Born at Peterhof outside St.Petersburg, he was the third child and second son to be followed by four more sons. As a very young man he served in the Russo-Turkish War and became a Colonel. He intended to marry and, to house his expected family, built himself a large palace at St.Petersburg. 
In 1886 Grand Duke Michael made overtures for the hand of Princess May of Teck; but her father objected because, according to him, Grand Dukes made bad husbands. The next to reject him was Princess Irene of Hessen, to be followed by Princess Louise of Wales. 
In 1888 he had an affair first with Princess Walewski and then a more serious one with Countess Katya Ignatiev. However, his mother and the Empress made it impossible for him to marry Katya and sent him abroad. In 1891 he met Sophie von Merenberg; they fell in love and married secretly at San Remo. On receiving the news, his mother collapsed and went by train to the Crimea to recover; at Kharkov's waiting-room she had a heart-attack and died, for which Michael was 
blamed. Emperor Alexander III stripped Grand Duke Michael of his military ranks and, when Michael's mother-in-law prevented him from attending his mother's funeral, he was forbidden to return to Russia. 
Grand Duke Michael and Sophie became the parents of Anastasia (Zia) in 1892, Nadejda (Nada) in 1896 and Michael (Boy) in 1898. The children received their mother's rank and were known as Count and Countesses de Torby. 
In 1899 they moved into their Villa Karbeck at Cannes, a beautiful place with a wonderful garden. They were attended by five footmen, a butler, a valet, a lady's maid, a governess, a nursery maid and six chefs. Michael afforded this lifestyle by being the owner of a factory near Tiflis which bottled mineral water. While remaining "devoted" to Sophie, Michael nevertheless still kept on falling in love with pretty girls. 
In 1903 Michael's father had a stroke and was moved to Cannes by a train which was not allowed to exceed 24 miles per hour, consequently disrupting the railway system in Central Europe. In Cannes the father was charmed by his daughter-in-law and his Torby grandchildren. The presence of Michael's father also frequently brought Michael's brother Alexander and his family to Cannes, and these were later followed by other Grand Dukes. Still further visitors included the Empress Eugenie and the Prince of Wales, the latter apparently first meeting Mrs. Keppel at Villa Karbeck.

Every year Grand Duke Michael and his wife would visit Edward VII in Windsor or Sandringham and also attend luncheons at Buckingham Palace. During these visits, each lasting several months, they lived in Keele Hall in Staffordshire. 
In 1908 Michael published a novel, "Never Say Die", about a morganatic marriage, written in resentment at not being allowed back into Russia. Michael was very pleased when he was made High Steward of Newcastle-upon-Lyme. 
At the time of the Russo-Japanese war, he shaved off his beard and stopped dyeing his hair. He was described as a born autocrat, single-minded, and a stickler for protocol. 

In Cannes he founded the Golf Club and was its President. On 18 December 1909 his father died at Cannes where a funeral service took place. A Russian cruiser brought the coffin to Sebastopol from where it was taken to St. Petersburg. At last Michael was allowed to come to Russia for the funeral; however, his wife refused to accompany him as she still resented the insults which had marred their marriage so many years ago. The final funeral ceremony took place on 4 January 1910 and was attended by the Imperial family and foreign Princes. Michael became President of the Hampstead General Hospital, to which he donated an ambulance, as well as President of the Hampstead Art Society. However, he was becoming short-tempered and rude to the servants and, according to Prince Felix Yusupov, he was a great trial to his wife. 
On 31 October 1916 Michael wrote to Tsar Nicholas II warning him that British secret agents in Russia were expecting a revolution, and that he should satisfy the people's just demands before it was too late. 
From then on his financial situation deteriorated. The Tsar did not assist and he had to move to a less grand abode at 3 Cambridge Gate, Regent's Park. However, King George V and Queen Mary helped with 10,000 pounds, but it was their son-in-law (Sir) Harold Wernher, who supported them financially. Harold Wernher bought their Faberge collection and Queen Mary Sophie's sapphire and diamond necklace. 
Once the news of the murders of so many close relatives came through, many people thought Michael became unbalanced, as he was cantankerous and complaining about the surviving members of the Imperial family. Evidently Michael certainly did become unbalanced as he would chase his daughter Nada with a cigarette lighter, try to trip his granddaughter Gina with a walking-stick, and made ever ruder remarks about his servants. 
Once the World War was over, they returned to Cannes after an absence of six years but moved to Villa Luna Nuova as the Villa Karbeck had been let. At this time their son "Boy" lost his job and 
came to live with them; but he hardly talked to his parents and, if they approached him, he would be rude and unpleasant. 
By 1925 the Grand Duke had become quite troublesome so that his son-in-law Harold regarded him as "perfectly crazy". On 4 September 1927 his wife died aged fifty-nine. King George V may not have been overfond of Sophie, but he still wrote a kind letter of condolence. By November, according to Harold, the Grand Duke was again behaving well as he no longer had his wife to argue with. 
On 26 April 1929, Grand Duke Michael died. Harold was not sorry as the Grand Duke had never shown the slightest gratitude for his support. Michael was buried with his wife in the West Hampstead cemetery.
 

Source: Leo van de Pas