Dmitri Romanov: Immigration, friendship with Coco Chanel, the Olympics

Paul and Alexandra’s first child was Princess Maria, born in 1890. In 1891 Alexandra Georgievna died of a miscarriage. The baby was saved, however, and Maria had a brother — Grand Duke Dmitri. / Pictured: Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, his children Dmitri and Maria, his brother Grand Duke Sergei Romanov with wife Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fyodorovna, 1892.

Grand Duke Dmitri on board the yacht Standard in the company of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, 1909. The empress was always very affectionate towards her relative Grand Duke Dmitri, who was the same age as her daughters.

Grand Duke Dmitri, an aficionado of cars and an excellent driver, with a 1912 Belgian Metallurgique 15\30 CV.

In early 1917 the Romanov Dynasty had 65 members, 18 of which were killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918-1919. The remaining 47 members were exiled abroad. In 1920 Dmitri”s sister Maria and her husband arrived in London. / Grand Duke Dmitri in London, 1920.

Dmitri and his sister Maria, who had both lost their mother and rarely saw their father during their childhood, were very attached to each other. / Grand Duke Dmitri and his sister Maria, Cannes.

Dmitri Pavlovich with an 8-foot-long fish caught by himself. This photograph was published in several American newspapers / USA, 1931-1932.

Grand Duke Dmitri at the Chateau de Beaumesnil adding the finishing touches to his railroad. 1930s.

Grand Duke Dmitri participated in the polo competition at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in Sweden, finishing ninth. / Pictured: the Polo de Beyris Coupe Carlton competition, August 5, 1928.

Grand Duke Dmitri was born with poor health. He led a sporty life, but like many Romanov men smoked a lot. / Pictured: Dmitri in a Swiss sanatorium, sick with tuberculosis. Here he spent the last years of his life.

Dmitri died at the age of 50. / The Grand Duke’s funeral, Davos, Switzerland, 1942.

Dmitri and Audrey’s only child was born in London in 1928. Ten years after his parents” divorce he moved to the US with his mother. He served as a colonel during the Korean War. He was a famous photographer and was elected mayor of Palm Beach, California three times.

In the 1920s Grand Duke Dmitri often visited Coco Chanel in Biarritz. Their affair lasted less than a year, but they remained friends until Dmitri’s death. It was Dmitri Romanov who introduced Chanel to some important people, including perfumer Ernest Beaux, the creator of the Chanel No. 5 formula. It was here that in 1926 Dmitri married Audrey Emery, the youngest daughter of American millionaire John Josiah.

The Grand Duke’s last birthday. St. Moritz, Switzerland, September 6, 1941.