Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna of Russia
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Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna of Russia, Leonida Georgiyevna Romanova (Леонида Георгиевна Романова) (born 23 September 1914) is the widow of Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich, Pretender to the Russian throne.
The Grand Duchess was born as Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Moukhransky, a noble family in Russia descended from former rulers of Georgia. She first married Summer Moore Kirby, and had a daughter Helen, now Countess Helen Dvinskaya. After divorcing Kirby, the Princess remarried Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich, Titular Emperor of Russia, thus becoming Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna. By him, she had another daughter, Maria, who succeeded her father as Titular Empress when he died.
The Grand Duke's marriage to Princess Leonida is controversial; many consider it to be morganatic (though princess descended from a dynasty that had ruled as kings in Armenia and Georgia since the early Middle Ages, it had been reduced to the status of Russian nobility for over a century prior to the Russian Revolution). Because of this, the Romanov Family Association considers Maria to be unentitled to claim the throne. However, since Grand Duke Vladimir was at the time the Head he declared his marriage to be equal, legally his marriage would be considered equal. The Grand Duchess, despite these arguments, continues to use the title of Grand Duchess of Russia and the style of Her Imperial Highness.
[edit] Titles from birth
- Her Illustrious Highness Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Moukhransky (23 September 1914–16 March 1917)
- Her Illustrious Highness Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Moukhransky (16 March 1917–13 August 1948)
- Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna of Russia (13 August 1948—)
She has also used the title HIM The Dowager Empress Leonida and is often referred to as such on her daughter's official website, however, abroad she travels under the title of Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna of Russia.
