We, Grand Duke Wladimir, Head of the Russian Imperial House, announce the following:Acting in accordance with Our prerogatives and inalienable rights as Head of the Russian Imperial House, and following the Fundamental Laws of the Russian Empire, as set forth in volume 1, part 1, in the chapters: Holy rights and privileges of the Supreme Autocratic Power, and The Statute on the Imperial Family: We consider it good to give Our permission for the marriage of Our Daughter, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Mariia Wladimirovna, to His Royal Highness Prince Franz-Wilhelm-Victor-Christoph-Stephan of Prussia. We also witnessed the reception of His Royal Highness Prince Franz-Wilhelm-Victor-Christoph-Stephan of Prussia into the bosom of the Orthodox Church on 21 July 1976, which was performed by the proper Church authorities in the Russian church of St. Sergius in Paris. We decree that His Royal Highness Prince Franz-Wilhelm-Victor-Christoph-Stephan of Prussia from now on shall be called Mikhail Pavlovich. In accordance with the above-mentioned laws, We grant to Mikhail Pavlovich the title of Grand Duke and, accordingly, all honors and privileges which are due to the spouse of the ruling Emperor or to the spouse of a ruling Empress, which exclude the right to the title Emperor. We remind Mikhail Pavlovich, who is here present, of his formal, ceremonial, irrevocable pledge, without which the present Announcement could not be issued, to instruct and raise any children that might be born of his union with Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Mariia Wladimirovna in the Orthodox Faith. Inasmuch as they present no contradiction to the Statute on the Imperial Family, We grant Our approval to the conditions of the marriage contract which establishes the marital union of the couple on the basis of separate marital property, as this is provided for and legal in the French Civil Code of Laws. We express Our hope for Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, and for Her Consort, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, that if, by God’s will, the circumstances should arise that They will be called upon to fulfill their duty, that They will always and with all Their hearts support the greatness of the Empire and will steadfastly and wisely strive for the happiness of its people in Peace and Justice. In addition, I desire that, in the exercise of Our Russian dynastic laws, My Grandchildren will bear the original surname of My family—Romanoff—and the title Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, joined with the surname and title of My Son-in-Law, Prince or Princess of Prussia, since any such children will continue the Russian Imperial Family and succeed to My dynastic rights after My Daughter. At this moment, His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich comes forward with a declaration that, having familiarized himself with the contents of the above-mentioned Announcement of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Wladimir Kirillovich, He expresses to Him his heartfelt thanks, his familial loyalty, and ceremonially and irrevocably pledges himself with a clear conscience to fulfill all duties required of Him by the Fundamental Laws of the Russian Empire, and by the stipulations agreed to in the above-mentioned Announcement, both of which He has studied in detail.The present Announcement was made on the occasion of the wedding of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, born in Madrid (Spain) on 23 December, 1953, with His Royal Highness Prince Franz-Wilhelm-Victor-Christoph-Stephan of Prussia, born in Grünberg (Silesia) on 3 September, 1943. The civil wedding took place on 4 September 1976.Registration of the marriage will be handled by His Excellency, Monsieur B., the Minister of Defense of the French Republic, by the mayor of the city of Dinard (Brittany, France), who functions as registrar of civil matters; the religious wedding took place in the Orthodox church in Madrid on 22 September 1976. (signed:)Wladimir RomanovGrand Duke of Russia
