I'm so proud that there's a new great-great grandson of Alexander II of Russia is defending his rights in being on of the house heads. With Maria and Nicholas Romanov. It's his HRH, Rani Romanov, Grand Duke of Russia.
By new do you mean fake? The wikipedia page for Rani was removed because they think he is fake. He was also added as a claimant on the House of Romanov page and they removed that too.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_Romanov,_Grand_Duke_of_Russia
I absolutely respect your opinion. But as far as I know that each royal member has roots to the throne he shall have the title Grand Duke. And the great-great grandfather of Rani Romanov is Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia. (he is from the branch of Andrei Romanov, Grand Duke of Russia ---- Vladimir's son)
Above he is the great-great grandson of Alexander II, then here Vladimir. So is he Andrei's grandson or great grandson? Andrei had no legitimate heirs or marriages so it is not possible for a descendant of his to be a surprise dynast. He had a morganatic marriage and a son Vladimir Romanovsky-Krasinsky out of wedlock. I do not know if Vladimir had a family. Illegitimate line descendants, who has not been legitimized by a later marriage, have no claim even if all marriages were equal (like Monaco). There would still be in that case many hereditary descendants ahead of him.
Dynastic children and grandchildren in the male line of a tsar were Grand Dukes/Duchesses and great and great-great grandchildren in the male line are Princes/Princesses of Russia. If the family ran out of male dynasts and it passed through the female lines then all dynastic children and grandchildren could be called Grand Duke/Duchess and great and great-great grandchildren are Princes/Princesses of Russia. These descents could be applied accordingly to the Pretender since there is no longer a Tsar which is why Maria and George, who consider themselves dynasts (as do others) use Grand Duchess and Grand Duke, however they are the only ones.
Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen is calling himself Nicholas III which is going too far, especially since he had a morganatic marriage. But the dynastic Leiningens, Prussians and Serbians (Paul's branch) could be Prince/Princesses of Russia if Maria, Kira, Elena, and Olga never renounced their rights. That is it for potential dynastic Russian princes and princess.
Those legitimate non-dynasts who claim there are no dynasts left such as Nicholas, Dimitri, Rostislav, etc also go by Prince/Princess of Russia (even the claimants).
Dynastic male line descendants beyond this, some non-dynastic, and closer non-dynastic ones go by Prince/Princess Romanov/Romanovsky. Traditionally non-dynastic branches have added names such as Romanov-Brasov, Romanov-Ilyinsky, Romanovsky-Iksander or Romanovsky-Krasinsky; or go by a completely different name such as Paley.
If Rani is a descendant of Andrei he could get away with Prince Rani Romanovsky-Krasinsky, but he'd have no claim to Grand Duke/Prince of Russia or the throne.
I have never heard of the grand duke.
