Dimitri Pavlovich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp

Dimitri Pavlovich, Duke of Holstein-Gottrop (born 1 May 1954) is regarded by some authorities as the head of the House of Holstein-Gottrop, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg, since the death of his father in 2004. A morganatic descendant of the Imperial House of Russia (House of Holstein-Gottrop-Romanov), in a Russian context he is known as Prince Dimitri Pavlovich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky.

Dimitri was born in Palm Beach, Florida, the eldest child of Prince Paul Dmitrievich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky and his second wife Angelika Kauffmann.

In 1992 Dimitri's father became the most senior male line descendant of the House of Holstein-Gottrop which had succeeded to the Russian throne in 1762 and again in 1796, reiging until 1917. While his father was excluded from the Russian succession on account of the morganatic marriage of Prince Paul's parents Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia and Audrey Emery, he was considered to have succeeded as the de jure duke of Holstein-Gottrop thereby breaking the link between the Holstein-Gottrop heritage and the Russian imperial succession.

Since the death of his father in 2004, Dimitri has succeeded his father as the duke of Holstein-Gottrop although he does not use the title. He joined the Romanov Family Association in 2006.

Dimiti has been married to Martha McDowell since 22 September 1979 with whom he has three daughters Princess Catherine Adair (b. 1981), Princess Victoria Bayard (b. 1984) and Princess Lela McDowell (b. 1986). Since he has no son his younger brother Prince Michael Pavlovich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky is the heir to the Holstein-Gottrop hertiage.