A new book excerpt by Turi King details how DNA analysis, relying on samples from Prince Philip and other relatives, finally solved the 70-year mystery of what happened to the last Russian imperial family after their execution in 1918.
The Romanovs were executed in July 1918. Their bodies were taken to a secret location, placed in a hastily dug communal grave, and doused in sulphuric acid in an attempt to disfigure them and hinder identification. The location of the grave was lost for more than 70 years.
In 1991, several skeletons were found in a shallow grave near Yekaterinburg. Skeletal evidence showed there were nine individuals, two short of the eleven people killed that night. Forensic scientists used historical data and other techniques to tentatively identify them as some members of the royal family, their doctor and three servants; expensive dental work indicated that certain remains belonged to an aristocratic family. The two missing were thought to be Prince Alexei and one of the daughters.
The Russian chief forensic medical examiner contacted a UK team that used DNA profiling and mitochondrial DNA analysis. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down by a mother to all her children. The team confirmed the sex of the skeletons and established a family group of two parents and three children alongside four unrelated individuals.
Proving the family was the Romanovs required matching the mitochondrial DNA to living relatives. Prince Philip, the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was a great-nephew of Tsarina Alexandra and provided a DNA sample. His mitochondrial DNA matched that of the putative remains of the tsarina and her daughters.
To identify Nicholas II, the team located Princess Xenia Cheremeteff Sfiris and James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife. Their mitochondrial DNA matched the tsar's remains, bar one base where the tsar had a heteroplasmy, a sequence variation. To be doubly sure, the remains of the tsar's brother, Georgij, were exhumed in 1996. He had the same heteroplasmy, and the mitochondrial DNA data were 130 million times more likely if the remains were Romanov than if they belonged to an unrelated family.
The mystery of the two missing children persisted until 2007, when amateur archaeologists found additional remains just 70 metres from the first grave. DNA analysis showed the two bodies were siblings and related to the Romanovs. Y-chromosome testing confirmed the boy was male and matched the tsar's lineage. The lost Romanov children had been found.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Romanov identification is a landmark case in forensic genetics, demonstrating the power of mitochondrial DNA to solve decades-old historical mysteries where standard methods fail.
- The case highlights the crucial role of genealogical records and international family links, showing how distant relatives can provide the key to solving historical crimes.
- It put an end to a century of conspiracy theories about possible Romanov survivors.
Background
The House of Romanov had ruled Russia since 1617. Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. The family was held under house arrest before being moved to Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, where they were executed on the night of 16 July 1918. The new government hid the bodies to prevent the site from becoming a rallying point for monarchists.
What to Watch
- The techniques pioneered in this case continue to inform forensic archaeology and missing persons investigations worldwide.
- The case stands as a definitive example that historical mysteries can be resolved with modern genetic science, potentially encouraging re-examinations of other unsolved disappearances.
- The publication of the full story in Turi King's book ensures the complex scientific work is accessible to the public.
Checked
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- SupportedDNA analysis using Prince Philip's sample helped identify the Romanov remains.Latest from Live Science: “When the team sequenced these two regions, Prince Philip's mitochondrial DNA was found to match that of the putative remains of the tsarina and her daughters.”
- SupportedMitochondrial DNA testing on remains found in 1991 and other DNA tests on remains found in 2007 helped identify Nicholas II, his wife and their children.Latest from Live Science: “The case was solved in terms of identifying the tsar, tsarina and three of their daughters ... Then, in 2007 ... DNA analysis was brought to bear and again showed that the two individuals were siblings and related to the Romanovs already identified.”
- SupportedTuri King's new book excerpt details how DNA analysis, using samples from Prince Philip and other relatives, solved the mystery of what happened to the last Russian imperial family after their 1918 execution.Latest from Live Science: “In this excerpt from "The Secrets of Our DNA: How Genetics Has Changed the World" (Pegasus Books, 2026), author Turi King ... looks back at the incredible story of how DNA was used to solve a major mystery of modern history: What happened to the last members of the House of Romanov?”
- SupportedThe Romanovs were executed in July 1918.Latest from Live Science: “On the night of 16 July, the family, their doctor and staff were herded into the cellar together and executed.”
- SupportedTheir bodies were taken to a secret location, put in a hastily dug communal grave and doused in sulphuric acid to hinder identification.Latest from Live Science: “Their bodies were then taken to a secret location and placed in a hastily dug communal grave, doused in sulphuric acid in an attempt to disfigure them and hinder identification”
- SupportedNine skeletons were found in 1991, two fewer than the 11 people killed that night.Latest from Live Science: “there were nine individuals — two short of the 11 killed that night.”
- SupportedPrince Philip was a great-nephew of Tsarina Alexandra.Latest from Live Science: “she was his great-aunt, his maternal grandmother being the sister of the tsarina.”
- SupportedPhilip's mitochondrial DNA matched the putative remains of the tsarina and her daughters.Latest from Live Science: “Prince Philip's mitochondrial DNA was found to match that of the putative remains of the tsarina and her daughters.”
- SupportedThe tsar's mitochondrial DNA data were 130 million times more likely if the remains were Romanov than if they belonged to an unrelated family.Latest from Live Science: “the mitochondrial DNA data the researchers obtained being 130,000,000 times more likely if these were the Romanovs than if they were an unrelated family.”
- SupportedDNA analysis of the remains found in 2007 showed the two individuals were siblings and related to the Romanovs already identified.Latest from Live Science: “DNA analysis was brought to bear and again showed that the two individuals were siblings and related to the Romanovs already identified.”
- SupportedY-chromosome testing confirmed the newly found boy was male and that his Y chromosome matched the tsar's.Latest from Live Science: “Y-chromosome testing was carried out, the Y chromosome being passed from father to son, to confirm that the Y chromosome of the newly found male skeleton was indeed male and that it matched the Y chromosome of the tsar.”