Prince Michael of Greece dies at 85: Tributes pour in for Prince Philip’s nephew who lost his father at the age of one and renounced his rights to the Greek throne to marry a commoner
Prince Michael of Greece, the nephew of Prince Philip, has died at the age of 85.
The royal, who was a famous writer and historian under the name Michel De Gres, has died in a hospital in Athens, it was announced today.
The last surviving grandson of George I, who is descended from the House of Bourbon through his mother’s family, will be buried in the Greek capital on Thursday.
He was known for his devotion to his wife Marina Karella and for his turbulent personal life, during which he tragically lost his father at the age of only one.
Although Marina was a celebrated painter and sculptor, as he was not a member of the royal family, he had to give up his rights to the Greek throne in order to marry her in 1965.
Prince Michael of Greece has died at the age of 85, his family announced on Sunday
Prince Michael of Greece pictured with his wife Marina Karella at the Saint-Louis-de-Invalides Cathedral in Paris ahead of the wedding of Prince Napoleon and Countess Arco-Zunneberg in October 2019
Prince Michael pictured at age 25 with his wife Marina Karella at her home in Athens in February 1965
Prince Michael was born in 1939 on the eve of great changes in Europe and within the Greek royal family.
He was the only child of Prince Christopher and his second wife Princess Francoise d’Oleans of France. His childhood was marked by turmoil.
His father died in 1940 at the age of 51 after a short illness, while his mother died in 1953, leaving him an orphan at the age of 14.
Michael was transported through Europe and North Africa in the midst of World War II and grew up in Paris after the end of hostilities, where he developed a fascination with Greece and its history.
He returned to the country as an adult, joined the army and served in the Cavalry-Armored Corps, becoming the only royal male to be granted Greek citizenship.
His love for the country remained dear to him and even when he was away from the country for long periods of time, he always returned on time.
When the government was overthrown in a right-wing military coup in 1967, Michael was the only member of the Greek royal family to remain in the country after his cousin, King Constantine, failed to overthrow the junta.
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