Romanov Family Association

Infobox Organization
name = Romanov Family Association


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formation = 1979
type = Family Association
membership = Members of the Romanov family
leader_title = President
leader_name = Prince Nicholas Romanovich
main_organ = General assembly
website = http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/family/The Romanov Family Association, "Obyedineniye Chlenov Roda Romanovykh" ("Объединение Членов Рода Романовых"), is an organization for male-line descendants of Emperor Paul I of Russia. The current president is Nicholas Romanovich, Prince of Russia.

History

The idea for the creation of a family association was thought up by Prince Vsevolod Ioannovich, Prince Roman Petrovich and Prince Andrei Alexandrovich the heads of the Konstantinovichi, Nikolaevichi and Mihailovichi branches of the Imperial Family in order to strengthen the links between the family and protect it from impostors.cite web |url=http://romanovfundforrussia.org/family/family.html |title=The Romanoff Family Association |accessdate=2008-07-25 |date=1998-03-29 |publisher=Romanov Family Association ] [cite news |first=John-Paul |last=Flintoff |title=Lunch with the FT: Nicholas Romanov |url=http://search.ft.com/nonFtArticle?id=030919002239 |publisher=Financial Times |date=2003-09-19 |accessdate=2008-07-25 ] Following the death of Prince Roman Petrovich in 1978 his son Prince Nicholas Romanovich after looking through his fathers papers found that everything effectively in place for the creation of a Family association. Prince Nicholas then wrote to all the Romanov's who had been in communication with his father and it was agreed that a Family Association should be created. In 1979 the Romanov Family Association was officially formed with Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich as president and Prince Nicholas Romanovich as vice president. Prince Nicholas Romanovich was elected president in succession to Prince Vasili Alexandrovich who died in 1989.

The association accepts that the Russian monarchy legally ended on 3 March (Julian Calendar)/ 16 March (Gregorian Calendar), 1917 with the decree of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia renouncing the throne and recognizing the Provisional Government. [cite web |url=http://www.histdoc.net/history/abdic.html |title=Manifesto |accessdate=2008-07-25 |publisher=histdoc.net ] Article IV-b of the bylaws of the Romanov Family Association states "The Members of the Association agree that all questions concerning the form of government in Russia and consequently also all matters of a dynastic character have been transmitted to the will of the great Russian people by the Manifest of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, which followed the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on the basis of 'general, direct, equal and secret voting'."

The members of the association reject the claims of their cousin Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia that she is the current Pretender to the Russian throne, for reasons detailed in the article on the line of succession to the Russian throne.

As a charitable endeavor, the association operates the Romanov Fund for Russia to raise money for aid projects in Russia. [cite web |url=http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/ |title=The Romanov Fund for Russia |accessdate=2008-07-25 |publisher= ]

Members

The Romanov Family Association is an organization of legitimate male-line descendants of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. While extensive, it is by no means a complete list of the House of Romanov or of Romanov descendants. Maria Vladimirovna has never joined and neither did her late father Vladimir Cyrillovich. The RFA also claims the title Prince(ss) of Russia for all its members. The living members of the Association are:

*Princess Alexandra Rostislavna (b. 1983), granddaughter of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
*Prince Alexis Andreevich (b. 1953), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
*Prince Andrew Andreevich (b. 1923), son of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
*Prince Andrew Andreevich (b. 1963), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
*Princess Anna Pavlovna (b. 1959), granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Princess Catherine Dmitrievna (b. 1981), great-granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Prince Dimitri Romanovich (b. 1926), son of Prince Roman Petrovich
*Prince Dimitri Pavlovich (b. 1954), grandson of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Princess Elizabeth Nikolaevna (b. 1956), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
*Princess Lela Dmitrievna (b. 1986), great-granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Princess Marina Vassilievna (b. 1940), daughter of Prince Vasili Alexandrovich
*Prince Michael Pavlovich (b. 1960), grandson of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Princess Natalia Nikolaevna (b. 1952), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
*Prince Nicholas Romanovich (b. 1922), son of Prince Roman Petrovich
*Prince Nikita Rostislavich (b. 1987), grandson of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
*Princess Olga Andreevna (b. 1950), daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
*Princess Paula Pavlovna (b. 1956), granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
*Prince Peter Andreevich (b. 1961), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
*Prince Rostislav Rostislavich (b. 1985), grandson of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
*Princess Stephena Rostislavna (b. 1963), granddaughter of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
*Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna (b. 1961), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
*Princess Viktoria Dmitrievna (b. 1984), great-granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich

The RFA also offers Associate Memberships to the children and grandchildren of Princesses and Grand Duchesses, widows and widowers of Princes and Princesses and Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses, as well as people who have always shown close ties to the Romanovs. At the present there are five living Associate Members:

*Prince David Pavlovich Chavchavadze (b. 1924), son of Princess Nina Georgievna
*Mrs Xenia Sfiris née Countess Sheremeteva (b. 1942), granddaughter of Princess Irina Alexandrovna
*Marquis Ivan Farace di Villaforesta (b. 1943), son of Princess Ekaterina Ioannovna
*Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark (b. 1939),Fact|date=July 2008 grandson of Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna
*Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942),Fact|date=July 2008 grandson of Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna

General Assembly

*President: Prince Nicholas Romanovich
*Vice President: Vacant

Committee Members:
*Prince Alexis Andreevich
*Princess Catherine Dmitrievna
*Prince Dimitri Romanovich
*Prince Michael Pavlovich
*Princess Olga Andreevna
*Prince Rostislav Rostislavich
*Princess Stephena Rostislavna

Presidents

*Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich (1979-1980)
*Prince Vasili Alexandrovich (1980-1989)
*Prince Nicholas Romanovich (since 1989)

ee also

* Line of succession to the Russian throne

References

External links

* [http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/family/ Website of RFA]
* [http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/family/succession.html RFA statement on succession]
* [http://www.romanovfundforrussia.org/ The Romanov Fund for Russia]