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Prince Dimitri Romanov

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Dimitri Romanovich Romanov
Dimitri (c) and wife Dorrit with Vladimir Putin at a state reception
Head of the House of Romanov (disputed)
Time15 September 2014 – 31 December 2016
PredecessorPrince Nicholas Romanovich
SuccessorPrince Andrew Andreevich
Born(1926-05-17)17 May 1926
Cap d'Antibes, France
Died31 December 2016(2016-12-31) (aged 90)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Spouse
Jeanne von Kauffmann
​
​
(m. 1959; died 1989)​
​
​
(m. 1993)​
Names
Dimitri Romanovich Romanov
HouseHolstein-Gottorp-Romanov
FatherPrince Roman Petrovich of Russia
MotherCountess Praskovia Sheremeteva

Dimitri Romanovich Romanov (Russian: Дмитрий Романович Романов; 17 May 1926 – 31 December 2016)[1] was a descendant of Russia's former ruling dynasty, a banker, philanthropist, and author. He was also a claimant to the headship of the Imperial House of Russia. At his death, the male line of the Nicholaevich branch of the Romanov family died out.

Early life

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Dimitri Romanovich Romanov was born on 17 May 1926 in Cap d'Antibes, France, the second son of Prince Roman Petrovich of Russia and Countess Praskovia Sheremeteva. His older brother was Prince Nicholas Romanovich. Through his paternal lineage, he was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855) and his consort, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who founded the Nikolaevichi branch of the Russian Imperial Family.

Romanov spent the first ten years of his life in Antibes, France, where he received a traditional Russian education.[2] In 1936 his family moved to Italy, where he continued his education and for a time lived at the Royal Palace in Rome. In 1946 his family moved to Egypt, where they lived for a number of years before returning to Italy. In 1960 he moved to Denmark, where he worked for a number of banks including the Danske Bank, where he was an executive until his retirement in 1993.[2] He was fluent in Russian, French, English, Danish, and Italian.[2]

Marriages

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Romanov was married twice. His first wife was Johanna von Kauffmann (1936–1989), whom he married in Copenhagen on 21 January 1959. After being widowed in 1989, he married Dorrit Reventlow (born 1942) in Kostroma on 28 July 1993. His second marriage was the first time a Romanov had been married in Russia since the fall of the dynasty.[3]

Dimitri Romanovich died in Denmark on 31 December 2016, as reported by his wife Theodora (Dorrit). He had been urgently admitted to hospital the week before after a sharp deterioration in health status.[4]

Charity work

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Since his retirement Dimitri became involved in a number of charitable endeavours. In June 1992 he was one of seven Romanov princes who met in Paris where they decided to create the Romanov Fund for Russia with the task of carrying out charitable acts in post-communist Russia.[5] He visited Russia in July 1993 on a fact finding mission to decide on what areas the charity should focus.[6] Prince Dimitri served as chairman of the Romanov Fund for Russia since its creation.[6]

He was also chairman of the Prince Dimitri Romanov Charity Fund, which he founded in 2006.[7]

Romanov Family Association

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Dimitri was a member of the Romanov Family Association since 1979, the year of its creation, and served as a committee member.[5][8] In July 1998, he joined other members of the Imperial family in St. Petersburg to attend the funeral of the last Russian emperor to reign, Nicholas II, and his family.[9] In March 2003 the then Bulgarian Prime Minister, and former Tsar, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha invited Dimitri to attend events celebrating the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.[10]

In September 2006 after a successful lobbying campaign of the Danish royal family and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, he arranged for the remains of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna to be moved from Denmark, where she died in exile, to Russia so she could be buried alongside her husband Emperor Alexander III.[11] After attending the divine service for Maria Feodorovna at the Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark,[12] Prince Dimitri accompanied her remains on the Danish naval ship that transferred them to Russia.[13] After their arrival, Prince Dimitri with other descendants of the Imperial family attended the reburial service in Russia.[14]

As a descendant of the Electress Sophia of Hanover he was also eligible to succeed to the British throne.[15]

Honours

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Dynastic orders

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Bibliography

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  • The Orders, Medals and History of Greece. Balkan Heritage. 1987. ISBN 87-981267-1-7.
  • The Orders, Medals and History of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. Balkan Heritage. 1982. ISBN 87-981267-0-9.
  • The Orders, Medals and History of Imperial Russia. Balkan Heritage. 2000. ISBN 87-981267-4-1.
  • The Orders, Medals and History of the Kingdoms of Serbia and Yugoslavia. Balkan Heritage. 1996. ISBN 87-981267-3-3.
  • The Orders, Medals, and History of Montenegro. Balkan Heritage. 1988. ISBN 87-981267-2-5.
  • The Adventures of Mikti: the memoirs of a teddy bear. Balkan Heritage. 1999. ISBN 87-981267-6-8.

Ancestry

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References

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  1. ^ John James, ed. (19 December 2013). Almanach de Gotha (2013 ed.). BOYE6. p. 340. ISBN 978-0-9575198-24.
  2. ^ a b c d "Prince Dimitri Romanovich Romanov". The Prince Dimitri Romanov Charity Fund. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  3. ^ Raymond, Allan. "Russian Royal Family". Monarchies of Europe. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  4. ^ "В Дании скончался старший в роду Романовых князь Димитрий Романович". ITAR-TASS.
  5. ^ a b "The Romanoff Family Association". Romanov Family Association. 29 March 1998. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Creation of the Romanov Fund for Russia". Romanov Fund for Russia. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  7. ^ "Founders". The Prince Dimitri Romanov Charity Fund. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  8. ^ "A General Assembly of the Romanoff Family Association". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  9. ^ "17 July 1998: The funeral of Tsar Nicholas II". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  10. ^ "Prince Romanov at Mass in Sofia". Novinite. 2 March 2003. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  11. ^ Cecil, Clem (5 December 2003). "Tsar's mother to be returned home". The Times. UK. Retrieved 23 July 2008.[dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Guest list to Roskilde Cathedral". The Danish Monarchy. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  13. ^ "Mother of tsar makes last voyage". BBC. 23 September 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  14. ^ "The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna reburied in St Petersburg". Romanov Family Association. Archived from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  15. ^ Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Persons eligible to succeed to the British Throne as of 1 Jan 2011". Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  16. ^ "Prince Dimitri Romanoff". Almanach de Gotha. Archived from the original on 14 December 2001. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  17. ^ Yahoo news Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Getty News
  19. ^ Order of Saint Peter Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Order of Petrović-Njegoš Archived 16 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Njegoskij|org :: Grand Master Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh decorates H.S.H. Prince Dmitri Romanovich and his wife Dorrit Reventlow with the Order of Danilo I
[edit]
Prince Dimitri Romanov
Born: 17 May 1926 Died: 31 December 2016
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Head of the House of Romanov
(disputed)
15 September 2014 – 31 December 2016 		Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by President of the Romanov Family Association
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
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