Category Archives: Greek Royals

Princess Françoise of Orléans, Princess of Greece and Denmark

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Françoise of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Françoise Isabelle Louise Marie d’Orléans was the second wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark. She was born in Paris, France on December 25, 1902, the second child of Prince Jean of Orléans, Duke of Guise, an Orléanist pretender to the throne of France, and Princess Isabelle of Orléans. Françoise had three siblings:

Françoise was a great-great-granddaughter of Louis Philippe I, King of the French, four times over. All four of her grandparents were grandchildren of Louis Philippe. She was also the great-granddaughter of   Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and King Ferdinand VII of Spain.

Françoise spent her early years at the family home in Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache in northern France before the family moved to Morocco in 1909. Settling in the small town of Larache, they lived in relatively spartan conditions for several years, before finally moving to a more comfortable villa in 1918. During this time, Morocco was split between France and Spain. The family found themselves on both sides – their home was in the Spanish zone while their farm was in the French zone. Françoise and her siblings were given a strict education by their mother, learning several languages, and she also became a proficient horsewoman. She was so skilled that she was later the only woman permitted to train at the Roman Military Cavalry School at Tor di Quinto in Rome.

On holiday in France when World War I began, the family returned to Morocco but quickly came back to France. Her father joined the Red Cross, and Françoise, her mother, and her siblings helped take care of wounded soldiers at a military hospital set up at the Chateau de Randan – the home of her grandmother, The Countess of Paris. Several months later, Françoise and her mother and siblings returned to Morocco, this time settling in the French zone. Following the war, they returned to Larache and resumed their regular visits to France.

In 1921, Françoise was proposed as a potential bride for King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Despite the agreement of the French government, nothing came of the idea, and Alexander went on to marry Princess Maria of Romania. A few years later, however, she would meet the man who would become her husband.

Prince Christopher of Greece. source: Wikipedia

In 1925, at the wedding of Princess Mafalda of Italy and Prince Philipp of Hesse-Kassel, Françoise first met her future husband, Prince Christopher of Greece. He was the youngest son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Several years later, at the encouragement of her aunt, the Duchess of Aosta, the two meet again and soon a romance begins. Although Christopher was 13 years older and widowed, Françoise was attracted to his sense of humor and artistic abilities. A few weeks later, the couple decided to become engaged but first, they had to address the issue of religion. Christopher was Greek Orthodox, and Françoise was Catholic, which meant they would need a dispensation from the Pope, who was greatly opposed to the idea. Finally, after lengthy negotiations, they received permission and were able to marry.

A civil ceremony was held on February 10, 1929, followed by a religious ceremony the following day in the Palatine Chapel at the Royal Palace of Palermo. Their witnesses were King Manuel II of Portugal, The Duke of Aosta, King George II of the Hellenes, and The Prince of Piedmont (later King Umberto II of Italy). The couple settled at Villa Anastasia in Rome, and several years later, had their only child:

Following their marriage, the couple soon found themselves in dire financial circumstances. The administrator of her husband’s finances absconded with the money, and Françoise was forced to borrow money from her father. She also posed for several advertising photos, which was considered very scandalous at the time. Their financial situation improved somewhat after the Greek monarchy was restored in 1935. Françoise and her husband returned to Greece occasionally for important ceremonies and events, including the burial of King Constantine I, Queen Sophie, and Queen Olga at Tatoi Palace (all of whom had died while in exile). They also returned in 1838 for the marriage of the future King Paul of the Hellenes and Princess Friederike of Hanover. The following year, they welcomed their only child, Prince Michael.

Just a year after the birth of their son, tragedy struck. Prince Christopher traveled to Athens to meet with his nephew, King George II, about the events happening in Europe and the onset of World War II. While there, he developed an abscess in his lungs, which quickly took his life. Françoise rushed to get to Greece but could not get there before Christopher’s death on January 21, 1940.

Now very much in financial straits, Françoise traveled to Paris where she sold some of the jewels she’d received from her mother-in-law on her wedding day. She also decided to leave Italy and the fascist regime. After being advised against settling in Athens because of the war, she and her son ended up at her parents’ home in Larache, Morocco, along with her sister and her children. She later moved to Tangiers after her father’s death, but soon returned to Larache. By the fall of 1944, Françoise’s mother could no longer afford to support all of the family at Larache, so Françoise took her son and moved to Malaga, Spain, where they lived at the Miramar Hotel. In 1948, they left Spain and returned to Paris, where they lived with her sister, Isabelle, and her second husband, Prince Pierre Murat.

Grave of Prince Christopher and Princess Françoise. photo: By Catlemur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65380068

Over the next few years, Françoise became very introverted and greatly limited her social interactions. Riddled with depression, her health quickly declined. She died in Paris, France on February 25, 1953, two months after her 50th birthday. Her funeral was held at the Saint-Louis Chapel in Dreux and was attended by many European royals. Several weeks later, her remains were buried alongside her husband in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece.

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Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Christopher of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Christopher of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds was the first wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark. She was born Nonie May Stewart on January 20, 1878, in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of William Charles Stewart and Mary Holden. She was educated privately at home, and then attended Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut. Nonie was married three times.

Her first marriage, to George Ely Worthington, took place in Cleveland, Ohio on October 1, 1894. Nonie was just 16 at the time but listed her age as 18 on her marriage certificate. Her husband was the grandson of a wealthy industrialist and the couple lived very comfortably in Cleveland. They had no children, and the couple separated in 1899.

William Bateman Leeds. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on August 3, 1900 – three days after her divorce from George Worthington was final – May (as she was now known) married William Bateman Leeds. Leeds, known as the “Tin King” had amassed a vast fortune in the tin industry. A former florist, William later joined with several partners to open the American Tin Plate Company. They sold that company to the United States Steel Corporation in 1898 for about 40 million dollars and then invested much of their profits in the railroad industry. Upon their marriage, William gave May jewelry valued well over a million dollars and a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City valued at over 2 million dollars. Two years later, the couple welcomed their only child:

After just eight years of marriage, May’s husband died in Paris, France in June 1908, leaving a fortune of nearly 40 million dollars. Now a very wealthy woman, Nancy May Leeds (as she was now known) became a prominent member of European high society.

Prince Christopher and Princess Anastasia with Dowager Queen Olga, on their wedding day. source: Wikipedia

It was while visiting Biarritz, France in 1914 that Nancy met Prince Christopher, the youngest child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. According to Christopher’s memoirs, the two quickly fell in love and decided to marry. Their engagement was first announced in 1914, but it would be six years before they married. There was much reservation within the Greek royal family over the bride being an American and already married twice. In addition, the monarchy was facing considerable upheaval with the onset of World War I. Finally, the couple was married in an Orthodox ceremony on February 1, 1920, in Vevey, Switzerland. Several days after the marriage, Nancy converted to Orthodoxy and took the name Anastasia.

A year after their marriage, Anastasia’s son married Christopher’s niece Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia. Xenia is perhaps best known for being a major supporter of Anna Anderson – the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Xenia took Anna Anderson into her home and believed she was actually Anastasia.

Christopher and Anastasia, c1923. source: Wikipedia

Not long after her marriage to Christopher, Anastasia was diagnosed with cancer. She died on August 29, 1923, at Spencer House in London, England. Per her wishes, her remains were interred alongside her parents in the Stewart family mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.

Stewart family mausoleum; Photo – www.findagrave.com

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Princess Maria of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

source: Wikipedia

Princess Maria of Greece

Princess Maria of Greece was the second daughter and fifth child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was born at the Royal Palace in Athens on March 3, 1876, and had seven siblings:

Maria, known within the family as Minnie, was raised primarily at the Royal Palace in Athens, where she was educated privately. In addition to history and geography, she learned several languages, becoming fluent in German, English, and French at a young age in addition to Danish, Russian, and Greek. The family often holidayed in Denmark, and she was very close to her first cousin, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. Later, she and Xenia would also become sisters-in-law by marrying two brothers.

Princess Maria of Greece and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, c1900. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2927293

Fiercely patriotic, Maria declared that she would not marry if it would mean leaving Greece. But soon a marriage was arranged – one which she was against from the beginning. After much coercing from her parents – and the King conceding to her demand that she would retain her place in the line of succession to the Greek throne and position within the Royal Family – Maria married Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, in Corfu on April 30, 1900. He was the son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. The couple lived in apartments at the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, and later built a palace in the Crimea. Maria – now Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna – and her husband had two daughters:

The marriage was never particularly happy. Maria was not in love with her husband, despite his apparent devotion to her. She soon found excuses to leave Russia – and her husband – and spent more time in Greece and elsewhere in Europe, often using her daughters’ health as the reason for her travels. When World War I began, Maria was living in Harrogate, England with her two daughters and chose to remain there and not return to Russia. While in England, she was the patron of several military hospitals which she funded herself. Her husband – like many in the Russian Imperial Family – was murdered by the Bolsheviks with three other Grand Dukes of Russia in January 1919, leaving Maria a widow.

Maria with her daughters, c1918. source: Wikipedia

In 1920, Maria was able to return to Greece when her eldest brother, King Constantine I, was brought back to power. She traveled aboard a Greek destroyer commanded by Admiral Pericles Ioannidis, and a romance developed. The couple married two years later, on December 16, 1922,  in Wiesbaden, Germany. They had no children.

The couple settled in Athens but In 1924, the Second Hellenic Republic was declared and the monarchy was abolished. They lived many years in exile, first in the United Kingdom until 1925, and then in Italy until 1935. In 1935, Perikles and Maria were able to return to Greece when the monarchy was restored with Maria’s nephew King George II on the throne. Perikles and Maria’s marriage did have its issues. Perikles had mistresses and often gave his mistresses jewelry stolen from his wife. Maria lost money playing backgammon and Perikles was forced to carefully monitor their expenses.

Tomb of Princess Maria and Pericles Ioannidis. photo: by Kostisl – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25382837

Maria died of a heart attack in Athens on December 14, 1940, in the midst of the Greco-Italian War. She is buried at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace near Athens, Greece. Admiral Perikles Ioannidis survived his wife by twenty-five years, dying in Athens, Greece on February 7, 1965, at the age of 83. He was buried with his wife in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

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Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia was the wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece. She was born January 17, 1882, the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Through her father, she was the granddaughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, niece of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and first cousin of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Elena had four older brothers:

Elena was raised at several palaces in Russia, as the family moved around frequently throughout the year. In St Petersburg, they lived in the grand Vladimir Palace and spent their summers at Tsarskoye Selo. There were also frequent visits to her mother’s family in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Raised in a world of inordinate wealth, and the only girl in a family of boys, Elena was very spoiled and doted upon by her brothers. She developed a fiery temper and – much like her mother – she was very aware of her social status and rank, and was quick to remind anyone who treated her too informally. In the late 1890s, she became engaged to Prince Max of Baden, but he soon called off the engagement.

Nicholas and Elena at their wedding, August 1902. source: Wikipedia

On August 29, 1902, at Tsarskoye Selo, Elena married her second cousin, Prince Nicholas of Greece, the son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. The two had first met at a party in Livadia in 1894, and then again at the coronation of their first cousin Nicholas II, Emperor of All of Russia in 1896. Several years later, in the summer of 1900, a romance began and Nicholas soon proposed. Her mother was against the idea, feeling that Nicholas was too poor and had no prospect for the Greek throne. But she eventually relented, and the couple became engaged in June 1902. Theirs was a happy marriage from most accounts, and they had three daughters:

The former Nicholas Palace, now the Italian Embassy, in Athens. photo: by C messier — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47199266

Following their honeymoon at Ropsha Palace, the couple arrived in Greece and took up residence in a wing of the Royal Palace. They later moved to their new home – the Nicholas Palace in Athens – which was a wedding gift from Nicholas II of Russia.

Elena was visiting her mother in Russia when World War I broke out, and she quickly returned home to Athens. The Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Russian Imperial Family saw her fortune diminish overnight. Already having been deprived of her assets in Russia, she lost them completely when the Provisional Government confiscated all the estates and assets of the Romanovs. In Greece, things were not good either. King Constantine I, Elena’s brother-in-law, was removed from the throne and they went into exile. Elena and her family joined him in Switzerland. There, they spent winters in St. Moritz and the rest of the year in Zurich and Lucerne. With her fortune gone, the family suffered the first financial difficulties for the first time in Elena’s life. 1920 saw Constantine return to the Greek throne, and the family made their way back to Greece. However, their return would be short-lived. In 1922, the King abdicated and the family all returned to Switzerland. The next few years were spent moving around Europe. The family lived in San Remo, Florence, and London before settling in Paris, where they were helped financially by her brother-in-law, Prince George of Greece, and his very wealthy wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte. They also leased their Nicholas Palace in Athens to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, which provided the family with a comfortable income.

1914 portrait by de László. source: Wikipedia

While in exile, Elena helped to support the many Russians who had fled to France after the Bolshevik Revolution. She helped establish an Orthodox Cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-Des-Bois, as well as supporting a home for elderly refugees. In 1924, she established and helped fund an orphanage near Saint-Germain-en-Laye, providing housing and education for orphans. She sold some of her priceless jewels to help fund many of her ventures.

In addition to her charitable efforts, Elena focused much of her attention on the upbringing and education of her daughters. This included trying to arrange prominent marriages for each of them. Eldest daughter Olga was sent to London, hoping to catch the eye of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), with no success. In 1923, Olga went on to marry Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. The second daughter Elena was presented as a possible bride for the future King Umberto II of Italy and Prince Nicholas of Romania before marrying Count Carl Theodor of Toerring-Jettenbach. The Prince of Wales was also considered for the youngest daughter Marina, again without success. Instead, Marina married his younger brother George, The Duke of Kent, in 1934.

The family returned to Greece again in 1935, after the monarchy was restored, and King George II returned to the throne. In 1938, she lost two of the people most close to her. In February 1938, her husband died in Athens, and later that year, her brother Cyril died in Paris. As she had never accepted her other brothers’ morganatic marriages, Cyril was the only one of her siblings left with whom she maintained a relationship.

When Greece was invaded in 1941, Elena chose to remain in Athens and not join the rest of the Greek royal family in exile. Elena and her sister-in-law, Princess Alice, both stayed and worked together, organizing soup kitchens and helping those in need throughout Athens. Despite their previous frosty relationship, the two develop a friendship and provide much-needed moral support to each other in the years ahead. When Athens was liberated, Elena faced accusations of conspiring with the Germans, who had treated her very kindly during their occupation. When fighting broke out in December 1944, Elena was forced from her home and took up residence with Princess Alice at the home of their brother-in-law, Prince George. In 1946 the monarchy was restored, and King George II returned to the throne. Having been nearly totally cut off from her family during the war, Elena was able to meet up with her daughter Olga in 1947. Two years later, she reunited with daughters Elisabeth and Marina, neither of whom she had seen in eight years.

Tombs of Elena and Nicholas. photo: by HellenicSpirit — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53526810

Elena lived the rest of her life in Greece, enjoying a close relationship with King Paul and Queen Friederike, and a particularly close bond with the future King Constantine II. She died at her home in Athens on March 13, 1957. Following her funeral, her remains were interred alongside her husband at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Nicholas of Greece

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark was born January 22, 1872, at the Royal Palace of Athens in Greece, the fourth child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Nicholas had seven siblings:

Nicholas (front) with his siblings Constantine, Maria, George, and Alexandra, c1880. source: Wikipedia

Nicholas grew up with his family at the Royal Palace and Tatoi Palace, as well as spending summers in France and Denmark with his relatives. Known as “Greek Nicky” to avoid confusion with his cousin, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, he was raised in the Greek Orthodox religion as required by the Greek Constitution. Along with his siblings, Nicholas was first educated privately at home by a series of tutors, and developed a passion for drawing and painting, and became fluent in several languages. At the age of 13, he began his military training, attending the College of Evelpides in Piraeus – the Greek Military Academy – and in 1890 obtained the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Greek Infantry. He went on to serve in the military for much of his early life, including leading a battery of artillery during the Greek- Turkish War in 1897. He also later served during the First Balkan War in 1912.

As a younger son of the King, Nicholas often represented his father at foreign and extended family events, including the coronation of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia in 1894 and the marriage of Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Carl of Denmark in 1896. In 1902, he also attended the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. In 1896, along with his brothers Constantine and George, Nicholas helped to organize the Olympic Games in Athens – the first to be held in nearly 1600 years.

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

On August 29, 1902, Nicholas married his second cousin, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia. Elena was the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (a son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The two had first met eight years earlier, and again several times in the next few years. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 1900 that a romance began. After her parents finally relenting – they felt he was too poor and had no prospect for the throne – the couple was finally able to wed. Following their wedding and honeymoon, Nicholas and Elena lived in a wing of the Royal Palace before moving to their new home – the Nicholas Palace – which was a wedding gift from Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had three daughters:

Following the assassination of his father in 1913, Nicholas inherited the Greek Royal Theater, where he then wrote and directed several plays that were published under a pseudonym. He later transferred ownership of the theater to the Greek State in 1935. In 1917, when his brother Constantine was forced from the throne, Nicholas and his family joined the King in exile in Switzerland. With the war having wiped out his wife’s fortune, the family faced financial difficulties for the first time in their lives. During their time in exile, Nicholas exhibited and sold many of his paintings, all signed with the name ‘Nicolas Leprince’. The family returned to Greece in 1920 when King Constantine was restored to the throne but again went into exile two years later when he was forced to abdicate. After staying in Italy and Britain, Nicholas and his family settled in Paris, where they relied upon the generosity of his elder brother George, and George’s very wealthy wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte. During this time, Nicholas taught drawing and painting and sold more of his paintings. He also published two memoirs, in 1926 and 1928, and leased the Nicholas Palace in Athens to the Hotel Grand Bretagne, providing a more comfortable living for his family.

Tombs of Prince Nicholas and his wife. photo: Par HellenicSpirit — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53526810

The Greek monarchy was restored in 1935, and the following year, Nicholas and his wife returned to Greece. Having suffered from declining health for several years, Prince Nicholas died on February 8, 1938, of atherosclerosis at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. Following a large state funeral a few days later, he was interred at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

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Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie Bonaparte was the wife of Prince George of Greece and Denmark, the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was born on July 2, 1882, in Saint-Cloud, France, the only child of Prince Roland Bonaparte and Marie-Félix Blanc. Her maternal grandfather was François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. On her paternal side, Marie was the great-granddaughter of Prince Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I.

Princess Marie was raised in a life of privilege. Her grandfather François Blanc had amassed a large fortune that passed to his children upon his death in 1877. From this money, Marie inherited a large amount following her mother’s death (just a month after Marie was born). As an only child, she was raised in Saint-Cloud and in Paris, and occasionally joined her father on his geographical and botanical expeditions around the world. Her education, provided by a series of nannies and tutors, was overseen by her domineering paternal grandmother Princess Pierre Bonaparte (née Éléonore-Justine Ruflin). A rather sheltered child, Marie often spent her time alone, in the company of her dolls, reading and writing in her journals. She became fluent in several languages and developed an early interest in the arts – particularly the theatre.

Marie and George at their religious wedding in Athens, December 1907. source: Wikipedia

In 1906, her father met with King George I of the Hellenes to discuss marriage to the King’s son, George. After their fathers had agreed, Marie and George first met in July 1907 in Paris. A brief courtship ensued, and their engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. By this time, Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, receiving an annual income of 800,000 francs from a trust, as well as being the sole heir to her mother’s fortune. Following her father’s death, she inherited over 60 million francs. As part of the agreement, Marie retained sole control over her fortune, with Prince George refusing any financial settlement or allowance. The couple married first in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907, followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony in Athens on December 12, 1907.

The couple had two children:

Marie with her children, 1912. source: Wikipedia

From the beginning of her marriage, Marie had to contend with the unusually close relationship between her husband and his uncle Prince Valdemar of Denmark. Widely believed to have been lovers, George and Valdemar were happiest in each other’s company and had an intimacy that their wives could provide. It was an unusual situation that Marie and Valdemar’s wife accepted. Marie also found intimacy with others. During one visit to Denmark, she had a brief flirtation with Valdemar’s eldest son Prince Aage, and for several years, carried on a relationship with the French Prime Minister Aristide Briand. Over the years, Marie had other affairs often known to her husband who was never bothered by them.

Despite her affairs, Princess Marie suffered from what she called sexual dysfunction, finding herself unable to achieve sexual fulfillment. This led to the beginning of her research into women’s sexuality. She published the results of her research in 1924 under a pseudonym. During this time, she also began her interest in psychoanalysis. Suffering from depression after her father died in 1924, she became a patient of Sigmund Freud for the next 13 years. A close friendship and professional relationship developed, and she helped him to promote the study of psychoanalysis throughout France.

Embed from Getty Images 

Fiercely protective of Dr. Freud, Marie was instrumental in his escape from the Nazi regime in 1938. Not only did she pay the “ransom” to the Nazis, but she also arranged to delay the search of his apartments in Vienna and helped him smuggle some of his savings out of the country using a Greek diplomatic pouch. Marie convinced a Nazi officer to sign the papers that allowed Freud to leave Vienna and had many of his possession sent to London.

In the years that the Greek Royal Family was in exile, Marie used her significant wealth to support many of them. She provided the use of several of her homes in France and paid for education and living expenses. Those who benefited from Marie’s generosity included Prince Andrew and his family, including the young Prince Philip, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Marie and George remained favorites of Prince Philip, and in 1953, they attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Marie, somewhat bored at the ceremony, conversed with the gentleman seated next to her and offered a bit of psychoanalysis. That man was the future French President, François Mitterand.

The Princess continued to practice as a psychoanalyst for the rest of her life. She authored several books and translated many of Freud’s works into French. In addition to having founded the French Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1926, she funded several anthropological expeditions, wrote a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, and an interpretation of his work.

Princess Marie died of leukemia in Saint-Tropez, France on September 21, 1962. Her remains were cremated, and her ashes returned to Greece where they were interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace alongside her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince George of Greece; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince George of Greece was the second son and the second child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. He was born at Mon Repos, the Greek royal family’s summer residence on the island of Corfu, on June 24, 1869, and had seven siblings:

The King and Queen of Greece with their Children, c1885. Standing L-R: Prince Nicolas, Prince Constanti Prince George; sitting L-R: Princess Marie, Queen Olga, Prince Andrew, Princess Alexandra, King George I. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2907343

George spent his early years in Greece, living at the Royal Palace and at Tatoi Palace, and was raised Greek Orthodox, as required by the Greek constitution. Along with his siblings, he underwent a strict regimen of education and physical activity. They learned several languages including Greek, English, French, Danish, and German. In 1883 George’s mother took him to Denmark to join the Danish Royal Navy. He was placed under the care of his grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark, and his uncle, Prince Valdemar. The young Prince George, living with Valdemar at Bernsdorff Palace, felt abandoned by his parents and quickly developed a very close relationship with his uncle. Valdemar became the most important person in George’s life and George often professed his love for his uncle. It is widely accepted that they were lovers, and despite both of their marriages, the two maintained their bond and passion for each other until Valdemar died in 1939.

In 1888, a marriage was suggested between George and Princess Marguerite of Orleans (the sister of Prince Valdemar’s wife), however, the negotiations stalled and no engagement took place. Two years later, in 1890, George left Denmark to continue his naval training with the Russian Imperial Navy. The next year, George accompanied his cousin the Tsarevich (later Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia) on a trip through Asia. While in Japan, one of the guards protecting Nicholas attempted to kill him with his sword. George foiled the assassination attempt by striking the attacker with his cane and saving Nicholas’s life. Although quickly thanked by the Japanese Emperor, George found himself vilified in Russia, accused of placing Nicholas in harm’s way and blamed for the attack. Despite Nicholas’ public statements of appreciation, George was forced to leave Russia and return to Denmark.

Several years later, George and his brothers Constantine and Nicolas helped organize the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. Because of his naval background, George was appointed Chairman of the sub-committee for Nautical Sports for the Greek Olympic Committee. Two years later, he was appointed High Commissioner of Crete and served until 1906. At that time, he returned to Europe, living primarily in Denmark and France and making occasional visits back to Greece each year.

Prince George and Princess Marie following their Greek Orthodox ceremony, in December 1907. source: Wikipedia

George first met his wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte, on July 19, 1907, in Paris. The previous year, George’s father and Marie’s father, Prince Roland Bonaparte, a grandson of Lucien Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon I’s brother, had met and discussed the idea of a marriage between the two families. Following a very short courtship, the couple’s engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, having been left a vast fortune by her mother Marie-Félix Blanc, the daughter of François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino.

At the time of their marriage, Marie received 800,000 francs per year from a trust, and would later inherit over 60 million francs after her father’s death. As part of the marriage agreement, George agreed to a separation of the couple’s assets and refused any financial settlement from his wife and future father-in-law. Marie retained complete control over her fortune and often helped support other members of the Greek royal family. Once the marriage contract was settled, George and Marie married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907. The couple’s Greek Orthodox ceremony was held in Athens on December 12, 1907. Despite the arranged marriage, and George’s presumed homosexuality, the couple had two children:

In 1911, George represented the Greek Royal Family at the coronation of his first cousin, King George V of The United Kingdom. The following year, George and his family returned to Greece where he joined the staff of the naval ministry, as Greece was preparing for war against Turkey. He later served as an aide-de-camp to his father, and following his father’s assassination in March 1913, George returned to Denmark to handle the late King’s financial affairs.

The following years saw Greece remaining neutral initially, but later joining the Central Powers, despite the Prime Minister’s support of the Allies. Under threat of an Allied landing, King Constantine I went into exile in Switzerland on June 12, 1917, without abdicating, and was replaced by his brother King Alexander. Following Alexander’s death in 1920, Constantine I was restored to the throne but was forced to abdicate again in 1922 in favor of another brother, King George II. The new king’s reign lasted 18 months before the family was again sent into exile. Through George and Marie’s wealth, several members of the Greek royal family received financial support, including George’s brothers Andrew and Nicholas who came to Paris with their families and settled for a time in homes owned by Princess Marie.

Group photograph taken on the occasion of the 80th Birthday of Prince Valdemar of Denmark, October 27, 1938. Prince George (center, 8th from the left in the center row) and Prince Valdemar (seated in center). source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2927432

After many years of upheaval, Greece once again restored the monarchy in 1935 with King George II returning to the throne. The following year, George and Marie returned to Greece for the first time in 16 years, to attend the reburial ceremonies at Tatoi for the remains of King Constantine I, Queen Sophie, and Queen Olga. Upon returning to France, George learned of his son’s relationship with Irina Ovchinnikova – a twice-divorced Russian commoner. Despite his renouncement of the relationship, Peter and Irina married in 1939 – a fact that George and Marie learned from the newspapers. George was furious and refused any further contact with his son. 1939 also saw the death of George’s beloved uncle, Prince Valdemar.

In 1941, with the advance of German forces, the family was once again forced into exile. After traveling to Crete and Egypt, they settled in South Africa in July 1941. By this time, George’s health was declining. Adrift after the death of Valdemar, George finally found solace in the companionship of his wife – for perhaps the first time in their marriage.

Following World War II, George returned to Paris and often represented his nephew, King Paul, on official visits and functions. In 1947, he attended the funeral of King Christian X of Denmark and the wedding of his nephew, Philip Mountbatten (formerly Prince Philippos of Greece) to the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. In September 1948, he attended the enthronement ceremony of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and in December was named as one of the godparents of Prince Charles, his great-nephew. In 1949, he returned to Denmark, where he was much loved, for a lavish celebration of his 80th birthday. At that time, King Frederik IX of Denmark appointed him Admiral of the Danish Fleet, an honor that was very meaningful to George because his uncle Valdemar had held that position.

Over the next few years, George worked on his memoirs ‘The Cretan Drama: The Memoirs of HRH Prince George of Greece’, published after his death. In one of his last major royal appearances, Prince George and his wife represented the Greek Royal Family at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, his niece by marriage. The photo above shows Prince George and Princess Marie (center of the photo in his robes of the Order of the Bath), in the procession led by his sister-in-law Princess Alice, her daughters, sons-in-law, and several grandchildren.

In his late 80’s, George’s health began to deteriorate. He underwent surgery for a strangulated hernia and later developed hematuria. Prince George died in Saint-Cloud, near Paris, on November 25, 1957, just four days after he and Marie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Nine days later, George was buried in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece. Per George’s wishes and because she respected the relationship between George and Valdemar, Princess Marie placed a photo of Valdemar and a lock of his hair in George’s coffin. Prince George was the last surviving child of King George I and Queen Olga.

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Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the eight children of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Named after her paternal aunt Alexandra of Denmark (the future Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, wife of King Edward VII), Alexandra was born on August 30, 1870, at the Mon Repos villa on the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

Alexandra had seven siblings:

Sitting: Princess Maria, Queen Olga, Crown Prince Constantine, King George I; Standing: Prince Andrew, Prince George, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Nicholas. circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra’s father was born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, the second son of King Christian IX of Denmark. His older brother would succeed their father as King Frederik VIII of Denmark. His older sister Alexandra married Edward, Prince of Wales who would succeed his mother Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as King Edward VII. Dagmar, one of his younger sisters would marry the future Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and be known as Empress Maria Feodorovna. Dagmar’s son would succeed his father as the ill-fated Nicholas II, the last Emperor of All Russia.

Alexandra’s mother was born Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg (Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna). Her father was the second son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and the brother of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Queen Olga’s brother Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich of Russia was one of the four Grands Dukes who was killed by a firing squad in the courtyard of the Peter and Paul Fortress on January 28, 1919.  Sadly, Alexandra’s husband was also one of those four Grand Dukes.

Alexandra’s parents’ Photo Credit – Wikipedia

How did a Prince of Denmark become King of Greece? In 1862, King Otto of Greece (born Prince Otto of Bavaria) was deposed. Still wanting a monarchy, but rejecting Otto’s proposed successor, Greece began searching for a new King. Initially, the focus fell on Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (the second son of Queen Victoria), who received overwhelming support from the Greek people. However, the London Conference of 1832 stipulated that no one from the ruling families of the Great Powers could accept the Greek throne. While several other European princes were put forward as possible sovereigns, the Greek people and the Great Powers soon chose Prince Vilhelm as their next King. On March 30, 1863, the 17-year old Vilhelm was unanimously elected by the Greek National Assembly and took the name King George I.

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Tatoi Palace, sadly abandoned

King George, Queen Olga, and their family spent much of their time at Tatoi, a 10,000-acre estate outside Athens which the King purchased in the 1870s. Along with the main palace, King George built a winery and a Danish-style dairy farm. He established the Royal Cemetery on the grounds, following the death of his daughter Princess Olga in 1880. In 1864, King George had acquired Mon Repos, a villa on the island of Corfu, which the royal family used as a summer residence.

Mon Repos villa; Photo Credit – By Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20310622

Alexandra (called Aline in the family) was given a proper education by governesses, focusing on foreign languages, music, dancing, and riding. The family usually spent their vacations in Russia or Denmark with their British, Danish, and Russian relatives and so Alexandra had early contact with the family of Alexander II, Emperor of all Russia, including her future husband Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich who was the youngest child of Alexander II and his wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna, born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

Grand Duke Paul’s health was delicate as a child and as an adult, he suffered from a lung ailment (perhaps asthma) and spent time in warmer climates to recuperate. On medical advice, Paul spent the first of several winters in Greece in 1887. Queen Olga was Paul’s first cousin as they were both grandchildren of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. With all the family connections and family visits, Paul felt quite comfortable with the Greek royal family and it was no surprise that he grew closer and fell in love with the eldest daughter Princess Alexandra.

Princess Alexandra and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich in 1888; Credit – Wikipedia

Paul and Alexandra’s engagement was announced on November 10, 1888, and the couple was married in the chapel at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 17, 1889. Alexandra took the name Alexandra Georgievna. The couple had two children:

Alexandra and her daughter Maria Pavlovna; Credit – Wikipedia

The newlyweds lived in a palace in St. Petersburg on the English Embankment and were given rooms at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo. Paul and Alexandra’s marriage was a happy one but sadly, it was to be a short marriage.

Alexandra and Paul; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra, seven months pregnant with her second child, spent time together with her husband Paul, his brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, and Sergei’s wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, born Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, at Ilinskoye, Sergei and Elizabeth’s country estate outside Moscow. While there, Alexandra took a walk with her friends on the bank of the Moskva River and jumped directly into a boat that was permanently moored there and fell. The next day, she collapsed from violent labor pains in the middle of a ball. Alexandra gave birth prematurely to a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and then she lapsed into a coma. Alexandra did not recover consciousness and died six days later on September 24, 1891, at the age of 21. Her parents arrived from Greece shortly before her death.

It seems that the fall in the boat was not the actual cause of the premature labor. An autopsy showed that Alexandra’s premature labor was caused by eclampsia, a condition that causes a pregnant woman, usually previously diagnosed with preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine), to develop seizures or coma. Nephritis, a kidney disorder, and heart damage were also detected.

Alexandra was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. At her funeral, her husband Paul could not bear to have the coffin closed and his brother Sergei had to take him in his arms and lead him away.  In 1939, at the request of Alexandra’s nephew King George II of Greece and the Greek government, the Soviet government allowed Alexandra’s remains to be transferred to Greece. Her coffin was removed from the crypt in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, put aboard a Greek ship, and brought back to Greece where it was reinterred at the traditional burial site of the Greek royal family, the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace. Alexandra’s original marble tomb in the Peter and Paul Cathedral was placed over its original site and is the only tomb in the cathedral over an empty grave.

Tatoi Cemetery; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Alexandra von Griechenland und Dänemark. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_von_Griechenland_und_D%C3%A4nemark [Accessed 27 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Alexandra_of_Greece_and_Denmark [Accessed 27 Feb. 2018].
  • Hall, Coryne. (2006). Little Mother of Russia – A Biography of Empress Marie Feodorovna. Teaneck, N.J.: Holmes & Meier.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Александра Георгиевна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 27 Feb. 2018].

Wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Zimbio

King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark were married on September 18, 1964, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens.

Constantine’s Early Life

Constantine was born on June 2, 1940, at Villa Psychiko in Athens to Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Friederike of Hanover. He has one older sister – Queen Sofia of Spain, and one younger sister – Princess Irene of Greece. During World War II, the Greek Royal Family was forced to flee Greece, settling in Alexandria, Egypt, and then Cape Town, South Africa. They returned to Greece in 1946, and the following year, his uncle, King George II died. Constantine’s father became King, and Constantine became Crown Prince.

He attended school in Athens from 1949-1955, followed by all three Greek military academies. He then went to the National University of Athens to study law. An avid athlete, Tino (as he was known in the family) participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, winning a gold medal in sailing (Dragon Glass). This was Greece’s first gold medal in 48 years. He became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1963.

He became King of the Hellenes following his father’s death in March 1964. Just three years after the wedding, following a coup in 1967, the Greek royal family went into exile, living in Rome for several years before moving to Denmark and then finally settling in the United Kingdom. While in exile, King Constantine was deposed and the monarchy was formally abolished in 1974.

For more information about Constantine see:

Anne-Marie’s Early Life

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Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30, 1946, at Amalienborg in Copenhagen. She is the third and youngest daughter of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Her two older sisters are Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A year after her birth, her grandfather died, and her father became King Frederik IX. Several years later, the King had the succession laws changed to allow for female succession, putting Anne-Marie third in line to succeed her father.

After attending a private school in Copenhagen from 1952-1961, Anne-Marie was enrolled at the Chatelard School for Girls, a boarding school in Switzerland, from 1961-1963. She then attended the Institut Le Mesnil, a Swiss finishing school.

For more information about Anne-Marie see:

The Engagement

Constantine and Anne-Marie are third cousins, several times over, through their mutual descent from both King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They first met in 1959, when Constantine accompanied his parents on a State Visit to Denmark. Constantine was 19, and Anne-Marie was just 13. They met again in Denmark in 1961, but it was in 1962 that the romance truly began to blossom. Anne-Marie was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Constantine’s sister, Sophia, to Juan Carlos of Spain. By that time, Tino was clearly smitten and the two spent much of the night dancing together. After that, Tino made many visits to Denmark to see Anne-Marie, and the media began to speculate about a romance with Anne-Marie’s older sister Benedikte. In the summer of 1962, Anne-Marie was on holiday in Norway with her governess, and Tino was also there competing in yacht racing. They spent a lot of time together, and soon he proposed, and Anne-Marie accepted. His parents were delighted with the news, but the Danish King was hesitant to give his blessing. Soon, however, he realized that the two were in love and he relented, giving his consent. However, several conditions had to be met. He insisted that the wedding could not take place until Anne-Marie had finished her education and reached her eighteenth birthday and that the engagement could not be made public until the beginning of the next year.

For the next six months, the couple kept their engagement a secret, while Constantine made many trips to Denmark, often using sailing events as an excuse for his visits. Finally, on January 23, 1963, the Danish Royal Court announced the couple’s engagement. Several days later, Constantine, Anne-Marie, and their parents appeared at a press conference and then greeted the crowds from the balcony at Amalienborg.

Once the excitement had died down, Anne-Marie returned to School in Switzerland and Tino returned to his official duties in Greece. The wedding was planned for January 1965. However, this would soon change due to the death of King Paul. In early 1964, King Paul was diagnosed with cancer. After undergoing surgery, he suffered from a pulmonary embolism and died on March 6, 1964. Tino assumed the Greek throne as King Constantine II. The wedding plans were moved forward and scheduled for September 18, 1964. This would be just weeks after Anne-Marie’s eighteenth birthday, and days after the end of the official court mourning.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

The celebrations began on September 7, 1964, when Constantine arrived in Denmark. That evening, a private dinner and dance were held at Fredensborg Castle, and the following day they returned to Amalienborg for the official display of the wedding gifts. That evening, they attended a gala performance at the Royal Theatre, followed by a lavish banquet held at Christiansborg Palace, with over 1,000 guests. The next morning, Anne-Marie and Tino were guests at a reception held by the City of Copenhagen and rode in a carriage procession through the streets to greet the thousands of Danes who had come out to wish them well.

The festivities then moved to Greece. Constantine, Anne-Marie, and her family sailed to Greece aboard the Danish Royal Yacht, Dannebrog, where they were greeted by Queen Frederica, Princess Irene, and Prince Michael.

King Constantine hosted three large receptions at Tatoi Palace, with more than 6,000 guests invited. A special committee had been formed in Athens to select people from around the country to come – at the Government’s expense – to meet the King and his future Queen. A reception was also held at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, in Athens, in honor of the Danish royal family.

On September 16, most of the royal guests began to arrive, and King Constantine personally greeted most of them as their planes landed in Athens. That evening, a gala ball was held in the gardens of the Royal Palace of Athens, with 1,600 invited guests. The royal guests were resplendent in their gowns and uniforms, with their best jewels on show. The bride wore a light blue gown with the Greek Emerald Parure, which was among the jewels given to her by Queen Frederica.

Wedding Guests

More than 1,200 guests attended the wedding, including many members of royal and noble families from around the world. According to the New York Times, the guest list included “eight reigning monarchs and their consorts, two former kings, more than 55 princes and princesses, and heads of state and representatives from more than 87 countries”. The royal guests included:

Constantine’s Immediate Family

  • Dowager Queen Frederica
  • Princess Sofia and Prince Juan Carlos of Spain
  • Princess Irene
  • Princess Viktoria Luise, Dowager Duchess of Brunswick

Anne-Marie’s Immediate Family

  • King Frederik and Queen Ingrid
  • Princess Margrethe
  • Princess Benedikte

Royal Guests

  • King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium
  • Prince Ingolf of Denmark
  • Prince Michael of Greece
  • Princess Eugenie of Greece, Duchess of Castel Duino
  • Princess Tatiana Radziwill
  • Prince George Radziwill
  • Princess Irene of Greece, Dowager Duchess of Aosta
  • The Duke and Duchess of Aosta
  • Princess Katherine of Greece, Lady Brandram and Sir Richard Brandram
  • Princess Alice of Greece
  • King Hussein and Princess Muna of Jordan
  • Hereditary Grand Duke Jean and Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
  • Prince Rainier of Monaco
  • Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
  • King Olav of Norway
  • Crown Prince Harald of Norway
  • The Count and Countess of Barcelona
  • King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
  • Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden
  • Princess Christina of Sweden
  • King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand
  • The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Prince of Wales
  • Princess Anne of the United Kingdom
  • Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
  • Prince Michael of Kent
  • Earl Mountbatten of Burma
  • Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria
  • Prince Georg Wilhelm and Princess Sophie of Hanover
  • Prince Karl of Hesse
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse
  • King Umberto and Queen Marie-José of Italy
  • King Mihai and Queen Anne of Romania
  • Queen Mother Helen of Romania
  • Princess Margareta of Romania
  • Count Michael Bernadotte
  • Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
  • Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia

Wedding Attire

The bride wore a gown made by a Danish designer, Jørgen Bender. The simple, yet elegant dress featured a wide neckline, empire waist, and three-quarter sleeves, with a split-front skirt with a detailed edge, extending out into a 20-foot train.

Her veil of Irish lace was a family heirloom. It was originally a gift to her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, for her wedding to the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden in 1905. Holding the veil in place, Anne-Marie wore the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, another piece that goes back to her grandmother’s wedding, having been a wedding gift from the Khedive of Egypt. You can read more about the tiara here. Keeping with tradition, both the veil and the tiara have been worn by all of Queen Ingrid’s female descendants.

The groom wore his white Field Marshal’s uniform, adorned with several Greek and Danish orders and medals.

The bride’s attendants (listed below) wore simple gowns of white organza, with white flowers in their hair.

  • Princess Anne of the United Kingdom
  • Princess Christina of Sweden
  • Princess Irene of Greece
  • Princess Margareta of Romania
  • Princess Tatiana Radziwill
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse

Wedding Ceremony

On the morning of September 18, 1964, with all of the guests already assembled at the Cathedral, King Constantine, accompanied by his mother, left the Royal Palace in an open carriage. Soon, he was followed by Princess Anne-Marie and her father. The bride’s attendants were waiting outside the cathedral to help her with her gown and train, and then the procession began.

The traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Chrysostomos, the Primate of Greece. After hearing the sacraments of marriage, the two exchanged rings and took communion. Part of the service involved crowns being held over their heads. This was done first by Queen Frederica, and then by a succession of princes – Crown Prince Harald of Norway, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden, The Prince of Wales, Prince Michael of Greece, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, Prince Ingolf of Denmark, Prince Michael of Kent, Prince Karl of Hesse and Count Michael Bernadotte.

At the end of the service, red and white rose petals fluttered down into the cathedral, as the couple embraced her parents, and the Dowager Queen Frederica curtsied to Greece’s new Queen.

Following the ceremony, the King and his new Queen led a carriage procession back to the Royal Palace where a wedding breakfast was held for 80 guests. Constantine and Anne-Marie then left for Corfu to begin their honeymoon.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Wedding of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Photo Credit – 02varvara.wordpress.com

King Juan Carlos of Spain, whose title at the time was The Prince of Asturias, married Princess Sophia of Greece on May 14, 1962, in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Denis in Athens, Greece, and then in a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral of the Virgin Mary also in Athens.

Juan Carlos’ Early Life

Juan Carlos, his father and his brother Alfonso in 1950; Credit – Wikipedia

Juan Carlos was born in Rome, Italy, on January 5, 1938, the eldest son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and his second cousin, Maria de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The Count of Barcelona was considered an heir to the defunct Spanish throne at the time of his son’s birth. Born one month premature, Juan Carlos’ mother had been at the movie theater and his father hunting when labor began.

Juan Carlos joined his then 2-year-old sister Pilar in the nursery. Juan Carlos’ second sister Margarita followed in 1939, along with brother Alfonso in 1941. Although he was christened Juan Alfonso Carlos in honor of his father and grandfathers, he was known among his family as “Juanito,” the diminutive version of Juan. Like the majority of Spaniards, Juan Carlos was raised a Roman Catholic.

Born several years after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic and the exile of the Spanish royals, Juan Carlos grew up mainly in Portugal, Switzerland, and Italy. Juan Carlos and Alfonso later continued their studies in Spain with the consent of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Juan Carlos completed his secondary schooling at the San Isidro Institute in Madrid.

In 1956, Juan Carlos’ life took a tragic turn when his younger brother Alfonso died after a shooting at the family’s home in Portugal. Stories began circulating that Juan Carlos had unintentionally killed his brother by firing the gun, unaware it was loaded. Juan Carlos’ role in Alfonso’s death (if he had one) has never been officially addressed, although by most accounts the death was accidental.

The Prince visited the United States in 1958, at which time Generalissimo Franco discussed reviving the Spanish monarchy following his own death. Although Franco regarded the Count of Barcelona with suspicion, he seemed to hold his son Juan Carlos in affection. The Count of Barcelona said he would never abdicate his claim to the throne to his son, and Juan Carlos said he would not accept the throne against his father’s wishes.

Juan Carlos served in the army, navy, and air force in Spain, and studied at the University of Madrid for a time, with a focus on economics and philosophy. He eventually became fluent in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and English and learned some Greek. Juan Carlos developed interests in hunting, waterskiing, golf, and car racing. During his young adulthood, he also collected records and cigarette lighters.

For more information about  Juan Carlos see:

Sophia’s Early Life

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Sophia was born in Psychiko, Greece, a suburb of Athens, on November 2, 1938. Sophia is the eldest child of Paul I, King of the Hellenes and his German-born wife, Frederica of Hanover. Sophia’s brother, the future King Constantine II, was born in 1940. Her sister Irene followed in 1943. Sophia was brought up in the Greek Orthodox faith.

Known within the family as Sophie, Sophia lived with her family in Egypt, Crete, and South Africa during World War II and the subsequent expulsion of the Greek monarchy from the country. The family returned to Greece in 1946.

Sophia was educated at the El Nasr Girls’ College in Alexandria while she lived in Egypt. Sophia later attended the Schloss Salem School in Salem, Germany, where her Hanoverian uncle George served as headmaster. After spending time as a student at Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University, Sophia completed her education in Athens.

In 1958, Sophia visited the United States with her mother and brother. The family made appearances at several sites in numerous states during their month-long visit. During a stop in Quincy, Massachusetts, Queen Frederica christened a new oil tanker The Princess Sophie. The tanker was owned by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos, via one of his many companies. At the time, The Princess Sophie was the largest cargo ship ever built in the United States.

In 1960, Sophia served as an alternate to her brother on the Greek Olympic sailing team. The entire family traveled to Rome to see Constantine and the Greek sailing team win the Dragon class gold medal. Along with her native Greek, Sophia became fluent in her mother’s native language German, English, and later French and Spanish.

For more information about Sofia see:

Royal Romance

In an effort for young, suitable European royals to meet and mingle (and also to boost tourism in Greece), Sophia’s mother arranged a Mediterranean cruise on the Greek yacht Agamemnon in 1954. Several teenage and twenty-something royals were invited to tour a handful of Greek islands. Juan Carlos and Sophie were among the young royals on the cruise.

Common with young, marriageable royals of the time, Sophia and Juan Carlos were romantically linked with others early in their adulthood. Juan Carlos was rumored to be involved with Maria Gabriella of Italy, a daughter of former King Umberto II. He often spoke of Maria Gabriella in letters to friends, escorted her at weddings, and was photographed with her. Sophia’s name was frequently mentioned as a possible bride of the future King Harald V of Norway. There was also talk of Sophia marrying into one of the wealthy Greek ship-owning families.

However, by the summer of 1958, it appeared that Sophia and Juan Carlos were beginning to take a romantic interest in one another. At the wedding of Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg and Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies that July, Juan Carlos reportedly said that Sophia enchanted him. The two spent a much time together at the wedding celebrations, although he was officially the escort of Maria Gabriella.

The families of Sophia and Juan Carlos reunited in Rome at the 1960 Olympic Games. The Greek royal family held a dinner for their Spanish guests onboard the ship Polemistis. At that point, Sophia and Juan Carlos had not seen each other for several months. During that time Juan Carlos had grown a mustache, which Sophia disliked on sight. She reportedly grabbed Juan Carlos’ hand, took him to the ship’s bathroom, and shaved off the mustache. Sophia later expressed surprise that he let her do it. Following the Olympics, Sophia’s family invited Juan Carlos and his family to spend Christmas 1960 with them in Corfu, Greece.

Sophia, Constantine, and Irene traveled to the United Kingdom in June 1961 to attend the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Due to a matter of protocol, Juan Carlos conveniently served as Sophia’s escort. Irene and Sophia were seen spending time with Juan Carlos at the wedding and various other events, which caught the eye of the press, encouraging rumors that Juan Carlos was courting one of the two sisters. Constantine acted as an unofficial chaperone for Sophia and Juan Carlos when the two attended several private events in London.

Following the success of the Kent wedding, Juan Carlos spent much of the summer of 1961 on Corfu at Mons Repos, the Greek royal summer home. Sophia later remarked that the two had several rather nasty arguments while sailing. She said it was during this trip that she decided marriage to Juan Carlos would be a viable option, as she felt if they could move past those arguments (which they did), they stood a chance at having a successful marriage.

Juan Carlos’ presence in Greece led to talk of him courting Sophia or Irene, but both families continued to officially deny the rumors. The Spaniards, in particular, wished to hide the news of the romance from Generalissimo Franco, whose relationship with Juan Carlos’ family had deteriorated in recent months.

The Engagement

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The engagement was announced on September 13, 1961, during a dinner at the villa of Juan Carlos’ grandmother, former Queen Victoria Eugenie (Ena) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The parents of the bride and groom soon joined their children in Lausanne to mark the happy event.

At the villa, Sophia and Juan Carlos later met with members of the Swiss press to discuss the engagement. Juan Carlos said that he was not certain when he fell in love with Sophia, but that the couple had known each other for several years. Evidently, the two had surprised both sets of parents by indicating their wish to marry.

Reportedly, Juan Carlos popped the question to Sophia in a rather unusual way. While attending an event at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Lausanne, Juan Carlos said “Sofi, catch it!” while tossing a small box in her direction. Sophia did catch the box, and when she opened it she saw that it contained a ring made from melted ancient coins dating back to the reign of Alexander the Great. Juan Carlos then happily said, “Now we will get married, okay?” Years later, Sophia jokingly remarked that Juan Carlos never officially asked her to marry him.

Crown Prince Constantine, acting as regent of Greece during his father’s absence from the country, announced news of the engagement in Greece. According to Constantine, Paul was so excited by the news that he was unaware of the late hour (3:00 AM) when he called to share it with his son. Constantine himself said he was so thrilled by the news of the engagement that he had trouble going back to sleep.

In celebration of his sister’s engagement, Constantine provided Greek news editors with champagne at the royal palace in Athens the following day. A 21-gun salute was fired from nearby Mount Lycabettus to announce to the Greek public the upcoming marriage of their princess.

Juan Carlos and his mother left Lausanne the following day for Athens, traveling with Sophia and her family. Over 100,000 Greek citizens were waiting in the streets of Athens to welcome the new couple to the country.

Wedding Preparations

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Due to Juan Carlos’ uneasy position in Spain, an Athens wedding was planned for May, the beginning of the tourist season in Greece. The celebrations involved 4 ½ months of nearly round-the-clock preparation headed by Colonel Dimitri Levidis, Grand Marshal of the Greek royal court. Colonel Levidis was in charge of every detail from the wording of the invitations to the exact timing of each ceremony. Because May was often a hot month in Greece, most of the official events connected with the wedding were scheduled indoors for the comfort of guests.

The difference in Juan Carlos’ and Sophia’s faiths posed questions on how the couple should be religiously married. In addition, Juan Carlos’ position regarding the restoration of the Spanish monarchy needed to be considered. While conversion to Catholicism was not required of Sophia to marry, the Spanish public would likely expect a future queen to be a practicing Catholic.

As such, a meeting was scheduled in November 1961, between Juan Carlos and a group of Spanish advisors at his home in Estoril, Portugal. The focus of the meeting was to discuss the best way to navigate the question of religion. Sophia began lessons in Spanish language, history, and geography. As a gesture of affection toward his fiancée, Juan Carlos simultaneously began learning the Greek language.

An estimated 5,800 hotel rooms were added in Athens in late 1961 and early 1962 in preparation for the wedding, predicted as the highlight of that year’s Greek tourist season. Officials also began seeking wealthy Greek citizens with extra space to house the influx of tourists and guests.

The wedding expenses were a major sticking point for many, with protests over the cost and the tradition surrounding Sophia’s $300,000 tax-free dowry. The opposition parties of the Greek Parliament abstained from voting on the dowry proposal but voiced displeasure on the “anachronistic and barbarous” practice of granting such monies, as well as expressed general criticism toward the royal family.

Sophia was seen at the Paris summer fashion season in January 1962 with her mother, sister, and Olga of Yugoslavia, herself a Greek princess and friend of Queen Frederica. The group was in Paris to view the collection of Jean Desses, the Paris-based designer hired to design Sophia’s dress and trousseau. Desses later remarked that the trousseau was not particularly costly or extensive as the Greek royal family was reported to be somewhat poor compared to their royal counterparts.

Celebrations in Athens

Three days of pre-wedding festivities began in Athens on May 10. Events included a garden party for 2,000 guests hosted by the parents of the couple. Spanish ambassador Marquis Luca de Tena held a gala for the couple in Athens the evening before the wedding. The gala featured Greek folk dancers performing in front of a large gathering of fellow royals and other prominent guests.

Prince Constantine took charge of the younger, unmarried adult royals attending the festivities, hosting a ball and sightseeing tours for up-and-coming royals. Members of the wealthy Athenian youth served as tour guides for the visitors.

Juan Carlos was observed as rather tense and gloomy during the celebrations. Unknown to most of the public, Juan Carlos was in severe pain. Less than a month before the wedding, he had broken his left collarbone while practicing judo with Prince Constantine. The sling had been removed just days before the parties began, but the pains in Juan Carlos’ arm and shoulder were still considerable.

Approval of the Churches

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As Juan Carlos and Sophia were of different faiths, special consent was needed from both churches for the marriage to occur. A Greek Orthodox ceremony was required for the couple to be married in Greece, but the Spanish would likely not accept a future royal couple that had not been married according to Roman Catholic rites. The Duke of Edinburgh was asked to weigh in on his own experience converting from Greek Orthodoxy to the Church of England upon his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.

After some discussion, an agreement was made to marry the couple in dual Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox ceremonies. The Catholic service would be held at the Cathedral of St. Denis, while the Orthodox ceremony would take place at the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Athens.

Sophia signed a pledge issued by Pope John XXIII promising to raise any children in the Catholic faith and not to convert Juan Carlos to Orthodoxy. She also received instruction in Roman Catholicism, but at the time of the wedding, her own possible conversion to the faith was still officially in question. Shortly before the wedding, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church gave their approval for the Orthodox ceremony.

Two days before the wedding, Sophia formally renounced her claim to the Greek throne. The renunciation was seen as a precursor to Sophia’s expected conversion to Roman Catholicism, as adherence to Greek Orthodoxy was required of Greek rulers. However, the Greek government had repeatedly expressed their opinion that should Sophia convert, she should not do so before leaving Greece.

Three weeks after the wedding, it was announced that Sophia would be converting to the Catholic faith. During a honeymoon visit in Rome, Pope John XXIII received the couple in celebration of the announcement and presented Sophia with a rosary.

Wedding Ceremonies

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Very early on the morning of the wedding, several loads of fresh red roses were delivered to both the Catholic and Orthodox churches at the request of the bride and Queen Frederica. Over 35,000 roses alone decorated the Orthodox cathedral. Father Benedict Brindisi, Archbishop of Athens, and Chrystomos, Primate of Greece conducted the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox ceremonies respectively.

The Catholic ceremony was to be held first, scheduled for 10:00 AM on May 14, 1962. Sophia and her father traveled from the palace to the Cathedral of St. Denis in the same coach used for the 1908 wedding of George, Prince of Greece and Marie Bonaparte. The carriage was pulled by six white horses.

According to estimates by the Athens police, several hundred thousand (possibly up to one million) Greek and Spanish spectators packed the two-mile procession between the palace and both cathedrals. Upon arrival at St. Denis, Sophia was said to have seemed nervous and worried about the appearance of her train. However, before entering the cathedral, Sophia turned to wave at the excited spectators.

The cathedral was decorated with several thousand yellow and red roses and carnations in honor of the colors of Spain. While waiting at the altar at the beginning of the ceremony, Juan Carlos was said to be standing “ramrod-stiff”. Juan Carlos was addressed in Spanish during the ceremony, while Sophia was addressed in Greek.

Following the Catholic ceremony, Juan Carlos and Sophia rode together in state coach to the royal palace, while the guests headed to the Metropolitan Cathedral for the Orthodox service. After a very brief rest, Sophia and her father again rode from the palace to Orthodox cathedral via the same 1908 blue and gilt coach, while Juan Carlos traveled in a separate carriage with his mother.

The Orthodox service began at noon at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. As part of the Orthodox ceremony, attendants exchanged the rings and crowns worn by Juan Carlos and Sophia three times. The crowns were the same as those used during the wedding of Paul and Frederica in 1938.

Sophia smiled throughout both ceremonies, although she did shed some tears toward the end of the Orthodox service. Queen Frederica was also said to have cried during the service. Juan Carlos put his arm around and offered Sophia his handkerchief to comfort her. Not to be outdone by the Catholics, 22 Orthodox bishops assisted the Primate during the ceremony.

Upon leaving the Orthodox cathedral, a very excited Sophia nearly tripped over her long train. The couple descended the cathedral steps under a tunnel of swords held by eighteen Spanish officers, friends of Juan Carlos from the three Spanish military academies. Spanish royalists shouted, “Long live the King!” as the couple exited under a tunnel of swords. Sophia then threw her wedding bouquet, caught by Anne-Marie of Denmark, who married Sophia’s brother Constantine in 1964.

A short civil ceremony was held at the Greek Royal Palace following the religious services. Sophia would now be known as Sofia – the Spanish version of her name. A wedding banquet followed for guests attending the two religious ceremonies.

While most of the Greek public cheered the new couple with Greek and Spanish flags, the wedding was not universally popular. The heat of the wedding day also took a toll on several spectators. A 72-year-old Greek woman died of a heart attack during the festivities, and several others were treated for heat-related conditions.

Wedding Attire

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Sophia wore a dress of silver lame covered in layers of heirloom Bruges lace and tulle. The dress was rather simple in design, with fitted three-quarter-length sleeves, a flared skirt, and a jewel neckline. The twenty-foot-long white lame and organza train extended from the neck of the dress.

The dress was designed by Jean Desses, a French designer of Greek heritage and a favorite of Queen Frederica. The choice of a designer located in neither Greece nor Spain caused an uproar, which Sophia attempted to soothe by requesting the dress be cut in Paris and assembled in Athens by a Greek seamstress. Desses also designed most of the pieces of Sophia’s trousseau.

Sophia’s veil consisted of fifteen feet of heirloom Bruges lace. Queen Frederica had worn the same veil when she married Paul of Greece in 1938. Sophia’s shoes, designed by Roger Vivier for Jean Desses, were also covered in lace. She carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley, a traditional wedding flower.

Sophia chose to wear the tiara now known as the Prussian Diamond Tiara or Hellenic Tiara. This tiara was originally gifted from German Emperor Wilhelm II to his daughter Viktoria Luise upon her marriage to Ernst Augustus of Hanover. Viktoria Luise then passed it to her daughter, Sophia’s mother Frederica upon her marriage into the Greek royal family. Frederica, in turn, gave the tiara to Sophia, as a wedding present. Very Hellenic in appearance, the platinum and diamond tiara features lines of pillars, Greek keys, and laurel surrounding an oval framing a single and free-hanging pear-shaped diamond.

The eight bridesmaids each wore a strapless dress of silver lame gauze. The skirt of the dress had many shallow pleats, which flared out the lightweight material. The dress was covered by a pastel silk faille top with three-quarter length sleeves and scoop necklines. Narrow ribbons tied into small bows just below the bust and at the waist created a cummerbund-style effect. The bridesmaids wore thick, braided headpieces that matched the dress and wore long white gloves during the ceremonies.

As he had served in all branches of the Spanish military, Juan Carlos had his choice of uniforms to sport on the wedding day, eventually wearing the olive green army uniform, possibly to please Generalissimo Franco. Like most royal grooms, Juan Carlos wore several of his many orders on his uniform. The Greek Order of the Redeemer was worn as the primary order, one of the oldest and most distinguished decorations awarded in Greece. Juan Carlos also wore several of his Spanish orders, including the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of Charles III.

Wedding Party

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Sophia chose a collection of eligible, young, European royal women born right around the beginning of World War II as her bridesmaids. The bridesmaids were:

  • Anne of Orléans, a daughter of Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris and pretender to the French throne, and his wife Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza, a princess of the old Brazilian empire.
  • Benedikte and Anne-Marie of Denmark, the two younger daughters of Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden. Their elder sister Margrethe later became Queen of Denmark. Anne Marie also married Sophia’s brother Constantine in 1964.
  • Tatiana Radziwiłł, a distant cousin of Sophia’s and the daughter of Eugenie of Greece and Polish prince Dominik Radziwiłł.
  • Alexandra of Kent, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and a granddaughter of King George V.
  • Irene of the Netherlands, the second daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her consort, Bernhard of Schaumburg-Lippe. Irene was then a Spanish language student in Madrid. Her marriage two years later to Carlist pretender Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma caused considerable controversy in her home country.
  • Pilar of Spain, the older sister of Juan Carlos.
  • Irene of Greece, Sophia’s younger sister.

King Paul and several European princes served as crown bearers during the Orthodox service. Besides Paul, the crown bearers were:

  • Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, Sophia’s younger brother.
  • Michael of Greece, Sophia’s cousin.
  • Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, a distant cousin of Juan Carlos and Sophia.
  • Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden, a distant cousin of Sophia (and of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh).
  • Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples, son of Umberto II of Italy.
  • Don Marco Alfonso Torlonia, 6th Prince of Civitella-Cesi, a cousin of Juan Carlos.
  • Christian of Hanover, Sophia’s uncle.
  • Carlos of the Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, a distant cousin of Juan Carlos.

Michael and Amedeo doubled as Sophia’s witnesses for the civil wedding. In addition, two relatives of Juan Carlos, Alfonso of Orléans and Alfonso of Bourbon and Dampierre, served as his witnesses.

Wedding Guests

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Many members of Europe’s ruling and non-ruling families attended the wedding. The guest list would be short for a royal wedding, given the capacities of the relatively small venues of the Cathedral of St. Denis and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Additionally, dignitaries, nobility, and other prominent non-royal guests needed to be accommodated. As a compromise, half of the royal guests would attend the Catholic wedding ceremony and the other half would attend the Orthodox service.  Notable guests included:

  • King Olav V of Norway
  • Queen Ingrid of Denmark
  • Prince Constantine of the Hellenes
  • King Paul I and Queen Frederika of the Hellenes
  • Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
  • Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco
  • Princess Claude of Orléans
  • Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Former King Umberto II and Queen Marie-Jose of Italy
  • Former King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania
  • Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein
  • Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte
  • Henri and Isabella, Count and Countess of Paris
  • Helen of Greece, former Queen Mother of Romania
  • Victoria Eugenie (Ena) of Battenburg, former Queen of Spain
  • Tomislav of Yugoslavia
  • Louis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma
  • Robert, Duke of Parma
  • Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
  • Luis of Orleans-Braganza, Prince Imperial of Brazil
  • Ernest August V of Hanover
  • Amadeo, Duke of Aosta
  • Duarte Pio of Braganza
  • Philip of Württemberg
  • Philip of Hesse
  • Marina, Duchess of Kent
  • Franz of Bavaria
  • Friedrich-Franz V of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Spanish naval minister Felipe Abarzuza y Oliva (official representative of Generalissimo Franco)

Wedding Gifts

Sophia and Juan Carlos received numerous wedding gifts from around the world. American President John F. Kennedy sent a golden cigarette box. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco (later good friends of the new couple) provided a new sailboat (El Fortuna) and Greek shipping magnate George Goulandris gave the couple a yacht, both apt presents for gifted sailors.

From her family, Sophia received several gifts including a silver tea set, Greek silk bed linens, silverware, and a set of gold bracelets encrusted in gemstones. Juan Carlos’ parents gave Sophia a diamond and pearl tiara and pearl earrings. Even Generalissimo Franco showed his affection for the couple by gifting a diamond brooch. Sophia, likely aware of her new position in Spain, sent a personal letter of thanks to Franco.

Eager to take additional Greek-made items to her new home, Sophia was happy to receive various local crafts from areas around the country. Aside from the Goulandris yacht, Juan Carlos and Sophia were also received gifts of smaller watercraft and cars from Greek shipping tycoons. When by an agricultural organization asked for her choice of a wedding gift, Sophia requested a laurel tree planted at the couple’s future home to remind her of her home in Greece.

Generalissimo Franco and the Wedding

Generalissimo Francisco Franco announced before the ceremony that the Spanish monarchy would likely one day be restored following his rule. The wedding and Sophia’s conversion to Roman Catholicism added fuel to the rumors that the succession would pass the Count of Barcelona in favor of Juan Carlos and Sophia. Monarchists were said to happily approve of a union between their prince (and likely heir) and a royal princess of a ruling house.
Franco declined an invitation to the wedding, instead sending his naval minister Felipe Abarzuza y Oliva. Franco further allowed ample press coverage of the wedding, an action viewed as highly unusual and encouraging to monarchists. Two major newspapers were allowed to publish full front-page photos of the couple with accompanying articles. A third newspaper carried front-page articles on the wedding, while photographs of the event were shown on state television.

In celebration of the wedding, Generalissimo Franco bestowed the Collar of the Order of Charles III on both Juan Carlos and Sophia. This honor was and still is typically given only to Spanish monarchs.

Franco permitted only one photo of the Count of Barcelona to be published in Spain, which was placed in the newspaper’s classified ads. At the time of the wedding, reports of Franco bypassing the Count of Barcelona and naming Juan Carlos as his successor were still seen as highly unlikely.

The Honeymoon

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A few weeks after the wedding, Juan Carlos and Sophia set out on a cruise of several Greek islands aboard the Greek yacht Eros, followed by a much longer trip around the world. The two made stops in Greece, Spain, Monaco, Italy, India, Thailand, the United States, and Japan. President Kennedy wished the couple good luck during a visit in August 1962. The honeymoon lasted several months as talks between Generalissimo Franco and the Count of Barcelona took place on the future of the Spanish monarchy. No final decision had been made when the couple returned in the late summer of 1962, forcing the two to embark on several extended stays with relatives in Switzerland, Portugal, and Greece as they had no permanent home.

New Couples

A gathering of such a large number of reigning and non-reigning European royals often resulted in talk of “who’s next” to be married. These types of rumors had followed royal weddings for decades. As so many of the participants in Sophia’s and Juan Carlos’ wedding were young, prominent, and eligible royals, the gossip mill was ripe in the following weeks and months. Eventually, there was a surprising amount of bona fide new royal couples. This included a set of sisters who became reacquainted with their respective new husbands during the wedding events.

Irene of the Netherlands was already a student in Spain when she was asked to serve as a bridesmaid for Sophia. Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, a son of the Carlist pretender to the Spanish throne may have met Irene at the wedding (or shortly before it) and the couple began to see one another not long after. Irene’s conversion to Catholicism and marriage to Carlos Hugo in 1964 created enormous controversy in the bride’s home country. Objectors pointed to years of Spanish rule of the Netherlands by Spain, fears of Generalissimo Franco’s regime, and Irene’s proximity to the throne. No one from the Dutch royal family attended the wedding and Irene gave up her succession rights. The couple had four children, but separated in 1980 and divorced the following year.

Bridesmaid Anne of Orléans became reacquainted with a childhood friend (and crown bearer) Carlos, Duke of Calabria during their involvement with Sophia’s and Juan Carlos’ wedding. The couple married in 1965 and had five children and eighteen grandchildren.

Anne’s sister Claude began seeing another crown bearer, Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, shortly after the wedding. The couple announced their engagement in 1963 and married the following year. Claude and Amedeo had three children before separating in the mid-1970s and divorcing a few years later.

Sophia’s brother Constantine had become acquainted with Anne-Marie of Denmark (another bridesmaid) during a state visit to Denmark a few years before. He had expressed interest in eventually marrying Anne-Marie shortly before the Spanish-Greek wedding, and the two spent a great deal of time together during the festivities. The engagement was announced in early 1963 when Anne-Marie was just sixteen. Constantine and Anne-Marie were married in September of 1964, just weeks after her eighteenth birthday.

Children

Juan Carlos, Sofia and their family in 1976; Photo Credit- http://www.casareal.es

Juan Carlos and Sofia had two daughters and one son:

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