Princess Victoria Romanovna

Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff (née Rebecca Virginia Bettarini; born 18 May 1982) is an Italian businesswoman and philanthropist. The daughter of an Italian diplomat, she grew up in Paris, Venice, Baghdad, and Rome. After completing her studies at the Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli, she worked in event management and institutional relations in trade disputes at Finmeccanica, presenting to the World Trade Organization and lobbying in the European Union. In her capacity at Finmeccanica, Princess Victoria also worked as a negotiations impact analyst for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Transatlantic Free Trade Area. She left Finmeccanica in 2017 and founded Carré, a consulting and management company based in Rome. Since 2017, she has served as the director of the Russian Imperial Foundation.
In 2021, she married Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia in an elaborate ceremony at Saint Isaac's Cathedral. She converted from Catholicism to Russian Orthodoxy prior to the wedding, adopting the name Victoria Romanovna. The wedding was the first royal wedding to take place in Russia since the Russian Revolution in 1917. Because her marriage was deemed morganatic by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, she uses the title of Princess with the style Her Serene Highness instead of the title Grand Duchess with the style Her Imperial Highness. She is also a princess of the Prussian House of Hohenzollern, as her husband is the son of Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, who is a descendent of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.
Early life and family
Princess Victoria was born Rebecca Virginia Bettarini in Rome on 18 May 1982 to Carla Virginia Cacciatore and Roberto Amedeo Simeone Battarini. Her father, an Italian diplomat who served as an ambassador to Luxembourg and Belgium, was created a knight of the Imperial Order of Saint Anna and granted hereditary nobility by Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia for his support in constructing St. Catherine Russian Orthodox Church in Rome. Her mother was a philanthropist and charity founder. She took the name Victoria, in honor of Saint Victoria and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
In 2020, Princess Victoria was made a Dame of the Imperial Order of Saint Anastasia the Holy Great Martyr Alleviatrix of Captives by Grand Duchess Maria for her humanitarian efforts and charity work.
The couple married in a civil ceremony in Moscow on 24 September 2021 after receiving a blessing from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
On 30 September 2021, a reception was held at the Vladimir Palace.
On May 22, 2022, the Imperial House of Russia announced that Princess Victoria was expecting their first child in autumn. Later on July 21, the Russian Imperial House announced that the couple were expecting a boy. Princess Victoria gave birth to a son in Moscow on 21 October 2022. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, as head of the Imperial House of Russia, announced that her first grandchild will be called "His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanov".
Honours
Russian Dynastic honours
* House of Romanov: Dame, Special Class of the Imperial Order of Saint Anastasia
Foreign Dynastic honours
* House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Dame of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

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