Today marks the birthday of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the head of the Imperial House of Russia. Born in Madrid, Spain, Maria is the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna of Bulgaria. Her early years were marked by a strong sense of harmony and love between her parents, who never quarreled or separated. This unique upbringing had a profound impact on Maria’s life, shaping her into the person she is today.
As a child, Maria was raised by a nurse named Hanny Vögelin, who taught her how to read and write. Maria’s passion for languages led her to study at the British Institute in Madrid and eventually Oxford University, where she became fluent in English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Her academic achievements and linguistic skills have made her a respected figure in Russian royal circles. With her extensive knowledge of Russian literature and languages, Grand Duchess Maria has become a prominent figure in the Imperial House of Russia, carrying on the legacy of her ancestors.
what are some key milestones in Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna’s life
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia was born on December 23, 1953, in Madrid, Spain. Here are some key milestones in her life:
- Birth and Baptism: Maria was born to Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia and Princess Leonida Bagration-Mukhrani. She was baptized on February 3, 1954, with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and Queen Ioanna of Bulgaria as her godparents.
- Education: Maria was educated at Runnymede College in Madrid and Paris before studying Russian history and literature at Oxford University.
- Dynastic Majority: On December 23, 1969, Maria swore an oath of loyalty to her father and Russia, and he recognized her as heiress presumptive.
- Marriage and Family: Maria married Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia in 1985 and had a son, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, in 1981.
- Head of the Imperial House: Maria has been the head of the Imperial House of Russia since her father’s death in 1992, although her claim is disputed by other branches of the Romanov family.
- International Recognition: Maria has received recognition from various royal families and monarchies, including the Russian Orthodox Church, and has been involved in various royal and cultural events.
These milestones highlight key events in Maria’s life, from her early years to her current role as head of the Imperial House of Russia.
what significant events marked Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna’s reign
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia has been a claimant to the headship of the House of Romanov, the Imperial Family of Russia, since 1992. Some significant events that have marked her reign include:
- Recognition by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad: In December 2013, Maria was received with full honors and recognition as head of the Russian Imperial House during a visit to the United States at the request of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.
- Liturgical Commemoration of the Romanov Family: On July 17, 2018, Maria participated in the liturgical commemoration of the centenary of the assassinations of Saints Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their children conducted in Yekaterinburg by Patriarch Kirill I.
- Morganatic Engagement of Her Son: In January 2021, Maria announced the morganatic engagement of her son, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, to Rebecca Bettarini from Italy. Bettarini converted to Russian Orthodoxy and took the name Victoria Romanovna. Maria granted permission for the couple to marry, decreeing that Bettarini would have the title Princess with the predicate “Her Serene Highness” and the right to use the surname Romanov.
- Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: In March 2022, Maria issued a statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
These events highlight key milestones in Maria’s life and her role as a claimant to the headship of the House of Romanov.
what was the impact of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna’s visit to the United States in 2013
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna’s visit to the United States in 2013 had significant impacts on her status and recognition within the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Imperial House. Here are some key points:
- Recognition by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad: The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad received Maria with full honors and recognition as head of the Russian Imperial House, marking a significant milestone in her legitimacy claims.
- Celebration of the Romanov Dynasty: The visit coincided with the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the end of the Time of Troubles and the reestablishment of Russian sovereignty, which further solidified her connection to the Romanov legacy.
- Liturgical Commemoration: During her visit, Maria participated in a liturgical commemoration of the centenary of the assassinations of Saints Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their children conducted in Yekaterinburg by Patriarch Kirill I, demonstrating her continued involvement in Russian Orthodox Church affairs.
- International Recognition: The visit reinforced Maria’s international recognition as the head of the Russian Imperial House, further solidifying her position within the Russian royal circles and the broader international community.
These events highlight the significant impact of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna’s visit to the United States in 2013, which reinforced her legitimacy claims and strengthened her connections to the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanov legacy.
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| HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia. |
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| Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna with Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna at the baby’s baptism. |
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| The charm bracelet created by Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Leonida to celebrate their daughter Grand Duchess Maria’s birth. |
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| The Little Heiress. |
On 23 December 1953, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia was born at the Nuestra Señora de Loreto Clinic in Madrid. She was the only child of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia, Head of the Imperial House of Romanov, and his wife Leonida (née Princess Bagration-Mukhranskaya). Maria Vladimirovna was the granddaughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (1876-1938) and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna (1876-1936; née Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), the great-granddaughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909) and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1854-1920; née Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), and the great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II Nikolaevich of Russia (1818-1881) and Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880; née Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine). Nearly forty-years-old, Leonida Georgievna had started to worry that she would be unable to give her husband a much desired heir. Seeking all possible remedies, early in 1953 Leonida made a pilgrimage to the relic of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari, and, several weeks after returning to Spain, she was thrilled when her doctor informed her that she was expecting. Grand Duchess Maria’s parents always rather regarded their daughter as something of a miracle (“a child from God”), and the three formed an exceptionally close familial bond. Upon being baptised into the Russian Orthodox faith on 3 February 1954, the infant was given the name Maria; the chosen godparents were her great-uncle Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who due to ill health was represented at the event by Prince Nicholas of Romania (a son of Maria Vladimirovna’s great-aunt Queen Marie of Romania), and Queen Mother Giovanna of Bulgaria.
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| Grand Duchess Maria of Russia. |
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| The Imperial Family at a zoo in Rome. |
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| The young grand duchess. |
The Romanov trio spent the year moving about their various homes. In Spain, they resided in a comfortable apartment on the rue Velasquez that was just around the corner from the home of Maria’s maternal grandparents. At some point, the family exchanged the apartment for a more spacious villa in the posh Madrid suburb of Puerto de Hierro. Their French residences included Ker Argonid in St Briac (named after Maria’s grandmother Victoria Melita) and an apartment in Paris. The Romanovs were particularly quite close to the Albanian, Bulgarian, and Spanish royal families.
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| Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duke Vladimir, and Grand Duchess Leonida at their Puerto de Hierro residence in Madrid. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
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| Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in Madrid, 1966. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
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| Grand Duchess Leonida, Grand Duke Vladimir, and Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in 1966. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
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| The Romanovs in Madrid, 1968. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
Grand Duchess Maria recalled her early years: “I had a very happy childhood. There was such a harmony between my parents. They very much loved each other. They never quarrelled or were separated. I was thus raised in an atmosphere of mutual love and respect.” When she was a toddler, Maria was often taken by her parents to visit her great-uncle Andrei and his wife Mathilde at their “enchanting” Villa Molitor in Paris, with its “big windows and conservatories.” There Maria enjoyed playing with the Grand Duke’s pet turtle Rosalie, who was kept in one of the gardens and was one of Maria’s earliest guests at her childhood tea parties. The grand duchess had a multitude of Prussian, Leiningen, and Bagration first cousins from her paternal and maternal aunts and uncles; however, Maria was the youngest of the group. From her aunt Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna (1907-1951), who married Fürst Karl of Leiningen, Maria Vladimirovna had seven first cousins: Fürst Emich of Leiningen (1926-1991; husband of Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg), Prince Karl (1928-1990; husband of Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria), Princess Kira (1930-2005; wife of Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia), Princess Margarita (1932-1996; wife of Fürst Friedrich Wilhelm of Hohenzollern), Princess Mechthilde (b.1936), Prince Friedrich (1938-1998), and Prince Peter (1942-1943). From her aunt Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna, who married Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, Maria Vladimirovna also had seven first cousins: Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1939-2015), Prince Michael (1940-2014), Princess Marie Cécile (b.1942; wife of Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg), Princess Kira (1943-2004), Prince Louis Ferdinand (1944-1977; husband of Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen), Prince Christian-Sigismund (b.1946; husband of Countess Nina of Reventlow), and Princess Xenia (1949-1992). A twenty-seven year age gap thus separated Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia from her eldest first cousin, Fürst Emich of Leiningen.
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| Grand Duchess Maria of Russia with her dog while in the UK, November 1971. Photograph (c) Getty Images. |
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| Maria of Russia, circa 1976. |
Maria was partially raised by a nurse: a Swiss-German woman by the name of Hanny Vögelin. Hanny, described as “firm but fair,” taught the little girl how to read and write, and stayed on with the family until Maria went to primary school at the age of seven. After this, Maria went on to the British Institute in Madrid. Passionate about languages, she then made the choice to enter Oxford University, where she began her studies in 1972 at Lady Margaret Hall. Grand Duchess Maria left Oxford in early 1975 an accomplished polyglot, fluent in English, French, Russian and Spanish as well as possessing a thorough knowledge of Russian literature.
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| Grand Duchess Maria and Prince Franz Wilhelm. Photograph (c) Seeger-Presse. |
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| Grand Duke Vladimir, Grand Duchess Leonida, Prince Franz Wilhelm, and Grand Duchess Maria. Photograph (c) Seeger-Presse. |
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| Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke Michael on their wedding day. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
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| Grand Duke George with his grandfather Grand Duke Vladimir and aunt Hélène Kirby at his baptism, May 1981. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari. |
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| The Modern Romanovs: Vladimir, Leonida, Maria, and George. |
In 1992, Grand Duchess Maria succeeded as the Head of the Imperial House of Romanov following the sudden death of her father. Aged seventy-four, Grand Duke Vladimir suffered a fatal heart attack in Miami on 21 April. His widow Grand Duchess Leonida survived him by over twenty years; she passed away in Madrid on 23 May 2010, aged ninety-five. Both Vladimir Kirillovich and Leonida Georgievna are buried at the Saints Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg.
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| Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke George of Russia with Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. |
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| Grand Duke George and Grand Duchess Maria arrive at the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco, 2011. Photograph (c) Getty Images / Gareth Fuller / PA Images. |
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| King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands with Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, 2011. |
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| Grand Duchess Maria and Prince Mohammed Ali of Egypt arrive at the wedding of Crown Prince Leka of Albania and Crown Princess Elia (née Zaharia) in Tirana, 2016. Photograph (c) Seth B. Leonard. |
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| Princess Nadia (née Nour) of Prussia, Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, and Grand Duchess Maria of Russia at the wedding of Hereditary Prince Ferdinand of Leiningen and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia in 2017. |
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| Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Grand Duchess Maria in 2018. |
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| Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duke George, and Rebecca Bettarini at the wedding of Prince Joachim of Prussia and Countess Angelina zu Solms-Laubach at Mallorca in June 2019. Photograph (c) Seeger-Presse / Albert Nieboer. |
Since her accession to the Headship of the Imperial Family, the Grand Duchess has fulfilled her role with inscrutable dedication and duty. Grand Duchess Maria is frequently present at Gotha events: from birthdays to weddings to funerals. She resides in Madrid, and her Chancellery is in Moscow.
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| H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Head of the Russian Imperial House. Photograph (c) Russian Imperial House. |
We wish Her Imperial Highness many happy returns of the day!
what are the most significant achievements of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia was born on December 23, 1953, in Madrid, Spain. Here are some key milestones in her life:
- Birth and Baptism: Maria was born to Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia and Princess Leonida Bagration-Mukhrani. She was baptized on February 3, 1954, with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and Queen Ioanna of Bulgaria as her godparents
