Appendix 2. Family tree of the family

The family ties between the Romanovs and the Windsors were not limited to the royal cousins ​​Nicholas II and George V, who were remarkably similar to each other. Over the course of several centuries, the Russian and British royal families have become related dozens of times.

Victoria (1819-1901)

The last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty on the throne of Great Britain. She remained on the throne for 63 years - longer than any other British monarch. She gave birth to nine children, who later married into other royal dynasties, for which Victoria received the nickname “Grandmother of Europe.”

Christian IX (1818-1906)

King of Denmark since 1863. By birth he was not a direct heir to the Danish throne, but became the successor of Frederick VII, who had no children. Christian himself had six children, of whom two sons became kings (of Denmark and Greece), and two daughters became wives of European monarchs (Britain and Russia).

Edward VII (1841-1910)

Eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Since Victoria lived to a ripe old age, Edward ascended the throne at the age of 59. However, in 2008, Prince Charles (born 1948) broke this record. Before his accession to the throne, Edward VII was better known by his first baptismal name Albert or its diminutive form Bertie.

Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925)

The eldest daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Thanks to her father, the “father-in-law of Europe,” she had family ties to many royal courts. Her older brother Frederick became the King of Denmark, her younger brother Wilhelm became the King of Greece, and her younger sister Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmara became the Russian Empress, the wife of Alexander III, receiving the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Orthodoxy.

Maria Fedorovna (1847-1928)

Born Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmara, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. She received the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Orthodoxy for her marriage to Emperor Alexander III of Russia. Mother of Nicholas II. Maria was originally the bride of Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, the eldest son of Emperor Alexander II, who died in 1865. After his death, she married his younger brother, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, with whom they cared for the dying man.

George V (1865-1936)

Second son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. He became heir to the British throne after the sudden death of his older brother Albert Victor, who died of influenza. It was George V who renamed the British royal house, which previously bore the surname of the founder of the dynasty, the husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During the First World War, George renounced all personal and family German titles and took the surname Windsor.

George VI (1895-1952)

Second son of George V and Mary of Teck. He inherited the British throne from his older brother, the uncrowned Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1937 because he intended to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, to which the British government did not consent. The reign of George VI was marked by the collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. He was the last Emperor of India (until 1950) and the last King of Ireland (until 1949). The biography of George VI formed the basis of the plot of the film The King's Speech.

Alice (1843-1878)

Daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, born Alice Maud Mary. In 1862 she was married to the Hessian Prince Ludwig. The Grand Duchess of Hesse and Rhine, Alice, like her mother, was a carrier of hemophilia, a genetic disease that interferes with blood clotting. Alice's son Friedrich was a hemophiliac and died in childhood from internal bleeding after falling from a window. Alice's daughter, the future Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was also a carrier of hemophilia, passing the disease on to her son, Tsarevich Alexei.

Alexander III (1845-1894)

Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke Finnish, who received the nickname “Peacemaker” because during his reign Russia did not wage a single war. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, Alexander II, who was killed by Narodnaya Volya terrorists. Alexander Alexandrovich was the youngest son of the emperor, but his older brother Nikolai died during his father’s lifetime. Future Alexander III married his deceased brother's fiancée, the Danish princess Dagmar.

Nicholas II (1868-1918)

Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland, the last emperor of the Russian Empire. From the British monarchs he had the rank of admiral of the British fleet and field marshal of the British army. Nicholas II was married to the granddaughter of the British Queen Victoria, Alice of Hesse, who received the name Alexandra Feodorovna upon conversion to Orthodoxy. In 1917, after February Revolution in Russia, abdicated the throne, was sent into exile, and then shot along with his family.

Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918)

Born Princess Alice Victoria Elena Louise Beatrice Daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse and the Rhine and Duchess Alice, granddaughter of the British Queen Victoria. She received the name Alexandra Fedorovna upon conversion to Orthodoxy for her marriage to Russian Emperor Nicholas II. After the revolution of 1917, she and her husband were sent into exile and then shot. In 2000, like other members of the executed royal family, she was canonized.

Tsarevich Alexei and the Grand Duchesses

Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna had five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei (in order of seniority). The heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei, was the youngest and sickest child in the family. He inherited hemophilia, a genetic disease that prevents blood from clotting normally, from his maternal great-grandmother, Britain's Queen Victoria. All five children of Nicholas II were shot along with their parents on the night of July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg.

Romanovs - big family rulers and kings of Russia, an ancient boyar family. The family tree of the Romanov dynasty goes back to the 16th century. Numerous descendants of this famous surname live today and continue the ancient family.

House of Romanov 4th century

At the beginning of the 17th century, there was a celebration dedicated to the accession to the throne of Moscow by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The crowning ceremony, which took place in the Kremlin in 1613, marked the beginning of a new dynasty of kings.

The Romanov family tree gave Russia many great rulers. The family chronicle dates back to 1596.

Origin of the surname

The Romanovs are an inaccurate historical surname. First well-known representative there was a boyar Andrei Kobyla back in the days ruling prince Ivan Kalita. The descendants of Mare were called Koshkins, then Zakharyins. It was Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin who was officially recognized as the founder of the dynasty. His daughter Anastasia married Tsar Ivan the Terrible, they had a son, Fyodor, who, in honor of his grandfather, took the surname Romanov and began to call himself Fyodor Romanov. This is how the famous surname was born.

The family tree of the Romanovs grows from the Zakharyins’ family, but from what places they came to Muscovy is unknown to historians. Some experts believe that the family were natives of Novgorod, others claim that the family came from Prussia.

Their descendants became the most famous royal dynasty in the world. Numerous family is called the House of Romanov. The family tree is extensive and huge, with branches in almost all the kingdoms of the world.

In 1856 they acquired an official coat of arms. The sign of the Romanovs depicts a vulture holding a fabulous blade and tarch in its paws; the edges were decorated with the severed heads of lions.

Ascension to the throne

In the 16th century, the boyars of Zakharyin acquired a new position by becoming related to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Now all relatives could hope for the throne. The chance to seize the throne came quite soon. After the interruption of the Rurik dynasty, the decision to take the throne was taken up by the Zakharyins.

Fyodor Ioannovich, who, as mentioned earlier, took the surname Romanov in honor of his grandfather, was the most likely contender for the throne. However, Boris Godunov prevented him from ascending the throne, forcing him to take monastic vows. But this did not stop the smart and enterprising Fyodor Romanov. He accepted the rank of patriarch (called Filaret) and, through intrigue, elevated his son Mikhail Fedorovich to the throne. The 400-year era of the Romanovs began.

Chronology of the reign of direct representatives of the clan

• 1613-1645 - years of reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov;
• 1645-1676 - reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov;
• 1676-1682 - autocracy of Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov;
• 1682-1696 - formally in power, Ivan Alekseevich was co-ruler of his younger brother Peter Alekseevich (Peter I), but did not play any political role,
• 1682-1725 - family tree The Romanovs were continued by the great and authoritarian ruler Peter Alekseevich, better known in history as Peter I. In 1721 he established the title of emperor, from then on Russia began to be called Russian Empire.

In 1725, Empress Catherine I ascended the throne as the wife of Peter I. After her death, a direct descendant of the Romanov dynasty, Peter Alekseevich Romanov, the grandson of Peter I (1727-1730), came to power again.

• 1730-1740 - The Russian Empire was ruled by Anna Ioannovna Romanova, niece of Peter I;
• 1740-1741 - formally Ivan Antonovich Romanov, the great-grandson of Ivan Alekseevich Romanov, was in power;
• 1741-1762 - as a result of a palace coup, Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova, daughter of Peter I, came to power;
• 1762 - Peter Fedorovich Romanov (Peter III), nephew of Empress Elizabeth, grandson of Peter I, reigns for six months.

Further history

1. 1762-1796 - after the overthrow of her husband Peter III, Catherine II rules the empire
2. 1796-1801 - Pavel Petrovich Romanov, son of Peter I and Catherine II, came to power. Officially, Paul I belongs to the Romanov family, but historians are still fiercely debating his origins. Many consider him an illegitimate son. If we assume this, then in fact the family tree of the Romanov dynasty ended with Peter III. Subsequent rulers may not have been blood descendants of the dynasty.

After the death of Peter I, the Russian throne was often occupied by women representing the House of Romanov. The family tree became more branchy, as descendants of kings from other states were chosen as husbands. Paul I already established a law according to which only a male blood successor has the right to become king. And from that time on, women were not married to the kingdom.

• 1801-1825 - reign of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich Romanov (Alexander I);
• 1825-1855 - reign of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Romanov (Nicholas I);
• 1855-1881 - Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov (Alexander II) reigns;
• 1881-1894 - the years of the reign of Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov (Alexander III);
• 1894-1917 - autocracy of Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II), together with his family he was shot by the Bolsheviks. The imperial family tree of the Romanovs was destroyed, and with it the monarchy in Rus' collapsed.

How the reign of the dynasty was interrupted

In July 1917, the entire royal family, including children, Nicholas, and his wife, were executed. The only successor, Nikolai's heir, was also shot. All relatives hiding in different places were identified and exterminated. Only those Romanovs who were outside Russia were saved.

Nicholas II, who acquired the name "Bloody" due to the thousands killed during the revolutions, became the last emperor to represent the House of Romanov. The family tree of the descendants of Peter I was interrupted. Descendants of the Romanovs from other branches continue to live outside Russia.

Results of the board

During the 3 centuries of the dynasty, many bloodsheds and uprisings took place. However, the Romanov family, whose family tree covered half of Europe in shadow, brought benefits to Russia:

• complete separation from feudalism;
• the family increased the financial, political, and military power of the Russian Empire;
• the country was transformed into a large and powerful State, which became on an equal footing with developed European countries.

The Romanovs are a Russian boyar family that began its existence in the 16th century and gave rise to the great dynasty of Russian tsars and emperors who ruled until 1917.

For the first time, the surname “Romanov” was used by Fyodor Nikitich (Patriarch Filaret), who named himself so in honor of his grandfather Roman Yuryevich and father Nikita Romanovich Zakharyev, he is considered the first Romanov

The first royal representative of the dynasty was Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the last was Nikolai 2 Alexandrovich Romanov.

In 1856, the coat of arms of the Romanov family was approved; it depicts a vulture holding a golden sword and a tarch, and at the edges there are eight cut off lion heads.

“House of Romanov” is a designation for the totality of all the descendants of the different branches of the Romanovs.

Since 1761, the descendants of the Romanovs in the female line reigned in Russia, and with the death of Nicholas 2 and his family, there were no direct heirs left who could lay claim to the throne. However, despite this, today there are dozens of descendants of the royal family living all over the world, of varying degrees of kinship, and all of them officially belong to the House of Romanov. Family tree The modern Romanov family is very extensive and has many branches.

Background to the Romanov reign

There is no consensus among scientists about where the Romanov family came from. Today, two versions are widespread: according to one, the ancestors of the Romanovs arrived in Rus' from Prussia, and according to the other, from Novgorod.

In the 16th century, the Romanov family became close to the king and could lay claim to the throne. This happened thanks to the fact that Ivan the Terrible married Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, and her entire family now became relatives of the sovereign. After the suppression of the Rurikovich family, the Romanovs (formerly the Zakharyevs) became the main contenders for the state throne.

In 1613, one of the Romanov representatives, Mikhail Fedorovich, was elected to the throne, which marked the beginning of the long reign of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.

Tsars from the Romanov dynasty

• Fedor Alekseevich;
• Ivan 5;

In 1721, Russia became an Empire, and all its rulers became emperors.

Emperors from the Romanov dynasty

The end of the Romanov dynasty and the last Romanov

Despite the fact that there were empresses in Russia, Paul 1 adopted a decree according to which the Russian throne could only be transferred to a boy - a direct descendant of the family. From that moment until the very end of the dynasty, Russia was ruled exclusively by men.

The last emperor was Nicholas 2. During his reign, the political situation in Russia became very tense. Japanese War, as well as the First World War, greatly undermined the people’s faith in the sovereign. As a result, in 1905, after the revolution, Nicholas signed a manifesto that gave the people extensive civil rights, but that didn't help much either. In 1917, a new revolution broke out, as a result of which the tsar was overthrown. On the night of July 16-17, 1917, all royal family, including Nikolai’s five children, was shot. Other relatives of Nicholas, who were in the royal residence in Tsarskoe Selo and other places, were also caught and killed. Only those who were abroad survived.

The Russian throne was left without a direct heir, and political system changed in the country - the monarchy was overthrown, the Empire was destroyed.

Results of the Romanov reign

During the reign of the Romanov dynasty, Russia reached real prosperity. Rus' finally ceased to be a fragmented state, civil strife ended, and the country gradually began to gain military and economic power, which allowed it to defend its own independence and resist invaders.

Despite the difficulties that periodically occurred in the history of Russia, by the 19th century the country had turned into a huge, powerful Empire, which owned vast territories. In 1861 it was completely abolished serfdom, the country switched to new type economy and economics.

Today they talk more and more about the Romanov dynasty. Her story can be read like a detective story. And its origin, and the history of the coat of arms, and the circumstances of accession to the throne: all this still causes ambiguous interpretations.

Prussian origins of the dynasty

The ancestor of the Romanov dynasty is considered to be the boyar Andrei Kobyla at the court of Ivan Kalita and his son Simeon the Proud. We know practically nothing about his life and origins. The chronicles mention him only once: in 1347 he was sent to Tver for the bride of Grand Duke Simeon the Proud, daughter of Prince Alexander Mikhailovich of Tver.

Finding himself during the unification of the Russian state with a new center in Moscow in the service of the Moscow branch of the princely dynasty, he thus chose the “golden ticket” for himself and his family. Genealogists mention his numerous descendants, who became the ancestors of many noble Russian families: Semyon Stallion (Lodygins, Konovnitsyns), Alexander Elka (Kolychevs), Gavriil Gavsha (Bobrykins), Childless Vasily Vantey and Fyodor Koshka - the ancestor of the Romanovs, Sheremetevs, Yakovlevs, Goltyaevs and Bezzubtsev. But the origins of the Mare himself remain a mystery. According to the Romanov family legend, he traced his ancestry back to the Prussian kings.

When a gap is formed in genealogies, it provides an opportunity for their falsification. In the case of noble families, this is usually done with the aim of either legitimizing their power or achieving extra privileges. As in in this case. White spot in the genealogies of the Romanovs was filled out in the 17th century under Peter I by the first Russian king of arms Stepan Andreevich Kolychev. New story corresponded to the “Prussian legend”, fashionable even under the Rurikovichs, which was aimed at confirming the position of Moscow as the successor of Byzantium. Since Rurik’s Varangian origin did not fit into this ideology, the founder of the princely dynasty became the 14th descendant of a certain Prus, the ruler of ancient Prussia, a relative of Emperor Augustus himself. Following them, the Romanovs “rewrote” their history.

Family tradition, subsequently recorded in the “General Armorial Book” noble families All-Russian Empire,” says that in 305 AD, the Prussian king Pruteno gave the kingdom to his brother Weidewut, and he himself became the high priest of his pagan tribe in the city of Romanov, where the evergreen sacred oak tree grew.

Before his death, Veidevuth divided his kingdom among his twelve sons. One of them was Nedron, whose family owned part of modern Lithuania (Samogit lands). His descendants were the brothers Russingen and Glanda Kambila, who were baptized in 1280, and in 1283 Kambila came to Rus' to serve the Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich. After baptism, he began to be called Mare.

Who fed False Dmitry?

The personality of False Dmitry is one of the biggest mysteries of Russian history. In addition to the unresolved question of the identity of the impostor, his “shadow” accomplices remain a problem. According to one version, the Romanovs, who fell into disgrace under Godunov, had a hand in False Dmitry’s conspiracy, and the eldest descendant of the Romanovs, Fedor, a contender for the throne, was tonsured a monk.

Adherents of this version believe that the Romanovs, Shuiskys and Golitsins, who dreamed of the “Monomakh’s cap,” organized a conspiracy against Godunov, using mysterious death young prince Dmitry. They prepared their contender for the royal throne, known to us as False Dmitry, and led the coup on June 10, 1605. Afterwards, having dealt with their biggest rival, they themselves joined the fight for the throne. Subsequently, after the accession of the Romanovs, their historians did everything to connect the bloody massacre of the Godunov family exclusively with the personality of False Dmitry, and leave the Romanovs’ hands clean.

The Mystery of the Zemsky Sobor 1613

The election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne was simply doomed to be covered with a thick layer of myths. How did it happen that in a country torn apart by turmoil, a young, inexperienced youth was elected to the throne, who at the age of 16 was not distinguished by either military talent or a sharp political mind? Of course, the future king had an influential father - Patriarch Filaret, who himself once aimed for the royal throne. But during the Zemsky Sobor, he was captured by the Poles and could hardly have somehow influenced the process. According to the generally accepted version, decisive role played by the Cossacks, who at that time represented a powerful force to be reckoned with. Firstly, under False Dmitry II, they and the Romanovs found themselves in the “same camp”, and secondly, they were certainly satisfied with the young and inexperienced prince, who did not pose a danger to their liberties, which they had inherited during the time of unrest.

The warlike cries of the Cossacks forced Pozharsky’s followers to propose a break of two weeks. During this time, widespread campaigning in favor of Mikhail unfolded. For many boyars, he also represented an ideal candidate who would allow them to keep power in their hands. The main argument put forward was that supposedly the late Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, before his death, wanted to transfer the throne to his relative Fyodor Romanov (Patriarch Filaret). And since he languished in Polish captivity, the crown passed to his only son, Mikhail. As the historian Klyuchevsky later wrote, “they wanted to choose not the most capable, but the most convenient.”

Non-existent coat of arms

In the history of the Romanov dynastic coat of arms there are no less blank spots than in the history of the dynasty itself. For some reason, for a long time the Romanovs did not have their own coat of arms at all, they used state emblem, with the image of a double-headed eagle, as personal. Their own family coat of arms was created only under Alexander II. By that time, the heraldry of the Russian nobility had practically taken shape, and only the ruling dynasty did not have its own coat of arms. It would be inappropriate to say that the dynasty did not have much interest in heraldry: even under Alexei Mikhailovich, the “Tsar’s Titular Book” was published - a manuscript containing portraits of Russian monarchs with the coats of arms of Russian lands.

Perhaps such loyalty to the double-headed eagle is due to the need for the Romanovs to show legitimate continuity from the Rurikovichs and, most importantly, from the Byzantine emperors. As is known, starting with Ivan III, people begin to talk about Rus' as the successor of Byzantium. Moreover, the king married Sophia Palaeologus, the granddaughter of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine. They took the symbol of the Byzantine double-headed eagle as their family coat of arms.

In any case, this is just one of many versions. It is not known for certain why the ruling branch of the huge empire, which was related to the noblest houses of Europe, so persistently ignored the heraldic orders that had developed over the centuries.

The long-awaited appearance of the Romanovs’ own coat of arms under Alexander II only added more questions. The development of the imperial order was undertaken by the then king of arms, Baron B.V. Kene. The basis was taken as the ensign of the governor Nikita Ivanovich Romanov, at one time the main oppositionist Alexei Mikhailovich. Its description is more accurate, since the banner itself was already lost by that time. It depicted a golden griffin on a silver background with a small black eagle with raised wings and lion heads on its tail. Perhaps Nikita Romanov borrowed it from Livonia during the Livonian War.

The new coat of arms of the Romanovs was a red griffin on a silver background, holding a golden sword and tarch, crowned with a small eagle; on the black border there are eight severed lion heads; four gold and four silver. Firstly, the changed color of the griffin is striking. Historians of heraldry believe that Quesne decided not to go against the rules established at that time, which prohibited placing a golden figure on a silver background, with the exception of the coats of arms of such high-ranking persons as the Pope. Thus, by changing the color of the griffin, he lowered the status of the family coat of arms. Or the “Livonia version” played a role, according to which Kene emphasized the Livonian origin of the coat of arms, since in Livonia since the 16th century there was a reverse combination of coat of arms colors: a silver griffin on a red background.

There is still a lot of controversy about the symbolism of the Romanov coat of arms. Why so great attention is given to lion heads, and not to the figure of an eagle, which, according to historical logic, should be in the center of the composition? Why is it with lowered wings, and what, ultimately, is the historical background of the Romanov coat of arms?

Peter III – the last Romanov?

As you know, the Romanov family ended with the family of Nicholas II. However, some believe that the last ruler of the Romanov dynasty was Peter III. The young infantile emperor did not have a good relationship with his wife at all. Catherine told in her diaries how anxiously she waited for her husband on her wedding night, and he came and fell asleep. This continued - Peter III did not have any feelings for his wife, preferring her to his favorite. But a son, Pavel, was nevertheless born, many years after the marriage.

Rumors about illegitimate heirs are not uncommon in the history of world dynasties, especially in turbulent times for the country. So here the question arose: is Paul really the son of Peter III? Or perhaps Catherine’s first favorite, Sergei Saltykov, took part in this.

A significant argument in favor of these rumors was that the imperial couple had not had children for many years. Therefore, many believed that this union was completely fruitless, as the empress herself hinted at, mentioning in her memoirs that her husband suffered from phimosis.

Information that Sergei Saltykov could be Pavel’s father is also present in Catherine’s diaries: “Sergei Saltykov made me understand what the reason for his frequent visits was... I continued to listen to him, he was as beautiful as day, and, of course, no one could not compare with him at court... He was 25 years old, in general, both by birth and by many other qualities, he was an outstanding gentleman... I did not give in all spring and part of the summer.” The result was not long in coming. On September 20, 1754, Catherine gave birth to a son. Only from whom: from her husband Romanov, or from Saltykov?

The choice of name for members of the ruling dynasty has always played an important role in political life countries. Firstly, intra-dynastic relations were often emphasized with the help of names. So, for example, the names of the children of Alexei Mikhailovich were supposed to emphasize the connection of the Romanovs with the Rurikovich dynasty. Under Peter and his daughters, they showed close relationships within the ruling branch (despite the fact that this was completely inconsistent with the real situation in the imperial family). But under Catherine the Great it was completely introduced new order names. Previous family affiliation gave way to other factors, among which the political played a significant role. Her choice came from the semantics of names, going back to the Greek words: “people” and “victory”.

Let's start with Alexander. The name of Paul's eldest son was given in honor of Alexander Nevsky, although another invincible commander, Alexander the Great, was also implied. She wrote the following about her choice: “You say: Catherine wrote to Baron F. M. Grimm, that he will have to choose who to imitate: a hero (Alexander the Great) or a saint (Alexander Nevsky). You apparently do not know that our saint was a hero. He was a courageous warrior, a firm ruler and a clever politician and surpassed all other appanage princes, his contemporaries... So, I agree that Mr. Alexander has only one choice, and it depends on his personal talents which path he will take - holiness or heroism "

The reasons for choosing the name Constantine, unusual for Russian tsars, are even more interesting. They are connected with the idea of ​​Catherine’s “Greek project”, which implied the defeat Ottoman Empire and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire, led by her second grandson.

It is unclear, however, why Paul's third son received the name Nicholas. Obviously, he was named in honor of the most revered saint in Rus' - Nicholas the Wonderworker. But this is just a version, since the sources do not contain any explanation for this choice.

Catherine had nothing to do with the choice of name for youngest son Pavel - Mikhail, who was born after her death. Here the father’s long-standing passion for chivalry already played a role. Mikhail Pavlovich was named in honor of the Archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly army, the patron saint of the emperor-knight.

Four names: Alexander, Konstantin, Nicholas and Mikhail - formed the basis of the new imperial names of the Romanovs.