Prince Rostislav Romanov (born 1985)

Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov
Born (1985-05-21) 21 May 1985
Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
Issue Rostislav Georgante
Full name
Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov
House Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
Father Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich
Mother Christia Ipsen

Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov (born 21 May 1985) is a member of the House of Romanov, the former ruling Russian Imperial dynasty. He is also known by the name "Misha".[1]

Birth and family

Russian Imperial Family

HH The Prince
HH The Princess


HH The Dowager Princess

  • HSH Princess Natalia
  • HSH Princess Elizabeth
  • HSH Princess Tatiana

HIH The Grand Duchess

Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich was born in Lake Forest, Illinois, the eldest son and second child of Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich and his second wife, Christia Ipsen (b. 1949). He has an older sister, Princess Alexandra (b. 1983), and a younger brother, Prince Nikita (b. 1987). From his father's first marriage to Stephena Verdel Cook, he has an older half-sister, Princess Stephena (b. 1963).[2]

Prince Rostislav belongs to the Mihailovichi branch of the Romanov family as a male line descendant of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia, the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I. He is also a descendant of Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, being the great grandson of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (sister of the last Emperor Nicholas II) and her husband Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia. Prince Rostislav has been a member of the Romanov Family Association since 1985 and was a committee member between 2007 and 2013.[3][4] As a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover, he is also in the line of succession to the British throne.

The Prince lived in Chicago until he was seven years old, when his father moved his family to London. Prince Rostislav was educated at Brambletye and Milton Abbey Schools, and at Falmouth University where he read fine art.[5]

Prince Rostislav visited Russia in 1998 with his parents and siblings to attend the reburial rites of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Six months later, on 7 January 1999, his father died during the Russian Christmas celebration. Though he had been treated for cancer, some speculate that he contracted a rare illness from the dust at the church where the Imperial funeral was held. The loss of the late Prince's income his family facing financial difficulties. In order to provide for the family, Princess Romanovna a bed and breakfast in an 18th-century mansion in Rye, East Sussex. The house was in a semi-derelict state, though, and in need of renovation. As there was initially no kitchen, the children had to carry buckets of water up to the bathroom in order to wash the dishes in the bathtub.[1] His mother later married David Whitney Erskine Russell, the heir to the title Baron Ampthill.[2]

Russian prince

On 23 September 2006, Prince Rostislav was a guest at the memorial service for his great-great grandmother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Dagmar of Denmark) at Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark.[6] He then attended the reburial of his great-great grandmother's remains in Russia, where he announced that he was considering moving to Russia. As one of the youngest male members of the Imperial Family, Rostislav is an heir to the Russian throne in pretence.[7]

In November 2007 Prince Rostislav was featured in a documentary produced by France 3 called "Un nom en héritage, les Romanov" where he was filmed visiting St. Petersburg the former Imperial capital.[8] In July 2009 accompanying his cousin Prince Dimitri Romanovich, he attended events in St. Petersburg to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the murder of Nicholas II and his family. It was also announced that he was visiting Russia to learn the language.[9]

Current life

Prince Rostislav is the only descendant of the former ruling Russian Imperial dynasty to have moved back to Russia—in 2009. He currently resides in Moscow, where he is improving his Russian.

The president of the Romanov Family Association, Prince Nicholas, appointed him the official representative of the Association in Russia.

In 2010, Prince Rostislav was appointed Director of the Board of Russia’s oldest factory, founded by his ancestor Peter the Great: The Petrodvorets Watch FactoryRaketa. He is also advisor to the factory's Creative department.

Titles and styles

N.B. Since the Russian revolution members of the Romanov family have tended to use a princely title with the surname Romanov while keeping the appropriate style.[2] However this title, and even his right to the surname Romanov are disputed.[10]

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 Christy, Mark (21 November 1999). "Real Life: The 4tsar hotel; B&B Landlady Tia is a Russian Princess". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Almanach de Gotha (186th ed.). 2003. pp. 314, 323. ISBN 0-9532142-4-9.
  3. "The Romanoff Family Association". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  4. "A General Assembly of the Romanoff Family Association". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  5. http://www.rostislavromanov.com/about/
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20090420045918/http://www.reburial.um.dk/en/menu/ReburialEvents/TheReburialCeremony/ProgrammeOfEventsInDenmark/
  7. Blomfield, Adrian (30 September 2006). "Romanovs retake St Petersburg to bury tsarina". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  8. "Un nom en héritage, les Romanov" (in French). France 3. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  9. "Prince Dmitry Romanov visits Imperial Cathedral in St Petersburg". ITAR-TASS. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  10. "Dynastic Succession". imperialhouse.ru. Retrieved 22 July 2009.

External links


Prince Rostislav Romanov (born 1985)
Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Born: 21 May 1985
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Prince Andrew Romanov
Line of succession to the Russian throne
5th position (disputed)
Succeeded by
Prince Nikita Romanov
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