Moscow, 6 December 2022

This article is being updated as more information becomes available!

Today, on the feast of St Alexander Nevsky (1) and in the presence of HIH the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, the Christening of her grandson HSH Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanoff took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. With the blessing of HH Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia, the first Vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk celebrated the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Chrismation.

The infant prince arrived at the cathedral with his parents, HIH Grand Duke George of Russia and HSH Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff, together with his grandparents, HIH Grand Duchess Maria, HRH Prince Franz Wilhelm (known in Russia as Michael Pavlovich) and his wife Nadia, Princess of Prussia, and Princess Romanoff’s parents, Ambassador and Mrs. Roberto Bettarini. This is the first time a member of the Romanoff family has been baptized in Russia since before the revolution (2), and the first time a Romanoff has been christened in Moscow since Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich was baptized at Ilyinskoe in 1891.

The baptism of an infant is the first of the Holy Sacraments in which a member of the Orthodox church participates and an occasion of great joy not only within the family, but within the Church.  Godparents must have been baptized in the Orthodox Church, must be in full sacramental communion, and must be a member in good standing of an Orthodox parish. 

It has been announced that the Prince has quite a few godparents.  Godmothers include: HRH Princess Olga, Duchess of Savoy-Aosta (born Princess Olga of Greece); Helene Kirby y Bagration, Countess Dvinskkaya; Princess Elizabeth Lopoukhina; Mme. Oxana Girko, and Mme Yulia Abrosina have all been named Godfathers include: , Russian nobleman Michel Petrovich Orloff, HRH Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo; and Prince Stephane Belosselsky-Belozersky,

In Russian Orthodoxy, only one godparent is required, but frequently infants have an official Godfather and a Godmother. Before the Revolution, members of the Russian Imperial House had as many as 10, most simply honorary! (3)

Godmother: HRH Princess Olga, Duchess of Savoy-Aosta

HRH Princess Olga of Greece was born in Athens in 1971, the daughter of HRH Prince Michael of Greece  and his wife, the artist Marina Karella.  She is a relative of the Romanoff family, and a direct descendant of Emperor Nicholas I. She remained Orthodox when she married HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta in both Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox ceremonies in 2008. The couple have three children and live in Moscow, where since November 2019, HRH Prince Aimone has served as the Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Russia.

Godfather: Michel Petrovich Orloff 

Michel Petrovich Orloff is a Russian nobleman and the son of the late Pierre Alexeievich Orloff (a descendant of Count Feodor Grigorievich Orlov), and HRH Princess Fadia of Egypt, the youngest daughter of King Farouk I. Michel Petrovich was born in Egypt in 1966, where his father’s family hafd settled after the Russian Revolution.  He is a grandson of HM the late King Farouk and a nephew of HM King Fuad II.  He is also the godson of HM King Simeon of Bulgaria, and maintains the Orthodox faith of his ancestors. (4) He has two children, Feodor and Sophia, and the family lives in Moscow. 

Godfather: HRH Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo

HRH Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo was born in Paris in 1973. Prince Joachim is the son and heir of the 8th Prince Murat, head of the House of Murat, which once reigned on the throne of Naples.  He is a direct descendant of  Joachim-Napoleon Murat, King of Naples from 1808-1815, Marshal of France and brother-in-law of Emperor Napoleon I.  His wife was  Caroline Bonaparte, Queen of Naples and sister of Napoleon I. Prince and Princess Murat and their infant son are close family friends of the Grand Duke and his wife. 

Godfather: Prince Stephane Belosselsky-Belozersky

Prince Stephane Belosselsky-Belozersky (born Paris, 1957) is a descendant of one of the Russian Princely houses descended from Riurik, and long in service to the Russian Imperial House. He is the President of the French chapter of the Moscow-based Assembly of the Russian Nobility.

Godmother: Hélène kirby y bagration Countess dvinskaya

Hélène Kirby y Bagration, Countess Dvinskaya is the half-sister of HIH Grand Duchess Maria Of Russia, and the aunt and godmother of Grand Duke George. She is the daughter of the late Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna from her first marriage, and was created Countess Dvinsky by Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich in 1976. The countess was unable to attend the ceremony due to health concerns.

Princess Ekaterina Lopoukhina

Born in Moscow, Princess Ekaterina Lopoukhina is the wife of Prince Vadim Olegovich Lopoukhin (born Arkhangelsk, 1955) who serves as a member of the Russian Imperial Chancellery as Head of the Department for Interregional and International Relations. Princess Lopoukhina is a close friend of the Imperial Family, has served as a lady-in-waiting to the Grand Duchess, is a Dame of the Order of St. Anastasia, and is active in charitable and philanthropic work in Moscow where she lives with her husband and their children.

mme. Oksana Girko

Mme. Oksana Giro is a close family friend of the Grand Duke George and his wife, Princess Victoria. Well-known in Moscow as a philanthropist and climate activist, Mme. Girko partnered with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to create the World Plastic Summit Forum to address the issue of pollution and the world’s oceans. Mme. Girko is a mother of three, and an avid supporter of the the International Red Cross, Women for Women International, FPAII, and the Princess Grace Foundation.

Mme. Yulia AbrOsimova

Mme. Yulia Abrosimova is a well-known businesswoman in Moscow. In addition to her time at St Petersburg State University where she completed Graduate work in Asian Studies, she also attended Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany. She is a Member of the Council of the St. Petersburg branch of the All-Russian public organization "Business Russia". And served as General Director of JSC "Commercial Center Transport and Forest".

A revived tradition

In pre-revolutionary Russia, it was a custom for newborns to be presented with a “measured” icon; that is, an icon of their patron saint, painted on a panel the exact same length as the newborn. This practice was revived in Russia for Prince Alexander with two measured icons presented this one was a gift from friends and supporters of the Imperial Family in St. Petersburg. The other was a gift from the Knights and Dames of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders.

Footnotes:

1.

The feast of St. Alexander Nevsky Great Prince of Novgorod, in Schema Alexis (1263) takes place on 23 November on the Julian calendar and 6 December on the Gregorian. In the West, 6 December is the feast of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker, a patron saint of Russia.

2.

The last member of the Imperial house to be Christened was HIH Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, the Prince’s Great-grandfather

3.

As an example, the godparents of Tsesarevich Alexis in 1904 were: 

The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna [Orthodox]

Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia. [Lutheran]

Edward VII, King of Great Britain and Ireland. [Anglican]

King Christian IX of Denmark. [Lutheran]

Ernest Louis [Grand Duke of Hesse. [Lutheran]

Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gothe [Lutheran]

Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovlch of Russia [Orthodox]

Grand Duchess Alexandra losifovna of Russia [Orthodox]

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia [Orthodox]

4. Kolesnichenko, A., «Фермер голубой крови. Как внук короля Египта открыл сельхозбизнес в России» Аргументы и Факты, № 48. 30/11/2016