Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia (15 August 1901 – 7 July 1980) was a son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. He was a nephew of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
.
, near Saint Petersburg, Russia
on 15 August 1901. He was the four son and fifth child among seven siblings. His parents : Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
(1866–1933) and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna (1875–1960) were first cousins once removed. Consequently Prince Dmitri was the great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I
(from his father's side), also the great-great-grandson of the same Tsar Nicholas I (from his mother's one), the grandson of Tsar Alexander III
and the nephew of Tsar Nicholas II
.
During the Russian Revolution Prince Dmitri was imprisoned along with his parents and grandmother the Dowager Empress at Dulber, 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. He left Russia on 11 April 1919 abroad the Royal Navy
ship HMS Marlborough
to attend to Malta
were they spent nine months before settling to England
.
Prince Dmitri had a varied career. In the 1920s he was a stockbroker in Manhattan
; for a brief period in the 1930s he managed Coco Chanel
's shop at Biarritz
. During World War II
he was a lieutenant commander in the Royal Naval Reserve
. After the war he became secretary of the travelers club in Paris
and in the 1950s he was the European sales representative of a whisky firm.
Following the creation of the Romanov Family Association
in 1979, Prince Dmitri was chosen as its first president serving until his death a year later in England.
. They had one child before divorcing in 1947.
Dmitri married secondly to Margaret Sheila MacKellar Chisholm (9 September 1898 – 13 October 1969) on 20 October 1954. No children were born of this marriage.
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.
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 a nephew of Tsar 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...
.
Russian prince
Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich Romanov was born at the Gatchina PalaceGatchina Palace
The Great Gatchina Palace was built in 1766–1781 in Gatchina town by Antonio Rinaldi for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov who was a favourite of Ekaterina II. The Gatchina Palace is located on the hill above Lake Serebryannoe. It combines themes of a medieval castle and a country residence....
, near Saint Petersburg, Russia
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...
on 15 August 1901. He was the four son and fifth child among seven siblings. His parents : 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...
(1866–1933) and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna (1875–1960) were first cousins once removed. Consequently Prince Dmitri was the great-grandson of Tsar 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...
(from his father's side), also the great-great-grandson of the same Tsar Nicholas I (from his mother's one), the grandson of Tsar 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:...
and the nephew of 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...
.
During the Russian Revolution Prince Dmitri was imprisoned along with his parents and grandmother the Dowager Empress at Dulber, 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 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. He left Russia on 11 April 1919 abroad 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...
to attend to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
were they spent nine months before settling to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Prince Dmitri had a varied career. In the 1920s he was a stockbroker in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
; for a brief period in the 1930s he managed Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...
's shop 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....
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was a lieutenant commander in the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
. After the war he became secretary of the travelers club in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and in the 1950s he was the European sales representative of a whisky firm.
Following the creation of the Romanov Family Association
Romanov Family Association
The Romanov Family Association, Obyedineniye Chlenov Roda Romanovykh , is an organization for male-line descendants of Emperor Paul I of Russia...
in 1979, Prince Dmitri was chosen as its first president serving until his death a year later in England.
Family
Dmitri was married twice. He married first Countess Marina Sergeievna Golenistcheva-Koutouzova (20 November 1912–7 Januar 1969) on 25 October 1931 in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. They had one child before divorcing in 1947.
- Princess Nadejda Dmitrievna (4 July 1933 – 17 September 2002). Nadejda married Anthony Allen, with whom she had three daughters, Penelope, Marina and Alexandra; after divorcing Allen, she married William Hall Clark.
Dmitri married secondly to Margaret Sheila MacKellar Chisholm (9 September 1898 – 13 October 1969) on 20 October 1954. No children were born of this marriage.
Title and style
- His Highness Prince Dmitri 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.