Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, Princess of Denmark (Greek: Μαρί Σαντάλ, romanized: Marí Santál; born Marie-Chantal Claire Miller; 17 September 1968), is the wife of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, son of Constantine II of Greece (1940–2023) and Anne-Marie of Denmark. Marie-Chantal's husband was the heir apparent to the now defunct throne of Greece, as the monarchy was abolished in 1973.
| Marie-Chantal | |
|---|---|
| Crown Princess of Greece | |
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal in 2013 | |
| Born | Marie-Chantal Claire Miller 17 September 1968 London, England |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| Father | Robert Warren Miller |
| Mother | María Clara Pesantes Becerra |
Early life edit
Marie-Chantal Miller was born in London, England, to Robert Warren Miller, an American-born British businessman, and his wife María Clara "Chantal" Pesantes Becerra, an Ecuadorian.[1][2] She has an older sister, Pia, ex-wife of Christopher Getty, and a younger sister, Alexandra, ex-wife of Prince Alexander von Fürstenberg.[3] She was baptized in the Catholic faith at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City by the Archbishop of New York, John Cardinal O'Connor, with Princess Donatella Missikoff Flick serving as her godmother.[4]
Marie-Chantal was raised in Hong Kong where she attended The Peak School until she was 9 years old when she went to board at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. In 1982, she transferred to the Ecole Active Bilingue in Paris until her senior year which she took at The Masters School in New York.[citation needed] After graduating, she attended the Academy of Arts for one year. She began a degree in History of Art at New York University in 1993 but dropped out a year later after Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, proposed to her on a skiing holiday in Gstaad, Switzerland, at Christmas.
Marriage edit
In 1994, Marie-Chantal became engaged to Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, son of the deposed King Constantine II and Queen Anne Marie. She converted from Roman Catholicism to Greek Orthodoxy taking the Greek name María on 22 May 1995 in a private Chrismation (confirmation) ceremony held at St Paul's Chapel in New York. Her engagement ring was a cabochon-cut sapphire and heart-shaped diamond ring.[5] The wedding was planned by Lady Elizabeth Anson and Robert Isabell. Marie-Chantal wore a Valentino dress.[6] The ceremony was held on 1 July 1995 at St Sophia's Cathedral in London. Attendees included many members of European royal families.[1]
The couple have five children:
- Princess Maria-Olympia (born 25 July 1996 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City),
- Prince Constantine-Alexios (born 29 October 1998 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City),
- Prince Achileas-Andreas (born 12 August 2000 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City),
- Prince Odysseus-Kimon (born 17 September 2004 at Portland Hospital in London),
- Prince Aristidis-Stavros (born 29 June 2008 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles).
Titles, styles & honours edit
- 17 February 1968 – 1 July 1995: Miss Marie-Chantal Miller
- 1 July 1995 – present: Her Royal Highness Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
Following the deposition of the Greek monarchy in 1973, the Greek Royal Family titles and styles are no longer legally recognised by the government of the Hellenic Republic. Marie-Chantal is also a Danish princess with the style of Highness.
- Greek Royal Family: Grand Mistress & Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Olga and Sophia.[7]
Career edit
In 2000, Marie-Chantal founded the luxury childrenswear brand Marie-Chantal.[8] In 2019, she published the book Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern etiquette for families. She is a trustee of the Royal Academy Trust and a board director of DFS Group Ltd.[citation needed]
Notable published works edit
- Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern etiquette for families (2019). ISBN 9780865653719
References edit
- ^ a b Suzy Menkes (6 August 1995). "RUNWAYS; Breathing New Life Into Couture". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Some ancestry of the Miller sisters". www.wargs.com.
- ^ . 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2019 – via Greekroyalfamily.org.
- ^ Colacello, Bob (December 2008). "Greece's Royal Couple". Vanity Fair.
- ^ "Crown jewels: The fabulous rings which sealed the love of Europe's royal couples". HELLO! magazine. UK.
- ^ . Vogue. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
- ^ "THE ORDER OF SAINTS OLGA AND SOPHIA". The Court Jeweller. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ "Designer Kids Clothes from Marie-Chantal Children". mariechantal.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014.