Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia died today Villa Saint Theresa near Menton in France. He had been suffering from a lung illnes which was complicated by a spinal disease that his doctors were "unable to diagnose." He was 66 years old.
According to the New York Times, the Grand Duke's "death came without warning," as the most recent bulletin regarding the Grand Duke's health was considered hopeful. His wife, Grand Duchess Xenia, who was staying at a local hotel, hurried to the villa when she received word that her husband was dying. He was already dead when she arrived. The couple's only daughter, Princess Irina was at his bedside when he died.
The Grand Duchess, who was a sister of the late Nicholas II, has received condolences from King George V and Queen Mary, King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, the King of Sweden, the Duke of Connaught and the President of France.
Grand Duke Alexander was the son of the late Grand Duke Michael, and was a noted author. He wrote two autobiographies, Once a Grand Duke and Always a Grand Duke, as well as Twilight of Royalty.
He is survived by his wife, Grand Duchess Xenia, one daughter and six sons and numerous granddchildren.
Burial is expected to take place in Menton.
3 comments:
i just read an article that i think must've been written by someone who was clueless, but wanted to run it by you just to be sure i'm correct.
it was about when the Queen declared that a firstborn daughter for the Cambridge couple would have the HRH Princess given to her. there were 2 parts to their statement. the first, which i KNOW is correct, is that without the Queen stepping in, a firstborn daughter would've been "Lady" such-and-such. the second, however, is that without this declaration, she would've been ineligible to take the throne. that's complete nonsense, isn't it? i mean, isn't any legitimate non-Catholic eligible regardless of title?
Why was Xenia staying at an hotel?
Manon, Xenia and Alexander were long estranged.
Michelle,
A new succession law is in the works. Right now Britain has male primigeniture, which means sons before daughters and brothers before sisters. Under the current law, if the Cambridge child is a girl and then she has a brother, the brother jumps ahead of her. Victoria came to the throne because her father was dead and she had no brothers. Elizabeth had only a younger sister. However, it is nonsense to say that the daughter would have been ineligible. That is incorrect.
The Lady part is correct because of the 1917 Letters Patent that established the current HRH status - children of the sovereign, grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, and the eldest son of the eldest son of Prince of Wales. Thus if the first child is a girl, she would have been The Lady Victoria Mountbatten-Windsor until Charles became king, when she would become HRH Princess Victoria of Cornwall and Cambridge (until CHarles named William as Prince of Wales.) Thus, Elizabeth issued a LP that gives the HRH and title Prince or Princess to the Cambridge children. Once Charles succeeds, they would have gotten an automatic upgrade.
In order to succeed, you cannot be Catholic or married to a Catholic, and your marriage must be approved under the Royal Marriages Act. But under the proposed law, only the first six in line will be required get permission to marry, and those who marry Catholics will not lose their rights, but Catholics will not have the right of succession. Michael and Lord St. Andrews will get their rights back, but St. Andrews' two eldest child and LOrd Nicholas Windsor who converted won't.
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