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Leonida Bagratiom-MyhranskayaA representative of the Romanov dynasty - the mother of the head of the imperial house
Date of Birth: 06.10.1914
Country:  Spain |
Content:
- Princess Leonida Georgievna: Matriarch of the Romanov Dynasty
- Exile and Return
- Marriage and Recognition
- Service and Legacy
- Honors and Recognition
Princess Leonida Georgievna: Matriarch of the Romanov Dynasty
Early Life and AncestryHer Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna, Dowager Empress (de jure Her Imperial Majesty Empress), was born in Tiflis on September 23/October 6, 1914, to HRH Prince George Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhransky and HRH Princess Elena Sigismundovna (née Novina-Zlotnitskaya).
The Bagration Dynasty, the most ancient in Europe, traces its roots to King David the Psalmist from the Bible. A descendant of David, Bagrat, was granted the right by Parthian King Valarz to crown the kings of ancient Armenia in 150 BC. In 298 AD, Bagrat's heir, King Tiridates, converted to Christianity and became its fervent advocate.
The Georgian branch of the Bagrations began with King Bagrat, who came to Georgia in 575. The Mukhransky Princely House emerged in 1469. The Bagrations established close ties with Russia in 1564, when King Leon of Kakheti sought protection from Ivan IV the Terrible.
Exile and Return
In 1783, the Treaty of Georgievsk brought the Georgian Kingdom under Russian jurisdiction while it retained its autonomy and monarchy. However, Emperor Alexander I violated this treaty, annexing Georgia in 1801 and deposing the Bagration Dynasty.
After the extinction of the senior Bagration line in the late 19th century, the inheritance of the Georgian throne passed to the Bagration-Mukhransky line. However, political circumstances made it impractical to assert their rights at the time.
Grand Duchess Leonida's grandfather and father remained loyal to the Russian Empire while upholding their dynastic duties. Despite persecution, they never renounced their mission to restore the Georgian throne. Princess Leonida's grandfather, HRH Prince Alexander Iraklievich Bagration-Mukhransky (de jure King of Georgia), was executed by Bolsheviks in 1918.
After the overthrow of the Menshevik government in 1921, the Bagration-Mukhransky family fled Georgia but returned in 1923. Initially, they held their ancestral home but were soon subjected to oppression and arrests. The intervention of Maxim Gorky, a former protégé of the Bagrations, facilitated their second departure from the Soviet Union.
Marriage and Recognition
In 1946, Grand Duke Vladimir III Kirillovich recognized the regal status of the Bagration Dynasty. Shortly after, he met and married his future wife, Princess Leonida Georgievna, on August 13, 1948, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Service and Legacy
Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna devotedly supported her husband's work and continues to assist their daughter. She has undertaken numerous charitable endeavors, helping orphans, the disabled, and the elderly. In 1994, she arranged the transfer of her parents' remains to the Royal Mausoleum of the Georgian Tsars in Mtskheta.
Despite a life marked by challenges, Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna exudes unwavering faith, regal simplicity, empathy, and compassion. She remains a beloved figure, embodying the ideal of the Russian Tsaritsa, a supporter and companion to her sovereign.
Honors and Recognition
In 2008, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia bestowed upon Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna the Order of St. Olga, Equal-to-the-Apostles, First Class.
Her legacy of service, humility, and love for both Russia and Georgia continues to inspire those who have had the privilege of meeting her.
