We have been enjoying Royal Warren(t)’s posts on the lost magnificence of the Romanovs so much, we thought a look at a member of the modern generation of the disposed family was in order. It’s timely because one of the claiments to the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia was recently engaged.
George Mikhailovich Romanov announced his engagement to Victoria Romanovna Bettarini, an Italian writer and the daughter of a diplomat, earlier this month. His mother, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, is a great-great-granddaughter of Alexander II, and his father is Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, a member of the House of Hohenzollern. George was born in Madrid in 1981, and educated in France and Britain. His claim to the now-defunct throne is disputed, so the title of “Grand Duke” is born out of “pretence”. If you want to start untangling the line back to the old Romanovs through Wikipedia entries, here is his Wkipedia entry as a starting point.
George has had plenty of royal influence, beginning with his baptism at the Orthodox Church in Madrid. His godfather was King Constantine II, and both King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were present at the ceremony.
Below, George and his maternal grandmother and grandfather, Vladimir Kirillovich, in 1991.
George maintains strong business and personal interests in Russia and you can see him attending royal events now and then. Below, he is pictured at the mass in memory of Prince Alexandre of Yougoslavia, with the Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael.
The newly engaged couple have known each other since they were young, and have been in a relationship for several years. Recently, in a move that shows their commitment to Russia, they traveled to Kostroma to celebrate their engagement officially.
There is no current information on the date or location of the ceremonies, but I hold out hope for some Russian influenced themes when it does happen. The bride has definitely taken some Russian sartorial influences strongly to heart. We shall see!
Note: As usual we ask everyone to stay away from current politics – Russia is a volatile as some western countries these days – and focus on the sartorial.