Grand Duke Michael Mihailovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Михаил Михайлович; 16 October 1861 – 26 April 1929) was a son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia
. He followed a military career, but was banished from living in Russia when in 1891 he contracted a morganatic marriage
with Countess Sophie of Merenberg. He spent the rest of his life living in exile in England and in the French Riviera, escaping the Russian Revolution. His two daughters married within the British aristocracy.
outside St. Petersburg on 16 October 1861, the third child and second son of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
and his wife Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecile of Baden).
Known in the family as “Miche-Miche”, he was a year old when, in 1862, the family moved to Tiflis, Georgia
on the occasion of his father's being named Viceroy of the Caucasus
. Grand Duke Michael spent his early years and his youth in the Caucasus, where his family lived for twenty years. He had a spartan upbringing that included sleeping in army cots and taking cold baths. He was educated at home by private tutors. The relationship with his parents was troublesome. His father, occupied in military and governmental endeavors, remained a distant figure. His demanding mother was a strict disciplinarian who did not show affection towards her children. He was a disappointment to his mother, who compared him unfavorably with his more intelligent eldest brother Grand Duke Nicholas. Michael was considered the least gifted of the seven children and his mother referred to him as “stupid.”
During the years in the Caucasus, the Grand Duke excelled at horsemanship and started his military career. As a young man, he served in the Russo-Turkish War and became a Colonel. He loved the military life and served in the Egersky (Chasseur) Regiment of the guards. In 1882, when Grand Duke Michael was twenty years old, he returned with his family to St. Petersburg when his father was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. Michael was shallow and not particularly bright, but he was tall and handsome. He became popular on the social circuit in the capital, spending a great deal of his time on endless parties, dancing and gambling. Tsar Alexander III referred to him as a ‘fool’.
Grand Duke Michael lived in St. Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Palace with his parents, but he intended to marry soon, and to house his expected family he started building a large residence in the Imperial Capital. In his search of a wife, he made unsuccessful overtures for the hand of Princess Mary of Teck
in 1886 and later he asked Princess Irene of Hesse Darmstadt
. In 1887 he proposed to Princess Louise
, the eldest daughter of the Prince of Wales and was turned down for a third time. After that, he attempted to marry within the Russian Nobility
, which caused confrontations with his parents. In 1888, he had an affair with Princess Walewski. Later he fell in love with Countess Katya Ignatieva, the daughter of the former minister of Interior, Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev
. He tried to get permission to marry her and he went with his father to talk to Tsar Alexander III. However, his mother and the Empress Maria Feodorovna made it impossible for him to marry Katya. Olga Feodorovna opposed the misalliance vehemently. “He has so openly provoked me" she wrote of her son, mentioning his “lack of respect, affection and attention”. To break off the relationship the parents decided to send him abroad.
While in Nice
in 1891 Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich fell in love with Countess Sophie of Merenberg
, daughter of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and his morganatic wife, née Natalie Alexandrovna Pushkin. Sophie’s maternal grandfather was the renowned poet-author Alexander Pushkin; through him, she had black African ancestry (one part in 32) as a direct descendant of Peter the Great's protégé, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
. The Grand Duke met Sophie when he saved her from a horse that had run away with her. He did not bother to ask for the necessary permission for the marriage from the Tsar or his parents because he knew it would not be granted. They were married in San Remo
on 26 February 1891.
The marriage was not only morganatic but also illegal under the statute
of the Imperial Family and caused a great scandal at the Russian court, despite the bride's dynastic
paternal ancestry. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was deprived of his military rank and of his position as adjutant at the Imperial Court. He was also forbidden to return to Russia for life. When his mother heard of his morganatic marriage, she collapsed with shock and went by train to the Crimea to recover, but then had a heart attack and died, for which Michael was blamed. Banished from entering Russia, Michael was not allowed to attend his mother's funeral.
Because of his morganatic marriage
, Grand Duke Michael would spend the rest of his life living in exile in England, France and Germany. His wife was granted the title of Countess Torby by her cousin the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The couple initially lived in Wiesbaden
, Nassau
, where Sophie’s family once reigned. Two of their three children were born there. In 1899, they settled more permanently, in Cannes
where they had a villa, named Kazbek, after a mountain in Georgia. They lived comfortably. Five footmen, a butler, a valet, a lady’s maid, a governess, a nursery maid and six chefs attended them. Michael afforded this lifestyle by being the owner of a factory near Tiflis that bottled mineral water.
In 1900, the Grand Duke began renting Keele Hall
, a stately home
in Staffordshire
, a few miles from Newcastle-under-Lyme
. During the ten years he lived there, he entered the English social country life
. Michael was very pleased when the town council of Newcastle-under-Lyme conferred him the distinction of Lord High Steward of the borough. He was also a frequent visitor of North Berwick
, a seaside resort in Scotland.
Part of the year was spent at his villa
in the south of France. The Grand Duke was the founder and president of the Cannes Golf Club, where he often played during the winter season. In the South of France, he usually met his relatives, particularly his sister Anastasia
who owned a villa nearby. In 1903, Michael's father had a stroke and was moved to Cannes. The old Grand Duke was charmed by his daughter-in-law and his Torby grandchildren. The presence of Michael's father also frequently brought Michael's brother Alexander and his family to Cannes, and these were later followed by other Grand Dukes. He frequented many other European royals who also stayed at the Riviera.
At the time of the Russo-Japanese war
, Michael Mikhailovich shaved off his beard and stopped dyeing his hair. He was described as a born autocrat, single-minded, and a stickler for protocol.
In 1908, Michael published a novel, Never Say Die, about a morganatic marriage, written in resentment at not being allowed back into Russia. In the preface he wrote :" Belonging, as I do, to the Imperial Blood, and being a member of one of the reigning houses, I should like to prove to the world how wrong it is in thinking - as the majority of mankind is apt to do- that we are the happiest beings on this earth. There is no doubt that we are well situated, but is wealth the only happiness in the world ?". While remaining "devoted" to Sophie, Michael nevertheless often fell in love with pretty girls.
At the death of his father in Cannes on 18 December 1909, Michael was allowed to come to Russia for the funeral; however, his wife refused to go with him as she still resented the insults which had marred their marriage so many years before.
After leaving Keele, the Grand Duke moved with his family to Hampstead
in 1909, taking a long lease on Kenwood, a manor house owned by the Earl of Mansfield, overlooking London’s Hampstead Heath
. Michael became President of the Hampstead General Hospital, to which he donated an ambulance, as well as President of the Hampstead Art Society. They lived in splendor, enjoying a privileged place in English society. Every year Grand Duke Michael and his wife would visit Edward VII in Windsor Castle
or Sandringham
and attend luncheons at Buckingham Palace
.
After the death of Edward VII, Grand Duke Michael, pushed by his wife, tried in vain to obtain an English title for her. In 1912, King George V wrote to Nicholas II about "that good fool Michael, who I am sure bores you with as many grievances as he does me." Nicholas had written to George to tell him that Grand Duke Michael had asked his permission for his wife to accept a British title and that he had given consent, subject of course to George’s agreement. In his reply George pointed out "I have not the power to grant a title in England to a foreign subject and still more impossible in the case of a Russian Grand Duke." Gloomily accepting that the Grand Duke would be turning up to make a formal request for his wife’s title, George added that "I do not look forward to our interview with any pleasure, as I fear I have no alternative but to refuse his request”.
Not only they did not get the title for Sophie, but the couple’s position in English society was threatened when in the same year Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
, Nicholas II's younger brother, chose England for his exile after also contracting a morganatic marriage. The arrival in England of another and more senior Grand Duke Michael provided an uncomfortable reminder of the scandal which had once attached to Michael Mikahilovich and his wife. As a result, they never received the newcomers at Kenwood. Their refusal to open their doors to the couple meant that many others in English society followed suit, with the result that Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and his wife were effectively marginalized.
In September 1912, Grand Duke Michael was allowed to visit Russia for the centenary (centennial) of the Battle of Borodino
, and was restored to the honorary colonelcy of the 49th Brest Regiment.
During World War I
, Michael was made a chairman of the commission to consolidate Russian orders abroad, but was denied permission to come back to Russia and serve with its armed forces. On 31 October 1916 the Grand Duke wrote to Tsar Nicholas II
warning him that British secret agents in Russia were expecting a revolution, and that he should satisfy the people's just demands before it was too late. Excerpts of Michael's correspondence in French with the Emperor during his exile have been published (usually beseeching the Czar for money from his London exile).
With the war and later after the Russian revolution, the Grand Duke’s financial situation deteriorated. He lost a good deal of his money, which was tied up in the Romanovs' fortunes. He had to move to a more modest house at 3 Cambridge Gate, Regent's Park. However, King George V
and Queen Mary
helped with 10,000 pounds.
In 1916 his youngest daughter, Nadejda
(Nada) married Prince George of Battenberg
, eldest son of Prince Louis
and Princess Victoria Battenberg
. The Battenberg
family was itself the product of a morganatic marriage, but one whose members had been allowed to use the style 'His/Her Serene Highness
'. A year after Nadeja and George's wedding, however, the English branches of the Battenberg family gave up their princely title, and Prince George, who was eventually to become 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
, took the surname Mountbatten
and bore the courtesy title
of earl, his wife becoming known as Countess of Medina. Anastasia
(Zia), the eldest daughter, in 1917 married the baronet Sir Harold Wernher
, who was extremely wealthy. These marriages helped to alleviate the loss of income from Michael's imperial estates. Their son-in-law Sir Harold Wernher provided a good deal of financial support.
Their son, Michael Count de Torby (known as Boy Torby) lost his job and came to live with them but the relationship was difficult, not least because Boy suffered a recurring form of epilepsy. Between bouts of this he was a painter of some accomplishment. Once the World War was over, Michael Mikhailovich and his wife returned to Cannes after six years. After the news of the murders of so many close relatives came through, many people thought Michael became unbalanced. He had become short-tempered and rude to the servants and a great trial to his wife.
By 1925, the Grand Duke had become so troublesome that his son-in-law Harold regarded him as "perfectly crazy." On 4 September 1927 his wife died, aged fifty-nine. King George V wrote a kind letter of condolence and the Prince of Wales attended her funeral. By November, according to Harold, the Grand Duke was again behaving well, as he no longer had his wife to argue with. He survived her for less than two years. Grand Duke Michael contracted influenza and died in London on 26 April 1929, aged sixty-seven. He was buried with his wife in Hampstead Cemetery
.
Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia was the fourth son and seventh child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia...
and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia
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:...
. He followed a military career, but was banished from living in Russia when in 1891 he contracted a morganatic marriage
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...
with Countess Sophie of Merenberg. He spent the rest of his life living in exile in England and in the French Riviera, escaping the Russian Revolution. His two daughters married within the British aristocracy.
Early life
Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was born at the palace of PeterhofPeterhof 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...
outside St. Petersburg on 16 October 1861, the third child and second son of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia was the fourth son and seventh child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia...
and his wife Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecile of Baden).
Known in the family as “Miche-Miche”, he was a year old when, in 1862, the family moved to Tiflis, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
on the occasion of his father's being named Viceroy of the Caucasus
Viceroyalty of the Caucasus
The Viceroyalty of the Caucasus is a term used to denote the Imperial Russian administrative and political authority in the Caucasus region exercised through the offices of glavnoupravlyayushchiy and namestnik...
. Grand Duke Michael spent his early years and his youth in the Caucasus, where his family lived for twenty years. He had a spartan upbringing that included sleeping in army cots and taking cold baths. He was educated at home by private tutors. The relationship with his parents was troublesome. His father, occupied in military and governmental endeavors, remained a distant figure. His demanding mother was a strict disciplinarian who did not show affection towards her children. He was a disappointment to his mother, who compared him unfavorably with his more intelligent eldest brother Grand Duke Nicholas. Michael was considered the least gifted of the seven children and his mother referred to him as “stupid.”
During the years in the Caucasus, the Grand Duke excelled at horsemanship and started his military career. As a young man, he served in the Russo-Turkish War and became a Colonel. He loved the military life and served in the Egersky (Chasseur) Regiment of the guards. In 1882, when Grand Duke Michael was twenty years old, he returned with his family to St. Petersburg when his father was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. Michael was shallow and not particularly bright, but he was tall and handsome. He became popular on the social circuit in the capital, spending a great deal of his time on endless parties, dancing and gambling. Tsar Alexander III referred to him as a ‘fool’.
Marriage
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
in 1886 and later he asked Princess Irene of Hesse Darmstadt
Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine
Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine was the third child and third daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert...
. In 1887 he proposed to Princess Louise
Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
The Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark...
, the eldest daughter of the Prince of Wales and was turned down for a third time. After that, he attempted to marry within the Russian Nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, which caused confrontations with his parents. In 1888, he had an affair with Princess Walewski. Later he fell in love with Countess Katya Ignatieva, the daughter of the former minister of Interior, Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev
Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev
Count Nikolay Pavlovich Ignatyev was a Russian statesman and diplomat...
. He tried to get permission to marry her and he went with his father to talk to Tsar Alexander III. However, his mother and the Empress Maria Feodorovna made it impossible for him to marry Katya. Olga Feodorovna opposed the misalliance vehemently. “He has so openly provoked me" she wrote of her son, mentioning his “lack of respect, affection and attention”. To break off the relationship the parents decided to send him abroad.
While in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in 1891 Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich fell in love with Countess Sophie of Merenberg
Sophie of Merenberg
Countess Sophie of Merenberg, Countess de Torby, was the eldest daughter of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and Natalya Alexandrovna Pushkina.-Early life:...
, daughter of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and his morganatic wife, née Natalie Alexandrovna Pushkin. Sophie’s maternal grandfather was the renowned poet-author Alexander Pushkin; through him, she had black African ancestry (one part in 32) as a direct descendant of Peter the Great's protégé, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, also Hannibal or Ganibal or Ibrahim Hannibal or Abram Petrov , was brought to Russia as a gift for Peter the Great and became major-general, military engineer, governor of Reval and nobleman of the Russian Empire...
. The Grand Duke met Sophie when he saved her from a horse that had run away with her. He did not bother to ask for the necessary permission for the marriage from the Tsar or his parents because he knew it would not be granted. They were married in San Remo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
on 26 February 1891.
The marriage was not only morganatic but also illegal under the statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
of the Imperial Family and caused a great scandal at the Russian court, despite the bride's dynastic
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
paternal ancestry. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was deprived of his military rank and of his position as adjutant at the Imperial Court. He was also forbidden to return to Russia for life. When his mother heard of his morganatic marriage, she collapsed with shock and went by train to the Crimea to recover, but then had a heart attack and died, for which Michael was blamed. Banished from entering Russia, Michael was not allowed to attend his mother's funeral.
Exile
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...
, Grand Duke Michael would spend the rest of his life living in exile in England, France and Germany. His wife was granted the title of Countess Torby by her cousin the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The couple initially lived in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Nassau
Nassau (state)
Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
, where Sophie’s family once reigned. Two of their three children were born there. In 1899, they settled more permanently, in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
where they had a villa, named Kazbek, after a mountain in Georgia. They lived comfortably. Five footmen, a butler, a valet, a lady’s maid, a governess, a nursery maid and six chefs attended them. Michael afforded this lifestyle by being the owner of a factory near Tiflis that bottled mineral water.
In 1900, the Grand Duke began renting Keele Hall
Keele Hall
Keele Hall is a 19th century mansion house at Keele, Staffordshire, England, now standing on the campus of Keele University and serving as the university conference centre. It is a Grade II* listed building.-History:...
, a stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, a few miles from Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. During the ten years he lived there, he entered the English social country life
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
. Michael was very pleased when the town council of Newcastle-under-Lyme conferred him the distinction of Lord High Steward of the borough. He was also a frequent visitor of North Berwick
North Berwick
The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
, a seaside resort in Scotland.
Part of the year was spent at his villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
in the south of France. The Grand Duke was the founder and president of the Cannes Golf Club, where he often played during the winter season. In the South of France, he usually met his relatives, particularly his sister Anastasia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was a daughter of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia; she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
who owned a villa nearby. In 1903, Michael's father had a stroke and was moved to Cannes. The old Grand Duke was charmed by his daughter-in-law and his Torby grandchildren. The presence of Michael's father also frequently brought Michael's brother Alexander and his family to Cannes, and these were later followed by other Grand Dukes. He frequented many other European royals who also stayed at the Riviera.
At the time of the Russo-Japanese war
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, Michael Mikhailovich shaved off his beard and stopped dyeing his hair. He was described as a born autocrat, single-minded, and a stickler for protocol.
In 1908, Michael published a novel, Never Say Die, about a morganatic marriage, written in resentment at not being allowed back into Russia. In the preface he wrote :" Belonging, as I do, to the Imperial Blood, and being a member of one of the reigning houses, I should like to prove to the world how wrong it is in thinking - as the majority of mankind is apt to do- that we are the happiest beings on this earth. There is no doubt that we are well situated, but is wealth the only happiness in the world ?". While remaining "devoted" to Sophie, Michael nevertheless often fell in love with pretty girls.
At the death of his father in Cannes on 18 December 1909, Michael was allowed to come to Russia for the funeral; however, his wife refused to go with him as she still resented the insults which had marred their marriage so many years before.
After leaving Keele, the Grand Duke moved with his family to Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in 1909, taking a long lease on Kenwood, a manor house owned by the Earl of Mansfield, overlooking London’s Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
. Michael became President of the Hampstead General Hospital, to which he donated an ambulance, as well as President of the Hampstead Art Society. They lived in splendor, enjoying a privileged place in English society. Every year Grand Duke Michael and his wife would visit Edward VII in Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
or Sandringham
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
and attend luncheons at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
After the death of Edward VII, Grand Duke Michael, pushed by his wife, tried in vain to obtain an English title for her. In 1912, King George V wrote to Nicholas II about "that good fool Michael, who I am sure bores you with as many grievances as he does me." Nicholas had written to George to tell him that Grand Duke Michael had asked his permission for his wife to accept a British title and that he had given consent, subject of course to George’s agreement. In his reply George pointed out "I have not the power to grant a title in England to a foreign subject and still more impossible in the case of a Russian Grand Duke." Gloomily accepting that the Grand Duke would be turning up to make a formal request for his wife’s title, George added that "I do not look forward to our interview with any pleasure, as I fear I have no alternative but to refuse his request”.
Not only they did not get the title for Sophie, but the couple’s position in English society was threatened when in the same year Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
, Nicholas II's younger brother, chose England for his exile after also contracting a morganatic marriage. The arrival in England of another and more senior Grand Duke Michael provided an uncomfortable reminder of the scandal which had once attached to Michael Mikahilovich and his wife. As a result, they never received the newcomers at Kenwood. Their refusal to open their doors to the couple meant that many others in English society followed suit, with the result that Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and his wife were effectively marginalized.
In September 1912, Grand Duke Michael was allowed to visit Russia for the centenary (centennial) of the Battle of Borodino
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino , fought on September 7, 1812, was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia and all Napoleonic Wars, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties...
, and was restored to the honorary colonelcy of the 49th Brest Regiment.
Last years
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Michael was made a chairman of the commission to consolidate Russian orders abroad, but was denied permission to come back to Russia and serve with its armed forces. On 31 October 1916 the Grand Duke wrote to Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
warning him that British secret agents in Russia were expecting a revolution, and that he should satisfy the people's just demands before it was too late. Excerpts of Michael's correspondence in French with the Emperor during his exile have been published (usually beseeching the Czar for money from his London exile).
With the war and later after the Russian revolution, the Grand Duke’s financial situation deteriorated. He lost a good deal of his money, which was tied up in the Romanovs' fortunes. He had to move to a more modest house at 3 Cambridge Gate, Regent's Park. However, King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
helped with 10,000 pounds.
In 1916 his youngest daughter, Nadejda
Nadejda Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven
Nadejda Mikhailovna Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven was the second daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his morganatic wife Sophie, Countess von Merenberg. She was a younger sister of Countess Anastasia de Torby.Her paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Michael...
(Nada) married Prince George of Battenberg
George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
Captain George Louis Victor Henry Serge Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven , styled Earl of Medina between 1917 and 1921, was born the son of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine at Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany...
, eldest son of Prince Louis
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven
Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, GCB, GCVO, KCMG, PC , formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a German prince related to the British Royal Family...
and Princess Victoria Battenberg
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, later Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven was the eldest daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his first wife Princess Alice of the United Kingdom .Her mother died while her brother and sisters...
. The Battenberg
Battenberg
-Places:* Battenberg, Hesse, a town in Hesse, Germany* Battenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Battenberg Mausoleum, mausoleum of Prince Alexander of Battenberg in Sofia, Bulgaria...
family was itself the product of a morganatic marriage, but one whose members had been allowed to use the style 'His/Her Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
'. A year after Nadeja and George's wedding, however, the English branches of the Battenberg family gave up their princely title, and Prince George, who was eventually to become 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
Marquess of Milford Haven
Marquess of Milford Haven is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for Prince Louis of Battenberg, the former First Sea Lord, and a relation to the British Royal family, who amidst the anti-German sentiments of the First World War abandoned the use of his German...
, took the surname Mountbatten
Mountbatten
Mountbatten is the family name originally adopted by a branch of the Battenberg family due to rising anti-German sentiment among the British public during World War I...
and bore the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of earl, his wife becoming known as Countess of Medina. Anastasia
Anastasia de Torby
Countess Anastasia Mikhailovna de Torby, CBE , also named Lady Zia Wernher, was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, by Countess Sophie of Merenberg.-Biography:Like her mother, Anastasia was born of a morganatic marriage, and was...
(Zia), the eldest daughter, in 1917 married the baronet Sir Harold Wernher
Harold Augustus Wernher
Sir Harold Augustus Wernher, 3rd Baronet, GCVO, TD -Biography:He was the son of Sir Julius Wernher, 1st Baronet and his wife Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz...
, who was extremely wealthy. These marriages helped to alleviate the loss of income from Michael's imperial estates. Their son-in-law Sir Harold Wernher provided a good deal of financial support.
Their son, Michael Count de Torby (known as Boy Torby) lost his job and came to live with them but the relationship was difficult, not least because Boy suffered a recurring form of epilepsy. Between bouts of this he was a painter of some accomplishment. Once the World War was over, Michael Mikhailovich and his wife returned to Cannes after six years. After the news of the murders of so many close relatives came through, many people thought Michael became unbalanced. He had become short-tempered and rude to the servants and a great trial to his wife.
By 1925, the Grand Duke had become so troublesome that his son-in-law Harold regarded him as "perfectly crazy." On 4 September 1927 his wife died, aged fifty-nine. King George V wrote a kind letter of condolence and the Prince of Wales attended her funeral. By November, according to Harold, the Grand Duke was again behaving well, as he no longer had his wife to argue with. He survived her for less than two years. Grand Duke Michael contracted influenza and died in London on 26 April 1929, aged sixty-seven. He was buried with his wife in Hampstead Cemetery
Hampstead Cemetery
Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode...
.
Children
Grand Duke Michael and the Countess of Torby had two daughters and one son.- AnastasiaAnastasia de TorbyCountess Anastasia Mikhailovna de Torby, CBE , also named Lady Zia Wernher, was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, by Countess Sophie of Merenberg.-Biography:Like her mother, Anastasia was born of a morganatic marriage, and was...
(Zia) (9 September 1892 – 7 December 1977); m. London 20 Jul 1917 Sir Harold Wernher, BtHarold Augustus WernherSir Harold Augustus Wernher, 3rd Baronet, GCVO, TD -Biography:He was the son of Sir Julius Wernher, 1st Baronet and his wife Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz...
(1893–1973). They had one son and two daughters. Today Zia's grandchildren include the Duchesses of AbercornAlexandra Hamilton, Duchess of AbercornAlexandra Anastasia "Sacha" Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn OBE is the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn....
and WestminsterNatalia Grosvenor, Duchess of WestminsterNatalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...
, the Countess of DalhousieEarl of DalhousieEarl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay.-History:This family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. He received a charter of the barony of Dalhousie and also...
, and Rohays, Princess Alexander GalitzineGalitzineFor Orthodox clergyman and theologian, see Alexander Golitzin.The Galitzines are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Since the extinction of the Korecki family in the 17th century, the Golitsyns have claimed dynastic seniority in the House of Gediminas...
. - NadejdaNadejda Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford HavenNadejda Mikhailovna Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven was the second daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and his morganatic wife Sophie, Countess von Merenberg. She was a younger sister of Countess Anastasia de Torby.Her paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Michael...
(Nada) (28 March 1896 – 22 January 1963); m. London 15 Nov 1916 George, 2d Marquess of Milford HavenGeorge Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford HavenCaptain George Louis Victor Henry Serge Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven , styled Earl of Medina between 1917 and 1921, was born the son of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine at Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany...
, born Prince von Battenberg (1892–1938). They had one daughter Lady Tatiana Elizabeth Mountbatten, and one son David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford HavenDavid Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford HavenDavid Michael Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven , styled Viscount Alderney before 1921 and Earl of Medina between 1921 and 1938, was the son of the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven and Countess Nadejda de Torby.... - Michael Count de Torby (Boy) (8 October 1898 – 8 May 1959), became a naturalized British subject in November 1938.