First marriage in Russia for the Romanovs since 1917[i] : The Grand Duke George has chosen Rebecca Virginia, a beautiful Italian.
Paris Match. Who could have imagined that one day the heir of the Romanovs would become engaged in Moscow ?
George Mikhailovich: Actually, I'm the first to do so since the revolution. It is a privilege to live here. Also, because Moscow is a metropolis comparable to London or to New York. In the midst of the Soviet and Futurist architecture, there are traces of medieval Russia. We are happy because now, everything is possible. But as soon as we find the time, we will leave for Saint-Petersburg, that fascinating Venice of the North, which is still the symbol of the grandeur of the Russian Empire.
Are you marrying there as a reconciliatory gesture?
Above all it is an occasion to present the beauty of Russia to our guests. Because the reconciliation was made long ago. Thanks to the perseverance of my mother and of the Chancellery of the Imperial House, the Russian Supreme Court rehabilitated[ii] the members of our dynasty who were executed during the revolution.
In the context of health restrictions, how will your engagement proceed?
The Italian Ambassador in Moscow offered to throw us an engagement reception at the embassy[iii], but it will wait until the situation improves. If the health restrictions permit, we plan to marry in the autumn.
How did you meet one another?
We crossed paths during dinners or dances, and then we met again at the French Embassy in Brussels, while we were both working for the European Union. It is there that we first formed the friendship which has turned into a love story.
Russia, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium... Where do you feel you are at home ?
Rebecca: The Grand Duke was so friendly that I immediately thought that we would become the best of friends. And, in the end it turned out better than expected. His fine upbringing from another age and his generosity attracted me. In addition, he makes me laugh.
George: Rebecca is an independent woman, always in a good mood. She has lived everywhere in the world and has enormous spirit. We share the same values and the same upbringing, which is essential.
Were you scared to become engaged to a descendant of the tsars of Russia ?
Rebecca: It has been quite a whirl! But we have been together long enough that I have had time to prepare myself. As the daughter of an ambassador, fortunately, I am accustomed to the rules of protocol. But I'm still surprised by the warmth around the imperial family. Russia fascinates me. At the end of the 1990s, my father, who worked for the Italian government, was in charge of relations between Rome and the regions of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. The most delicate project entrusted to him was overseeing the construction of an Orthodox Church[iv], on the territory of the embassy of Russia in Rome, …right next to the Vatican. This is how I discovered the religion, and took my first course in Russian. Destiny... My conversion, in July, in St. Petersburg, was a moment of great emotion. My only regret is that neither the parents of George, the Grand Duchess of Russia and the Prince of Prussia, nor my parents were able to attend, due to the health situation. Fortunately, the [members of] Chancellery of the Imperial House, who are to me like a second family, were there.
As a descendant of Queen Victoria, Tsar Alexander II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, do you feel at ease in your own era?
George: My grandfather the Grand Duke Vladimir introduced me to the history of our family. It inspired in me a deep love of our country and made me aware of my responsibilities. I am certainly a descendant of an historic family, but I am also very much a modern man who lives and works in his own time.
What do you intend to do after your wedding ?
George: After my education at Oxford I worked for various European concerns and then in the private sector, before launching my own consulting firm, Romanoff & Partners, in 2013, which offers representation services for Russian companies in Europe. Since I'm now based in Moscow, I am also chairman of Foodbank “Rus” – the first food bank in the country.
Rebecca: We wanted to reach a certain level of stability before we married. For a long time I was a lobbyist to many of the European institutions for a large aerospace group, prior to founding my consulting firm. I am also director of the Russian Imperial Foundation.
Under what circumstances did you create the Imperial Foundation, and what work do you do in Russia ?
George: I created it in 2013, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the imperial dynasty. The foundation assists children with autism, provides pediatric palliative care services, and supports cancer research.
Rebecca: We choose (to assist) the most innovative programmes personally, often in collaboration with the Orthodox Church and the local authorities.
The Romanov family was largely erased from the history books. How have you experienced this graceful return ?
George: After the Bolsheviks assumed power, the terror began against all of us, without any distinction. They (the Romanovs) were executed, regardless of their age, their gender, their level of political activities, or their place in the succession to the throne. All the family of Emperor Nicholas II was executed, including his four daughters, who were guilty of nothing. Some, like my great-grandfather, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, managed to escape. As Emperor-in-Exile, he did not become a reactionary fanatic. On the contrary, he said several times that he understood and accepted many of the social changes that had occurred in Russia. Engaging in dialogue with people with different points of view has been one of the principles of the social activities of our House. But the totalitarian communist regime used terrorist methods: aggressive atheism, abolition of private property, disregard for an important part of the historical and cultural heritage of our nation... All contact with the imperial house was prohibited. They tried to erase our existence from the history books. After 1985, and perestroika, the situation began to change. With the permission of Boris Yeltsin, my grandfather and my grandmother Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Leonida were able to see their homeland again in November 1991, at the invitation of the mayor of Leningrad which then became St. Petersburg again. It was the beginning of a slow process which has seen, notably, the burial of the Romanovs who have been named martyrs, a gesture that I appreciate.
President Putin has re-established the imperial eagle as the symbol of Russia. Does he take himself for some kind of Tsar?
George: The symbols of imperial Russia have been restored since the time of President Yeltsin. President Putin is above all a statesman. The idea that he is a tsar, is very fashionable among the media in western Europe, but it does not correspond to any reality. As to the heritage of this symbol, it is good to emphasize it, as it is part of the identity of this country.
What are the relations between the Kremlin and the descendants of the imperial family ?
George: We are often invited to participate in ceremonies of an historic character. We maintain relationships of mutual respect and cooperation in the areas where we can be useful. We are always greeted warmly.
At all the sales of objects and memorabilia from tsarist Russia, the prices soar. Are the Russians nostalgic ?
George: After having been deprived of their history and the right to practice their religion, they are very attached to their past and to their faith. I think it is a normal reaction.
To rediscover that there was once an empire that on several occasions decided the fate of Europe and therefore the world, gives, I think, a sense of pride.
Your mother, the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, who lives in Madrid, is considered to be the Head of the Russian Imperial House. How you do you divide your roles ?
George: As head of the family, my mother is frequently invited by the Russian (political or religious) authorities to represent us. My part is to work mainly in the social field.
The descendants of the Romanovs live scattered around the world. Do you plan to unify these branches one day as Head of the Imperial House ?
George: From thirty years ago up until to the present day, our cousins from the Nikolaevichi branch challenged my mother’s right, as a woman, to lead the Imperial House. The association they then created [The Romanov Family Association], however, is not recognized by any Russian or foreign authorities, and neither is it recognized by the Moscow Patriarchate. I think that these disputes fuel gossip, especially in Italy and in France, but they are not interesting. As descendants of a lineage which was almost exterminated, we must come together rather than to lose ourselves in conflict. This is all the more foolish, especially now that today a woman heads the Romanov Family Association... My mother and I keep the hope that, in the near future, the family will get together.
