George Mikhailovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Georgiy Mikhailovich Romanov, Russian Cyrillic
: Георгий Михайлович Романов; born 13 March 1981) is the heir apparent
to Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, a claimant to the disputed Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia. He uses as his title of pretension
Tsarevich and Grand Duke of Russia with the style of Imperial Highness
; as the son of a Prince of Prussia he also has the title Prince of Prussia with the style of Royal Highness
.
in 1981, the son of Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia
(at the time styled HIH Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia) and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, only child of Vladimir Cyrillovich, Grand Duke of Russia. He was baptised on 6 May 1981, in Madrid; his godfather is King Constantine II of Greece
. Also present at the baptism were King Juan Carlos
and Queen Sofía of Spain
and King Simeon II
and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria
.
Following his birth, George was given the title Grand Duke
of Russia by his maternal grandfather. Prince Vasili Alexandrovich
, then president of the Romanov Family Association
, responded 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".
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 of Preussen". This was refused by the French Minister of Justice. His parents separated in 1982 and divorced in 1985. 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".
George spent the first years of his life in France before moving to Spain. There he and his mother lived, along with his maternal grandmother, in the home of his maternal half-aunt, Helen Kirby, who inherited a significant fortune from her father, Sumner Moore Kirby.
and tsarevich. He visited Russia for the first time shortly thereafter to attend the funeral of his grandfather. 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 out of concern that he would be bullied.
When asked by reporters if he expected the monarchy in Russia to be restored some day, he replied, "I hope so." George is also distantly in the line of succession to the British throne
through his mother's descent from The Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, second son of Queen Victoria. George is also descended through his father from Empress Frederick
, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria.
in Madrid and at St Benet's Hall, Oxford
.
In Brussels, George 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, George was appointed an aide to the Director General of MMC Norilsk Nickel
, a major Russian nickel-mining company.
Cyrillic alphabet
The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
: Георгий Михайлович Романов; born 13 March 1981) is the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, a claimant to the disputed Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia. He uses as his title of pretension
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
Tsarevich and Grand Duke of Russia with the style of Imperial Highness
Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King .Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of...
; as the son of a Prince of Prussia he also has the title Prince of Prussia with the style of Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
.
Early life
George was born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1981, the son of Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia
Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia
Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia is a German businessman and member of the House of Hohenzollern, the former ruling imperial house of Germany and royal house of Prussia. From 1976 to 1986 he was known as Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich of Russia...
(at the time styled HIH Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia) and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, only child of Vladimir Cyrillovich, Grand Duke of Russia. He was baptised on 6 May 1981, in Madrid; his godfather is King Constantine II of Greece
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
. Also present at the baptism were King Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
and Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
and King Simeon II
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Simeon Borisov of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Tsar Simeon II or Simeon II of Bulgaria is an important political and royal figure in Bulgaria...
and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria
Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejuela
Doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela, born on 6 January 1935 in Madrid, Spain, is the consort of Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, whom she married after his exile...
.
Following his birth, George was given the title Grand Duke
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
of Russia by his maternal grandfather. Prince Vasili Alexandrovich
Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia
Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia...
, then president of the Romanov Family Association
Romanov Family Association
The Romanov Family Association, Obyedineniye Chlenov Roda Romanovykh , is an organization for male-line descendants of Emperor Paul I of Russia...
, responded 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".
In anticipation of his eventual succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
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 of Preussen". This was refused by the French Minister of Justice. His parents separated in 1982 and divorced in 1985. 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".
George spent the first years of his life in France before moving to Spain. There he and his mother lived, along with his maternal grandmother, in the home of his maternal half-aunt, Helen Kirby, who inherited a significant fortune from her father, Sumner Moore Kirby.
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, making him, to supporters of his mother, heir-apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
and tsarevich. He visited Russia for the first time shortly thereafter to attend the funeral of his grandfather. His claim to the throne is contested, for reasons detailed in the article on the line of succession to the Russian throne
Line of succession to the Russian Throne
The Monarchy of Russia was abolished in 1917 following the February Revolution, which forced Emperor Nicholas II to abdicate. The issue of who is the current Pretender is open to debate.-Line of succession in March 1917:...
.
In 1996, when he, his mother, and his grandmother Leonida returned to Russia after living in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, one of President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
'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 out of concern that he would be bullied.
When asked by reporters if he expected the monarchy in Russia to be restored some day, he replied, "I hope so." George is also distantly in the line of succession to the British throne
Line of succession to the British Throne
The line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of...
through his mother's descent from The Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, second son of Queen Victoria. George is also descended through his father from Empress Frederick
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria.
Education and career
George was educated at Runnymede CollegeRunnymede College
Runnymede College is a co-educational private school located in La Moraleja, Madrid, Spain. It is the oldest British independent school in Spain....
in Madrid and at St Benet's Hall, Oxford
St Benet's Hall, Oxford
St Benet's Hall is a Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford. It is located at the northern end of St Giles' on its western side, close to the junction with Woodstock Road.-Composition and status:...
.
In Brussels, George worked at the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
where he was an assistant to Loyola de Palacio
Loyola de Palacio
Loyola de Palacio y del Valle-Lersundi was a Spanish politician. She was one of the first women to rise to political prominence in Spain during the early years of democracy. She was a minister in the Spanish government from 1996 to 1998, and a member of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004...
, former European Commissioner for Transport and Energy. Later he moved to Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
where he was employed at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Atomic Energy and Security.
On 12 December 2008, George was appointed an aide to the Director General of MMC Norilsk Nickel
MMC Norilsk Nickel
MMC Norilsk Nickel is a nickel and palladium mining and smelting company. Its largest operations are located in the Norilsk–Talnakh area, in northern Russia. MMC stands for "Mining and Metallurgical Company"....
, a major Russian nickel-mining company.