List of heirs to the Russian throne

This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of Russia or Grand Prince of Moscow. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold. Stillborn children and infants surviving less than a month are not included.[1]

1281 to 1552

At this time the ruler is known as Grand Prince of Moscow.

HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Yury DanilovichHeir apparenteldest son1281born4 March 1303became Grand PrinceIvan Danilovich
12881303, brother
Daniel
Ivan DanilovichHeir presumptivebrother4 March 1303brother became Grand Prince21 November 1325became Grand PrinceuncertainYury
Simeon Ivanovich
13161325, son
Simeon IvanovichHeir apparenteldest son21 November 1325father became Grand Prince31 March 1340became Grand PrinceIvan Ivanovich
13251340, brother
Ivan I
Ivan IvanovichHeir presumptivebrother31 March 1340brother became Grand Prince1348son born to Grand PrinceuncertainSimeon
Ivan SimeonovichHeir apparenteldest son1349born1353diedIvan Ivanovich
1349c. 1350, uncle
XX Simeonovich
c. 13501353, brother
Ivan IvanovichHeir presumptivebrother1353death of Grand Prince's sons27 April 1353became Grand PrinceDmitry Ivanovich
1353, son
Dmitry IvanovichHeir apparenteldest son27 April 1353father became Grand Prince13 November 1359became Grand PrinceuncertainIvan II
Ivan Ivanovich
c. 13561359, brother
Ivan IvanovichHeir presumptivebrother13 November 1359brother became Grand Prince1364diedVladimir Andreyevich
13591364, cousin
Dmitry Donskoy
Vladimir AndreyevichHeir presumptivecousin1364death of Grand Prince's brotherc. 1370son born to Grand Princeuncertain
Daniil DmitrievichHeir apparenteldest sonc. 1370born15 September 1379diedVladimir Andreyevich
13701371, father's cousin
Vasily Dmitrievich
13711379, brother
Vasily DmitrievichHeir apparenteldest son15 September 1379brother died19 May 1389became Grand PrinceYury Dmitrievich
13791389, brother
Yury DmitrievichHeir presumptivebrother19 May 1389brother became Grand Prince30 March 1395son born to Grand PrinceAndrey Dmitrievich
13891395, brother
Vasily I
Yury VasilievichHeir apparenteldest son30 March 1395born30 November 1400diedYury Dmitrievich
13951396, uncle
Ivan Vasilievich
13961400, brother
Ivan VasilievichHeir apparenteldest son30 November 1400brother died20 July 1417diedYury Dmitrievich
1400, uncle
Daniel Vasilievich
14001402, brother
Yury Dmitrievich
14021415, uncle
Vasily Vasilievich
14151417, brother
Vasily ViasilievichHeir apparenteldest son20 July 1417brother died27 February 1425became Grand PrinceYury Dmitrievich
14171425, uncle
Yury DmitrievichHeir presumptiveuncle27 February 1425nephew became Grand Prince1433seized the throneVasily Yurievich Kosoy
14251433, son
Vasily II
HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Vasily KosoyHeir apparenteldest son1433father became Grand Prince5 June 1434became Grand PrinceDmitry Yurievich
14331434, brother
Yury II Dmitrievich
Dmitry YurievichHeir presumptivebrother5 June 1434brother became Grand Prince1435Grand Prince deposed by his cousinuncertainVasily Kosoy
HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
succession uncertain 14351440Vasily II
Ivan VasilievichHeir apparenteldest son22 January 1440born1446Grand Prince deposeduncertain
1447father returned to throne27 March 1462became Grand PrinceAndrey Vasilievich Bolshoy
14471458, brother
Ivan Ivanovich
14581462, son
Ivan IvanovichHeir apparenteldest son27 March 1462father became Grand Prince6 March 1490diedAndrey Vasilievich Bolshoy
14621479, uncle
Ivan III
Vasily Ivanovich
14791483, half-brother
Dmitry Ivanovich
14831490, son
Dmitry IvanovichHeir apparentgrandson1490father diedApril 1502excluded from succession by Grand PrinceVasili Ivanovich
14901502, half-uncle
Vasily IvanovichHeir apparenteldest living sonApril 1502nephew excluded from succession by Grand Prince27 October 1505became Grand PrinceYury Ivanovich
15021505, brother
Yury IvanovichHeir presumptivebrother27 October 1505brother became Grand Prince25 August 1530son born to Grand PrinceAndrey Ivanovich
15051530, brother
Vasily III
Ivan VasilievichHeir apparenteldest son25 August 1530born13 December 1533became Grand PrinceYury Ivanovich
15301532, uncle
Yuri Vasilievich
15321533, brother
Yuri VasilievichHeir presumptivebrother13 December 1533brother became Grand Prince16 January 1547Grand Prince crowned TsarYury Ivanovich
15331536, uncle
Ivan IV
Andrey Ivanovich of Staritsa
15361537, uncle
Vladimir of Staritsa
15371547, cousin

1552 to 1722

From this point of the ruler is Tsar (Czar) of Russia.

HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Yuri VasilievichHeir presumptivebrother16 January 1547ruler first crowned Tsar1552son born to tsarVladimir of Staritsa
15471552, cousin
Ivan IV
Dmitry IvanovichHeir apparentson1552born1553diedYuri Vasilievich
15521553, uncle
Yuri VasilievichHeir presumptivebrother1533tsar's son died28 March 1554son born to tsarVladimir of Staritsa
15531554, cousin
Tsarevich Ivan IvanovichHeir apparentson28 March 1554born19 November 1581diedYuri Vasilievich
15541563, uncle
uncertain
Tsarevich Feodor Ivanovich
15571581, brother
Tsarevich Feodor IvanovichHeir apparenteldest son19 November 1581brother died18 March 1584became tsaruncertain
Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich
15821591, half-brother
Tsarevich Dmitry IvanovichHeir presumptivehalf-brother18 March 1584brother became tsar15 May 1591dieduncertainFeodor I
succession uncertain 15911598
HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Tsarevich Feodor Borisovich GodunovHeir apparenteldest son21 February 1598father became tsar13 April 1605became TsaruncertainBoris Godunov
succession uncertain 16051606Feodor II
False Dmitriy I
Dmitry ShuiskyHeir presumptivebrother19 May 1606brother became tsar17 July 1610brother dethroneduncertainVasili IV
succession uncertain 1610False Dmitry II
Sigismund III Vasa, King of PolandHeir presumptivefather6 September 1610son became ruler of Moscowy4 November 1612Polish forces defeatedJohn Casimir Vasa
16101612, son
Władysław IV Vasa
HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Ivan RomanovHeir presumptiveuncle26 July 1613nephew became tsar9 March 1629son born to tsarNikita Romanov, sonMichael
Tsarevich Alexei MikhailovichHeir apparenteldest son9 March 1629born14 July 1645became tsarIvan Romanov
16291640, granduncle
Nikita Romanov
16401645, cousin
Nikita Romanov 16451648Alexei
Tsarevich Dmitri AlekseyevichHeir apparenteldest son1648born1649diedNikita Romanov
Nikita Romanov 16491654
Tsarevich Alexei AlekseyevichHeir apparenteldest son15 February 1654born17 January 1670dieduncertain
Tsarevich Feodor Alekseyevich
16611670, brother
Tsarevich Feodor AlekseyevichHeir apparenteldest son17 January 1670brother died29 January 1676became tsarTsarevich Ivan Alekseyevich
16701676, brother
Tsarevich Ivan AlekseyevichHeir presumptivebrother29 January 1676brother became tsar7 May 1682became tsarTsarevich Peter Alekseyvich'
16761682, half-brother
Feodor III
HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
succession uncertain 16821690Peter I
Peter I and Ivan V (jointly)
Grand Duke Alexei Petrovichheir presumptiveeldest son (of Peter)18 February 1690born26 June 1718dieduncertain
Grand Duke Alexander Petrovich
16911692, brother
uncertain
heir apparenteldest sonPeter I
Grand Duke Peter Alekseyevich
17151718, son
Grand Duke Peter AlekseyevichHeir presumptivegrandson26 June 1718father died16 February 1722Decree of the succession to the throneuncertain

1722 to 1797

Between Peter I's decree on the succession to the throne of 16 February 1722 and Paul I's decree of 15 May 1797, the Emperor had the right to name his or her own successor. All heirs in this period were nominated by the reigning monarch, rather than holding the position by right of inheritance. Despite Peter the Great's modification of the law to allow nomination of a successor by the monarch, neither he nor his two immediate successors ever nominated an heir, and Catherine I, Peter II, and Anna were all chosen irregularly, after the death of their predecessor. In addition, Ivan VI, who had not named a successor, was deposed in a coup, while Peter III, who was deposed and murdered after a coup, was succeeded not by his son Paul, his chosen successor, but by his wife, who became Catherine II.

HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonMonarch
Grand Duke Ivan AntonovichCrown heirgrand nephew1740proclaimed by Empress1740became emperorAnna
Grand Duke Peter FeodorovichHeir apparentnephew1742proclaimed by Empress1762became emperorElizabeth
Grand Duke Paul PetrovichHeir apparentson1762proclaimed by Emperor, and then by Empress1796became emperorPeter III and Catherine II
Grand Duke Alexander PavlovichHeir apparentson1796proclaimed by Emperor1801became emperorPaul I

1797 to 1917

In 1797, Emperor Paul modified the laws of succession, abolishing the Petrine law and establishing in its place a law establishing semi-Salic succession among his own descendants. This law remained until the abolition of the monarchy.

Although Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich renounced his claims to the throne in 1820, he did so secretly, and so was still widely viewed as heir to the throne until his older brother's death in 1825. At the death of Alexander I, the next brother, who would become Nicholas I, deferred his claims until his older brother Constantine renounced once again, but after Constantine's second renunciation he claimed to have taken the throne immediately upon Alexander's death.

HeirStatusRelationship to MonarchBecame heirReasonCeased to be heirReasonNext in lineMonarch
Tsarevich Alexander PavlovichHeir apparentson1797designated as heir by new law of succession1801became emperorGrand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, brotherPaul I
Grand Duke Constantine PavlovichHeir presumptivebrother1801brother acceded to the throne1820renounced claims to the throneGrand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, brotherAlexander I
Grand Duke Nicholas PavlovichHeir presumptivebrother1820brother's renunciation1825became emperorGrand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, son
Tsarevich Alexander NikolaevichHeir apparentson1825father's accession to the throne1855became emperorGrand Duke Michael Pavlovich 18251827, uncleNicholas I
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich 18271843, brother
Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich 18431855, son
Tsarevich Nicholas AlexandrovichHeir apparentson1855father's accession to the throne1865diedGrand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, brotherAlexander II
Tsarevich Alexander AlexandrovichHeir apparentson1865brother's death1881became emperorGrand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich 18651868, brother
Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich 18681881, son
Tsarevich Nicholas AlexandrovichHeir apparentson1881father's accession to the throne1894became emperorGrand Duke George Alexandrovich, brotherAlexander III
Grand Duke George AlexandrovichHeir presumptivebrother1894brother's accession to the throne1899diedGrand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, brotherNicholas II
Grand Duke Michael AlexandrovichHeir presumptivebrother1899brother's death1904birth of Emperor's sonGrand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, uncle
Tsarevich Alexei NikolaevichHeir apparentson1904born1917Russian monarchy abolishedGrand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, uncle

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.