List of Russian Princes of the Blood Imperial

Summarize Timeline Top Qs Fact Check

In 1886 Emperor Alexander III altered the use of titles in the Imperial House by amendment to the succession laws.^[3] 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.^[1] Reform of the Laws which governed the Imperial Family had been discussed as early as 1884.^[1]

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[5] 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.^[5] 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;^[1] 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.^[6]

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.^[5][1]

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.^[5][1]

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.

^§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.^[2] 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;^[7] 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.^[8][9]

Grand Duchess reportedly received a dowry of 1,000,000 (approximately $500,000 or £100,000 in 1886)^[9][8] roubles upon their marriage.^[10] This was also the figure provided by Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, who stated that the dowry of each Grand Duchess was $500,000.^[7]: 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.^[11]

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.^[2] This figure is supported by Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, who provided a figure of US$500,000.^[7]: 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.^[12] The Brockhaus & Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890s), a standard Russian reference work, summarizes the administrative stipend scales then in force for imperial children and grandchildren.^[13][14] 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.^[15][16] These sources provide the following data on the annuities and financial entitlements of the wider Romanov Family during the period from 1886 to 1917:

More information Rank of Family Member, Financial Entitlement at Birth ...

Financial Entitlements for Members of the Russian Imperial Family after 1886

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.[14]	Annuity increased to ₽150,000 per year; and granted a one-off lump sum of ₽1,000,000.[15]	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).[14][15]
Daughters of the Emperor (Grand Duchesses)	₽33,000 per year to majority.[13]	Annuity increased to ₽50,000 per year until marriage.[13]	₽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%).[13]
Male-line Grandsons of an Emperor (Grand Dukes)	₽15,000 per year to majority.[14]	Annuity increased to ₽150,000 per year; and granted a one-off lump-sum of ₽600,000.[15]	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).[14][15]
Male-line Granddaughters of an Emperor (Grand Duchesses)	₽15,000 per year to majority.[13]	Annuity increased to ₽50,000 per year until marriage.[13]	₽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%).[13]

Close