Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna: June 2008-

[Benjamin]

Contrexéville : le retour des Romanov
17 septembre 2011

Maria Wladimirovna de Russie est ce week-end, à Contrexéville, refuge vosgien de son arrière-grande mère, la Grande Duchesse Maria Pavlovna, figure d’une dynastie des Romanov à la destinée tragique début XX e...

Full article with photo - Région | Contrexéville : le retour des Romanov - Le Républicain Lorrain

 

[NGalitzine]

A restoration won't happen but HIH has carved out a little role for herself which pleases most people I think. But why give up what's rightfully hers? She has some position at least, look at how she fought to get the Tsar rehabilitated. She is a Grand Duchess by birth, she is the Head of the family so why give all that up?

Well the legitimacy of her usage of the title of Grand Duchess and Head of the Family are disputed by other members of the Romanov family, although she does not recognize their membership in the Romanov family.

 

[AristoCat]

I'm more than sure that the rest of the Romanovs would actually, happily, end up accepting her (and her son) as head of house if she didn't so blatantly exclude the rest of them from being considered Romanovs. They are members of the Imperial Family and they are also more closely descended from Nicholas II than Maria herself is. I think that Rotislav is a more appealing Head of House since after all, he is descended from Grand Duchess Xenia (who is is great grandmother no less) and seems a lot less antagonistic.

Maria must let this antagonism pass and then stop trying to take all the control and power for herself. What if Georgi never marries as a result of her antagonism? She has more than enough and the rest of the Romanovs need peace and stability and their family and I find it disgusting that Cyril practically seized power and Maria keeps this rivalry going. Pride, if you don't mind my saying, will ruin her life the same as it will her son's life if this doesn't end. The rest of the family are undisputed descendents of the Romanovs, among them Rotislav who is considered by them to be the Head of House via

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

If you look at Russia at the moment and this ridiculous power play by Putin and Medvedev, I think a constitutional monarchy would be more democratic under an Empress Maria. Just IMO of course.

 

[AristoCat]

To be honest, I don't blame Maria for enjoying banquets and receptions, and balls; who doesn't enjoy that sort of thing? She isn't piously denouncing it while enjoying it, I give her that much credit. She's a tough woman, but I wonder if she could be made to be more cooperative with the other Romanovs.

 

[BeatrixFan]

If you look at Russia at the moment and this ridiculous power play by Putin and Medvedev, I think a constitutional monarchy would be more democratic under an Empress Maria. Just IMO of course.

This could well be the time Maria can make a case for constitutional monarchy and have it heard. Then again, she can't overstep the political boundaries which would negate the argument.

 

[AristoCat]

If she doesn't want to be supported by taxpayers, I easily see the Romanovs being welcome to represent Russians. Taxpayer support is simply impossible.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Is it? In Britain we support our crown with tax and the majority consider it money well spent. And let's not forget that the Russians support the presidency through taxes, would supporting an Empress be that much of an impossibility?

 

[AristoCat]

Supporting the President and an Imperial Family on taxation would be a killer financially. Besides, there are the other Romanovs to take into account and they are for the moment happy as things are. They know who they are, they are happy just to be able to live and work in Russia with no problems and they are also make their own way. Maria might be too old, but Georgi has the ability to make his own way and he should. Maria isn't the only Romanov and she isn't the only one who cares about Russia.

 

[BeatrixFan]

It's pretty much one or the other which is what I meant. Let's face it, the whole notion of a restoration is more than a little unlikely but as the Kremlin doesn't bother to deal with any of the other Romanovs than Maria (who they obviously regard as the IF representative), I couldn't see them dishing out funds to random Romanovs with a distant claim. The IF at the moment (as the Kremlin seems to see it) is Maria and George. Let's say that Greece restored it's monarchy, they'd fund Constantine and his family but Prince Michael is unlikely to get anything because he isn't considered the numero uno. Does that make sense?

And if the other Romanovs are happy with the way things are....why not drop their claim altogether and leave it to Maria who isnt?

 

[NotAPretender]

I've read both here and elsewhere that Maria is putting her price tag at $10B in property and cash in order to be rightfully compensated and restored. I thought that was pretty bold, considering that her "claim" is by no means rock solid, and the increasing disparity between the rich and not rich in Russia brings back memories of, say, 1918.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Really? I doubt Maria would be so silly as to demand $10bn from the Russian government though I am surprised that she hasn't followed the example of quite a few exiled heads of royal houses and taken a case to the European Court of Human Rights to get property back. Indeed, when she's given interviews she always makes a point of saying that she doesn't want any financial compensation.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Google Translate

A new interview with Her Imperial Highness.

"Speaking about the restoration of the monarchy, the conviction of Her Imperial Highness is that it's too early. "If the monarchical state once again in the future will demand of our people, I, my son or our legitimate heirs to fulfill our duty. We are well aware of the realities of today and strive to be useful in their country no matter what her form of government "- she said in the conclusion of the interview"

 

[AristoCat]

I didn't know that. Well, still, she's right that a restoration is too early.

 

[Cory]

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and Grand Duke George remembering her ancestor at Contrexeville :

Eurohistory: Exclusive: Descendants of Grand Duchess Vladimir Gather to Honor Her

 

[AristoCat]

I think this was already posted. Maria has such a dutiful son.

 

[Cory]

It was a news concerning the same event but it was another article written in French.

 

[Lenora]

The other members of the Imperial Family of Romanovs made some time ago an official declaration that "Great Duchess Maria Vladimirovna has no right to be the heir to the imperial throne,as well as her self-proclaimed ancestors and descendants",so they rejected the idea of her right to call herself the legitimate successor,she is considered by them to be one of the many pretenders and her actual role is not justified in their eyes.

romanovtoday -

Google

 

[Cory]

Who cares what these aristocrats say?They are not members of the imperial Family and HIH Grand Duchess Maria will continue with the imperial inheritance.

 

[Benjamin]

Georg Friedrich von Preussen Prince of Prussia Wedding Applause Romanov - YouTube

 

[AristoCat]

Who cares what these aristocrats say?They are not members of the imperial Family and HIH Grand Duchess Maria will continue with the imperial inheritance.

I dunno; what is wrong with Rostislav being Tsar?

Secondly, I woner what Maria has been up to. Do you think she is scouting candidates for her son?

 

[NGalitzine]

The other members of the Imperial Family of Romanovs made some time ago an official declaration that "Great Duchess Maria Vladimirovna has no right to be the heir to the imperial throne,as well as her self-proclaimed ancestors and descendants",so they rejected the idea of her right to call herself the legitimate successor,she is considered by them to be one of the many pretenders and her actual role is not justified in their eyes.

romanovtoday -

Google

Yes, the Romanoff Family Assoc takes the view that the throne is vacant and that no one should put themselves forward as Tsar or Pretender. They say that it would be up to the Russian people to decide if a monarchy should be restored and who that monarch should be, much the same was as the first Romanoff came to the throne. Seems like a pretty logical way of thinking.

 

[branchg]

The other members of the Imperial Family of Romanovs made some time ago an official declaration that "Great Duchess Maria Vladimirovna has no right to be the heir to the imperial throne,as well as her self-proclaimed ancestors and descendants",so they rejected the idea of her right to call herself the legitimate successor,she is considered by them to be one of the many pretenders and her actual role is not justified in their eyes.

That is their position on the matter, which is not accepted by everyone. The Pauline Laws are very clear they are not dynasts, but mere morganatic descendants with no rights whatsoever.

While it's true Maria's mother may not have been strictly royalty, her father was the undisputed Head of the Imperial House and ruled she was. That was the end of that and Maria is the rightful heir.

 

[AristoCat]

No one among the other Romanovs are not so presumptuous as to suggest that they automatically have the right and Cyril declared himself head right over the still warm body of the Dowager Empress. The Romanovs didn't live in anticipation that there would be a full restoration and that Communism would collapse as soon as it did. You really don't think that Maria has also any right to immediately suggest, simply by decree that the Romanvos are not Romanovs? They are Romanovs and have the lineage and have the ancestry and she has no right to disinherit them solely ebcause they disagree with the idea that she is head of the family and de jure Empress. They are Romanovs and that's that.

 

[branchg]

Maria knows she is not going to be crowned Empress in her lifetime. She's not a stupid woman. Her point is she is the Head of the Imperial House and her relatives are not dynasts due to unequal marriages.

She has never stated they are not Romanovs, only that they have no rights to the throne under the Pauline Laws. But she has acknowledged they are part of the extended family.

 

[BeatrixFan]

As Head of the House, she can "exile" who she likes. If she wanted to make someone a Grand Duke or strip someone of their Russian Imperial honours, she could.

 

[NGalitzine]

LOL. Exile, really? Nearly 100 years after the revolution the Romanoffs are all exiles, but in reality they are French, German, Spanish, Italian, American etc. 100 years is a bit long to consider youorself to be an exile, especially since none of them were born in Russia or turfed out of the country by revolution.
Maria's right to do anything really depends on people acknowledging her right to do so. If one doesnt acknowledge her right or her presumed position as head of house than no matter what she says it really has no effect. Her grandfather and fathers claims to head the family had issues and Marias certainly does as well. She has no legal rights to do anything. There is no Russian throne and no Imperial powers.

 

[BeatrixFan]

What I meant was, Maria decides who is a member of the Imperial Family and who isn't. Just as King Constantine, Crown Prince Alexander etc etc can.

 

[NGalitzine]

Oh I understood that, but it only works if people acknowledge her right to do so which many people do not......and quite frankly it seems ridiculous after all this time for her to even try to do so.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Surely that's the same for any regime? It only has power/effect if people give it their loyalty.