George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg
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George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg, also known as Prince Georgii Romanovsky or Georges de Beauharnais (29 February 1852 - 16 May 1912) was the youngest son of Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia.
's eldest daughter in 1839. Maximilian was subsequently bestowed with the style Imperial Highness and given the title Prince Romanowsky. As the son of a Russian grand duchess and an ennobled Russian prince, George and his siblings were always treated as grand dukes and duchesses, bearing the styles Imperial Highness.
After their father's death in 1852, Grand Duchess Maria morganatic
ally remarried to Count Grigori Stroganov two years later. As this union was kept secret from her father Emperor Nicholas I
(and her brother Emperor Alexander II
could not permit the union, preferring instead to feign ignorance), Maria was forced into exile abroad. Alexander felt sympathy for his sister however, and paid special attention to her children from her first marriage, who lived in St. Petersburg without their mother.
. She was a daughter of Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg
. Therese's elder brother Duke Alexander Petrovich
had been married to George's sister Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna
since 1868. Therese's grandfather had married Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I of Russia
, and their descendants had been raised in Russia ever since and become completely "Russianized", much like George's own family. Thus despite her German title, Duchess Therese, like her father before him, had grown up entirely in Russia. She was always considered a part of the Russian imperial family.
George and Theresa had one son:
In July 1881, the British Reserve Squadron held entertainments on board the HMS Hercules
, which was stationed in Cronstadt. The luncheon was attended by Therese and her husband, as well as the Emperor
and Empress and other important royal Russian and German figures. Two years later, on 19 April 1883, tragedy struck the couple when Duchess Therese died in St. Petersburg.
On 16 April 1889 at Sergeyevsko Estate, George married Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, six years after Therese's death. Emperor Alexander III
gave Anastasia a grand trousseau
, as well as a considerable dowry
.
They had two children:
The family owned a small estate near the Black Sea
, where they spent the winter. While staying there in 1905, they witnessed the battleship Potemkin revolt. In the spring, the family stayed at their Peterhof
residence the Villa Sergievskaia Datcha for the entire following summer.
When still married to his second wife, George moved in with his French mistress, to the great anger of the morally upright Emperor Alexander III
. When told that George was spending his vacations at the coastal town of Biarritz
in south-western France
, Alexander declared "So the prince is washing his filthy body in the waves of the ocean".
Their marriage was considered "tempestuous and stormy," with George reportedly "insult[ing] and outrag[ing] her from the very first day of their marriage". Anastasia was able to obtain a divorce from him several years into their marriage, on 15 November 1906. Various sources attribute George to have been good-looking but a "stupid and rather sorry individual", although these reports were most often in connection with his second wife, who when arranging her divorce from George, was widely reported to want to do so because she could no longer live with a man of "intolerable stupidity". Anastasia later remarried to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I of Russia
. She and her sister became famous in Russian society as the "black plague," so called because of their home country of Montenegro
as well as their dark complexions.
s of his elder brothers, George became the head of the Russian branch of the House of Beauharnais
. At the turn of the twentieth century, when still married to Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, George was considered as a possible successor to the childless Alexander I of Serbia. Alexander was overthrown and murdered in a military coup, and succeeded by Peter I of Serbia.
George inherited a large collection of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from his father, who had brought them with him when he moved from Munich
to St. Petersburg to marry Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia.. He was buried in tomb # 29 of the Grand Ducal Mausoleum in the Peter and Paul Fortress
in St. Petersburg.
passed to another line.
George appears as a character in The White Night of St. Petersburg
, written by a relative Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
.
Family and early life
George's father Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg had traveled to St. Petersburg, eventually winning the hand of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, Nicholas INicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
's eldest daughter in 1839. Maximilian was subsequently bestowed with the style Imperial Highness and given the title Prince Romanowsky. As the son of a Russian grand duchess and an ennobled Russian prince, George and his siblings were always treated as grand dukes and duchesses, bearing the styles Imperial Highness.
After their father's death in 1852, Grand Duchess Maria morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
ally remarried to Count Grigori Stroganov two years later. As this union was kept secret from her father Emperor Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
(and her brother Emperor Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
could not permit the union, preferring instead to feign ignorance), Maria was forced into exile abroad. Alexander felt sympathy for his sister however, and paid special attention to her children from her first marriage, who lived in St. Petersburg without their mother.
Marriage to Therese
On 12 May 1879, George married Duchess Therese Petrovna of OldenburgDuchess Therese Petrovna of Oldenburg
Duchess Therese Petrovna of Oldenburg was the youngest daughter of Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg.-Marriage:...
. She was a daughter of Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg
Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg
Princess Therese Wilhelmine Friederike Isabelle Charlotte of Nassau-Weilburg, full German name: Therese Wilhelmine Friederike Isabelle Charlotte, Prinzessin von Nassau-Weilburg was a member of the House of Nassau-Weilburg and a Princess of...
. Therese's elder brother Duke Alexander Petrovich
Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg
Duke Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg was the second son of Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg and his wife Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg. Though he had a German title and ancestry, Alexander and his siblings were born and raised in St...
had been married to George's sister Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna
Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg
Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg, also known as Princess Evgenia Romanovskya, or Eugenia, Princess Romanovskaja was a member of the French House of Beauharnais, though she was born and raised in her mother's native country, Russia...
since 1868. Therese's grandfather had married Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I of Russia
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
, and their descendants had been raised in Russia ever since and become completely "Russianized", much like George's own family. Thus despite her German title, Duchess Therese, like her father before him, had grown up entirely in Russia. She was always considered a part of the Russian imperial family.
George and Theresa had one son:
- Alexander Georgievich, 7th Duke of LeuchtenbergAlexander Georgievich, 7th Duke of LeuchtenbergAlexander Georgievich, 7th Duke of Leuchtenberg, also known as Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanovsky or less commonly Alexander de Beauharnais was the only son of George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg by his first wife Duchess Therese of Oldenburg...
(13 November 1881 - 26 September 1942); morganatically married Nadezhda Caralli.
In July 1881, the British Reserve Squadron held entertainments on board the HMS Hercules
HMS Hercules (1868)
HMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
, which was stationed in Cronstadt. The luncheon was attended by Therese and her husband, as well as the Emperor
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
and Empress and other important royal Russian and German figures. Two years later, on 19 April 1883, tragedy struck the couple when Duchess Therese died in St. Petersburg.
Marriage to Anastasia
Two Montenegrin princesses, Milica and Anastasia, were educated at a convent in St. Petersburg under the immediate protection of Empress Maria Feodorovna. They remained at the convent for a year after their educations were complete, and made themselves extremely popular by enjoying themselves in society. Both girls soon caught the eye of two members of the Russian royal family, Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and George himself.On 16 April 1889 at Sergeyevsko Estate, George married Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, six years after Therese's death. Emperor Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
gave Anastasia a grand trousseau
Trousseau
Trousseau may refer to:*A dowry*The outfit of a bride, including the wedding dress or similar clothing*A name for the Bastardo grape in some regions*A white mutation of the Trousseau grape, known as Trousseau Gris...
, as well as a considerable dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
.
They had two children:
- Sergei Georgievich, 8th Duke of Leuchtenberg (4 July 1890 - 7 January 1974); died unmarried
- Princess Elena Georgievna of Leuchtenberg (3 January 1892 - 6 February 1971); married Count Stefan Tyszkiewicz.
The family owned a small estate near the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, where they spent the winter. While staying there in 1905, they witnessed the battleship Potemkin revolt. In the spring, the family stayed at their Peterhof
Peterhof Palace
The Peterhof Palace in Russian, so German is transliterated as "Петергoф" Petergof into Russian) for "Peter's Court") is actually a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the...
residence the Villa Sergievskaia Datcha for the entire following summer.
When still married to his second wife, George moved in with his French mistress, to the great anger of the morally upright Emperor Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
. When told that George was spending his vacations at the coastal town of Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Alexander declared "So the prince is washing his filthy body in the waves of the ocean".
Their marriage was considered "tempestuous and stormy," with George reportedly "insult[ing] and outrag[ing] her from the very first day of their marriage". Anastasia was able to obtain a divorce from him several years into their marriage, on 15 November 1906. Various sources attribute George to have been good-looking but a "stupid and rather sorry individual", although these reports were most often in connection with his second wife, who when arranging her divorce from George, was widely reported to want to do so because she could no longer live with a man of "intolerable stupidity". Anastasia later remarried to Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. She and her sister became famous in Russian society as the "black plague," so called because of their home country of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
as well as their dark complexions.
Later years
In 1901, through either the deaths or morganatic marriageMorganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
s of his elder brothers, George became the head of the Russian branch of the House of Beauharnais
House of Beauharnais
The House of Beauharnais or Beauharnois is a French noble house. It is now represented by the Duke of Leuchtenberg, descendant in male line of Eugène de Beauharnais.-History:...
. At the turn of the twentieth century, when still married to Princess Anastasia of Montenegro, George was considered as a possible successor to the childless Alexander I of Serbia. Alexander was overthrown and murdered in a military coup, and succeeded by Peter I of Serbia.
George inherited a large collection of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from his father, who had brought them with him when he moved from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
to St. Petersburg to marry Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia.. He was buried in tomb # 29 of the Grand Ducal Mausoleum in the Peter and Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.-History:...
in St. Petersburg.
Legacy
George was the only one of his brothers to make a legitimate dynastic union. As both of his sons failed to produce legitimate issue, the title Duke of LeuchtenbergDuke of Leuchtenberg
Duke of Leuchtenberg was a title created by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria and awarded to his son Maximilian Philipp Hieronymus. Little is known about this title until its re-creation by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria on 14 November 1817 and awarded to his son-in-law Eugène de Beauharnais...
passed to another line.
George appears as a character in The White Night of St. Petersburg
The White Night of St. Petersburg
The White Night of St. Petersburg is a novelised biography of Grand Duke Nicholas Kostantinovich Romanov set in Russia at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century....
, written by a relative Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, is the author of several historical novels and biographies, as well as a contributing writer to Architectural Digest.-Birth and family:...
.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 29 February 1852 – 31 August 1901: His Imperial Highness Prince George Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg
- 31 August 1901 – 16 May 1912: His Imperial Highness The Duke of Leuchtenberg