...As for the Romanovs, I think Maria is a little too zealous in promoting herself...
I think that is inevitable when you consider yourself the only rightful head and curator of the Romanov dynasty.... Let us simply see today's Romanovs in the line of succession (according the Romanov Family Association) and see why Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna dismisses them as non-dynastic:
Article 36 ("Children born of a marriage between a member of the Imperial Family and a person not of corresponding rank, that is, not belonging to a (former) Royal or Ruling House, shall have no right of succession to the Throne"
1. Dimitri Romanovich Romanov (1926)
The marriage of his father
Roman Petrovich Romanov with
Countess Praskiova Sheremeteva was seen as not meeting the requirements. Dimitri himself married twice: with
Johanna von Kaufmann and with
Dorrit Reventlow, both were seen as not meeting the requirements. No male issue.
2. Andrey Andreyevich Romanov (1923)
The marriage of his father
Andrey Alexandrovich Romanov with
Donna Elisabetta of the dukes Sasso Ruffo was seen as not meeting the requirements. Andrey himself married three times with
Helena Dourneva, with
Kathleen Norris and with
Inez von Bachelin. None of these were seen as meeting the requirements.
3. Alexis Andreyevich Romanov (1953)
The marriage of his father
Andrey Andreyevich Romanov with
Helena Dourneva was seen as not meeting the requirements. Alexis himself married
Zoetta Leisy, not seen as meeting the requirements. No male issue.
4. Pyotr Andreyevich Romanov (1961)
The marriage of his father
Andrey Andreyevitch Romanov with
Kathleen Norris was seen as not meeting the requirements. Pyotr himself is unmarried.
5. Andrey Andreyevich Romanov (1963)
The marriage of his father
Andrey Andreyevich Romanov with
Kathleen Norris was seen as not meeting the requirements. Andrey himself married
Elizabeth Flores, not seen as meeting the requirements. No male issue.
6. Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov (1985)
The marriage of his father
Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov with
Christina Ipsen was seen as not meeting the requirements. Rostislav himself has a son-out-of-wedlock. His son
Michael (2013) is therefore not in line of succession.
7. Nikita Rostislavovich Romanov (1985)
The marriage of his father
Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov with
Christina Ipsen was seen as not meeting the requirements. Nikita himself is unmarried.
8. Nicholas Nicholayevich Romanov (1968)
The marriage of his father
Nicholas Rostislavovich Romanov with
Pamela Kuzinowski was seen as not meeting the requirements. Nicholas himself has a son-out-of-wedlock. His son
Cory (1994) is therefore not in line of succession.
Then we look to the line of Maria Vladimirovna, let us see if her line qualifies for the line of succession.
Article 36 ("Children born of a marriage between a member of the Imperial Family and a person not of corresponding rank, that is, not belonging to a (former) Royal or Ruling House, shall have no right of succession to the Throne"
1. Maria Vladmirovna Romanova (1953)
The marriage of her father
Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov with
Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Moukhranskaya is seen as meeting the requirements by supporters and seen as not exactly meeting the requirements by non-supporters. Maria herself married
Franz Wilhelm von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia. That marriage did meet the requirements.
2. Georgy Mikhailovich Romanov, Prince of Prussia (1981)
The marriage of his mother
Maria Vladimirovna Romanova with
Franz Wilhelm von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia did meet the requirements. Georgy himself is unmarried.
3. Andreas zu Leiningen, Prince of Leiningen (1955)
The marriage of his mother
Maria Cyrillovna Romanova to
Emich zu Leiningen, Prince of Leiningen did meet the requirements. (Leiningen has a former sovereign status).
4. Ferdinand zu Leiningen, Herditary Prince of Leiningen (1982)
The marriage of his father
Andreas zu Leiningen, Prince of Leiningen with
Princess Alexandra of Hannover did meet the requirements. (Leiningen has a former sovereign status).
5. Georg Friedrich von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia (1976)
The marriage of his father
Louis Ferdinand von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia with
Donata Countess von Castell-Rüdenhausen is seen as meeting the requirements by supporters and seen as not exactly meeting the requirements by non-supporters.
6. Carl Friedrich von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia (2013)
The marriage of his father
Georg Friedrich von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia with
Princess Sophie von Isenburg did meet the requirements. (Isenburg has a former sovereign status).
7. Louis Ferdinand von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia (2013)
The marriage of his father
Georg Friedrich von Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia with
Princess Sophie von Isenburg did meet the requirements. (Isenburg has a former sovereign status).
From an objective viewpoint one can hardly disagree that the line of succession from Maria Vladimirovna does meet the requirements quite a lot more than the rival line of succession. We have to be honest about that...