From Romanov to Windsor: King Charles III's Romanov Blood

by Coryne Hall

Few people realise that King Charles III is a direct descendant of the Romanovs, the dynasty who by 1917 ruled one sixth of the surface of the earth. Their story encompasses great wealth and unlimited power, palace coups and murders, as well as at least one heir allegedly killed by his own father.

The direct line then passes through the royal family who ruled Greece from 1863 and whose later members spent their lives in and out of exile. The first Greek monarch, Charles’s great-grandfather, was assassinated. Charles’s grandfather was tried by a kangaroo court and, members of his family believed, only saved from execution by the swift action of Britain’s King George V.

This is a remarkable story of Royal intrigue, European scandal and international co-operation. By looking at the Romanov past of King Charles III, Coryne Hall offers a fascinating insight into the history of Britain’s monarchy.

Genres: History

288 pages, Hardcover

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Coryne Hall is an historian, broadcaster and consultant specialising in the Romanovs and British and European royalty. She was born in Ealing, West London and developed a fascination for Imperial Russia in childhood when she learnt that her great-grandmother was born in St Petersburg, an almost exact contemporary of Nicholas II. The author of six books, she is a regular contributor to Majesty magazine, The European Royal History Journal, Royal Russia, Sovereign and Royalty Digest Quarterly. She acted as consultant on the Danish television documentaries “A Royal Family” and “The Royal Jewels.”
Coryne has lectured at royalty conferences in England, Denmark, Russia and America. Her media appearances include Woman’s Hour, BBC South Today, the documentaries “Russia’s Lost Princesses” and "13 Moments of Fate", live coverage of Charles and Camilla’s wedding for Canadian television and co-hosting live coverage of Prince William’s wedding alongside John Moore for Newstalk 1010, Canada. She was also the last person to have a private audience with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She lives in Hampshire.

Reviews

[Elma Voogdt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new book examines the bloodline of King Charles III. What follows is a comprehensive and captivating story. The book’s title is “From Romanov to Windsor: King Charles III’s Romanov Blood”. It turns out that King Charles III has Russian blood. The book is 288 pages long and is currently only available in English. (Let’s hope for a Dutch translation someday.)

The book begins with a comprehensive family tree, then continues with a large section of Romanov history. To fully understand the story, it’s important to know the background. Author Coryne Hall has done a great job in this regard. Throughout the book, it’s clear that thorough research has been conducted.

The reader is treated to a story of royal intrigue, European scandals, and international cooperation. The Romanovs wielded great wealth and unlimited power; palace coups and even assassinations were committed. At least one heir was reportedly murdered by his own father. All of this is explored in the book. It’s striking how detailed it is.

Step by step, the book builds towards King Charles’s ultimate blood ties to the Romanovs. These blood ties seem to run primarily through Prince Philip (husband of Queen Elizabeth II). These blood ties were passed down through his Greek ancestors, who were in turn related to the Romanovs. Could Charles also have the Romanovs’ stubbornness? Just as that Russian stubbornness is present in the Dutch royal family? If you’ve been following King Charles for a while, you’d think so.

It wasn’t a easy read, to fully grasp all the information, you’ll find yourself putting it down regularly. The chapters are of average length—neither short nor too long.

“From Romanov to Windsor: King Charles III’s Romanov Blood” is a book with a high educational value. If you’re interested in the British Monarchy or the Romanovs, this book is highly recommended.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interconnectedness of the European royal families is well-known at this point, but the exact lines of descent tend to blur behind the catch-all description of cousin. Hall focuses on the line of descent from Michael Romanov to King Charles III, with a chapter for each ancestor. Each mini biography hits the highlights of the life, bouncing out of the main Romanov line to Greece and Britain - this is a family history, only noting world events when they directly effect Hall's subject. But it's an oddly impersonal history - Hall sticks strictly to the facts, writing little magazine articles that hit all the main points without delving deeper. As a starting point for family relations, it's a good one - Hall is scrupulous with her notes and bibliography.