PHOTO: Prince George Mikhailovich and his wife pose in front of the cruiser Aurora, in St. Petersburg

On 7th November 2023 – the day marking the anniversary of the October 1917 Revolution – Prince George “Gosha” Mikhailovich and his wife, arrived in St. Petersburg, where the couple stopped for a photo-op in front of the cruiser ‘Aurora‘, the main symbol of the Bolshevik Revolution.

What were they thinking?

As Russia’s most legendary warship, the Aurora is primarily associated with the October 1917 Revolution. On 7th November (25 October, O.S.) 1917, the warship fired a blank shot, which was a signal for revolutionary soldiers and sailors to launch an assault onn the Winter Palace in Petrograd, where the Provisional Government had its headquarters.

The Aurora has since been celebrated as one of the main Soviet symbols, and continues to attract modern-day Communists, while serving as a watering hole for their rallies and other events.

For any descendant of the Romanov dynasty to pose for a photo in front of this symbol of the Bolshevik Revolution, is in bad taste, they might as well visit Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow, as well!

Any symbol of Lenin and the Bolsheviks belittles the loss of the Russian Empire, the monarchy, the murder of the Imperial Family, the destruction of churches and monasteries, the persecution, imprisonment and murder of thousands of priests, monks and nuns, etc., must be condemned at all costs. The very fact that this couple chose November 7th – the date marking the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, is even more insulting!

Given the number of beautiful palaces and other buildings with a connection to Tsarist Russia found in and around St. Petersburg, which reflect the former capital of the Russian Empire, one can only ask oneself: “What were they thinking?”

Gosha is heir to nothing!

Prince George “Gosha” Mikhailovich was born in Madrid, Spain on 13th March 1981, he is the only child of Princess Maria Vladimirovna and Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. He is the great-grandson of one of the most despised members of the Russian Imperial Family: Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (1876-1938) .

George spent the first years of his life in France before moving to Spain. There he and his mother lived, along with his maternal grandmother Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhrani (1914-2010), in the home of his maternal aunt, Helen Kirby, living off the wealth of the latter, who inherited a significant fortune from her father, Sumner Moore Kirby. (1895-1945), who was also Leonida’s first husband.

Upon his birth, Gosha was awarded the title of “Grand Duke” by his grandfather Prince Vladimir Kirillovich (1917-1992). It is important to emphasize, that Prince Vladimir Kirillovich never had any authority to hand out titles or awards, as he was not a ruling monarch. Despite this, Vladimir actively, and completely illegally distributed orders, medals and even titles of the Russian Empire, which no longer existed.

The announcement that George Mikhailovich would be known as a Russian Grand Duke prompted Prince Vasili Alexandrovich (1907-1989), then president of the Romanov Family Association, to respond in writing that “The Romanov Family Association hereby declares that the joyful event in the Prussian Royal House does not concern the Romanov Family Association since the newborn prince is not a member of either the Russian Imperial House or of the Romanov family”

As the son of a cadet member of the branch of the House of Hohenzollern which formerly ruled the German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, Gosha is legitimately a German prince, and has much more rights to the German throne than that of Russia. His father, who stopped using his Russian title after his separation, has said of his son, “I have his German passport right here; I always carry it with me. It says he is Prince George of Prussia”.

Today, Gosha continues to style himself as a “Grand Duke,” however, this is incorrect. The last grand duke of Russia was Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who died on 30th October 1956, in Paris, France. His mother attributes to him the title of Tsesarevich: heir apparent or presumptive in the Russian Empire, a title which no longer exists. 

In 2013, Gosha established the Russian Imperial Foundation, whose director he later married. In 2019, George moved to Moscow, where he is a successful and wealthy businessman. He is currently the only Romanov descendant currently living in Russia.

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Under no pretext can we admit to the throne those whose ancestors belonged to parties involved in the 1917 revolution in one way or another. Nor can we admit those whose ancestors, who betrayed Tsar Nicholas II. Nor can we ignore those whose ancestors openly supported the Nazis. Thus, without any reservations, the right to the succession to the throne of the Kirillovich branch should be excluded!

Any person who supports this branch of the Romanov dynasty, dishonours the memory of the murdered Holy Tsar Martyr Nicholas II.

© Paul Gilbert. 13 November 2023