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Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia (Mariya Vladimirovna Romanova, Cyrillic: Мари́я Влади́мировна Рома́нова; born 23 December 1953 in Madrid), is the heir to the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia and position of Titular Empress and Autocrat of All the Russias (historically the modern states of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland), since 1992. She has used Grand Duchess of Russia as her title of pretension with the style Imperial Highness throughout her life, though her right to this title is disputed. She is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen-Empress Victoria of the British Empire and from such she is a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth Realms. Her ex-husband Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia was himself a great-great-great-grandson of Queen-Empress Victoria of the British Empire. She is also a double (two-way) great-great-granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Biography

Russian imperial family
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia Princess Inez Romanoff Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff Princess Dorrit Romanov
Extended imperial family Prince Rostislav Romanov Prince Nikolai Kirillovich Romanov
v t e

Maria Vladimirovna was born in Madrid, the only child of Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich of Russia, Head of the Imperial Family of Russia and Titular Emperor of Russia, and Leonida Georgievna Princess Bagration-Moukhransky, (the divorced wife of the American-born Sumner Moore Kirby). Her paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna (née Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). Maria was educated at Runnymede College, in Madrid and Paris, before spending a few terms at Oxford University, where she studied Russian history and literature.

On 23 December 1969, upon reaching her dynastic majority, Maria swore an oath of loyalty to her father and Russia. At the same time, her father issued a controversial decree, whereby in the event of him predeceasing the living male Romanovs he recognised as dynasts, then Maria would become the "Curatrix of the Imperial Throne". This has been viewed as an attempt by her father to ensure the succession remained in his branch of the imperial family, while the heads of the other branches of the imperial family, the Princes Vsevolod Ioannovich (Konstantinovichi), Roman Petrovich (Nikolaevichi) and Andrei Alexandrovich (Mihailovichi) declared that her father's actions were illegal.

In Madrid on 22 September 1976, Maria married Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. Franz Wilhelm converted to the Orthodox faith, upon his marriage, taking the name Michael Pavlovich and was also created a Grand Duke of Russia by Maria's father. The couple separated in 1982, a year after the birth of their only child George Mikhailovich, who was granted the title Grand Duke of Russia by his grandfather Vladimir. When they divorced on 19 June 1985, Franz Wilhelm reverted to his Prussian title and style.

Maria Vladimirovna lives in France and Spain. She is fluent in Russian, English, French and Spanish. She is also able to speak and read German, Italian and Arabic. Maria is also in the line of succession to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms.

Succession claims and activities

Styles of The Grand Duchess of Russia
Reference style	Her Imperial Highness
Spoken style	Your Imperial Highness
Alternative style	Ma'am

Maria's grandfather's claim as Tsar in Exile was strongly disputed by other members of his family. One said: "To say the family is divided is a euphemism. The family is raving mad." Her father, Vladimir Cyrillovich, was considered by some to be the last male dynast of the Romanov Family. When he died on 21 April 1992, Maria claimed to have succeeded him as head of the Russian Imperial Family, though this was disputed by Prince Nicholas Romanovich of Russia, who also claimed to have succeeded Vladimir.

Following the discovery of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II and most of his family in 1991, Maria Vladimirovna wrote to President Boris Yeltsin, regarding the burial of the remains, saying of her Romanov cousins, whom she does not recognise as members of the Imperial family (including ones closely related to Nicholas II, the grandchildren of his sister Grand Duchess Xenia), that they "do not have the slightest right to speak their mind and wishes on this question. They can only go and pray at the grave, as can any other Russian, who so wishes". In the end, Maria did not recognize the authenticity of the remains and refused to attend the reburial ceremony in 1998. She has also said regarding her Romanov cousins, that "My feeling about them is that now that something important is happening in Russia, they suddenly have awakened and said, 'Ah ha! There might be something to gain out of this.'"

Maria hopes for the restoration of the monarchy someday and is "ready to respond to a call from the people". When questioned about the ongoing rift in the Romanov family, Maria said;

Attempts to disparage my rights have originated with people who, firstly, do not belong to the Imperial Family, and, secondly, either do not themselves know the relevant laws or think that others do not know these laws. In either case, there is unscrupulousness at work. The only thing that causes me regret is that some of our relatives waste their time and energy on little intrigues instead of striving to be of some use to their country. I have never quarreled with anyone about these matters and I remain open to a discussion and cooperation with all, including, of course, my relatives. But there can be no foundation for cooperation without respect for our dynastic laws, fulfilling these laws, and following our family traditions.

In 2002, Maria became frustrated with the internal strife within the Russian monarchist movement. When representatives of the Union of Descendants of Noble Families, one of two rival nobility associations (the other, older one being the Russian Nobility Association) were discovered as distributing chivalric titles and awards of the Order of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, without having them expressly approved and undersigned by herself, she published a relatively strongly worded disclaimer.

On January 5, 2010, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna went to Istanbul, where she met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Mustafa Cagrici, Grand Mufti of Istanbul. On 14 December of the same year, with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, she made a pilgrimage to Bari, Italy, and went to the Vatican, where she met with the Pope Benedict XVI and Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal-Camerlengo Tarcisio Bertone.

Awards

• Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
• Dame Grand Cross Order of St Catherine
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
• Order of the White Eagle
• Order of St. Anna 1st Class
• Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker 1st Class
• Order of St. Anastasia
• Order of Saint Stanislaus 1st Class
• Dame Grand Cross Sovereign Military Order of Malta
• Order of St. Olga 1 Class (Patriarch Alexius II, Russian Orthodox Church)
• Order of St. Paraskeva 1 Class (Moldovan Orthodox Church)
• Order of St. Barbara 1 Class (Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate))
• Dame Grand Cross Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza)
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Queen of Sheba (Crown Council of Ethiopia)
• Order of the Republic (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)
• Lady of the Grand Collar of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani)
• Cross of Russian Nobility Association 1st Class

Ancestors

See also

• List of Grand Duchesses of Russia

References

1. ^ Massie, p 269
2. Flintoff, John-Paul (19 September 2003). "Lunch with the FT: Nicholas Romanov". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
3. "Empress Maria in Vladivostok". Vladivostok Times. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
4. ^ Massie, p 263
5. ^ "The Romanov Imperial dynasty in emigration XX century". Archived from the original on 28 August 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
6. ^ "Maria I Wladimirovna". imperialhouse.ru. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
7. edited by John Kennedy. (2003). Almanach de Gotha (186th ed.). Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. p. 317. ISBN 0953214249. OCLC 166702094. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
8. Olga S. Opfell (2001). Royalty who wait: the 21 heads of formerly regnant houses of Europe. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Inc Publishers. p. 79. ISBN 9780786409013.
9. Massie, p 263-264
10. Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. 2nd ed. Rosvall Royal Books: Falkoping, Sweden, 1997.
11. Kurth, Peter (January). "The mystery of the Romanov bones". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
12. Massie, p270
13. ^ "Interview with Maria Vladimirovna". imperialhouse.ru. 12 December 2005. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
14. Massie, p 274
15. "Declaration by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna". imperialhouse.ru. 11 December 2002. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
16. {Визит Главы Дома Романовых в Стамбул http://nikolaevec.livejournal.com/90891.html}
17. Head of the Imperial House Of Russia and Grand Master of the Imperial and Royal Orders of Russia
18. Genealogy Of The Imperial House Of Russia
19. (rus)Награждение Государыни Марии Владимировны Орденом Святой Ольги
20. (rus) Высочайший визит в Португалию Главы Российского Императорского Дома

• Massie, Robert K. (1995) . The Romanovs The Final Chapter. Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0224041924. OCLC 185630578.

External links

• Grand Duchess Maria's Official Site
• Vladimir Romanov's personal attorney Brien Purcell Horan's essay in support of Maria's claim
• Argument in favour of Maria's claim by Guy Stair Sainty

v t e Pretenders to the Russian imperial throne and heads of the House of Romanov since 1917
Vladimirovichi line	Kirill (1924–1938) Vladimir (1938–1992) Maria (since 1992) heir: George
Nikolayevichi → Mikhaylovichi line	Nicholas (1992–2014) Dimitri (2014–2016) Andrew (2016–2021) Alexis (since 2021) heir: Peter
Leiningen line	Nicholas (since 2013)
Branches of the Russian Imperial Family Romanov Family Association

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• Russian people of Polish descent
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