Prince Nicholas Romanov
Nicholas Romanovich Romanov | |
---|---|
Cap d'Antibes, France | |
Died | 15 September 2014 Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy | (aged 91)
Spouse | |
Issue | Princess Natalia Nikolaevna Princess Elizabeth Nikolaevna Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna |
House | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov |
Father | Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia |
Mother | Countess Praskovia Dmitrievna Sheremeteva |
Nicholas Romanovich Romanov[1][2][3] (Russian: Николай Романович Романов; 26 September 1922 – 15 September 2014) was a claimant to the headship of the House of Romanov[1][4] and president of the Romanov Family Association. Although undoubtedly a descendant of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, his claimed titles and official membership in the former Imperial House were disputed by those who maintained that his parents' marriage violated the laws of the Russian Empire.[5]
Family and childhood
Prince Nicholas was born in
Prince Nicholas was brought up in Cap d'Antibes with his family still using the Julian calendar and he spoke both fluent Russian and French from his childhood on.[1] He was brought up in a Russian environment with his local church having a Russian priest and his family employing Russian staff and a Russian nanny.[6]
Prince Nicholas received a private education in France with his studies following the old Russian
He completed his education in Italy graduating from a Liceo classico in 1942.
World War II and post war
During
Prince Nicholas wanted to study engineering at the
Returning to Europe in 1950 Prince Nicholas worked in Rome for the
Romanov Family Association
His father Roman Petrovich came up with the idea of a family association of the Romanovs in the mid-1970s.[9] After looking through the papers of his father, who died in 1978, Nicholas found that everything was in place for its creation. He then wrote to all the members of the Romanov family who had been in communication with his father and it was agreed that a family association should be created. A year later, in 1979, the Romanov Family Association was officially formed with Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich as president and Nicholas as vice-president. When Vasili Alexandrovich became president in 1980, Nicholas remained vice-president.[13]
In 1989, after the death of Vasili Alexandrovich, Prince Nicholas was elected the new president of the Romanov Family Association. The Association currently has as members the majority of the male-line descendants of Emperor
Succession claims
The official position of the Romanov Family Association is that the rights of the family to the Russian Throne were suspended when Emperor
Prince Nicholas considered that following the death of Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich in 1992 that he was head of the House of Romanov and his rightful successor.
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.[19]
Prince Nicholas led the Romanov family at the funeral in
Marriage and children
In 1950, Prince Nicholas and the Countess Sveva della Gherardesca (b. 15 July 1930), daughter of Count Walfred della Gherardesca and Nicoletta de Piccolellis, met at a party in Rome. Sveva is a member of the Italian della Gherardesca noble family from Tuscany and a direct descendant of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca. They were married in Florence in a civil ceremony on 31 December 1951 followed by a religious ceremony on 21 January 1952 in the Russian Cathedral at Cannes.[1]
Prince Nicholas and his wife had three daughters:
- Princess Natalia Nikolaevna Romanova (b. 4 December 1952), married to Giuseppe Consolo (born 1948). Her daughter is the Italian actress Nicoletta Romanoff.
- Princess Elisaveta Nikolaevna Romanova (b. 7 August 1956), married to Mauro Bonacini (born 1950);
- Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova (b. 12 April 1961), married firstly to Giambattista Alessandri (born 1958), then Giancarlo Tirotti (born 1947).
Prince Nicholas and his wife lived in Rougemont, Switzerland, for seven months every year, usually in the winter. During the rest of the year they stayed in Italy with their daughters.[6] The prince still used the Julian calendar and was fluent in French, Russian, Italian and English. He was also able to read Spanish.[1]
Prince Nicholas's death in Tuscany aged 91 was reported on 15 September 2014.[22] He was survived by his wife, their three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[23]
Title and style
- His HighnessPrince Nicholas Romanovich of Russia
Since the
He is also known as Prince Nicholas Romanov,[25][26][27][28][29][30] Prince Nicholas of Russia,[31][32][33][34] Prince Nicholas Romanoff,[35][36][37][38][39][40] and Prince Nikolai Romanov.[41][42][43][44]
Honours
- Knight of the Order of Petrovic Njegos
- Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I
- Knight of the Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje
Ancestry
Ancestors of Prince Nicholas Romanovich of Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Nikolai Romanov Prince of Russia Presentation". nikolairomanov.com. 26 September 2002. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ Broek, Pieter (1994) "A Genealogy of The Romanov Dynasty, The Imperial House of Russia, 1825–1994" Noble House Publications
- ^ a b "Statement by Nicholai Romanov, Russian Prince". Spbnews. 4 July 1998. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Massie, ch. 19: "The Romanov Emigres," esp. pp. 264–265 (Russian Law of Succession) and pp. 274–275.
- ^ a b c d Pfeiffer-Brechbühl, Anne (21 January 2005). "Nikolai Romanov Prince of Russia: an eventful life" (PDF). Gstaad Life. pp. 6, 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Романов: "Мне предлагали Черногорию – я отказался" (in Russian). BBC. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ "Nicholas Romanovich – the Eldest of the Romanov Dynasty – Turns 90". Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ^ a b c Flintoff, John-Paul (19 September 2003). "Lunch with the FT: Nicholas Romanov". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- Swissinfo. 28 May 2003. Retrieved 26 July 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "Un nom en héritage, les Romanov" (in French). France 3. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ "Emperor's grandson". NTV. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
- ^ "The Romanoff Family Association". Romanov Family Association. 29 March 1998. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ "The law of succession of the Imperial House of Russia". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Horan, Brien Purcell (September 1998). "The Russian Imperial Succession". Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ Looijen, Sytske (25 June 1992). "European Topics". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Massie p. 274
- ^ "Almanach de Gotha", Russie, (Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1944), page 107, (French) "en mariage non-conforme aux lois de la maison".
- ^ Massie p. 278
- ^ "The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna reburied in St Petersburg". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Cecil, Clem (5 December 2003). "Tsar's mother to be returned home". The Times. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ "Prince Nikolai Romanov dies in Italy at the age of 91". Russia Beyond the Headlines. ITAR-TASS. 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Most Senior Member of Romanov Dynasty Dies at 92 in Italy". RIA Novosti. 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Dynastic Succession". imperialhouse.ru. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ Forbes FYI (2000) p. 121
- ^ Robert K. Massie (1995) The Romanovs: The Final Chapter. Random House. pp. 136, 274, 278
- ISBN 0-465-02463-7. p. xviii
- ISBN 0-7864-0901-0. p. 81
- ^ The New Yorker, 1995, volume 71, page 95
- ^ Time, 1995, volume 146, page 179
- ^ Russian Summer Ball Archived 7 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Comite de Patronage Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Order of Prince Danilo". Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ Russian Cathedral of Nice Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Many Deaths of Tsar Nicholas II: Relics, Remains and the Romanovs – page 56
- ^ Imperial Russian journal: Volume 5, Issues 1–3
- ^ Royalty in exile, p247
- ^ The men who would be king: a look at royalty in exile, Page xii
- ^ Little mother of Russia: a biography of the empress Marie Feodorovna (1847–1928), P xi
- ^ The last empress: the life and times of Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsarina of Russia P 393
- ^ International affairs: Volume 54, Issues 1–3, P 202
- ^ European encounters: essays in memory of Albert Lovett, p394
- ^ 'Prince' lays claim to a used czar lot Royal pain felt over crumbling mansions. 12 August 1998. Dallas News
- ^ The prince who would be czar 16-year-old Georgy trained since birth to assume throne of murdered Russian monarch, 29 June 1997. Toronto Star
- ISBN 0-224-04192-4.