[1][2] Since her father's death on April 21, 1992, some of her monarchist supporters have referred to her as Maria, titular "Empress of Russia", a title she does not claim herself.

Her godfather was Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia, for whom Prince Nicholas of Romania stood in at the christening ceremony, and her godmother was Queen Ioanna of Bulgaria.

[5] Maria was educated in Runnymede College[5] in Madrid and Paris before studying Russian history and literature at Oxford University.

This has been viewed as an attempt by her father to ensure the succession remained in his branch of the imperial family,[7] while the heads of the other branches of the imperial family, the Princes Vsevolod Ioannovich of the Konstantinovichi, Roman Petrovich of the Nikolaevichi and Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of the Mihailovichi declared that her father's actions were illegal.

Maria's aunt Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, her father's late sister, had been married to Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, since 1938, head of the House of Hohenzollern since 1951.

Franz Wilhelm converted to the Eastern Orthodox faith prior to the wedding, taking the name Michael Pavlovich and receiving the title of a Grand Duke of Russia from Maria's father.

[16] The supporters of Maria Vladimirovna point to the fact that neither Nicholas nor his brother Dimitri had any dynastic claims due to the morganatic marriage of their parents.

Following the discovery of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II and most of his immediate family in 1991, Maria Vladimirovna wrote to President Boris Yeltsin regarding the burial of the remains, saying of her Romanov cousins, whom she does not recognise as members of the Imperial House (including the grandchildren of Nicholas II's sister Grand Duchess Xenia), that they "do not have the slightest right to speak their mind and wishes on this question.

[18] At the behest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Maria did not recognise the authenticity of the remains and declined to attend the reburial ceremony in 1998, however according to Victor Aksyuchits, ex-advisor of Boris Nemtsov,[19] the exact reason behind Maria's absence from the state burial for Nicholas II and his family in 1998 was motivated by the Russian government's refusal to recognize her status as official Head of the Romanov House, after asking via a letter prior the funeral ceremony.

We believe that the idea of a legitimate, hereditary monarchy, which preserves an unbroken, living connection with the centuries-long history of Russia and which conceives of society as a unified family, still has resonance today and remains a viable choice for our country and peoples.

For now, the spheres of our activities are limited to promoting philanthropy; participating in social peace-making processes; reviving and maintaining traditions and preserving our country’s historical, cultural, and natural heritage; strengthening the spiritual and moral foundations of our nation; helping to foster patriotism; and advancing a positive image of Russia in the wider world.“In 2002, Maria became frustrated with the internal strife within the Russian monarchist movement.

It is deeply gratifying to know that, even in these new historical circumstances, you are making a significant contribution to the building of Russia's global standing on the basis of spiritual and moral values, and the centuries-old traditions of the Russian people.

But in the person of the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and her son George, the succession of the Romanovs is preserved - not to the Russian imperial throne, but simply historically."

(Сегодня никто из лиц, принадлежащих к потомкам Романовых, не претендует на Российский престол.

I remember well how on the Smolensk land an old peasant woman was elevated to the dignity of nobility, who did so much for those who were by her side during the difficult years of the war and in the post-war period.

[31][32] On 17 July 2018 she participated in the liturgical commemoration of the centenary of the assassinations of Saints Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children conducted in Yekaterinburg by Patriarch Kirill I.

After previously voicing her support for Crimea and Donbas annexation in 2014 by Russia[50] she said in an interview on her website in April 2018: „Before the Russian people today and our descendants stretches a long and gradual path toward the restoration of the power and might of Russia.“[51] She issued a statement with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[52] regretting the civil war between brotherly nations and stressing that the imperial family does not feel entitled to express a political position.

[54] She herself admitted in an interview that her stance inevitably affects the relationship between herself and other European royal families, but that they would never forget the fact that they are related and continue the dialogue.

Foreigners therefore treat us as rivals who are worthy of respect... Every imperial and royal family naturally promotes and defends the position of their country“.

[55] In 2023, on the occasion of the seventieth birthday of the Grand Duchess, Patriarch Kirill made an unequivocal recognition of her position as Head of the House of Romanov in a congratulatory letter published on the Patriarchal website addressing her as "Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, Head of the Russian Imperial House" (Великой княгине Марии Владимировне, главе Российского Императорского Дома), and praising her efforts in the fields of charity, philanthropy, and culture.