Prince Dimitri Romanov’s visit to the Imperial Cathedral

On July 19, Prince Dimitri Romanov visited Fyodor’s Imperial Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Prince Dimitri is the great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I and as such, the brother and heir to the prerogatives of Prince Nicholas Romanov – a claimant to headship of the Imperial House of Russia.

The 83-year prince arrived in Russia’s northern capital to participate in events commemorating the 91st anniversary of the death of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

Prince Dimitri is a member of the board of trustees of Fyodor’s Cathedral. The church was built in 1913 (to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov House) and is devoted to the Fyodor Icon of the Mother of God, the patron and guardian of the Romanov House. All Russian monarchs were crowned for the throne in front of this icon.

Fifteen years ago, Prince Dimitri Romanov got married in front of the Fyodor Icon of the Mother of God in the Ipatievsky Monastery in Kostroma, the cradle of the Romanov dynasty. Prince Dimitri Romanov donated a small 19th-century Icon of St. Mitrofan and Tikhon of Voronezh to the cathedral. The Prince, who is fluent in Russian, explained that the icon has a very important symbolic value for him: his spiritual councillor blessed him with the holy icon in Rome in 1944.

During the visit, Prince Dimitri was accompanied by his wife Feodora, and his 24 years old nephew, Prince Rostislav (descendant of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia, the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I). Rostislav is one of the last male descendants of Emperor Nicholas I and is likely to be a claimant to Headship of the Imperial House of Russia one day. Although he resides in Britain, he has moved to Russia to learn the language of his ancestors.

Prince Dimitri is expected to stay with his nephew in St. Petersburg for a couple of weeks.

Filed under Russia
Tagged Prince Dimitri Romanovich, Prince Rostislav Romanovich.

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