Jorge de Bagration

Infobox_pretender
English name = Prince Jorge de Bagration


birth_date = February 22, 1944
birthplace = Rome, Italy
death_date = January 16 2008 (aged 63)
deathplace = Tbilisi, Georgia
regnal = George XIV
title = Duke of the Lasos, Prince of Kakhetia, Kartalia and Mukhrani
throne = Georgia
pretend from = October 30 1977 - January 16 2008
year = 1800
king = George XII of Georgia
relationship = Distant cousin
house = Bagrationi
father = Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli
mother = Countess Maria Antonietta Pasquini
spouse =
children =
predecessor = Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli
successor = Prince David Bagration-Mukhraneli
footnotes =

Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani or Giorgi Bagration-Mukhraneli or George Bagration of Mukhrani ( _ka. გიორგი (ხორხე) ბაგრატიონ-მუხრანელი) (February 22 1944 – January 16 2008) was a Spanish racing car driver of Georgian descent and a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia. cite news |first=|last=|title=Prince George Bagration of Mukhrani, Claimant to the throne of Georgia who became well known in Spain as a fearless motor racing and rally driver |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3291285.ece |work= The Times |publisher=|date=2008-02-02 |accessdate=2008-02-04]

Early life

Prince Jorge was born in Rome, Italy, in 1944 to the family of a Georgian émigré Prince Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli, a descendant of the Mukhrani branch of the Bagrationi royal family of Georgia. His father, Prince Irakli Bagration, had gone into exile in Italy following the Bolshevik Revolution, but retained his claim to the throne of Georgia. His Italian mother, Countess Maria Antonietta Pasquini dei Conti di Costafiorita Bagration-Mukhraneli, died giving birth to him.

Racing career

He started his motor sport career in 1959, firstly with motorcycles and from 1963 in cars, racing in various series. He made two attempts at Formula One, firstly at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix with a Lola, but his entry was refused.

His second attempt to enter a Grand Prix was again in Spain, at the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, but his efforts fell victim to a very unusual set of circumstances. He had bought a Surtees TS16 for this race, and he was included on the entry list. Unfortunately this entry list was mislaid as the outgoing president of the Spanish Motor Sport Federation cleared his office. When a new entry list was drawn up, in the light of some sponsorship problems that de Bagration was experiencing, he was omitted from it. Whether or not he would have been able to race with his reduced backing, he should still have been included on the list of entrants. Thus ended his hopes of competing at motor sport's highest level.

He turned later to rallying, and his best result was winning the Spanish Rally Championship in 1979 and 1981 with a Lancia Stratos HF. He retired from motor sport in 1982.

Head of the Royal House of Georgia

Prince Jorge was a claimant to the Headship of the Georgian royal family since the death of his father on October 30, 1977 and was recognised in 1991 by the Georgian government and parliament as such despite rival claims by other branches of the Bagrationi Dynasty. He held the titles Duke of the Lasos, Prince of Kakhetia, Kartalia and Mukhrani. He was also Sovereign Head and Grand Master of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Protector Egregio of Divisa of the Old Cavalry and Devotion of San Miguel the Milagoso. [cite news |title=La súbita muerte de Jorge de Bagration deja a su hijo el príncipe Irakly como heredero al trono de Georgia
url= http://www.monarquiaconfidencial.com/pg_Articulo.aspx?IdObjeto=169|publisher=Monarquía Confidencial |date=2008-01-18 |accessdate=2008-02-09 |language=Spanish ]

Prince Jorge made his first visit to his ancestral homeland to bury his father's ashes in 1995. He mostly lived in Marbella, Spain but paid several visits to Georgia, where his son David lives. He died early in Tbilisi on January 16 2008. He was interred at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia, on January 20 2008. [ru icon [http://www.newsgeorgia.ru/geo1/20080116/42137204.html Скончался царевич Георгий Хорхе Багратиони (Prince Jorge Bagration died)] . "News Georgia". January 16 2008.] [es icon [http://www.lavanguardia.es/lv24h/20080116/53427819181.html Fallece Jorge Bagration, piloto español de rallys y heredero del trono de Georgia] . "LaVanguardia.es" January 16 2008.]

infobox hrhstyles


royal name=Prince Jorge de Bagration
dipstyle=His Royal Highness
offstyle=Your Royal Highness
altstyle=Sir|

Family

Jorge married Doña María de las Mercedes de Zornoza y Ponce de León (b. Madrid, Spain, August 14 1942)
*Princess Doña María Antonietta de Bagration y de Zornoza (b. June 21 1969) m. 1996, Jaime Gaixas
*Prince Don Irakli Bagration-Mukhranski y de Zornoza (b. August 26 1972)
*Prince Don Davit Bagration-Mukhranski y de Zornoza (b. June 24 1976)

He married secondly to Doña Nuria Llopis y Oliart (b. 14th November 1953 at Barcelona, Spain). They had one child:
*Prince Don Gurami Ugo Bagration-Mukhranski y Llopis (b. February 14 1985)

References

See also

*Monarchism in Georgia

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3291285.ece Prince George Bagration of Mukhrani, Claimant to the throne of Georgia who became well known in Spain as a fearless motor racing and rally driver] , obituary in The Times
* [http://www.royalbagration.com/Home_Page.html Royal House of Bagration of Georgia]
* [http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/debagration/biography.html J. de Bagration's biography]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/6517/bagrationart.html "The Romanoffs and the Bagrations"] , by Daniel Sargis.
* [http://www.czipm.org/bagration-e.html Heraldry of the Royal House of Bagration-Mouchraneli]