Jorge de Bagration
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Pretender Prince Jorge de Bagration |
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Born | February 22, 1944 Rome, Italy |
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Died | January 16, 2008 (aged 63) Tbilisi, Georgia |
Regnal name claimed | George XIV |
Title(s) | Duke of the Lasos, Prince of Kakhetia, Kartalia and Mukhrani |
Throne(s) claimed | Georgia |
Pretend from | October 30, 1977 - January 16, 2008 |
Monarchy abolished | 1800 |
Last monarch | George XII of Georgia |
Connection with | Distant cousin |
Royal House | Bagrationi |
Father | Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli |
Mother | Countess Maria Antonietta Pasquini |
Predecessor | Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli |
Successor | Prince David Bagration-Mukhraneli |
Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani[1] or Giorgi Bagration-Mukhraneli or George Bagration of Mukhrani[1] (Georgian: გიორგი (ხორხე) ბაგრატიონ-მუხრანელი) (February 22, 1944 – January 16, 2008) was a Spanish racing car driver of Georgian descent and a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Prince Jorge was born in Rome, Italy[1], in 1944 to the family of a Georgian émigré Prince Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli, a descendant of the Mukhrani branch of the Bagrationi royal family of Georgia. His father, Prince Irakli Bagration, had gone into exile in Italy following the Bolshevik Revolution, but retained his claim to the throne of Georgia.[1] His Italian mother, Countess Maria Antonietta Pasquini dei Conti di Costafiorita Bagration-Mukhraneli, died giving birth to him.[1]
[edit] Racing career
He started his motor sport career in 1959, firstly with motorcycles and from 1963 in cars, racing in various series. He made two attempts at Formula One, firstly at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix with a Lola, but his entry was refused.
His second attempt to enter a Grand Prix was again in Spain, at the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, but his efforts fell victim to a very unusual set of circumstances. He had bought a Surtees TS16 for this race, and he was included on the entry list. Unfortunately this entry list was mislaid as the outgoing president of the Spanish Motor Sport Federation cleared his office. When a new entry list was drawn up, in the light of some sponsorship problems that de Bagration was experiencing, he was omitted from it. Whether or not he would have been able to race with his reduced backing, he should still have been included on the list of entrants. Thus ended his hopes of competing at motor sport's highest level.
He turned later to rallying, and his best result was winning the Spanish Rally Championship in 1979 and 1981 with a Lancia Stratos HF. He retired from motor sport in 1982.
[edit] Head of the Royal House of Georgia
Prince Jorge was a claimant to the Headship of the Georgian royal family since the death of his father on October 30, 1977 and was recognised in 1991 by the Georgian government and parliament as such despite rival claims by other branches of the Bagrationi Dynasty.[1] He held the titles Duke of the Lasos, Prince of Kakhetia, Kartalia and Mukhrani. He was also Sovereign Head and Grand Master of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Protector Egregio of Divisa of the Old Cavalry and Devotion of San Miguel the Milagoso.[2]
Prince Jorge made his first visit to his ancestral homeland to bury his father's ashes in 1995. He mostly lived in Marbella, Spain but paid several visits to Georgia, where his son David lives. He died early in Tbilisi on January 16, 2008. He was interred at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia, on January 20, 2008.[3][4]
Styles of Prince Jorge de Bagration |
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Reference style | His Royal Highness |
Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
Alternative style | Sir |
[edit] Family
Jorge married Doña María de las Mercedes de Zornoza y Ponce de Leon (b. Madrid, Spain, August 14, 1942)
- Princess Doña María Antonietta de Bagration y de Zornoza (b. June 21, 1969) m. 1996, Jaime Gaixas
- Prince Don Irakli Bagration-Mukhranski y de Zornoza (b. August 26, 1972)
- Prince Don Davit Bagration-Mukhranski y de Zornoza (b. June 24, 1976)
He married secondly to Doña Nuria Llopis i Oliart (b. 14th November 1953 at Barcelona, Spain). They had one child:
- Prince Don Gurami Ugo Bagration-Mukhranski y Llopis (b. February 14, 1985)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Prince George Bagration of Mukhrani, Claimant to the throne of Georgia who became well known in Spain as a fearless motor racing and rally driver", The Times, 2008-02-02. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
- ^ "La súbita muerte de Jorge de Bagration deja a su hijo el príncipe Irakly como heredero al trono de Georgia", Monarquía Confidencial, 2008-01-18. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. (Spanish)
- ^ (Russian) Скончался царевич Георгий Хорхе Багратиони (Prince Jorge Bagration died). News Georgia. January 16, 2008.
- ^ (Spanish)Fallece Jorge Bagration, piloto español de rallys y heredero del trono de Georgia. LaVanguardia.es January 16, 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Prince George Bagration of Mukhrani, Claimant to the throne of Georgia who became well known in Spain as a fearless motor racing and rally driver, obituary in The Times
- Royal House of Bagration of Georgia
- J. de Bagration's biography
- The Romanoffs and the Bagrations, by Daniel Sargis.
- Heraldry of the Royal House of Bagration-Mouchraneli
Jorge de Bagration
Born: 22 February 1944 Died: 16 January 2008 |
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Titles in pretence | ||
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Preceded by Irakli Bagration-Mukhraneli |
— TITULAR — King of Georgia 1977-2008 |
Succeeded by David Bagrationi of Moukrani |