Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhailovitch and his family

[LisaDavidson]

There is an announcement of Mrs. Wynkoop's death on our Forum banner, as well as a thread under News links.

Mrs. Wynkoop was also a friend of Peter Kurth's and Penny Wilson's. I have asked PK to write us an obit for the APA site and I believe he has written one for the NY Times.

[Prince_Christopher]

I find it intriguing that Marie of Greece/Russia's descendants are still in line for the Greek throne.  This means that, aside from the family of Paul, ALL the other descendants of George I and Olga have been passed over for some reason.

Was it the custom for the princesses to give up their rights upon marriage?

And why did Marie not do so?  Was it overlooked, being only the second time a Greek princess married?  What about the descendants of Marie Pavlovna and her brother Dimitri? Did Alexandra give up her rights when she married their father?

It's ironic that Prince Christopher's descendants are not in line for the throne, but his American wife Nancy's are....

[LisaDavidson]

I am away from my notes at the moment, but I believe that Prince Christopher's first wife, who became HRH Princess Anastasia of Greece, made an agreement for her daughter-in-law, HSH Princess Xenia Georgievna's children, to be heirs to the throne of Greece. This is interesting for several reasons. First, Princess Anastasia was a wealthy American widow and as such would not have normally been entitled to be a princess in her own right. She would normally have been Princess Christopher of Greece. However, she joined the family when it was in considerable turmoil, and she was by all accounts incredibly generous to her new in laws. In the midst of this, her son by her first marriage, Billy Leeds, married Princess Xenia. Second, this is the only case I know of where the children of an American man, in this case, Billy Leeds, became heir to a foreign kingdom. As I understand it, Nancy Leeds Wynkoop was in line as is her daughter Alexandra Wynkoop.

By the way, Prince Christopher had only one legitimate son, Prince Michael. I believe Prince Michael is still a Greek dynast but his daughters were the product of a morganatic marriage. Thus, they and their descendants - which means Prince Christopher's descendants - are not in line for the throne of Greece.

[Dominic_Albanese]

There is an announcement of Mrs. Wynkoop's death on our Forum banner, as well as a thread under News links.

Mrs. Wynkoop was also a friend of Peter Kurth's and Penny Wilson's. I have asked PK to write us an obit for the APA site and I believe he has written one for the NY Times.

I knew that Peter was close to Mrs. Wynkoop - its great that he is writing an obit for us.  I wondered if he might go to her service as well?

I remembered something else Mrs. Wynkoop told me the one time we visited.  It was in relationship to Alix - she said that the family lore was that children in general loved her.  She could easily relate to them, they liked her and sought her out.  Her point was that while adults didn't care for Alix, children did and that in itself said something about Alix's character.

We also discussed, briefly, Anna Anderson.  Her mother, I believe hosted Anna Anerson in New York for awhile.  While a long time ago, I vaguely remember that Mrs. Wynkoop had trouble reconcilling in her mind the "regal" characteristics of Anna Anderson.  Please, Please - let's not turn this thread into a debate on Anna Anderson, I just wanted to relate some of my recollections.  I don't know what her feelings were about Anna Anderson after the DNA tests were done or at the end of her life.

I'll always remember that one visit, principally because of her graciousness, hosting this kid who had a couple of books on Nicholas and Alexandra and didn't have a clue about the extended family.  She even offered to lend me a genealogy she had to help broaden my knowledge.  She was a friendly, formal and interesting lady.

I have the book from the Middlebury College exhibition, its an interesting book.  Here's the amazon site if you want to purchase it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1928825036/qid=1150157341/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-1773226-1392063?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

[julia.montague]

Yes, I think it went like this:

Crown Prince Pavlos
His Children (3 or 4 now?)
Prince Nikolaos
Prince Philippos
Princess Alexia
Her children (1 or 2?)
Theodora
Irene
Nancy Leeds Wynkoop
Alexandra Wynkoop

Another interesting side fact--there is another Romanov/Wynkoop connection. Peter & Militza’s great-granddaughter Elisabeth Freiin von Waldstätten (granddaughter of Nadezhda, Pss Orlov)  married a Wykoop cousin of Alexandra Wynkoop in 1942.

Pavlos has 4 children: Maria-Olympia, Konstantinos-Alexios, Achileas-Andreas and Odysseas-Kimon, Alexia has three children: Arietta, Ana-María and Carlos

[Prince_Christopher]

From The Best Families: The Town & Country Social Directory 1846-1996, by Jerry E. Patterson.

There is a listing concerning the grandparents of Mrs. Leeds:

Leeds, Mr. and Mrs. William Bateman (Nonnie Stewart)  
are regular summer  residents of Newport.  Last fall, Mr. Leeds      purchased "Rough Point," which had been in the market for a long time.        With its location at the lower turn of the cliff walk, with the grounds bounded by the ocean and Bellevue Avenue, the estate has long been one of the showplaces of Newport.  The rough stone house, with its brown walls, seems part of the rocks above which it is built.  The rocks extend out into the water many feet, and at the change of the tide or during a storm, the surf is magnificent.  August 24, 1907

*Nonnie Stewart was the original name of Nancy Leeds/Anastasia of Greece.

[Prince_Christopher]

And a later one for Nancy Leeds Wynkoop's parents:

Leeds, Mr. and Mrs. William B., Jr. (Princess Xenia of Russia)

Their recent marriage in Paris was an event of international interest.  The Princess Xenia is the youngest daughter of the late Grand Duke George Michaelovitch of Russia and a niece of the King of Greece.  Mr. Leeds is the son of Princess Anastasia of Greece, who was formerly Mrs. William B. Leeds of New York.   November 20, 1921

[alixaannencova]

Perhaps I am being as blind as a bat, but I cannot find a thread for George M! If there isn't one, may we try and start one, as I find him curiously interesting!

I understand that he shared Mikhailovka with his siblings for many years, as a country residence, but assume that after he married Marie Georgievna he got himself his own place in the country outside St Petersburg as well as building Harax. Did George also build himself a palace in St Petersburg?

I have never heard of a Georgievsky Dvorets in the former capital! I wonder what his chief interests were! He seems a rather modest man in truth, and I often wonder why Marie G. ever agreed to marry him!

It seems so sad that he did not see his daughters again 1914, but then again at least he knew they were safe in 1919! As a rather frivilous side note, I have come to the conclusion that Dimitri Konstantinovich was the best dressed member of the dynasty ever! Absolutely immaculte! Almost achingly too well tailored and turned out actually! Anyway, what about Georgie M. What was his diminutive - Georgie.... at a rather unimaginative guess?

[Svetabel]

As I know GD Georgiy M. lived in the NovoMikhailovskiy palace with his brother GD Nikolay M. As well as in Mikhailovka, the summer residence of the Mikhailovichi branch.

GD Georgiy M. was close in his interests to GD Petr Nikloayevich - both Grand Dukes loved painting and arts. Georgiy also was a well-known numismatologist. His brother, famous Sandro - GD Alexander - in his memoirs said a little about Georgiy and in a somewhat snubbish way but Sandro was too much fancy of himself and seemed said nothing really good about anybody.

[alixaannencova]

Thanks as ever svetabel for your trove of data!

So George M collected coins! I had quite forgotten about that! I wonder what other members of the IF felt about GeorgeM? He seems a modest man to me!

[Svetabel]

Well, he really seems modest as he did’t want to be on the key postions in politics (as his brother Sandro for example ), also Georgiy was not a dashing officer (he had some problem with one of his legs), so he was quite glad to collect coins and paintings (he was the General Manager of the Museum of Alexander III  -it’s the Russian Museum now in St Petersbourg).

Within his family Georgiy was considered somewhat we’d say now a loser – his mother was not of a high opinion on him (and called him a fool), his father wanted all his sons to be the artillerists, his brothers such as Sandro and Nikolay seemed respected only the people the same in the intelligence as they were...Anyway he choose his way of life and was quite happy with it.

When he was a young man Georgiy fell in love with Princess Nina Chavchavadze and wanted to marry her, but she was an unequal girl for him – they were not married (by the way, one of his daughters from Marie of Greece was called Nina ). After that Georgiy fell in love with Princess Marie of Edinburgh, future famous Queen of Romania, but the plans of Marie’s mother were absolutely different, and also Alexander III did not like much non-Orthodox Princesses. Georgiy married only in 1900 Princess Marie of Greece who was an Orthodox and did not love him at all...

Georgiy M. was not very much in evidence so some extra info on him is sometimes difficult to find.

[alixaannencova]

Many thanks for the lovely things you have shared with me Svetabel! Really appreciated!

[Svetabel]

Many thanks for the lovely things you have shared with me Svetabel! Really appreciated!

You are welcome .Actually I am very interested in the Mikhailovichi branch of the Romanov family, and especially in GDss Olga Fedorovna, mother of GD Georgiy M and his siblings. Seems none of the contemporaries said a good word about her - and that's why I am intrigued about the GDss as I like to know more on complex Royal persons...

Back to Georgiy M. - as it happened he had a chance to survive in the Revolutionary years after the abdication of Nicholas II. In Summer 1917 GD Georgiy got a permission to leave for Finland and then - to England (as we know his wife and daughters lived there).  But in April 1918 he was arrested at the railway station in Helsinki as he had too much yearned  to his family. GD was sent away to Petrograd and then to Vologda, then back to Petrograd where he was shot in January 1919.

[alixaannencova]

How terribly sad that he came so close to escaping! I had no idea of it!

I agree that there were so many interesting and diverse characters within the IF. I also find Grand Duchess Elisaveta Mikhailovna and her family very interesting, but do not seem to be able to find her old thread! I would like to find out more about her. I remember hearing that she was quite into the arts and that AII was quite close to her and was returning from visiting her when he was set upon!

[Svetabel]

I also find Grand Duchess Elisaveta Mikhailovna and her family very interesting, but do not seem to be able to find her old thread! I would like to find out more about her. I remember hearing that she was quite into the arts and that AII was quite close to her and was returning from visiting her when he was set upon!

I think you mean GDss Ekaterina Mikhailovna, niece of Emperor Nicholas I. There was a very old thread on her - I guess it was  deleted or merged...Anyway you can find some info/pictures on her and her descendants here:

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php/topic,1173.0.html