Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia ( – 8 May 1981) was a member of the Imperial Family of Russia. A son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia he was also the eldest nephew of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia
. After the Russian revolution, he spent much of his life in exile in Great Britain
and was later promoted by some people as a claimant to the throne.
, Saint Petersburg
the second child but first son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
. Although a grandson of Emperor Alexander III
through his mother, he was not entitled to the title Grand Duke of Russia because he was only a great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I
in the male line through his father. Despite being only a Prince of Russia, he received a 21 gun salute at birth (which was usually reserved for Grand Duke
s, with a 15 gun salute for Princes of Russia) at the insistence of his grandmother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
In his youth, before World War I
, Prince Andrei toured Europe
with his parents. At Biarritz
, he joined his great uncle King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
at the palace Hotel. Prince Andrei joined the Russian navy and served under his father Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
. Later he became lieutenant in the Chevalier guards, whose colonel-in-chief
was his uncle, Emperor Nicholas II. Just before the Russian revolution
, he was the only member of his family to accompany the Empress Alexandra and her four daughters on their last visit to the churches of Novgorod.
, in the Crimea
. He escaped the fate of a number of his Romanov
cousins who were murdered by the Bolsheviks when he was freed by German
troops in 1918. In December 1918, he left Russia with his father aboard the Royal Navy
ship HMS Marlborough
in order to attend the Paris Peace Conference
.
In 1949, Prince Andrei moved into Provender house in Faversham
, Kent
which was owned by the family of his second wife. The house was also famous for being a hunting lodge of Edward, the Black Prince
. Prince Andrei was the protector of the Sovereign Order of the Orthodox Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem.
Prince Andrei was promoted by some people as a claimant to the Russian throne as under the male primogeniture succession law used in the United Kingdom
he could have claimed the succession as nearest relative to his uncle, the last Emperor Nicholas II. However, Russia did not operate under the same rules (see line of succession to the Russian throne
).
Prince Andrei Alexandrovich died at home in Faversham
on 8 May 1981 aged 84.
on 12 June 1918. She was a daughter of Fabrizio Ruffo
, Duke of Sasso-Ruffo and Princess Natalia Alexandrovna Mescherskaya (herself a descendant of a famous family of the Stroganovs). Elisabetta had a daughter (Elisabeth Alexandrovna Friederici) from her first marriage to Major General Alexander Alexandrovitch Friederici (1878–1916) (they had married in 1907). They had three children.
His first wife died of cancer during the Second World War. He later married Nadine Sylvia Ada McDougall (1908–2000) at Norton, Kent on 21 September 1942. They had one daughter.
N.B. After the Russian revolution members of the Imperial family tended to drop the territorial designation “of Russia” and use the princely title with the surname Romanov while keeping the appropriate style.
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia he was also the eldest nephew of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia
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...
. After the Russian revolution, he spent much of his life in exile in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and was later promoted by some people as a claimant to the throne.
Life in Imperial Russia
Prince Andrei Alexandrovich was born at the Winter PalaceWinter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
the second child but first son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia was a daughter of Tsar Alexander III of Russia and the elder of Tsar Nicholas II two sisters. She married her cousin Grand Duke Alexander Mikailovich of Russia, with whom she had seven children....
. Although a grandson of 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:...
through his mother, he was not entitled to the title Grand Duke of Russia because he was only a great-grandson of 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...
in the male line through his father. Despite being only a Prince of Russia, he received a 21 gun salute at birth (which was usually reserved for Grand Duke
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
s, with a 15 gun salute for Princes of Russia) at the insistence of his grandmother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
In his youth, before World War I
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...
, Prince Andrei toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with his parents. At 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....
, he joined his great uncle King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
at the palace Hotel. Prince Andrei joined the Russian navy and served under his father Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia, Александр Михайлович Aleksandr Mihailovits was a dynast of the Russian Empire, a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, and an advisor of the said Emperor.-Biography: Alexander was born the son of Grand Duke...
. Later he became lieutenant in the Chevalier guards, whose colonel-in-chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
was his uncle, Emperor Nicholas II. Just before the Russian revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
, he was the only member of his family to accompany the Empress Alexandra and her four daughters on their last visit to the churches of Novgorod.
Revolution and exile
During the Russian Revolution, Prince Andrei was imprisoned along with his parents and grandmother the Dowager Empress at DulberDulber
Dulber is a palace in Koreiz, near Yalta in Crimea, located in southern Ukraine. The palace of Grand Duke Peter Nicolaievich of Russia, known as Dulber , is an asymmetrical architectural extravanganza with crenellated walls, silver domes, and more than 100 rooms, inspired by the Mameluk...
, in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. He escaped the fate of a number of his Romanov
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
cousins who were murdered by the Bolsheviks when he was freed by German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
troops in 1918. In December 1918, he left Russia with his father aboard the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ship HMS Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1912)
HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and launched in 1912. In World War I she served in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow...
in order to attend the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
.
In 1949, Prince Andrei moved into Provender house in Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
which was owned by the family of his second wife. The house was also famous for being a hunting lodge of Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
. Prince Andrei was the protector of the Sovereign Order of the Orthodox Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem.
Prince Andrei was promoted by some people as a claimant to the Russian throne as under the male primogeniture succession law used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
he could have claimed the succession as nearest relative to his uncle, the last Emperor Nicholas II. However, Russia did not operate under the same rules (see line of succession to the Russian throne
Line of succession to the Russian Throne
The Monarchy of Russia was abolished in 1917 following the February Revolution, which forced Emperor Nicholas II to abdicate. The issue of who is the current Pretender is open to debate.-Line of succession in March 1917:...
).
Prince Andrei Alexandrovich died at home in Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
on 8 May 1981 aged 84.
Marriages and children
Prince Andrei was married to Donna Elisabetta Ruffo-Sasso [dei duchi di Sasso-Ruffo dei principi di Sant' Antimo] (1886–1940) at YaltaYalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
on 12 June 1918. She was a daughter of Fabrizio Ruffo
Fabrizio Ruffo
Fabrizio Ruffo was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-republican Sanfedismo movement .-Biography:...
, Duke of Sasso-Ruffo and Princess Natalia Alexandrovna Mescherskaya (herself a descendant of a famous family of the Stroganovs). Elisabetta had a daughter (Elisabeth Alexandrovna Friederici) from her first marriage to Major General Alexander Alexandrovitch Friederici (1878–1916) (they had married in 1907). They had three children.
- Princess Xenia Andreevna (1919–2000)
- Prince Michael AndreevichPrince Michael Andreevich of RussiaPrince Michael Andreevich of Russia was a descendant of the House of Romanov which ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. He was a great nephew of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia.-Early life:...
(1920–2008) - Prince Andrew AndreevichPrince Andrew RomanovPrince Andrew Andreevich Romanoff is a Russian prince and artist.-Biography:He was born in London, United Kingdom, the youngest child of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia and his first wife Elisabetha Sasso-Ruffo...
(b. 1923)
His first wife died of cancer during the Second World War. He later married Nadine Sylvia Ada McDougall (1908–2000) at Norton, Kent on 21 September 1942. They had one daughter.
- Princess Olga AndreevnaPrincess Olga Andreevna RomanoffPrincess Olga Andreevna Romanoff is a Russian princess and descendant of the House of Romanov.-Biography:She was born in London the daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia and his second wife Nadine Sylvia Ada McDougall...
(b. 1950)
Titles and styles
- His Highness Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia
N.B. After the Russian revolution members of the Imperial family tended to drop the territorial designation “of Russia” and use the princely title with the surname Romanov while keeping the appropriate style.