History
The idea for the creation of a family association was thought up by Prince Vsevolod Ioannovich, Prince Roman Petrovich and Prince Andrei Alexandrovich the heads of the Konstantinovichi, Nikolaevichi and Mihailovichi branches of the Imperial Family in order to strengthen the links between the family and protect it from impostors. Following the death of Prince Roman Petrovich in 1978, his son Prince Nicholas Romanovich, after looking through his father's papers found that everything was effectively in place for the creation of a Family association. Prince Nicholas then wrote to all the Romanovs who had been in communication with his father and it was agreed that a Family Association should be created. In 1979 the Romanov Family Association was officially formed with Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich as president and Prince Nicholas Romanovich as vice president. Prince Nicholas Romanovich was elected president in succession to Prince Vasili Alexandrovich who died in 1989.
The association accepts that the Russian monarchy legally ended on 3 March (Julian Calendar)/ 16 March (Gregorian Calendar), 1917 with the decree of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia renouncing the throne and recognizing the Provisional Government. Article IV-b of the bylaws of the Romanov Family Association states "The Members of the Association agree that all questions concerning the form of government in Russia and consequently also all matters of a dynastic character have been transmitted to the will of the great Russian people by the Manifest of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, which followed the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on the basis of 'general, direct, equal and secret voting'."
The members of the association reject the claims of their cousin Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia that she is the current Pretender to the Russian throne, for reasons detailed in the article on the line of succession to the Russian throne.
As a charitable endeavor, the association operates the Romanov Fund for Russia to raise money for aid projects in Russia.
Read more about this topic: Romanov Family Association
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