This month, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and his wife, Princess Victoria Romanovna visited Paris for a series of events both, personal and official. The Grand Duke and his wife have both spent a great deal of their lives in the French capital, and the city is an important and beloved place to both of them.
On December 12th, at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Jean de Dubna, Archbishop of the Western European Parishes of the Russian Tradition in France, the Heir-Tsesarevich and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and his wife Princess Romanoff arrived at Paris’ famous Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky to participate in a pannikhida (memorial service for the dead) to pray for the souls of the Grand Duke’s Grandparents, the Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich and Grand Duchess Leonida Guéorgievna of Russia.
The interior of the Cathedral St. Alexander Nevsky, rue Daru, Paris.
After the memorial, His Eminence spoke of the important work being done by the Grand Duke and his wife in Russia and abroad. To recognize this work, the Metropolitan presented the Grand Duke with the Western European Parishes of the Russian Tradition’s highest award, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, for his services to the church.
His wife, the Princess Romanoff, was awarded the prestigious Medal of St. Mother Maria (Skobtseva) for charitable works of mercy. Princess Romanoff noted that the medal inspired her “to work harder and to do better” to assist those in need.
HSH the Princess Romanoff, H.E. Metropolitan Jean de Dubna, HIH Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
L’Union Interalliee
That evening, the Grand Duke and Princess Romanoff led the festivities at a charity dinner which was organized to benefit the Russian Imperial Foundation and held at the Cercle Interalliée in Paris. The private club was founded in Paris in 1917. The founders, who included the Count of Beaumont, Paul Dupuy, the Count J. de Bryas, Arthur Meyer, and M.J de Sillac, suggested establishing a place of welcome providing moral and material resources to the officers and personalities of the Allied nations, in order to develop positive relations. The club has survived for over 100 years as a diplomatic and cultural bastion in Paris.
Princess Victoria Romanovna worked closely with the President of the Association de la Noblesse Russse de France, Prince Stephane Guéorguievitsch Belosselsky-Belozersky and with noted Russian art expert and Commisaire-Priseur M. Cyrille Boulay to organize a dinner and charity auction which brought 40,000 Euros to help assist the Russian Imperial Foundation with its work in Russia and abroad.
Prince Stephane Belosselsky-Belozersky and HSH the Princess Romanoff at the evening benefit.
Many members of Parisian and White Russian society were brought together to make the event a success. The guests included (among many others):
HIH Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and HSH Princess Victoria Romanovna
HRH Prince Ali Fouad of Egypt, Prince of the Sa’id
HRH Princess Noal of Egypt, Princess of the Sa’id, Princess of Afghanistan
TH Prince and Princess Joachim Murat, Prince and Princess of Pontecorvo
HRH Princess Antonella de Bourbon-Orléans
H.E. M. Jean-Marie Musy, Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Prince and Princess Michel Bariatinsky
Princess Nadine Bariatinskaya
Prince and Princess Stephane Belosselsky-Belozersky
M. Laurent-Marie Dolgoruky
Prince Michel Troiekouroff
Count Jacquelin d’Oultremont
Count and Countess Guy de Chavanne
Countess Perrine de Chavanne
Baron von Pfeften
Baron Frédéric de Gaiffier d’Hestroy
HH Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo and HIH Grand Duke George Mikhailovich with the newly-baptized Prince Joachim Murat leave the Invalides in Paris.
On December 12, the couple were present privately at the baptism of HH Prince Joachim Murat (b. 5 Aug, 2021), son of TH Prince and Princess Joachim (Yasmin) Murat, Prince and Princess of Ponte Corvo. The father of the newly-baptized prince is the son of HH Prince Joachim, 8th Prince Murat. The Murat dynasty began with Joachim Murat, Marshal of the French Empire and brother-in-law of Emperor Napoleon I. Joachim Murat, husband of Princess Caroline Bonaparte, reigned as Grand Duke of Berg (1806-1808) and then as King of Naples (1808-1815).
The Grand Duke and his wife arrived at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides for the baptism, and were among the other royal and noble guests who stood at the event. The Grand Duke and his wife last saw their great friends the Prince and Princess de Ponte Corvo at their wedding in St. Petersburg in October of this year.
