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List of grand duchesses of Russia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of those members of the Russian Imperial House who bore the title velikaia kniaginia (Russian: великая княгиня) or velikaia knazhna (Russian: великая княжна) (usually translated into French and English as grand duchess, but more accurately grand princess). This courtesy title was borne (usually) by daughters and male-line granddaughters of the emperors and empresses of Russia, as well as by wives of grand dukes of Russia, all along with the style of Her Imperial Highness.[1]

Grand duchesses of Russia

[edit]
Picture Name Father Born Died Marriage Notes
Anna Petrovna Peter Alexeievich[2] 27 January 1708[2] 4 March 1728[2] Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
(m. 1725)[2][3]
Elizabeth Petrovna
later, Elizabeth, Empress of Russia
 Peter Alexeievich 29 December 1709[4] 5 January 1762[5] Ascended the throne in 1741.[4]
Natalya Alexeyevna Alexei Petrovich 21 July 1714 22 November 1728 Died unmarried.
Anna Leopoldovna Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg 18 December 1718 19 March 1746 Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick
(m. 1739)		 Assumed title rather than received it.
Anna Petrovna Peter Feodorovich 9 December 1757 8 March 1759 Died in infancy.
Alexandra Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 9 August 1783 16 March 1801 Archduke Josef, Palatine of Hungary
(m. 1799)
Elena Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 24 December 1784 24 September 1803 Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
(m. 1799)
Maria Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 16 February 1786 23 June 1859 Karl Friedrich, Hereditary Duke of Saxe-Weimar
(m. 1804; d. 1853)
Catherine Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 21 May 1788 9 January 1819 Duke Georg of Oldenburg
(m. 1809; d. 1812)
Wilhelm I, King of Württemberg
(m. 1816)
Olga Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 22 July 1792 26 January 1795 Died in infancy.
Anna Pavlovna Pavel Petrovich 18 January 1795 1 March 1865 Willem II, King of the Netherlands
(m. 1816; d. 1849)
Maria Alexandrovna Alexander Pavlovich 29 May 1799 8 August 1800 Died in infancy.
Elizabeth Alexandrovna Alexander Pavlovich 15 November 1806 12 May 1808 Died in infancy.
Maria Nikolaievna Nikolai Pavlovich 18 August 1819 21 February 1876 Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg
(m. 1839; d. 1852)
Count Grigori Stroganov
(m. 1854)
Olga Nikolaievna Nikolai Pavlovich 11 September 1822 30 October 1892 Karl, Crown Prince of Württemberg
(m. 1846; d. 1891)
Maria Mikhailovna Mikhail Pavlovich 9 March 1825 19 November 1846 Died unmarried.
Alexandra Nikolaievna Nikolai Pavlovich 24 June 1825 10 August 1844 Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel
(m. 1844)
Elizabeth Mikhailovna Mikhail Pavlovich 26 May 1826 28 January 1845 Adolf, Duke of Nassau
(m. 1844)
Catherine Mikhailovna Mikhail Pavlovich 28 August 1827 12 May 1894 Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
(m. 1851; d. 1876)
Alexandra Mikhailovna Mikhail Pavlovich 28 January 1831 27 March 1832 Died in infancy.
Anna Mikhailovna Mikhail Pavlovich 27 October 1834 22 March 1836 Died in infancy.
Alexandra Alexandrovna Alexander Nikolaievich 30 August 1842 10 July 1849 Died in infancy.
Olga Konstantinovna Konstantin Nikolaievich 3 September 1851 18 June 1926 George I, King of the Hellenes
(m. 1867; d. 1913)
Maria Alexandrovna Alexander Nikolaievich 17 October 1853 24 October 1920 Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
(m. 1874; d. 1900)
Vera Konstantinovna Konstantin Nikolaievich 16 February 1854 11 April 1912 Duke Eugen of Württemberg
(m. 1874; d. 1877)
Anastasia Mikhailovna Mikhail Nikolaievich 28 July 1860 11 March 1922 Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
(m. 1879; d. 1897)
Xenia Alexandrovna Alexander Alexandrovich 6 April 1875 20 April 1960 Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
(m. 1894; d. 1933)
Elena Vladimirovna Vladimir Alexandrovich 29 January 1882 13 March 1957 Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
(m. 1902; d. 1938)
Olga Alexandrovna Alexander Alexandrovich 13 June 1882 24 November 1960 Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg
(m. 1901; ann. 1916)
Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky
(m. 1916; d. 1958)
Maria Pavlovna Pavel Alexandrovich 18 April 1890 13 December 1958 Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland
(m. 1908; div. 1914)
Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Putyatin
(m. 1917; div. 1923)
Olga Nikolaievna Nikolai Alexandrovich 15 November 1895 17 July 1918 Died unmarried.
Tatiana Nikolaievna Nikolai Alexandrovich 10 June 1897 17 July 1918 Died unmarried.
Maria Nikolaevna Nikolai Alexandrovich 26 June 1899 17 July 1918 Died unmarried.
Anastasia Nikolaievna Nikolai Alexandrovich 18 June 1901 17 July 1918 Died unmarried.
Maria Kirillovna Kirill Vladimirovich 2 February 1907 25 October 1951 Karl, 6th Prince of Leiningen
(m. 1925; d. 1946)		 Born as Princess of Russia; adopted the style of Grand Duchess after her father's headship of the House of Romanov.
Kira Kirillovna Kirill Vladimirovich 9 May 1909 8 September 1967 Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia
(m. 1938)		 Born as Princess of Russia; adopted the style of Grand Duchess after her father's headship of the House of Romanov.
Maria Vladimirovna Vladimir Kirillovich 23 December 1953 Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia
(m. 1976; div. 1985)		 Born after the abolition of the monarchy; adopted the style of Grand Duchess of Russia in pretense.

After 1917, no such daughter was born into the deposed imperial house who would have been entitled to the title grand duchess - i.e., had been a male-line granddaughter of a reigning emperor; although such would have been technically possible, as there lived sons of reigning emperors and their daughters would have been so entitled.

Grand duchesses of Russia by marriage

[edit]
Picture Name Husband Date of marriage Born Died Notes
Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg Alexei Petrovich 25 October 1711 29 August 1694 13 November 1715  
Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst
Catherine Alexeievna		 Peter Feodorovich 1 September 1745 2 May 1729 17 November 1796 Known to history as 'Catherine the Great'; became Empress Consort when her husband succeeded as Peter III in 1762 and became Empress Regnant 9 July 1762 on deposing her husband.
Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
Natalia Alexeievna		 Pavel Petrovich 10 October 1773 25 June 1755 26 April 1776
Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
Maria Feodorovna		 Pavel Petrovich 7 October 1776 25 October 1759 5 November 1828 Became Empress when her husband succeeded as Paul I in 1796.
Louise of Baden
Elizabeth Alexeievna		 Alexander Pavlovich 9 October 1793 24 January 1779 16 May 1826 Became Empress when her husband succeeded as Alexander I in 1801.
Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Anna Feodorovna		 Konstantin Pavlovich 26 February 1796 23 September 1781 15 August 1860 Annulled 1820.  
Charlotte of Prussia
Alexandra Feodorovna		 Nikolai Pavlovich 13 July 1817 13 July 1798 1 November 1860 Became Empress when her husband succeeded as Nicholas I in 1825.
Charlotte of Württemberg
Elena Pavlovna		 Mikhail Pavlovich 19 February 1824 9 January 1807 2 February 1873  
Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
Maria Alexandrovna		 Alexander Nikolaievich 28 April 1841 8 August 1824 3 June 1880 Became Empress when her husband succeeded as Alexander II in 1855.
Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
Alexandra Iosifovna		 Konstantin Nikolaievich 11 September 1848 8 July 1830 6 July 1911  
Alexandra of Oldenburg
Alexandra Petrovna		 Nikolai Nikolaievich 6 February 1856 2 June 1838 25 April 1900  
Cecilie of Baden
Olga Feodorovna		 Mikhail Nikolaievich 28 August 1857 20 September 1839 12 April 1891  
Dagmar of Denmark
Maria Feodorovna		 Alexander Alexandrovich 9 November 1866 26 November 1847 13 October 1928 Became Empress when her husband succeeded as Alexander III in 1881.
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Maria Pavlovna		 Vladimir Alexandrovich 28 August 1874 14 May 1854 6 September 1920  
Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg
Elizabeth Mavrikievna		 Konstantin Konstantinovich 27 April 1884 25 January 1865 24 March 1927  
Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine
Elizabeth Feodorovna		 Sergei Alexandrovich 15 June 1884 1 November 1864 17 or 18 July 1918  
Alexandra of Greece and Denmark
Alexandra Georgievna		 Pavel Alexandrovich 17 June 1889 30 August 1870 24 September 1891  
Milica of Montenegro
Militza Nikolaevna		 Peter Nikolaievich 26 July 1889 26 July 1866 5 September 1951  
Maria of Greece and Denmark
Maria Georgievna		 George Mikhailovich 12 May 1900 3 March 1876 14 December 1940  
Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Victoria Feodorovna		 Kirill Vladimirovich 8 October 1905 25 November 1876 2 March 1936  
Anastasia of Montenegro
Anastasia Nikolaievna		 Nikolai Nikolaievich 29 April 1907 4 January 1868 25 January 1929  
Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani
Leonida Georgievna		 Vladimir Kirillovich 13 August 1948 6 October 1914 23 May 2010 Wife and mother of the heads of the House of Romanov in exile.
Imperial Standard of the grand duchesses

Although male grand dukes of Russia (sons or male-line grandsons of reigning emperors) existed after 1917, when the imperial house was deposed, none of them contracted an equal marriage after that date; so the title grand duchess was not gained by marriage thereafter — though it would have been technically possible.

Note that a grand duke or grand duchess as a translation is not necessarily associated with a grand duchy; see the relevant articles for more information.

A Russian grand duchess was styled as Her Imperial Highness. With the exception of Charlotte-Christine, women marrying into the Imperial family converted to Russian Orthodoxy (except for the Montenegrin and Greek princesses, who were already Orthodox). They also took Russian names — of the 17 converts: four took patronyms using their fathers' names, eight took Fyodorovna (after the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God), three took Alexeievna, one Alexandrovna (her husband's name) and one Pavlovna (her husband's patronym, the late Paul I); eight also changed their own given name.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Imperial House of Romanov (in Russian). Moscow: Partnership of Typesetters. A. A. Levenson. 1913-01-01.
  2. ^ a b c d lettres, une Société de savants et de gens de (1885). La grande encyclopédie: inventaire raisonné des sciences, des lettres et des arts par une Société de savants et de gens de lettres (in French). Société anonyme de la Grande encyclopédie.
  3. ^ Liechtenhan, Francine-Dominique (2007-10-17). Elisabeth Ire de Russie: L'autre impératrice (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-64785-2.
  4. ^ a b Troyat, Henri (2007). Terrible Tsarinas: Five Russian Women in Power. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-1-892941-34-3.
  5. ^ Beem, Charles (2019-12-05). Queenship in Early Modern Europe. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-137-00506-9.
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