A Princely Visit

His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent has paid a second visit to Kyiv. His first visit to Ukraine took place last year, when he arrived to take part in celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Crimean War. The prince said that Britain had closely watched and rejoiced over the events of last winter in Ukraine, and he wished Ukrainians every success on their way forward. This time Prince Michael arrived in Ukraine to attend the opening of the BBC’s new Monitoring Bureau in Kyiv. Last Friday he also visited the National Polytechnic University of Ukraine, where he was briefed on the institution’s history and current affairs. His Royal Highness is a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and is also related to the Romanov dynasty through Princess Olga Konstantinovna (granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I) — hence the striking resemblance between Prince Michael and Nicholas II. The prince, like many other Romanovs, has waived all rights to the Russian throne. By tradition, the Prince of Kent is Honorary Commodore and Honorary Rear Admiral in the Royal Naval Reserve. Interestingly, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the godfathers of Prince Michael, who was born on July 4, 1942. His Royal Highness now runs a consulting company engaged in activities ranging from telecommunications to tourism. He is fluent in Russian and French and has some knowledge of German and Italian. The prince enjoys sports, especially bobsledding; he travels widely and is actively engaged in charity.