Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Royal Guests and Relatives from around Europe gathered in Athens for the Funeral of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark at the Holy Church of Saints Theodoros in the First Cemetery of Athens on August 1st. Prince Michael of Greece was the last surviving grandson of the first Greek King, related to all the Royal Families of Europe, who gave up his succession rights to marry a famous artist and become a fascinating Author.
Royal Guests and Relatives joined the extended Greek Royal Family for the Funeral of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark at the Holy Church of Saints Theodoros in the First Cemetery of Athens.
Prince Michal was laid to rest beside his parents, Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and Princess Francoise of Orleans, in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi.
Marina Karella, Princess Michael of Greece (widow) with Princess Alexandra of Greece (daughter) and the Duchess of Aosta (daughter)
The Duke and Duchess of Aosta (daughter) with Prince Umberto, Prince Amedeo, and Princess Isabella
Princess Alexandra of Greece (daughter) and Nicolas Mirzayants with Tigran and Darius Mirzayantz
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece with Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal
Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Irene of Greece
Princess Alexia and Princess Tatiana
Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos of Greece
Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria (first cousin)
Foreign Royal Guests and Relatives sent Wreaths, among them Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, the Dutch Royal Family and the Spanish Royal Family.
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, the last surviving grandson of the first Greek King, related to all the Royal Families of Europe, who gave up his succession rights to marry a famous artist and become a fascinating Author, passed away at the age of 85 in Athens.
The son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and Princess Francoise of Orleans, Prince Micheal was born only a year before Prince Christopher passed away in 1940, shortly before he and his mother one tot spend the Second World War at Larache in Morocco, but due to political differences and financial troubles, they later settled at the Hotel Miramar in Malaga in 1944. In 1948, Princess Françoise and Prince Michael moved to Paris, after not being allowed to go to Greece due to the civil war and being barred from settling in England. The Princess became a recluse and quite depressed, passing away in 1953, while Prince Michael became a ward of his uncle, the Count of Paris.
Through his parents, Prince Michael was the first cousin of, among others, King George II, King Alexander and King Paul of Greece, Queen Helen of Romania, the Duchess of Aosta (the short-lived Queen of Croatia), the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margarita, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Cecile, Grand Duchess of Hesse, Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, Princess Paul of Yugoslavia, Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover, Princess Eugenie of Greece, and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, the Count of Paris, Princess Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este, Princess Diane, Duchess of Württemberg, Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria, and Princess Claude, Duchess of Aosta. Following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, he was the was the last surviving grandchild of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia while he was only the last surviving great-grandchild of King Christian IX of Denmark for only eleven days.
Prince Michael only returned to Greece after he came of age and was embraced by King Paul and Queen Frederica, becoming a working member of the Greek Royal Family, and was quite close to the late King Constantine II of Greece, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Princess Irene.
In 1965, Prince Michael married a well-known painter and sculptor, Marina Karella, giving up his rights to the Greek Throne, but still remaining a beloved member of the Royal Family. Prince and Princess Michael had two daughters; Princess Alexandra of Greece and Princess Olga, Duchess of Apulia, and five grandchildren.
Prince Michael become a biographer and historian and wrote several biographies about members of ruling dynasties, those about contemporaries often including accounts and anecdotes attributed to his royal relatives. He regularly gave interviews relating to his royal heritage and also wrote an interesting blog, with stories of his travels and family. Last year, Prince Michael published his autobiography and shared his private photo albums.
A revelatory tour through the private photo albums of Prince Michael of Greece—as dashing a prince as ever lived, whose remarkable life traveling between traditional royals and iconic figures of art and style redefined our vision of royalty.
Our condolences to Princess Marina and the Family!