Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
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Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Georgiy Mikhailovich Romanov, Russian cyrillic: Георгий Михайлович Романов) (born March 13, 1981) is considered by some to be the heir apparent to the disputed Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia, and uses as his title and style of pretension Tsarevich and Grand Duke of Russia. He has all his life been styled His Imperial Highness Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, by grant of his maternal grandfather. George also has the title Prince of Prussia with the style of Royal Highness.
He was born in Madrid 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. He was christened on May 6 1981 in Madrid and his godfather is King Constantine II of Greece. Also present at the christening was King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain and King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria.[1]
He has lived in France and in Spain. On April 21, 1992, upon the death of his maternal grandfather Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, his mother claimed to have succeeded as the sovereign and Curatrix of the Throne of Russia[2], making him, to supporters of his mother, heir-apparent and Tsarevitch. 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 has since been schooled in the United Kingdom, including at St Benet's Hall, Oxford. In Brussels, George Mikhailovich 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.
When asked by reporters if he expected the monarchy in Russia to be restored some day, he replied, "I hope so." George is in the line of succession to the British Throne.
Awards
- Cross of Russian Nobility Association 1st Class.