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.
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.