The heirs to the Russian throne: who are they-the modern Romanovs?

By the beginning of 1917, the Russian Imperial House numbered 65 men, of whom 17 were killed. The rest of the Romanovs were able to go abroad and settle in the West. Russia has been living without tsars for 100 years, but even today there is still talk about who will become the Russian emperor during the restoration of the monarchy. There are many applicants, but not everyone has the right.

The main law regulating the succession to the throne is the "Act of Succession", drawn up by Emperor Paul I. The document explains to whom the right to the throne passes when the male line is suppressed or the ruler is childless. Emperor Alexander I pointed out that at the conclusion of a morganatic marriage (the spouses have an unequal position), the right to the crown is lost.

Romanov ceased to claim the throne if he married a divorced woman, a widow, a representative of a non-noble family. According to article No. 185 of the Basic Law of the Russian Empire, members of the imperial family who could have the right to the throne are required to marry only Orthodox Christians. According to these laws, almost all modern Romanovs have no right to the throne because of a morganatic marriage.

Most of the descendants of the imperial family live in the United States, Australia, and England. They do not claim the throne and believe that a return to the past is impossible. The "Kirillovichi", who are related to the Grand Duke Vladimir, the brother of Alexander III, think differently. In the media, they are positioned as the most likely owners of the crown in the hypothetical restoration of the Russian monarchy. And the "Kirillovichi" themselves willingly give interviews and visit Russia as heirs of the Romanov empire.

However, even during the reign of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich entered into a morganatic marriage. The imperial family opposed the union, which was legalized by the decree of Nicholas only in 1907. From this marriage, Maria Vladimirovna was born in Madrid in 1953, whose son George Mikhailovich considers himself a contender for the Russian monarchy from the "Kirillovichi". He was born in 1981 in Spain, and George's father is Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia.

When Georgy Mikhailovich was born, the "Association of Members of the Romanov Family" published a public statement:

Jokingly, the opponents of George Mikhailovich call him Georg Hohenzollern or "Tsarevich Gosha"

The oldest Romanov was Dmitry Romanovich, who was born in France and died in 2016. He was considered an opponent of the restoration of the monarchy, lived in Italy, headed the Romanovs for Russia Foundation. Restoring to Russia's tsarist government is an untenable and morally outdated idea. However, with the development of such a scenario, several people can theoretically ascend to the throne, in addition to George "Kirillovich".

Andrey Andreevich Romanov was born in London in 1923 and from 1978 to 1981 was considered the official heir to the throne. Genealogically, he is the oldest male descendant of Emperor Alexander III. However, the "Kirillovichi" do not recognize his claims. Andrey Romanov himself does not claim the throne, but believes that one of his three sons can become the tsar.

Andrey Andreevich Romanov

Rostislav Alexandrovich Romanov was born in the USA in 1985 and is one of the few representatives of the imperial family who lives in Of Russia. Since 2010, it has been part of The Board of Directors of the Petrodvorets watch Factory "Raketa".

Theoretically, the Russian throne is claimed by a representative of the English royal family, Michael, Prince of Kent, who is a descendant of Emperor Nicholas I and a second cousin of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

Michael, Prince of Kent during a visit to Kazan

In 1996, the novel "Icon" by a former employee of the British special services, Frederick Forsyth, was published. It tells how CIA agents carry out a coup in Michael of Kent, who saved the country from the arrival of a new dictator, is being elevated to the throne of Russia and through a referendum.