Regarding Modern-Day Russian Royalty

[Solor]

I was wondering if there is someone in the world today who is, technically, the heir to the Russian throne.

I know that there is this one guy (I think he lives in Monte Carlo?) who is, technically, the heir to the throne of France (I think he's the Empress Eugenie's/Emperor Napoleon III's great great great grandson).

Anyway, as anyone familiar with how the line of succession works, I am sure that there is without a doubt someone walking the planet today who is the heir.......I would imagine that something like this has been debated? Maybe not so much if he/she is the real successor but whether or nor they should be given a place of honor in Russian society? Are there people who feel that, at least one a ceremonial level (as in Britain), the house of the Tsars should be put back in place?

I have looked at photos of the last Russian Royal Family and I find it very sad..........not so much what happened to the monarchy in Russia but what happened to THEM, as a loving family

[omshanti]

Solor , I can only tell from my own experience of an after revolution situation in another country, Iran. I am not sure if this was the case in Russia but it might give you a clue.

In the 80s when I still lived in Iran many people were getting killed in the war with Iraq and also by the secret police of the revolutionary government in Iran. Eventually I lost my own little brother and father and had to flee the country. So I used to think it must have been so good before the revolution when the Shah was still around. Many people (especially rich ones) said that it was much better with the Shah. But one day I found out about the past of this woman who was our neighbour. That she used to have a husband and five sons, and that they were all tortured and killed by the secret police of the shah. I realized then that even though the situation was really bad after the revolution, it had happened for a reason.

So what I think is that unless it is brought about by another interferring country in order to create a puppet government , there is always a reason when a revolution happens , even if another dictator takes over and the situation becomes worse afterwords.

I think the children of the Tsar in Russia really did not deserve what happend to them , but then there are so many children in the world who do not deserve what happens to them.

[Mel Johnson]

The last male dynast of the Romanov line was Grand Duke Vladimir, who died in 1992. The Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna is considered by some to be the heiress to the vacant throne. But Russian succession law made by Tsar Pavel II made it unlawful for a woman to succeed while there is a living male successor. Her son, Prince George, is alive and well, in his twenties and living in Spain. Others believe that Prince Nicolai, as the head of the Romanov Family Association is the true heir, but his relation to the family is via a morganatic marriage, so he's technically out. There are many who believe that there is no legitimate successor, including the late GD Vladimir, who said, "What Tsar? There is no more Tsar in Russia." Still, when they buried him in St. Petersburg, people still lined up to pay their respects to "the Tsar."

[Mashinka]

Prince Michael of Kent is a descendent of the Russian Royal family through his mother, Princess Marina, the late Duchess of Kent. Russian monarchists have shown an interest in Prince Michael for some time now. His resemblance to the last tsar, Nicholas II, is uncanny (do a Google image search on them both and see what I mean) Prince Michael was born and raised a privileged member of the British royal family unlike the impoverished Romanov's still living in France. He is said to be a fluent Russian speaker.

I'm afraid I find it hard to summon up any sympathy for the last tsar or indeed any of his predecessors apart from Peter the Great. They kept the Russian people in abject poverty and ignorance for centuries and didn't abolish slavery until the end of the 19th century. Nicholas II was in many ways the worst of the lot, unable to make a single right decision about anything. Frankly he had it coming.

[Mel Johnson]

Prince Michael is indeed fluent in Russian, and there is a Tsarist party in Russia today, thanks to the democratization reforms. I don't know if they have any seats in the Duma, but they're in the population. Prince Michael would be a hard sell according to Russian succession because he descends down a female line. Not good after Pavel II, who wanted to prevent Tsaritsas from usurping the throne to become Tsarina, the way his mom did. There are all sorts of very good historical reasons why the court around the Tsar grew so impenetrable that Nicholas II didn't have a clue as to what was actually going on in his country. There was some merit in the mournful, "If only the Tsar knew about this!"

The Romanovs were the patrons of the Imperial Ballet, and so fair game for ballet-related discussion, but this is not the place for dynastic debate. In the interest of keeping the peace, I'm closing this thread.