person’s royal past, if the country you ruled overthrew your dynasty and call the shots now then your throne and titles no longer exist. Even if Russia went back to a monarchy, it’d be more up to them who ruled. They’d be under no obligation to go with a Romanov since the Romanov dynasty was overthrown. That you abided by the rules of succesion set by a Tsar some centuries ago is irrelevant if the whole country says “We don’t follow you anymore.” To paraphrase Billy Connolly regarding religion “You had some hundred years you blew it, it’s over.”
This I found very interesting. I think I agree with the conclusion and decision that you made . It makes total sense. I’m not even Russian, I’m a little bit German ( from my maternal family line … ) Alexandra was a German Princess from Hesse in the Northern part of Germany. She also was an original ” Lutheran ” before becoming a Russian Orthodox. I’m a Lutheran, so I kind of wonder if I could’ve maybe had some kind of ” tie ” to Alexandra in some way . That would be interesting.
Nikolai II had two sons, one Alexei, born in 1904, died together with the whole tzar family in 1918. Second son Mikhail, was secretly born in Diveevo monastery in 1914 and also secretly sent to Bessarabia region (todays R.Moldova) by tzar train, so no one can verify what and who is inside. So, his second son Mikhail was given to be raised to a family of Moldavian noble family. Tzar Nikolay knew what will happen in 1917-1918, as he was informed about this by a clairvoyant Seraphim of Sarov, through the letter in 1903, when the tzar and whole his family vizited Sarov and Diveevo monastery. So, Mikhail had two sons and a daughter. The eldest his son, Vasily, has also a son, Ruslan, who is today 45 age and essentially both the great-grandson and legal heir to the Russian throne.
The Romanov Royal Family have relatives who in 2024 are suffering similar rejection by both the Danish and English Royal Families. Unknown to most, Edward 7th and Alexendra parented an illegitimate son who was born unannounced, baptized and abandoned in 1862. This hidden Royal has descendents, who recently discovered their DNA is of zero distance to many Royals, including the Danish, Russian, Greek, German and English amongst others. Sadly, communications to some of them have been ignored. The former Danish Queen abdicated shortly after being contacted, the current English Monarchy have been seemingly obstructive, with Simon Bowes-Lyon refusing to communicate for over a year. These hidden Royal descendents are now becoming increasingly concerned that they are now suffering fateful illnesses since communications began. If you can offer any assistance, do please respond, thank you very much. 🙏
Problems with Bagrationi in that Leonida’s father gets from Kirill title “tsar of Georgia”. But this title was in Russian Emperors’s titles (are there right for exile emperor to give titles, claims and territories?). And Leonida’s father wasn’t part of main (tsardom) line of Bagretioni, he was a part of count (graf) line of the dynasty. That’s why it was morganatic marriage
I REPEAT: The Romanovs all started with a man named Mikhail Khoborit, Grand Prince of Vladimir. Mikhail Khoborit -> (son) Andrey II -> (son) Vasiliy Andreyevich, Prince of Suzdal -> (son) Konstantin V, Prince of Suzdal -> (son) Dmitry of Suzdal -> (son) Simeon Suzdal -> (son) Vasily Shuysky -> (son) Ivan Shuysky -> (son) Boris Gorbaty-Shuysky -> (daughter) Eudoxia -> (son) Philaret, Patriarch of Moscow -> (son) Michael of Russia
I am 5% Russian. I did a DNA test and upload on MyTrueAncestry and found a distant DNA connection to the Romanovs and many other royal families. I found an 11th great grandmother who had several notes from other cousins(with references) tying her back to Charlemagne. If I can factually track her line back, I’m curious about learning about my royal and distantly royal cousins. I don’t want money but I would love to hear the family stories.
I’m glad we have a merit-based system vs. a blood-based system, even as I watch the acting POTUS become more and more cenile, LOL. But if you have to throw out a rule, it makes more sense for those that believe that rulership comes from blood to throw out the male-lineage rule rather than the noble family rule. And so I also think Maria makes the most sense.
Prince Dimitri Romanov (former tzar) passed away New Years Eve 2016. He lived in a nice villa at Bukkeballevej Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (Danish Wimbledon if you like). Before he lived there, he lived on the south west side of Copenhagen, to hide from potential assassination during the Cold War, as Russian submarines would pass by in the Kattegat sea, too close to Rungsted. It has been convenient for European royals to exile to the still existing monarchies when their countries became republics. Royal Families would settle down in England and Denmark, as they had relatives and connections there and fine costumers who would buy their jewels, such as The Spencers and The British Royal Family. Prince Dimitri married a classy Countess from a prominent noble Danish family. She is younger than him and still lives today. Their home in Rungsted is full of the finest Russian Tzar treasures. I saw the Prince go grocery shopping in Dalgaard in Rungsted a few times. He bought caviar and wine and would greet me politely on his way. A very nice man. Princ Dimitri may have been pressured to pursue a polite connection with Putin in the 2000’s, as Putin wanted the tzar family to move back to Russia. But like many western politicians, Prince Dimitri has probably only met Putin a couple of times.
Im born in Finland, my grandfather did a lot of digging of my familys background and im relatively closely related to Alexander II specifically. More specifically he had children with another woman (which was not her wife) and we are related to her. I know that my fathers cousins have a pair of earrings from the romanovs and earlier we had some type of jewlery. Very interesting stuff.
Комментарий будет длинным, но я надеюсь, что для тех, кто интересуется русской историей — интересным. Конечно для нас, русских людей, большая проблема, что мы так легкомысленно относимся к своей истории. И проблема эта — очень опасная. Под роликом о наследниках Романовых, сделанном на английском языке, тысячи комментариев не только на английском, но и на других языках, в которых люди рассуждают об истории династии, ее настоящем и будущем. А на русском что? 2% комментариев, многие из которых — откровенные плевки в род Романовых, который управлял нашей страной 300 лет и превратил ее в огромную империю. Создается впечатление, что это была не российская династия, а британская, испанская или итальянская, а русских людей она совсем не волнует. В связи с этим хочу, во первых, сказать спасибо соотечественникам, которые искренне интересуются нашей историей и стараются отстоять правду перед теми, кто не имеет к ней никакого отношения и пытается ее переиграть в свою пользу. Во вторых, я бы хотел высказать свою точку зрения на одну из самых популярных в постсоветское время исторических манипуляций на эту тему. Эта манипуляция о «нерусскости» Романовых. Сейчас популярно мнение, что после смерти бездетной Елизаветы Петровны (дочери Петра 1), род «русских» Романовых прервался. Следующий император — Петр III — якобы уже никакой не Романов, а немец из рода Гольштейн-Готторпов, который, в добавок, женился на немке Софии Фредерике Августе (будущей императрице Екатерине II) и дал начало «нерусскому» роду Гольштейн-Готторп-Романовых.
Opinion as a Russian: The most possible version of the restoration of the monarchy in Russia is the choice of a new tsar at the new Zemsky Sobor, as Mikhail Romanov was chosen in 1613. (The first of the Romanov dynasty). With all due respect to the descendants of the Romanovs. But they are already very loosely connected with Russia.
Your conclusion is correct. It all boils down to who ticks the most boxes. Then it’s down to who is actually left. Regardless of your opinion of her (or her mother) Grand Duchess Maria is the rightful heir. Once Andrew dies, it won’t even matter, she’ll be the only heir. To those pointing out the morganatic marriage of her son, it won’t matter as he will be the only heir. At that point, either he or his mother can change the rules with the blessing of the Orthodox church. Or they choose to end the Romanov line with him.
My grandparents were Orthodox Jews and eacaped before Nicholas fell. I truly wish I knew how they did it. What I DO know is my Great Grandfather (Factorivich) married again, had about ANITHER 10 kids and THEY were all assassinated after Nicholas fell. So, there’s a lot of escape stories that haven’t been told, YET.
Another option (if unconventional) would be, if you wanted to exclude morganatic marriages and female-line descendants, would be to trace up the family tree from Nicholas I until you can find another male-line descendant. This would lead you to Peter III’s great-grandfather Christian Albert, the duke of Holstein-Gottorp and then down from him, which would lead you to the kings of Sweden and either to the deposed king Gustav IV Adolf’s son prince Gustav who died without a male heir, or to Charles XIII who died childless but adopted Jean Baptiste Bernadotte whose descendants still reign Sweden, which would make the current king Carl XVI Gustaf the “true” Russian Emperor. Either that, or if you do not consider adoptions as valid, it would lead you down to the current claimant to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, Duke Christian of Holstein-Gottorp.
I read that during the reign of Peter the Great he had the House Law changed so that the Tsar could name anyone to succeed him. But when Catherine the Great died and her son Paul became tsar, he changed the law to where only members of the Senior Male Line could become tsar. It is said that he did it because he hated his mother, and held her responsible for his father’s death. Paul believed Catherine had his father (who was Peter III) murdered so she could become Empress of Russia. All the members of the Senior Male Line of the Imperial Family would have to die off before the crown would then pass to the Senior Female Line of the Imperial Family. During the reign of Tsar Alexander III he limited the number of Grand Dukes because he felt there were too many of them. He couldn’t know that after the Revolution in 1918, the Bolsheviks would murder every Romanov Grand Duke they got their hands on.
I thought it’s very clearly Andrew, and then eventually Rostislav. It’s very simple: either 1) the claim can be passed through the female or 2) it can’t. If 2) then Maria can’t inherit the claim and it passes through Michael, Alexander, and Andrei to Andrew and eventually to Rostislav. If 1) then Maria still wouldn’t inherit the claim in the first place, because it would’ve passed through Xenia onto Andrei and Rostislav, and then to Andrew and eventually Rostislav
Unfortunately for them, but none of the descendants of the Romanov family can claim the Russian throne in the event of the restoration of the monarchy. The overthrow of the monarchy implies the overthrow of the dynasty and its descendants can no longer claim the throne in the event of the revival of the monarchy, since a new dynasty will be established by the new monarch. Thus, all the living descendants of the Romanov dynasty will never be able to occupy the imperial throne of Russia in the event of the restoration of the monarchy and do not even have the right to claim the throne. This is how the Rurik dynasty ended its rule and a new tsar Mikhail Romanov was elected. And this despite the fact that the descendants of the Rurikovich were alive at that time, but they were not elected to rule further after the death of Tsar Ivan 4 the Terrible. And if we talk about the restoration of the monarchy in Russia, then why the Romanov dynasty? And why exactly according to the rules of the Romanov dynasty? In Russia, the first ruling dynasty was the Rurikovichi, and if we assume the restoration of the monarchy, it was the Rurikovich dynasty, not the Romanov dynasty. And according to the rules of succession, it is the Rurik dynasty. Moreover, today there are descendants of the Rurikovich and live in Russia. But the Romanovs are rather German and English monarchs, not Russian. Most of the Romanovs living now don’t even speak Russian. They don’t know Russia, they don’t know the Russian people.
As often with everything Russian history – this is wrong from the beginning. First – morganatic marriage means any non-equal marriage. And not all nobles are equal, a random noble marrying a Duke’s daughter is also a morganatic marriage, for example. In case of Emperor’s family it means everyone who is not a sovereign is a morganatic pair. Exactly for these reasons small German states were known as “suppliers of brides to Romanovs” – there were no lack of although comparatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but acting ruling families. And also to hail from an old and well-established noble house is important, you can’t be a self-made noble ruler and be considered as complete equal to other rulers, it does not work like that). But I must mention, that groom or bride themselves were egligible to rule after morganatic marriage, if they themselves were not expelled from the line of succession by decree from acting Emperor. But the line after morganatic marriage was not egligible to rule anyway, so such candidates were as good as dismissed if there were more secure and legitimate lines. Second – the pair must be Orthodox Christians by faith(Russian Tzar himself could not be of any other faith by law) and as far as I remember must be married by Orthodox rite.
Maria Vladimirovna Romanova also has a son, Grandduke George Romanov, who also now has a son, Prince Alexander Romanov. That should suffice to have the strongest claim to the Russian Throne of them all. Grandduke George married in an orthodox church in Moskow and his son was also christened there. Not so much left to dispute.
Another side of a morganatic marriage is the fact that, in the UK, a person who is a Catholic, may not marry a potential monarch if they do not convert to the Church of England. If they do and do not convert, the head of that family has to give up the rights of Kingship for him and any future family born to their family forever. I hope this is clearly explained. At least that is what I think is right. It may have changed but I don’t think it has.
Why did you say that Nicholas was a male-line Romanov in a non-morganatic line (@6:25)? It seems widely acknowledged that his parents’ marriage was unequal. There is even record of him making remarks attempting to justify his claim to be the Romanov successor despite the fact that his father married a non-royal: “Our parents married commoners. So what? We have married commoners. Again, so what? There was nobody to ask us to renounce our rights, so we married without renouncing them, and we and our children still have rights to the throne of Russia.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) have a marriage which unites a commoner with a royal, but it is not a morganatic marriage, despite the comparison in the article. And contrary to the impression left by the article, a morganatic union may be, and often was, between a royal and a noble. There is no doubt (again, despite the article) that Leonida Bagration was a noblewoman; the question was, should she be considered of royal rank? While her family had been kings of Georgia, they had been considered only a noble family for the preceding century. Furthermore, in the past, a Romanov princess had married a Bagration from Leonida’s branch of the family, and that marriage had been morganatic, possibly setting a precedent. In spite of these questions, there was no doubt of her rank as a noblewoman.
In my newest book, the Red Prince, I present an alternate history, wherein the Red Army is defeated by the White Army after the October Revolution. Nicholas II and his family are killed, but his two youngest children, Alexei and Anastasia, survive. Alexei dies of hemophilia, so instead, it is Anastasia who becomes the Empress of Russia two years after the end of the Russian Civil War (which is 1924). I took a lot of inspiration from the 1997 movie, which, despite its style is NOT Disney.
Very interesting, life can bring you onto things like its guiding your path, you and the history of Russa are somewhat inextricably linked to each other, destiny I guess, I was always very interested in the big aristocratic houses of Ireland and used to visit the ones still standing as a youth and young man, got involved in my 50s in saving some of them from property developers and found out my great grand parents and many relatives before them had worked in these houses, I feel on reflection I was meant to do this and I was always drawn to them in preparation for the battle to save them. Tks
If a marriage in a non-reigning royal house was considered morganatic, then if a prince of a reigning dynasty married for example a descendant of the Habsburg dynasty, it would be considered morganatic? That is absurd, so Maria cannot be considered morganatic daughter, NEVER. Because the descendants of current reigning royal houses could only marry their equivalents in other similar reigning houses, and there are very few. Otherwise they would be considered morganatic and not acceptable to traditionalists.
It should be noted that Paul Ilyinsky’s mother was the heiress of a wealthy family so you could argue that the marriage wasn’t morganatic. Honestly the whole idea of a morganatic marriage is somewhat new in nobility and it creates a slippery slope as what counts as nobility. If you go back far enough all nobles come from a morganatic marriage so should they all be disqualified too?
Put all this in the context of the Norwegian Royal Family – there has been talk that the current King’s grandfather, Haakon VII, had been rendered infertile by a disease contracted whilst on naval duty. After six years of marriage (to Princess Maud of Wales as she was before her marriage), their only son (later Olav V) was produced after Maud visited the British royal doctor – she often visited Britain after her husband accepted the Norwegian throne so it wasn’t considered odd she was there at the time. The gossip has it that she was artificially inseminated, with the sperm being donated from the doctor’s son. I understand that the current King, Harald, is aware of the rumours but I’m not aware what he has SAID about them. If true – and personally I have little doubt it COULD be, given the wish at the time to consolidate Britain’s ties and influence abroad, and how better to do it than through having the future George V’s sister as queen regnant – it’s an interesting situation. Whilst there is no doubt that Maud herself was of excellent royal stock, being a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, there is no getting away from the fact that the throne was not offered to her – it was offered to her husband, then Prince Carl of Denmark, who took the name Haakon when he accepted the position. These days the Norwegian Royal Family is much loved and generally has behaved in an exemplary fashion (how unlike some of their British cousins!) so ultimately it probably doesn’t make a great deal of difference; I just find it intriguing!
My grandfather came from Russia. He lived there during the life time of the Tsar and Rasputin. He never talked about his life there. The only thing I know is that his mother had 8 sets of twins and single births to total 24 children. However only one of the twins ever lived. I don’t know how they managed to afford to come to the USA, if everyone came here, were they all went to live ( I never ment any of his family), or in what area he was from. I do know that there was some sort of fire that destroyed all of the records of the ship that he was on. And something about St. Petersburg. If that is in Russia or in Florida I don’t know. Oh and the spelling of his last name is altered.
This is fascinating. But….why did they use the DNA from a member of the British Royal family to determine if the woman who called herself “Anastasia” was actually a Romanov? Surely there were enough Romanovs alive with closer DNA to use? The mitochondrial DNA was used to match maternal relations, and mitochondrial DNA from the female bones which matched that of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose maternal grandmother Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and was a sister of Alexandra was used.
Since Maria’ s only son Georgy has married an Italian commoner, his marriage is just as morganatic as his distant cousins. His son is not a dynast per Pauline Laws as stated by Maria. Of course, since Putin is still in power, it is much more likely that one of Putin’s “deputies” will succeed him. In the 1990s, a Romanov restoration was much more probable (10-20%) and there was also talk of a Georgian restoration. But Georgy was too young, and Yeltsin chose Putin.
I fully agree that if you are to claim Vladimir’s marriage was morganatic, then none of the Romanovs are nobles either. That being said, while it is interesting to find out which Romanov has the strongest claim to the throne, it isn’t very relevant. If Russia decides to become a monarchy again, then the new tzar would be whomever Russia decides to accept. And that might be someone else than the Romanov with the strongest claim. It might even not be a Romanov at all.
The Grand Duke Vladimir, recognised by EVERY royal family, was the Head of the House of Romanov. He had every right to issue an Ukaz (Imperial Decree) as to who would succeed him! I knew Vladimir very well and helped him go-over the genealogy as to who should succeed him. HE and ONLY HE had the RIGHT to determine who would succeed him.
Good argumentation for Maria Vladimirovna. But there is a far more simple argument in her favor. The Romanov monarchy was an absolute autocracy. The source of any law was the Emperor. The Romanov monarchy never abolished itself as an absolute autocracy. As Emperors, Kiril or his son Vladimir could proclaim any law on anything they wished… such as declaring Maria the heiress to the throne, rendering obsolete any previous rules of succession!
I’m an American Citizen and a member of 3 European royal families and there’s thousands of us hidden amongst the populace because we have at least 2 alias last names if we choose to leave the family legacy which is what my forefather did. In NO WAY do I consider myself special, I’m just a retired Army Infantry NCO but it’s interesting to know my family legacy. My grandfather was offered the peerage right after WWII but he declined, it was way too expensive to pay the crown the fee they demanded. Our reason for leaving was love, back in the late 1800’s all Royal and aristocratic marriages were arranged but he fell in love with a red head and chose to move to Canada then later into the US. We have RH negative blood so it’s important that we marry a woman with the same blood type, all true red headed women are RH negative so he knew she could bear his children and they would still be eligible for accession if needed later. I’m the direct lineage of Lord Henry Brougham. I wish you well.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if Russia went back to being a monarchy? As far as all the people in the comments claiming some connection to the romanovs, if you had Russian ancestors that immigrated around that time there is a pretty good chance they had some connection to that family. They actively hunted people with ties and those people would have had the financial means to escape. I have ancestors who migrated to the states around that time, quite likely they too had reason to believe they would be hunted plus had the financial means to travel across the world, so maybe but who knows. I’ve never traced that lineage. I found more interest in the German, Irish and Cherokee lines, and they were easier to trace.
If the people wished to renew the monarchy of Russia using the Romanov family, any of the six would qualify, considering they threw out the Pauline rules. I prefer the Absolute Primogeniture type of succession. Not only does it give the firstborns of each line a chance, but it also allows females with a legitimate claim to the throne. But however, what if there was another branch of Romanovs not known, going back further in their family tree? But the question is, would it be better or worse for the Russian citizens comparing to what they have to deal with now?
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna followed the rules by marrying Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. Her marriage was equal and her son George is a legitimate heir. However, he married a commoner last year. The Grand Duchess created her daughter-in-law a serene highness, but their marriage is considered morganatic. GD Maria’s grandson, who was recently christened, would not be a legitimate heir because his parents’ marriage is unequal. So, if Grand Duchess Maria is the legitimate claimant of the Russian Throne, it would end with her son due to his unequal marriage.
I strongly disagree with you entirely, Grand Duke Kirill and his line are barred from the line secession. Kirill wedded his 2nd wife without the Church & the Tsar, and he betrayed the throne by siding with revolutionaries that led to Nicholas being ousted from the throne. Therefore Karl Emich and Maria are not eligible at all. If the Pauline rules were revised and dropped the morganatic rule, then Demitri would be the most senior male candidate for both the throne & as Head of House of Romanov.
My sister was named “Alexandra Nicole” (probably like thousands of others!) When you showed the fantasy island of Karl Emich’s royal dream, I cringed a little because I recently went down a rabbit hole about the holocaust and learned about the whole “Aryan” thing and how Hitler, Himmler et. al. believed the Germans were of an Aryan royal bloodline that originated on Atlantis. They wanted to restore some “original Aryan religion” to the whole world eventually – albeit in the most psychopathic way possible. I’d always thought of Atlantis as a mythical, magical, fantasy island too, but learning that information put a pit in my stomach and made me wonder whether this has been a ‘secret’ belief among Russian royalty as well? Have you researched the “Aryan” lineage at all? I think that would be an interesting timeline to see too. Thank you again or an amazing history lesson!
The flaw is in your incorrect understanding of the term morganatic. A Grand Duke who married a noble of lesser rank would still be considered an unequal or morganatic marriage. Leonida Bragration was a princess from a royal house, not a lower noble house and this makes Grand Duchess Maria the true heir. She married equally when she married a Imperial German Prince of the house of Prussia, Hohenzollern. Their son, Grand Duke George being from an equal marriage is her rightful heir. The problem now being that George married a commoner effectively ending all lines claims to the throne under Pauline laws. Now, with all that said, times change as do rules. All European monarchies today have amended their house laws to allow morganatic marriage recognition as well as recognition of first born females as heirs. So, either way, Maria is the rightful heir as are her descendants going forward.
Russia was never socialist, nor yet was it communist, neither was China or any other dictatorship to this day. Lenin and the original power group may have felt strongly about Marx and his principals, and the people were led to believe in that dogma, but Stalin didn’t live long enough to enact his vision for Russia. After his death, it became a dictatorship, with socialism being a photo Stalin hid behind, in which collectivism was used as a cover to consolidate wealth in the name of Stalin.
From what I understand, nobility is more important than gender, so a legitimate sister of a title holder takes precedent over an illegitimate son of a title holder. But claims are different. They can only be inherited by the paternal line. It works like this even in systems that are more open towards female title holders, like the swedish or british crown. Basically women are given a weak claim if their father have a strong claim. Weak claims are not inherited unless fulfilled. Maria is not the Empress of Russia, she’s only a claimant, so the claim to the throne will die with her. This is why Karl Emich doesn’t have a legitimate claim, because his mother only had a weak claim. Same with Xenia. Olga is in a similar situation as Maria. Maria takes precendent though since she’s closer related to Nicholas II. Andrew has died since this article was made, but he was actually the legitimate heir at the point this article was made since he was the first and only one who checked off all the boxes, coming from a direct male line of nobles. Him not having a noble wife was irrelevant because it’s he who had the claim, not his children. Had he ascended, then all the claims from branches closer to Nicholas II, which is all claims to the left of Andrew would have been erased, and next in line if he had no legitimate children would have been his sister Olga and then her children, legitimate or not. But since Andrew died before being recognized, and assuming it is as you said that he have no legitimate noble sons, this makes Maria the 1st claimant today.
Just putting a little logic to it, to not consider Leonida’s nobility intact would be ironic since there is no Russia monarchy at this point in time and these family members also consider their nobility intact. I think they would be forced to accept Leonida at the risk of putting their own nobility into question through consistency in interpretation.
Maria Vladimirovna would be the Empress today as the male dynastic line died out in 1992. None of the dynastic Romanovs made dynastic marriages according to the Pauline Laws and subsequent amendments, making all the remaining Romanovs living today non-dynastic. Roman married non-dynastically and his sons could not be head of the dynasty as they were not even a member of it.
I absolutely agree that Princess Maria should be the next potential Russian Tsarina, should the monarchy be reinstated in Russia. The Georgian royal house of Bagrationi is among a couple of the world’s most ancient, noble, and the longest running royal dynasties (1,500+ years of non-stop rule, only ceasing their reign in 1801 in Georgia under the rule of the Russian Tsar/Emperor (Paul I, who sort of inherited the Bagrationi’s vested royal power, though very much illegally and strictly by force!!!). Besides, the Bagrationis are considered the direct descendants of King David and King Solomon, and they incorporated the blood and allegiance of the House of Armenian Bagratids, the ruling houses of the Byzantine Empire, and many standing European dynasties via the constant non-morganatic intermarriages. In view of the aforementioned, no doubt about Maria being the primary and most legitimate seeker of the Romanov imperial throne!!! 🍷🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🤘🤘🤘P.S. Karl Emich – what a schmuck and disgrace for any royal hiuse he should be! P.S. Peter the Great, being the illegitimate son of a Georgian Prince living at the Russian imperial court and the Russian Princess, makes the Georgian bloodline claim for the Russian throne even more interesting. I dare you to look into that matter at your convenience! Amazing facts will unravel in front of you!
I think it’s more complicated than just bloodline, as Estonia’s founding is tightly connected to the Russian Emperor: “It all started with the Russian February Revolution of 1917, which resulted in the Provisional Government coming to power in Russia. Emperor Nicholas I abdicated and so did his brother Mikhail, and the full power of the emperor passed to the Provisional Government. On April 12 (according to the new calendar) 1917, the Provisional Government adopted the regulation “On the Provisional Order of the Administrative Government and Local Government of the Estonian Governorate”, on the basis of which both the Estonian Governorate and the Estonian Region of the Livonian Governorate were merged into one Estonian Governorate.” – Uno Trumm, historian A lot of things happened after that, but long story short – We can say that the Republic of Estonia is connected to the Russian Empire by the umbilical cord and is juridically its sole legal heir.