by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019
Prince Michael of Greece – photo: Yorgos Papadakis. source: Prince Michael’s Chronicles
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark was the son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Françoise of Orléans. Born in Rome on January 7, 1939, Michael was an only child. His godparents included two of his first cousins – Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania, and King George II of the Hellenes. Some of his other first cousins include The Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, King Alexander of Greece and King Paul of Greece.
Michael’s father died when he was just a year old, and with the onset of World War II, he and his mother left Italy and moved to Morocco to live with his maternal grandmother. In 1948, they moved to Paris where Michael began his education. In 1953, Michael’s mother died, and he was then raised by his uncle, Henri, Comte de Paris. Michael graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris in 1960, with a degree in Political Science. He returned to Greece in 1959 and served four years in the Greek Army.
On February 7, 1965, in the ballroom at the Royal Palace in Athens, Prince Michael married Greek artist Marina Karella, the daughter of Theodore Karella and Elly Chalikiopoulos. Although he was third in line for the Greek throne at the time, Michael’s marriage was considered unequal and he was forced to relinquish his succession rights to receive the consent of King Constantine II. Marina did not receive the title Princess of Greece and Denmark nor the style of Royal Highness. She was instead styled as Marina, Consort of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark. Their wedding was attended by many members of the Greek royal family, as well as members of several foreign royal and noble families, and King Constantine II served as Michael’s best man.
Michael and Marina has two daughters, neither of whom have dynastic rights but are styled as Princesses of Greece:
- Princess Alexandra of Greece (born 1968) – married Nicholas Mirzayantz, had two sons
- Princess Olga of Greece (born 1971) – married Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Apulia, had two sons and one daughter
After the overthrow of the Greek monarchy in 1967, Michael and his wife were the only members of the royal family permitted to remain in the country. However, they decided to leave in 1972 and settled in Paris. By then an established author, Michael continued his writing. The family later moved to New York in 1980 where they lived for 13 years before returning to Paris, and eventually to Greece.
Prince Michael wrote over 30 books, biographies, and historical novels as well as fine arts and photography books, and was a contributing writer to Architectural Digest. He maintained his own website filled with stories and recollections from his life, and many of the people, and events, in it. A listing of his works can be found here.
In 2008, Michael and his wife founded the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, in Greece. The society’s purpose is to protect children suffering from abuse and neglect. For Michael and Marina, the motivation to get involved went back to their time in New York in the early 1990s. Prince Michael met a young girl, named Elisa Izquierdo, at a preschool. The two quickly developed a bond, and the Prince offered to pay her school tuition through high school. In 1995, at just 6 years old, Elisa was murdered by her mother. Her death led to public outrage and demands for better treatment and advocacy for children. Elisa’s Law was passed in New York State the following year, redefining the responsibilities of the state and social services, and increasing the accountability of all involved in child protection. Prince Michael and his wife were devastated by what happened to Elisa and decided to use their resources and recognition to help bring awareness.
Prince Michael of Greece died on July 28, 2024, at the age of 85, in a hospital in Athens, Greece.
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