H.I.M. King Roman, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, used to be Ronald Mann of Edinburgh, Scotland, born March 1942. I have been King Roman since May 2005, and Grand Duke of Lithuania since November 1967. I have lived in Darwin, Australia, since October 1975, when I returned to Australia from England with my Filipino wife Fele.
How did I become Grand Duke of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine?
I was the supposed son of Charles Avery Mann (1905-1991), but I am the actual son of Katherine Mann (born Catherine Waersegers, Uphall 1913-2011) and Prince Roman Emil Dambski (Boryslaw 1901 - Gliwice 1967), Count of Lubraniec. He married Princess Paulina Gedroyc (Mostyska 1905- Warsaw 1993) at Lwow in 1927. She became Princess Paulina Dambska and he Prince Roman I. When her father Prince Wladislaw Gedroyc died in 1943, Prince Roman I inherited as Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1967, Prince Roman I died and I inherited as Grand Duke of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine.
Where does my Grand Duke of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, title originate?
The princely family Gedroyc/ Giedrojc hails from the 13th century, and is related to Mindaugas, who was king of Lithuania from 1251-1263. In 1386, Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania married Queen Jadwiga of Poland and became king of Poland. Lithuania continued to be separately ruled by grand dukes from 1401. However, in 1569, by the Treaty/Union of Lublin, Poland and Lithuania became federated as a commonwealth.
The last of the Polish kingly line of Jagielo, King Zygmunt II, elevated Prince Gedroyc to Grand Duke/Prince for Lithuania, to vicariously rule for him a country which was then four times the size of Poland and included the modern regions of Belarus and Ukraine. When King Zygmunt II died in 1572, Polish kings were elected and were styled Grand Duke of Lithuania.
However, the Gedroyc line continued. When Poland-Lithuania was fully partitioned in 1795, Russia continued to grant patents to the Gedroyc princes through the 19th century, in Vilnius and in St Petersburg.
Princess Paulina was the firstborn of Prince Wladislaw (1862 - 1943 Zubracze) of this Gedroyc line. When Prince Wladislaw died in 1943, my father inherited Lithuania. When my father died in 1967, I inherited Lithuania. This inheritance was patented in 1993 upon the death of Princess Paulina.
When did I learn about my inheritance as Grand Duke of Lithuania?
In 1992, following Lithuania's final independence from Russia in 1991, I visited Princess Paulina at Bielsko-Biala, and my father's tomb at Brama IV, Warsaw. On the marble tomb was inscribed the titles HR (Count) DE LUBRANIEC and W KS (Grand Duke/Prince) LITEWSKICH.
H.I.M. King Roman
Grand Duke of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine
