Nicholas Galitzine
Galitzine in 2016, photo by Joe Seer/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Nicholas Dimitri Konstantine Galitzine
Place of Birth: Westminster, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 29 September, 1994
Ethnicity:
*father – English, as well as 1/16th French
*mother – Greek
Nicholas Galitzine is a British actor and model. He has starred in the films High Strung, Handsome Devil, Share (2019), The Craft: Legacy, Cinderella (2021), Purple Hearts, Bottoms, Red, White & Royal Blue; and The Idea of You; on the series Chambers and Mary & George, and in the made-for-tv movie The Watcher in the Woods (2017).
His father, Geoffrey Leo Alexander Galitzine (born Tier), is of English descent, along with one sixteenth French. His mother, Lora Maria Konstantina (Papayanni), was raised at least partly in the U.S., and has Greek roots. His parents are financiers, and his father has worked with a glass-recycling business. His sister, Lexi Galitzine, is an illustrator and interior stylist. His father was named Geoffrey Leo after his own uncle.
The name Galitzine comes from the House of Golitsyn or Galitzine, one of the largest princely noble houses in the Russian Empire. Many Galitzine family members left Russia during the 1917 Revolution. Nicholas, his father, and grandfather are all listed as titled Princes in notations. Nicholas has stated that he is of Russian and Greek descent. Nicholas’ paternal grandfather legally changed his name from Tier to Galitzine in 1955. He had been using the name for a time. It is not clear where the origin for the change comes from in Nicholas’ family, but Nicholas’ paternal grandfather was English by birth.
Nicholas’ paternal grandfather was Edward Ralph Alexander Tier, also known as Alexander Galitzine (the son of Leonard Edward Tier and Nellie German). Nicholas’ grandfather Edward was born in 1913 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Leonard was the son of Edward Tier, who was born in Westborne, Sussex, England, and of Charlotte Caught. Nellie was the daughter of Alexander George German and Ellen Jane Burwood.
Nicholas’ paternal grandmother was Mary Betty Boult (the daughter of Leonard Arthur Boult and Florence Gertrude Eaton). Mary was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Leonard was the son of Robert Boult and Kate Bullard. Florence was the daughter of Richard Eaton, whose mother was French; and of Harriett Nightingale.
Nicholas’ maternal grandfather was Nicholas/Nicolas A. Papayanni/Papayannis (the son of Alexander Papayannis and Maria Maganari). Nicholas was born in Brăila, Romania, where there is a Greek community, and later lived in Athens, Greece.
Sources: The London Gazette notation on Nicholas’s family’s name change, 1956 – https://books.google.ca
Speculative family histories of Nicholas Galitzine – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.teenvogue.com
Marriage records of Nicholas’s paternal grandparents, Edward Ralph Alexander Tier and Mary Betty Boult – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Nicholas’s paternal grandfather, Edward Ralph Alexander Tier – https://www.familysearch.org
Baptismal record of Nicholas’s paternal grandfather, Edward Ralph Alexander Tier – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Nicholas’s paternal great-grandparents, Leonard Edward Tier and Nellie German – https://www.familysearch.org
Nicholas’s paternal great-grandparents, Leonard Edward Tier and Nellie German, on the 1911 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Baptismal record of Nicholas’s paternal great-grandfather, Leonard Edward Tier – https://www.familysearch.org
Nicholas’s paternal great-grandfather, Leonard Edward Tier, on the 1881 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Leonard Edward Tier on the 1891 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Nicholas’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Edward Tier and Charlotte Caught – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Nicholas’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Alexander George German and Ellen Jane Burwood – https://www.familysearch.org
Saw his interview on Jimmy Kimmel recently. He talked about his last name and said he’s “a Russian Greek”.
Unless he’s referring to his mother’s side, the only way he could be of Russian descent is through illegitimacy of some kind. Perhaps his great-grandmother had an affair with a Russian prince, but this seems doubtful in Portsmouth. His grandfather was born before the Russian Revolution.
Interestingly, his grandfather changed his last name in 1955, the year his own mother died.
Yep. We’d pretty much already gone over the discovery that most of what he’s told is not true. Whether it’s purposeful, or whether he just doesn’t know, I’m not sure. It’s genuinely possible he’s simply never really looked into it, and we “weridos” have. lol
That’s a possibility. A lot of people have family heritage myths that have been passed down through the generations.
@follers
Portsmouth/Southampton area alwais had contacts with foreigners due to their ports, so if this mythological Russian Prince was in the Navy it’s definitely possible.
Check this: https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-125361
What’s possible? We know that some Galitzines left Russia after the Russian Revolution and that Nicholas does not descend from any Galitzines.
What’s possible is that he doesn’t know about his ancestors changing their name TO Galitzine.
Although he may not be Russian,he looks like a Russian..When I saw him in Purple Hearts i thought that he probably Russian.
MY Name is Michael. I am from the Michael Dubs family. Follers, why is this famous actor not on ethnic celebs but Crystal the monkey is??? Please email for more informations! May this comment be a blessing for you. @Murricansareallmutts agrees with the Michael!
I think I may have figured out the Galitzine connection with some sleuthing. His grandfather Alexander appears on the 1939 England and Wales Register under the name “Alexander Tier”. On the register it’s written in — “original name not to be revealed” and then “Galitzine” in different ink. So it seems Alexander was living in hiding under an assumed name for political reasons.
His wife, Mary Betty, is living with him and indeed there’s a marriage record from that year for Betty Boult to “Alexander Tier”.
And wouldn’t you be surprised to find a birth record for Geoffrey L. A. Tier — mother’s maiden name Boult — in 1949. So at some point after that the family resumed using Galitzine and their princely title. Either that or the Tier family were fakers who pretended to be Galitzines.
Thank you. It says in The London Gazette in 1955, “ALEXANDER GALITZINE of 1D , Talbot Place , Blackheath , a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by birth , lately called Edward Ralph Alexander Tier has assumed and intends henceforth upon all occasions and at all times to sign and use and to be called and known by the name of Edward Ralph Alexander Galitzine in lieu of and in substitution for his former name of Edward Ralph Alexander Tier and that such change of name is formally declared and evidenced by a deed under his hand and seal dated the 9th day of December , 1955 …”
https://books.google.ca/books?id=3iLc6EARE8EC&q=%22ALEXANDER+GALITZINE+of+1D+,+Talbot+Place+,+Blackheath%22&dq=%22ALEXANDER+GALITZINE+of+1D+,+Talbot+Place+,+Blackheath%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiX-Mj9zrWBAxVbTaQEHabdBTYQ6AF6BAgAEAE
Perhaps Galitzine was a stepfather’s surname?
Anything on Nicholas’s maternal grandmother?
@Follers, I am curious why did you delete this actress?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5335019/
Iiiiiiinteresting. Edward Tier/Alexander Galitzine must be the same man born in 1913 Portsmouth, mother’s maiden name German.
Leonard Edward Tier married Nellie German in 1904. Nellie must be Alexander’s mother who appears living with him on the 1939 Register. Leonard and Nellie both were born in Southsea, Hampshire according to the 1911 census and appear to be of English stock.
I don’t think this family is of Russian descent at all, much less from a princely Galitzine branch! It seems like they just adopted the name and gave themselves titles.
Oh, that’s sad. lol