(13 February 1903 in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia – 15 June 1997 in Cannes, France) in Paris, France. Well known by White Russians in exile for her elegance and grace, the Princess was a daughter of Count Hilarion Vorontsov Illarionovich - Dashkov and his first wife, Irina, born Naryshkina. Maria was a direct descendant of several Russian noble families, including Dolgorukov, Naryshkin, and Shuvalov. The wedding took place on 19 February 1922 in Paris. The couple had two sons: Prince Nikita Romanov (13 May 1923 in London, England – 3 May 2007 in New York City) Prince Alexander Romanov (4 November 1929 in Paris, France – 21 September 2002 in London, England). In the early 1920s in Paris, the Princess, with her husband's helped to create a collection for the company IRFE owned by Prince Felix Yusupov and his wife Princess Irina Alexandrovna, Nikita's sister. After the birth of his youngest son, Prince Nikita moved his family from Paris to England where his mother, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna lived. In exile, Nikita Alexandrovich was an active in the monarchist movement. He was a member of the oldest monarchist organization, the Supreme Monarchist Council. He was particularly involved during the 1920s and 1930s. At the outbreak World War II, Prince Nikita was living in Paris with his family. Unable to return to London, they moved to Rome and later to Czechoslovakia. As the Red Army advanced on the Eastern Front, fearing to end up in Soviet-occupied territory, the family moved back to Paris. When the war ended, they emigrated to the United States in 1946 settling in Monterey, California where Prince Nikita Alexandrovich taught Russian in army units. He later moved to New York city, working in banks and offices. In 1969, Prince Nikita Alexandrovich publicly dismissed Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich's claims to Grand Ducal status. Throughout his life, Prince Nikita Aleksandrovich did not adopt any nationality, he decided to remain only Russian. In the early 1970s, Prince Nikita Alexandrovich and his wife returned to France. He died in 1974 in Cannes. He had wished to be buried in Ai-Todor in Crimea, but was buried in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, next to his parents. Ancestry Notes References Kiste, John van der, & Hall, Coryne. Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas II, Sutton Publishing, 2002. . Willis, Daniel. The Romanovs in the 21st Century: a genealogical Biography, VDM, 2009. . About Prince Nikita of