A great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, she left her native country in 1914, before World War I finished her education in England and spent the rest of her life in exile.

Their son, Prince David Chavchavadze, served with the U.S. Army during World War II and, thanks in part to his knowledge of Russian, eventually became a CIA officer.

Through her father, she was a member of the Romanov family, and princess of the Imperial blood as a great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.

In June 1914, Maria took her two daughters to England on the pretext of improving their health; in reality, she wanted to be separated from her husband.

When the war broke out a month after her arrival, the Grand Duchess did not rush back to Russia and later it was too dangerous to attempt a return.

During the turbulent years of World War I and the Russian Revolution, Princess Nina remained living safely in London with her mother and her sister.

By the time they were married, the world they knew had changed radically, with the collapse of the feudal system in Russia, the rise of the Bolsheviks, and annexation of Georgia by the Soviet Union.

Prince Paul, who also lost his father at the hands of the Bolsheviks, served in the military service on two continents.

Their son, Prince David Chavchavadze, thanks in part to his knowledge of Russian, eventually became a CIA officer.