Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich Romanov (1861-1929)
Financing the Carlton
It was thanks above all to Grand Duke Michael of Russia (1861-1929), who provided considerable financial support, that the project could be carried out.
The Grand Duke, uncle of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, was banned from residing in Russia because in 1891 he had married a woman, Countess Sophie of Merenberg, whose lineage did not comply with the laws in force among the Romanovs, so much so that the marriage caused a scandal at the Imperial Court of Russia. As a result, the Grand Duke was stripped of his rank, banned from residing in Imperial Russia, and emigrated to the mild climate of the French Riviera.
In 1899 the couple settled in the Villa Kazbek in Cannes.
As heir to a large number of shares in the major mineral water plant at Borjomi, Georgia, the Grand Duke enjoyed a substantial income.
The Grand Duke was also a loyal guest of the hotel. He could be seen at the bar taking his “Five o'clock Tea”.
This forced exile may well have saved his life during the Russian Revolution. The Grand Duke continued his life between the French Riviera and London, where he held a privileged position in high society.
1913 the Carlton opens in its entirety. It was probably the profits from this mineral water plant at Borjomi that provided the financial means which, to a large extent, made the construction of the Carlton possible.
Besides the Grand Duke, there were also a few families from the French Riviera who helped Henri Ruhl raise the funds to build the Carlton.
It is not known what became of the capital of those who initially financed the Carlton ...