First: the IF was NEVER introduced ! But their people were introduced to them...it's quite a difference.
Second : They were never named after their family surname, Romanov, name which is largely widespread in Russia ( Romanov=means the family of Roman, like Petrov means the family of Peter or Pavlov the family of Paul)
They were "only" for a Grand Duke for example His Imperial Highness Sergey Alexandrovich. Abroad he might be His Imperial Highness Sergey Alexandrovich of Russia, bur NEVER NEVER HIH Sergey Alexandrovich Romanov which would have sounded ridiculous and insulting. They were as individuals only dedicated to Russia that's all...
The Emperor was His Imperial Majesty Emperor Sovereign Nicholas II ( or Nicolas Alexandrovich) of All The Russias, Grand Duke of Finland, King of Poland and so on...on WRITTEN documents.
The word Tzar or Czar ( TSESAR, from latin Caesar) was not on official documents, but the word IMPERATOR ( from latin: Emperor) after Peter the Great.
He signed only by his Christian name : Nicholas ( Nikolaï) that's all...
So did the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchess, they signed: Mikhail, Maria, Olga, Wladimir, no name period...
Under official portraits and photographies or in books and newspapers it was added before the titles The August Family, The August Sovereign ( Gosudar) or The August Tzarevich ( Tsesarevich) etc...It was also the same for other Royal families in Europe.
Only the dynasty was associated with the name Romanov, not individuals.
All these rules were the same for any ruling Royal or Imperial family anywhere in Europe...unless members of these families had a special PERSONAL title such as Duke or Count of something or other traditions such as only MONSIEUR for the brother of the King in France. In Russia members of the Imperial Family didn't have any personal title, they were just Maria, Dimitri or Boris.
In France, the King entered in any room AFTER his people who had to wait for his arrival and to be in time BEFORE him, nobody could arrive after him or depart before him.
When he stepped in the room it was proclaimed: "Messieurs, le Roi !" and people had to wait untill the chamberlain allowed them to be introduced to him
Nobody was supposed to speak to him first .
It was the same for any Court in Europe.
Even now no one speaks first to the Queen of England and nobody is allowed to ask her a question. People are only supposed to REPLY with respect.
That was exactly the same at the Russian Court.
When you deal with official duties at this time, forget about the individual, only the rank was taken into account. So the matter was not to specify who the individual was, but to show only the function. (for Russian Emperors, their function was sent by God to only one person, the Emperor, who was given for that the Sacrement of the Holy Unction).
Same for other kingdoms.
That's why one talked about THE king or THE Emperor, and that's enough...
Forget about nowadays when one talks about President Bush, President Clinton or President Whosoever. It would have been ( I'm joking...) if the same rules were current today: THE President, period...
Hope it could help...
