Prince of Blood Imperial or Princess of the Blood Imperial (Russian: Князь императорской крови) were the titles used in the Russian Empire from the late eighteenth century onwards for members of the extended Imperial Family of Russia. The title was granted to male-line great-grandchildren, and their descendants (as well as the wives of male members of the family) instead of the higher-ranking Grand Duke of Russia or Grand Duchess of Russia (Russian: великий князь), which carried the style Imperial Highness, which was thereafter restricted to the children and male-line grandchildren of an Emperor. Although the title had existed in theory since 1797, it was used from 1886 onwards due to changes instituted by Emperor Alexander III to address the proliferation of members of the wider Imperial Family of Russia during the nineteenth century. The ever-growing number of Grand Dukes and Duchesses in the late 19th century placed increased pressure on the Imperial Treasury to fund the state annuities which each Grand Duke and Grand Duchess was entitled to.
Background
In 1886 Emperor Alexander III altered the use of titles in the Imperial House by amendment to the succession laws. The growing size of the Imperial Family of Russia throughout the nineteenth century had incurred a corresponding increase to the cost to the Imperial Treasury of the annuities of each Grand Duke and Duchess.
Under the existing 1797 Laws of the Imperial Family, title of Grand Duke/Duchess and style of Imperial Highness was granted to all children, and male-line grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of an Emperor. Reform of the Laws which governed the Imperial Family had been discussed as early as 1884.
On 5 July 1886 a son was born to the Emperor's first cousin Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and his wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna; the infant Grand Duke, John Konstantinovich, was the first legitimate male-line great-grandson of an Emperor born into the wider Imperial Family. The arrival of the first member of the next generation of Grand Dukes in the Romanov Family prompted the Emperor to alter the entitlement to the title and style of Grand Duke/Duchess of Russia and Imperial Highness by amending the "Fundamental Laws" which regulated membership of the Imperial Family.
The changes, announced nine days after the birth of Grand Duke John Konstantinovich (known thereafter as Prince John Konstantinovich), restricted the title of Grand Duke or Grand Duchess and style of Imperial Highness to the children and male-line grandchildren of an Emperor of Russia.
The male-line great-grandchildren of an Emperor would instead receive the title of Prince of the Blood Imperial or Princess of the Blood Imperial and be entitled to the use lower-ranking style of Highness. The Senior male-line male heir of each great-grandson of an Emperor would also be entitled to use the style of Highness regardless of how many generations in descent from an Emperor they each were. Sources differ as to whether the use of "Highness" by each senior male heir of a great-grandson of an Emperor was granted for life; the only example of such an individual prior to the revolution was Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich of Russia. Born on 20 January 1914, on the following day Nicholas II declared Prince Vsevolod to be a Prince of the Blood Imperial with the style of Highness.
All other male-line great-great-grandchildren of an Emperor and more remote male-line descendants would continue to be a Prince or Princess of the Blood Imperial, but were only granted use the still-lower style of Serene Highness.
The wives of Grand Dukes and Princes who formed dynastic (i.e. non-morganatic) marriages were entitled to take on their husband's rank and style.
Alexander III's own grandchildren would be later affected by the change; in 1894 his younger daughter Grand Duchess Xenia married her first-cousin-once-removed Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. Under the 1886 changes, Xenia and Alexander Mikhailovich's children derived their rank and titles as male-line great-grandchildren of Emperor Nicholas I through their father, rather than as female-line grandchildren of Alexander III, and consequently were only entitled to the style and title of Highness and Prince/Princess of the Blood Imperial.
| Degree of descent from a former or living Emperor | 1797 Statute on the Imperial Family | 1886 Statute on the Imperial Family |
|---|---|---|
| Children of an Emperor | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia |
| Male-line grandchildren of an Emperor | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia |
| Male-line great-grandchildren of an Emperor | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia | Highness and Prince or Princess of the Blood Imperial |
| Male-line great-great-grandchildren of an Emperor | Imperial Highness and Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Russia | Serene Highness† and Prince or Princess of the Blood Imperial |
| Male-line great-great-great-grandchildren of an Emperor | Highness and Prince or Princess of the Blood Imperial | Serene Highness† and Prince or Princess of the Blood Imperial |
§Limited to Romanov descendants born from "dynastic" (non-morganatic) marriages.
†The senior male descendant in the male line of each great-grandson of an Emperor was entitled to the higher style of Highness, regardless of how many generations removed they were from an Emperor.
Finances and Annuities
Varying figures have been published regarding the size of the state-funded annuities which members of the Imperial Family received under the 1886 changes to the "Fundamental Laws" of the Imperial Family.
Grand Dukes reportedly received life annuities of 280,000 roubles from the Imperial Treasury. In his memoirs, published in the early 1930s Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia states that Grand Dukes received the equivalent of US$50,000 per year (paid into a Trust) from birth until the age of 20, and $100,000 annually thereafter; based on the approximate exchange rates of ₽2:$1 in the late 19th century and ₽3:$1 from 1914 to 1917, this supports the approximate figure of 100,000 roubles annually from birth and 200,000 roubles annually once each Grand Duke reached the age of majority.
Grand Duchess reportedly received a dowry of 1,000,000 (approximately $500,000 or £100,000 in 1886) roubles upon their marriage. This was also the figure provided by Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, who stated that the dowry of each Grand Duchess was $500,000.: 158 Other sources suggest that an additional annuity of 50,000 roubles from birth, increased to 100,000 roubles upon reaching a majority was paid to all Grand Duchesses, and that a one-off 1,000,000 rouble payment was made to all Grand Duchesses and Grand Dukes when they married.
Princes and Princesses of the Blood Imperial who were male-line great-grandchildren of an Emperor were not entitled to an annuity under the 1886 changes, but were provided with a one-off lump sum payment of 1,000,000 roubles at birth. This figure is supported by Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, who provided a figure of US$500,000.: 158
Alternative figures are listed in a number of contemporary sources; the 1912 edition of the Svod Zakonov (the Russian Empire’s official Digest of Laws) reprints the revised Statute on the Imperial Family which was approved on 2/14 July 1886. This defines who qualified for titles and how support was structured. The Brockhaus & Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890s), a standard Russian reference work, summarizes the administrative stipend scales then in force for imperial children and grandchildren. These sources are examined in Mikhail Dolbilov’s 2023 peer-reviewed study "Managing the Ruling House: Royals, Bureaucrats, and the Emergence of the 1886 Statute on the Imperial Family of the Russian Empire", which offers a detailed examination of the post-1886 financial provisions for the Imperial Family, with reference to the 1886 “Norms of financing” (RGIA) section. These sources provide the following data on the annuities and financial entitlements of the wider Romanov Family during the period from 1886 to 1917:
| Rank of Family Member | Financial Entitlement at Birth | Financial Entitlement from Majority | Financial Entitlement upon marriage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sons of the Emperor (Grand Dukes) | ₽33,000 per year prior to majority. | Annuity increased to ₽150,000 per year; and granted a one-off lump sum of ₽1,000,000. | Annuity increased to ₽200,000 per year, plus a separate ₽40,000 annuity granted to their wife, who also received one-time grants of ₽100,000 (from Emperor) and ₽50,000 (from husband). The widow of the son of an Emperor would continue to receive ₽40,000 annually (reduced to one-third of this amount if residing abroad during their widowhood, and ceasing to be paid if she remarried). |
| Daughters of the Emperor (Grand Duchesses) | ₽33,000 per year to majority. | Annuity increased to ₽50,000 per year until marriage. | ₽50,000 annuity ceases, replaced by a Dowry lump-sum payment of ₽1,000,000 (held in Trust in Russia with income paid at 5%). |
| Male-line Grandsons of an Emperor (Grand Dukes) | ₽15,000 per year to majority. | Annuity increased to ₽150,000 per year; and granted a one-off lump-sum of ₽600,000. | No increase in individual annuity, but a separate annuity of ₽20,000 was paid to their wife, who also would receive one-time grants of ₽100,000 (from Emperor) and ₽50,000 (from husband). The widow of the grandson of an Emperor would continue to receive ₽20,000 annually (reduced to one-third of this amount if residing abroad during their widowhood, and ceasing to be paid if she remarried). |
| Male-line Granddaughters of an Emperor (Grand Duchesses) | ₽15,000 per year to majority. | Annuity increased to ₽50,000 per year until marriage. | ₽50,000 annuity ceases, replaced by a Dowry lump-sum payment of ₽1,000,000 (held in Trust in Russia with income paid at 5%). |
Princes of Russia of the House of Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp
| Picture | Name | Father | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Generation | |||||
| Prince John Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 5 July 1886 | 18 July 1918 | Ioann Konstantinovich was born as a Grand Duke of Russia with the style Imperial Highness, but at the age of 9 days, an Ukaz of his cousin Emperor Alexander III of Russia stripped him of that title, as the Ukaz amended the House Law by limiting the grand-ducal title to grandsons of a reigning emperor. As a result, he received the title Prince of the Imperial Blood (Prince of Russia) with the style Highness. Princess Catherine Ivanovna | |
| Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 15 July 1887 | 28 February 1955 | ||
| Prince Constantine Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 1 January 1891 | 18 July 1918 | ||
| Prince Oleg Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 27 November 1892 | 27 September 1914 | ||
| Prince Igor Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 10 June 1894 | 18 July 1918 | ||
| Prince Georgy Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 6 May 1903 | 7 November 1938 | ||
| Prince Roman Petrovich | Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich | 17 October 1896 | 23 October 1978 | ||
| Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 24 January 1897 | 8 May 1981 | Princess Xenia Andreevna Princess Olga Andreevna | |
| Prince Feodor Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 23 December 1898 | 30 November 1968 | Princess Irene Feodorovna | |
| Prince Nikita Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 13 January 1900 | 12 September 1974 | ||
| Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 15 August 1901 | 7 July 1980 | Princess Nadejda Dimitrievna | |
| Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 2 November 1902 | 31 July 1978 | ||
| Prince Vasili Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 7 July 1907 | 24 June 1989 | Princess Marina Vasilievna | |
| Second Generation | |||||
| Prince Vladimir Kirillovich | Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich | 30 August 1917 | 21 April 1992 | Became Grand Duke in 1922 Pretender 1938–1992 | |
| Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich | Prince John Konstantinovich | 20 January 1914 | 18 June 1973 | ||
| Prince Nicholas Romanovich | Prince Roman Petrovich | 26 September 1922 | 15 September 2014 | Pretender (disputed) 1992–2014 Princess Natalia Nikolaevna Princess Elizabeth Nikolaevna Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna | |
| Prince Dimitri Romanovich | Prince Roman Petrovich | 17 May 1926 | 31 December 2016 | Pretender (disputed) 2014–2016 | |
| Prince Michael Andreevich | Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | 15 July 1920 | 22 September 2008 | ||
| Prince Andrew Andreevich | Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | 21 January 1923 | 28 November 2021 | Pretender (disputed) 2016–2021 | |
| Prince Michael Feodorovich | Prince Feodor Alexandrovich | 4 May 1924 | 22 September 2008 | ||
| Prince Nikita Nikitich | Prince Nikita Alexandrovich | 13 May 1923 | 3 May 2007 | ||
| Prince Alexander Nikitich | Prince Nikita Alexandrovich | 4 May 1924 | 22 September 2008 | ||
| Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich | Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich | 3 December 1938 | 7 January 1999 | Princess Alexandra Rostislaevna | |
| Prince Nicholas Rostislavovich | Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich | 9 September 1945 | 9 November 2000 | Princess Heather Nikolaevna | |
| Third Generation | |||||
| Prince Alexis Andreievich | Prince Andrew Andreevich | 27 April 1953 | |||
| Prince Peter Andreievich | Prince Andrew Andreevich | 21 November 1961 | |||
| Prince Andrew Andreievich | Prince Andrew Andreevich | 20 February 1963 | Princess Natasha Andreievna | ||
| Prince Michael Mikhailovich | Prince Michael Feodorovich | 31 July 1959 | 24 January 2001 | ||
| Prince Theodore Nikitich | Prince Michael Feodorovich | 30 November 1974 | 25 August 2007 | ||
| Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich | Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich | 21 May 1985 | |||
| Prince Nikita Rostislavovich | Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich | 24 January 1987 | |||
| Prince Nicolas Nikolaevich | Prince Nicholas Rostislavovich | 30 July 1968 | Issue | ||
| Prince Daniel Nikolaevich | Prince Nicholas Rostislavovich | 19 March 1972 | Issue | ||
Princes of the Blood of Russia of the House of Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp
| Picture | Name | Father | Born | Died | Royal Liniadge | Husband | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatiana Constantinovna | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 23 January 1890 | 28 August 1979 | great-granddaughter of Nicholas I | Prince Constantine Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia | Princess Constantine Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia | |
| Alexander Vassilievich Korotchenzov | |||||||
| Natalia Konstantinovna | 1905 | 1905; two months later | |||||
| Vera Constantinovna | 24 April 1906 | 11 January 2001 | |||||
| Marina Petrovna | Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich | 5 July 1886 | 18 July 1918 | Prince Alexander Nikolayevich Golitsyn | Princess Marina Petrovna Golitsyna | ||
| Nadejda Petrovna | 3 March 1898 | 21 April 1988 | Prince Nicholas Orlov | Princess Nicholas Orlov | |||
| Sofia Petrovna | 3 March 1898 | ||||||
| Nina Georgievna | Grand Duke George Mikhailovich | 20 June 1901 | 27 February 1974 | Prince Paul Aleksandrovich Chavchavadze | Princess Paul Aleksandrovich Chavchavadze | ||
| Xenia Georgievna | 22 August 1903 | 17 September 1965 | William Bateman Leeds Jr. | ||||
| Herman Jud | |||||||
| Irina Alexandrovna | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 15 July 1895 | 26 February 1970 | granddaughter of Alexander III | Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov | Princess Felix Yusupov | |
| Maria Kirillovna | Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich | 2 February 1907 | 25 October 1951 | great-granddaughter of Alexander III | The Prince of Leiningen | The Princess of Leiningen | |
| Kira Kirillovna | 9 May 1909 | 8 September 1967 | The Prince of Prussia | The Princess of Prussia | |||
| Catherine Ivanovna | Prince Ioann Konstantinovich | 12 July 1915 | 13 March 2007 | great-great-granddaughter of Nicholas I | The Marquess Farace di Villaforesta | The Marchioness Farace di Villaforesta | |
| Xenia Andreevna | Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | 10 March 1919 | 22 October 2000 (aged 81) | Calhoun Ancrum | |||
| Geoffrey Tooth | |||||||
| Olga Andreevna | 8 April 1950 | Thomas Mathew | |||||
Princes by Marriage of Russia of the House of Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp
| Picture | Name | Husband | Date of marriage | Born | Died | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Helen of Serbia | Prince John Constantinovich | 3 September 1911 | 4 November 1884 | 16 October 1962 | Her Royal Highness Princess Elena Petrovna of Russia | As the daughter of a sovereign, she held the style of a Royal Highness, unlike her husband or other princess by marriage. | |
| Duchess Elisabetta di Sasso Ruffo | Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | 12 June 1918 | 26 December 1886 | 29 October 1940 | Her Highness Princess Andrew Alexandrovitch of Russia | ||
| Nadine McDougall | 21 September 1942 | 18 July 1918 | 6 June 2000 | Her Serine Highness Princess Andrew Alexandrovitch of Russia | |||
| Princess Irina Pavlovna Paley | Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia | 21 May 1923 | 21 December 1903 | 15 November 1990 | Her Highness Princess Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia | ||
| Sheila Chisholm, Dowager Lady Milbanke | Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia | 20 October 1954 | 9 September 1895 | 13 October 1969 | Her Highness Princess Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia | ||
| The Lady Mary Lygon | Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich of Russia | 31 May 1939 | 12 February 1910 | 27 September 1982 | Her Serine Highness Princess Romanovsky-Pavlovsky | ||
| Countess Dorrit von Reventlow | Prince Dimitri Romanov | July 1993 | 22 April 1942 | Her Highness Princess Theodora Alexeevna Romanov | |||
| Inez Storer | Prince Andrew Romanoff | 1987 | October 11, 1933 | Her Highness Princess Andrew Andrei of Russia |
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