hiː wʌzɐ ɡɹˈeɪtɡɹˈændsʌn ʌv tsˈɑːɹ ˌælɪɡzˈændɚ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː ʌv ɹˈʌʃə ænd, fˈɑːloʊɪŋ ðə dˈɛθ ʌv ɡɹˈænd dˈuːk vlˈædɪmˌɪɹ kˌɪɹɪlˈoʊvɪtʃ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː, ðɪ ˈɛɹmˈeɪl hˈaʊs ʌv ɹˈoʊmɐnˌɑːv ɐ pəzˈɪʃən nˈaʊ hˈɛld baɪ hɪz ˈɛldɚ sˈʌn, ɐ fˈɜːst kˈʌzən wˈʌns ɹᵻmˈuːvd ʌv nˈɪkələs ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː, fˈɜːst kˈʌzən ʌv lˈɛnɑːɹt bˈɜːnɐdˌɑːt ænd ðə sˈɛkənd kˈʌzən ʌv tʃˈɑːɹlz ɹˌoʊmən θɹˈiː.
He was a great-grandson of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and, following the death of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich in 1992, the heir-male House of Romanov (a position now held by his elder son), a first cousin once removed of Nicholas II, first cousin of Lennart Bernadotte and the second cousin of Charles III.