Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the fifth child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and his wife Dagmar of Denmark. He was the first of the eighteen Romanovs who were killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Alexandrovich was the youngest brother of Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II), the emperor of all Russia. At the time of his grandfather’s reign, he was the fourth-in-line for the throne. When his grandfather, Alexander II, died, his father became the emperor, making his eldest brother Nicholas II his heir. Nicholas II didn’t have any children at first which put his younger brother, George, the next in line. In 1899, George died of tuberculosis, and five years later, Nicholas II had his son, Alexei. However, Alexei was born with hemophilia and many thought he wouldn’t live long. Once Nicholas II died, Alexandrovich was made the co-regent to Alexei along with Nicholas’ widow Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.