Prince Rostislav Romanov (born 1985) - Death of Father

Death of Father

In 1998 Prince Rostislav visited Russia with his parents and siblings to attend the funeral of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Six months later he died on 7 January 1999, during the Russian Christmas celebration. Though he had a cancer treatment, some speculate that, while in Russia he contracted a rare illness from the dust at the church where the funeral was held. This left Rostislav and his family facing financial difficulties due to the loss of his father's income. In order to provide for the family, Rostislav's mother turned an 18th-century mansion in Rye, East Sussex into a bed and breakfast. The mansion however was in a semi-derelict state and in need of renovation. As there was no kitchen to begin with, Rostislav and his siblings used to have to carry buckets of water up to the bathroom in order to wash the dishes in the bathtub. His widowed mother married David Whitney Erskine Russell the heir to the title Baron Ampthill on 6 July 2002.