Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovitch, and his family

[LisaDavidson]

To the best of my knowledge, he was never HIM's official representative in Britain. He was well to do for his entire life and did not die a pauper.

[Martyn]

MicheMiche and Countess Torby lived at Kenwood and enjoyed a privileged place in English society prior to the Revolution.  MicheMiche actually petitioned George V for an english title for Sophie and although Nicholas II agreed to this proposition, it was not actually within his cousin's power to grant this request; George rather gave the impression that MicheMiche was being somewhat annoying in the pursuit of this title.
Due to their exalted position in society, MicheMiche and Sophie could have been a huge help to Mikhail Alexandrovich and Natasha Brassova when they came to live in England after their secret wedding; however this was not to be.  It has been said that MicheMiche and Sophie were very concerned at the arrival of a higher ranking Grand Duke and his extremely beautiful but morganatic wife and were worried that this might threaten their position in some way; as a result,  Misha and Natasha were never received at Kenwood.  Their refusal to open their doors to the couple meant that many others in English society followed suit, with the result that Misha and Natasha were effectivley marginalised.
I imagine that things might have been different for MicheMiche after the Revolution, as any income from the Imperial Appanages, however reduced because of his marriage, would have entirely ceased.  I have heard that the couple existed on the proceeds of the sale of Sophie's jewels (excepting the Bolin ruby tiara that has just been sold by the Milford Havens); this may be conjecture as both their daughters made successful marriages - Nadejda to the Marquess of Milford Haven (eldest son of Louis and Victoria Battenberg) and Anastasia (Zia) to Sir Harold Wernher (who was extremely wealthy).  These marriages may have helped to alleviate the loss of income from his imperial estates.
Just one final note that may be of interest.  I think that MicheMiche may have been the first Romanov to fall foul of Alexander III's laws concerning marriages of the Imperial Family (with the exception of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich whose marriage was never proven); I do know that when his mother heard of his morganatic marriage she collapsed with shock and suffered a fatal heart attack.  In view of this, one might have been forgiven for thinking that due to their respective difficulties with morganatic marriages, MicheMiche, Paul and Misha and their respective spouses might have found some common ground and a little mutual empathy; however it would seem that the differences between these three couples were as great as the rest of the disapproving Imperial Family.

[grandduchessella]

He's the one who married Countess Torby and whose daughter Nada married Victoria Battenberg's eldest son George, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. MM lived in England after his marriage and had a pretty comfortable life--vacationing on the Riviera, etc... After the Revolution he lost a good deal of his money which was tied up in the Romanov fortunes but his 2nd daughter married really well. He was a bit of a temperamental man to say the least. I posted some about him--I'll look for the link.

[grandduchessella]

I think in C. Zeepvatt's book Camera and the Tsars she rebuts the idea (based on where people were, timing, etc) that GDss Olga (Pss Cecile of Baden) collapsed and died upon hearing of his marrige. It seems to just be a rumor--I believe she was already in ill-health.

[grandduchessella]

Born at Peterhof 16 October 1861, married (morganatically) at San Remo 26 February 1891, to Sophia Nikolaievna, created Countess de Torby by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1891 (born at Geneva 1 June 1868; died in London 14 September 1927), elder daughter of Prince Nicholas Wilhelm of Nassau, by his (morganatic) wife Countess Natalia von Merenberg (nee Pushkin). Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich died in London 26 April 1929 and is buried at Hampstead Cemetary.



from Vanity Fair:

[grandduchessella]

MM & Sophie


their daughters:

[miller99]

Hi that's GD Michael Alexandrovich (Misha). Gleb was wondering about GD Michael Mikhailovich (Miche-Miche). He's the one who married Countess Torby and whose daughter Nada married Victoria Battenberg's eldest son George, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. MM lived in England after his marriage and had a pretty comfortable life--vacationing on the Riviera, etc... After the Revolution he lost a good deal of his money which was tied up in the Romanov fortunes but his 2nd daughter married really well. He was a bit of a temperamental man to say the least. I posted some about him--I'll look for the link.

MM is an ancestor of the present Duke
of Westminster heir Hugh Richard Louis, Earl Grosvenor.

GERALD Cavendish Grosvenor , 6th Duke of Westminster, etc (b.Omagh 22 Dec 1951); m.Luton 7 Oct 1978 Natalia Ayesha Phillips (b.London 8 May 1959; see Russia)

3d) Hugh Richard Louis, Earl Grosvenor (b.St.Mary's Hospital, Paddington 29 Jan 1991)

http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/westminster.html



GERALD Cavendish, 6th Duke of Westminster is a billionaire.

Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster,
53 , inherited and growing.

Source: real estate

Net Worth: $5.6 bil  

Country of citizenship: United Kingdom
Residence: Chester,  United Kingdom
Industry: Real Estate
Marital Status: married , 4 children
Harrow College of Higher Education


The sixth Duke of Westminister is one of the largest landowners in London's tony Mayfair and Belgravia. Also owns 100,000-plus acres in the English and Scottish countryside and has properties in the U.S. and Asia. In 2004 became head of the U.K.'s 254,800 member U.K.'s Territorial Army and has since traveled to Iraq four times to visit British reservists stationed there.

http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/LIRFQCO.html?passListId=10&passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=FQCO&datatype=Person



Grand Duke of Russia Michael (Peterhof 16 Oct 1861-London 26 Apr 1929); m.San Remo 26 Feb 1891 Sophie Gfn von Merenberg, cr Css von Torby 1891 (Geneva 1 Jun 1868-London 14 Sep 1927)
 
 

1h) Css Anastasia de Torby (Wiesbaden 9 Sep 1892-London 7 Dec 1977); m.London 20 Jul 1917 Sir Harold Wernher, Bt (London 16 Jan 1893-Luton Hoo 30 Jun 1973)
 
 

2i) Georgina Wernher, b.Edinburgh 17 Oct 1919; m.1st London 10 Oct 1944 Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips (London 6 Nov 1909-Alford, Aberdeenshire 27 Oct 1980); m.2d London Dec 1992 Sir George Arnold Ford Kennard, 3d Bt (Edinburgh 27 Apr 1915-London 13 Dec 1999)


5j) Natalia Ayesha Phillips, b.London 8 May 1959; m.Luton 7 Oct 1978 Gerald Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster (b.Omagh, Ulster 22 Dec 1951

http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/russia.html

[YaBB_Jose]

Can someone post a photo of Sophie of Nassau-Merenberg, pls ?

[grandduchessella]

the full pose

[grandduchessella]

The occasion for this and the above photo was the coronation of Edward VII in 1902.

[Teddy]

How was the contact of the Miche Miche with his family in Russia?

Did they ever met, Alexandra F., their Childeren?

In once a Grand Duchess (Xenia) there is a photo with a whole bunch of relatives on it, were you can see also Sophie, the Countess Thorby.
I always wondered why the Countess was pictured on this photo, with members of a family who disliked her and didn't aprove their marriage. I thought that Maria F. (who is also on this picture) have pictured herself with a morganitic member of her family (who was banished from Russia by her late husband).

How was their relationship with Alexander M. and Xenia and their family?

[LisaDavidson]

How was the contact of the Miche Miche with his family in Russia?

Did they ever met, Alexandra F., their Childeren?

In once a Grand Duchess (Xenia) there is a photo with a whole bunch of relatives on it, were you can see also Sophie, the Countess Thorby.
I always wondered why the Countess was pictured on this photo, with members of a family who disliked her and didn't aprove their marriage. I thought that Maria F. (who is also on this picture) have pictured herself with a morganitic member of her family (who was banished from Russia by her late husband).

How was their relationship with Alexander M. and Xenia and their family?

Miche-Miche had little contact with his family prior to the Revolution. The relationship was not good.

Alexandra never received them as a couple AFAIK, so no contact with the children.

I don't know the photo to which you refer but I would not be surprised by MF being in it if it was after the Revolution.

In terms of Xenia, Sandro, and their children, Miche-Miche was Sandro's older brother. He was thus brother in law of Xenia, and uncle to their children. While the geographic separation prior to the Revolution undoubtedly made the two couples and their children less close, nonetheless, they were family.

[Teddy]

No Lisa, its a photo i thought, made in 1898.

[lancashireladandre]

There is quite a bit of information about Miche Miche and Sophie in Trevelyan's book "Grand Dukes and Diamonds".Sophie certainly did not have to sell all her gems.In her will she left a ruby & diamond brooch to Queen Mary.Her daughter Zia inherited her Faberge collection of Frogs amongst other "trinkets".Sir Harold Werhner who died in 1973 and Lady Zia who died in 1977 moved in the very highest circles .The current Queen often stayed at their palatial home Luton Hoo with its Rembrandt and Titian paintings.Zia shared the Queens love of horse racing and owned a Derby winner,while Prince Philip had been brought up with their daughters Lady Butter and Lady Kenward.Today Zia's grandchildren include the Duchesses of Abercorn and Westminster and the Countess of Dalhousie was well as members of the Galitzine & Paskevich families.

[Svetabel]

Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovitch and his morganatic wife Countess Sophie of Merenberg