Prince Michael Andreevich of Russia

Infobox Russian Royalty|prince
name = Michael Andreevich
title =Prince Michael Andreevich of Russia


imgw =
caption =
date of birth = birth date|df=yes|1920|7|15
date of death = death date and age|df=yes|2008|9|22|1920|7|15
place of birth= Versailles, France
imperial house=House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
spouse = Jill Murphy
Shirley Cramond
Giulia Crespi
father = Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia
mother = Elisabetha Ruffo

Prince Michael Andreevich of Russia (15 July 1920 - 22 September 2008) was a descendant of the House of Romanov which ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917.

Biography

Michael was born in Versailles, the second child and eldest son of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia and Donna Elisabetha Ruffo (1886-1940). He was a grandson of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia and a great nephew of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia. From his father's first marriage he had two siblings, an older sister Xenia and a younger brother Andrew. From his father's second marriage he had one half sister, Olga.

Neither Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich nor his son Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich (who were heads of the House of Romanov from 1924 to 1992) recognised Michael as a "Prince of Russia". Cyril and Vladimir held that the marriage of Michael's parents was not dynastic and that Michael had no succession rights to the Russian throne. They accorded the title "Prince Romanovsky" to Michael.

Michael lived with his parents and his grandmother Grand Duchess Xenia in exile at Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle and later at Wilderness House until he enlisted to serve in the Royal Navy during World War II. [cite book |title=Once A Grand Duchess |last=van der Kiste |first=John |coauthors=Coryne Hall |year=2004 |publisher=Sutton Publishing |isbn=0750935219 |pages=185, 212 ] During the war Michael served in Australia with the Fleet Air Arm. He moved there permanently following the conclusion of the war and became an aviation engineer. [cite web | last = Godl | first = John | title = Remembering Anna Anderson (Part II), His Highness Michael Romanoff, Prince of Russia | date = 2000-02-26 | url = http://fr-d-serfes.org/royal/rememberingannaandersonii.htm | accessdate =2008-05-27 ]

Michael was protector of the Sovereign Order of the Orthodox Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem which was formally under the protection of his father Prince Andrei and uncle Prince Vasili. [cite web | publisher = World Organisation of Natural Medicine | title=OSJ Endorsment | url =http://www.wonmfoundation.org/endorsements.html | accessdate =2008-05-27 ] He was also vice president of the Romanov Family Association.

Marriages

Michael married three times. On 24 February 1953 at Sydney he married Jill Murphy (b. 1921); the marriage was short lived and was dissolved by divorce in September 1953. On 23 July 1954 at Sydney he married Shirley Cramond (1916-1983). On 14 July 1993 at Sydney he married Giulia Crespi (b. 1930). Michael had no children from any of his marriages.

Death

Michael died at 2am on 22 September 2008 in Sydney, Australia, the same day as his cousin, Prince Michael Feodorovich, the son of Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia.

References

External links

* [http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/family/ The Romanoff Family Association]