Members of Greece’s former royal family expressed ‘deep emotion’ on Monday following the decision to reinstate their citizenship. 

The late King Constantine II and his family members were stripped of Greek citizenship in 1994 in a dispute with the government over formerly royal property and over claims that he refused to renounce any right to the Greek throne for his descendants.

The Greek monarchy was abolished by referendum in December 1974, when voters overwhelmingly backed a republican constitution, months after the fall of a seven-year military dictatorship. The exiled royals then lived in England for many years. 

In a decision published in the government gazette, dated Friday, citizenship was granted to 10 members of the former royal family. 

They include the five children of the late king and former Queen Anne-Marie as well as to five of their grandchildren.

The royal family’s statement was shared by Crown Prince Pavlos – Constantine’s eldest son – to his Instagram account and was posted in both Greek and English.  

The official statement read: ‘It is with deep emotion that, after 30 years, we hold the Greek citizenship again. The law of 1994 deprived us of our citizenship, rendering us stateless with all that this entails in terms of individual rights and great emotional distress.

‘Our father and our family fully respected the result of the 1974 referendum. 

Members of Greece ‘s former royal family expressed ‘deep emotion’ on Monday following the decision to reinstate their citizenship. Pictured: Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, Crown Prince Pavlos and Maria Olympia in 2018

Citizenship was granted to the five children of the late king and former Queen Anne-Marie (pictured in September) as well as to five of their grandchildren

‘However, the provision of the 1994 law on citizenship, a result of the political status at the time, was not befitting of a former head of the Greek state and an institution that served the country faithfully. The passing of our father marked the end of an era.’

Constantine’s five children are Alexia, 58; Pavlos, 56; Nikolaos, 54; Theodora, 40; and Philippos, 37. Pavlos’ five children were also granted citizenship: Maria-Olympia, 27; Constantine-Alexios, 25; Achileas-Andreas, 23; Odysseas-Kimon, 19; and Aristidis-Stavros, 15. 

‘After 50 years since democracy’s restoration, we have a strong democracy and protected constitution that can defend itself, with laws that apply without any footnotes or exceptions,’ government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Friday before the decision was published.

Interior Ministry official Athanasios Balerpas said that relatives of the late king, who died last year at the age of 82, signed a declaration on Thursday acknowledging the republican government.

They are also adopting a new surname, ‘De Grece’ – which is French for ‘of Greece’.

Members of the royal family lived in exile for decades before Constantine returned as a private citizen in his seventies. 

They were stripped of their Greek citizenship in 1994 during a legal battle over the former royal estate, which is now state-owned.

They had previously refused to adopt a surname, distancing themselves from the name Glucksburg, assigned in a 1994 law, which they saw as linking them too closely to their German ancestry and making them seem less legitimately Greek.

Princess Theodora – who recently got married in July – has reportedly requested Greek citizenship 

The full statement was posted on the Greek Royal Family’s website on Monday

Prince Philippos is pictured with his wife Nina Flohr celebrating the wedding of Theodora of Greece and Matthew 

Now that the decision has been published in the official government gazette, they can apply for state identity cards and Greek passports.

Some politicians from centre-left and left-wing opposition parties objected to the surname chosen by the former royal family members, arguing it sounds like a title rather than a standard surname, but did not oppose their right to citizenship.

Mr Balerpas said on the state-run radio station: ‘A historically pending matter is being resolved.

‘Let’s look to the future now. I think it’s a good moment because it closes an account from the past and we can now look forward as a people.’

The family got together at the end of September to celebrate Princess Theodora’s wedding to LA-based lawyer, Matthew Kumar. 

The couple had a four-year delay in tying the knot, but finally had a lavish ceremony at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

Theodora is the goddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and has close ties to both the Danish and Spanish royal families. The Prince of Wales was King Constantine’s godson.

Several members of the latter households, including the bride’s paternal aunt Queen Sofia of Spain and her maternal aunt Princess Benedikte of Denmark, as well as the Greek Royal Family, attended the glittering occasion a couple of months ago.

The royals were stripped of their Greek citizenship in 1994 during a legal battle over the former royal estate, which is now state-owned. Pictured: Marie-Chantal and Pavlos

Former Queen Anne-Marie, former King Constantine II, Prince Pavlos, Princess Marie-Chantal, Princess Alexia, her husband Carlos Morales Quintana, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos of Greece attend a dinner in 2014

However, many British royals missed the occasion, with Prince William likely staying at home to support his wife Kate after she completed her cancer treatment. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla missed the nuptials as they were in Scotland for the 25th anniversary of Parliament at the time.

However, in October 2021, when Theodora’s brother Prince Philippos of Greece married Nina Flohr, the daughter of a billionaire, both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were in attendance, as well as Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The Greek royals suffered heartache earlier this year when Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, who was Prince Philip’s first cousin, died at the age of 85 in July.

Prince Michael was the last remaining grandson of George I with a lineage to the House of Bourbon through his mother’s side of the family.

Prince Constantine Alexios (pictured with Princess Maria-Olympia) may be one of the late former King’s grandchildren who applied for citizenship 

Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece (pictured with Isabella Massenet) could be one of the  grandchildren who applied for Greek citizenship 

Prince Michael of Greece died at the age of 85 in July this year. Pictured in November 2023

He was well known for his devotion to his wife Marina Karella and his turbulent personal life which saw him tragically lose his father at the age of just one.

Prince Michael had to give up his rights to the Greek throne to marry Marina in 1965 as despite being an acclaimed painter and sculptor, she was not a member of the royal family. 

Their marriage took two years to negotiate, with Michael forced to give up his rights to the Greek throne in order to marry a commoner. 

But when they did tie the knot on February 7, 1965, at the Royal Palace in Athens it was an event to be remembered, with the guest list including Queen Frederica, King Constantine, Queen Anna-Maria and, the Count and Countess of Paris.

He later said he ‘didn’t hesitate’ to give away his birthright for love, adding that by doing so it ‘gave me a sense of freedom’ and meant he was no longer beholden to the Royal Family, allowing him to choose his own profession.

‘It was love at first sight – it has never, ever changed,’ he said, adding: ‘Now we are married 58 years … Marina and my country Greece are the same.’