# List of princes of royal blood of Russia

Prince of royal blood [ru] (Russian: Князь императорской крови) was the title introduced in the Russian Empire in 1886 for distant descendants of the emperor. The title was granted to great-grandchildren and their descendants (and their wives) instead of the more honorable "Grand prince/Grand Duke" (Russian: великий князь; for children and grandchildren). It was introduced due to a significant increase in the number of members of the House of Romanov, in order to cut the expenses required by the law for Grand Princes/Princesses.

## Story

In 1885 Emperor Alexander III formalised the use of titles in the Imperial House by amendment to the succession laws. Grand prince belonged henceforward only to sons and paternal grandsons of the Emperors of Russia, and Grand princess correspondingly only to daughters and paternal granddaughters, as well as to legitimate wives of Grand princes.
One male infant only 9 days old at the time of Alexander's edict thus lost the title. Those Russian dynasts who genealogically were distant from Emperors (as not to be Grand princes) were entitled to titulary Prince of Russia.
Prince John Konstantinovich of Russia (1886–1918) was apparently the only who lost the grand ducal title accorded by convention at birth but removed by Alexander III. Alexander III's own grandchildren, children of his daughter Xenia Alexandrovna, were not yet born at the time of the edict, and accordingly became "only" Princes of Russia from their births, as they were great-grandchildren of Nicholas I (one generation too far) when looking at the male lineage.
All were styled Highness.

## Princes of Russia of the House of Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp

| Picture | Name | Father | Born | Died | Notes |
| | Prince John Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 5 July 1886 | 18 July 1918 | Ioann Konstantinovich was born as a Grand Duke of Russia with the style Imperial Highness, but at the age of 9 days, an Ukaz of his cousin Emperor Alexander III of Russia stripped him of that title, as the Ukaz amended the House Law by limiting the grand-ducal title to grandsons of a reigning emperor. As a result, he received the title Prince of the Imperial Blood (Prince of Russia) with the style Highness |
| File:Prince Gavril.jpg | Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 15 July 1887 | 28 February 1955 | |
| | Prince Constantine Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 1 January 1891 | 18 July 1918 | |
| | Prince Oleg Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 27 November 1892 | 27 September 1914 | |
| | Prince Igor Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 10 June 1894 | 18 July 1918 | |
| | Prince Georgy Konstantinovich | Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich | 6 May 1903 | 7 November 1938 | |
| | Prince Roman Petrovich | Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich | 17 October 1896 | 23 October 1978 | |
| | Prince Andrei Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 24 January 1897 | 8 May 1981 | |
| | Prince Feodor Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 24 January 1897 | 8 May 1981 | |
| | Prince Nikita Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 13 January 1900 | 12 September 1974 | |
| | Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 15 August 1901 | 7 July 1980 | |
| | Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 2 November 1902 | 31 July 1978 | |
| | Prince Vasili Alexandrovich | Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich | 7 July 1907 | 24 June 1989 | |
| | Prince Vladimir Kirillovich | Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich | 30 August 1917 | 21 April 1992 | Became Grand Duke in 1922 Pretender 1938–1992 |
| | Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich | Prince John Konstantinovich | 20 January 1914 | 18 June 1973 | |