Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Anna-Maria | |||||
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Amalienborg Palace , Copenhagen, Denmark | |||||
Spouse | |||||
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House | Glücksburg | ||||
Father | Frederik IX of Denmark | ||||
Mother | Ingrid of Sweden |
Greek royal family |
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Danish royal family |
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Extended royal family |
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie is the youngest daughter of
Anne-Marie and her family were stripped of their Greek citizenship and had their property revoked, leading them to sue in the European Court of Human Rights, where they won and were allowed back to Greece. Of the compensation she earned, Anne-Marie set up the "Anne-Marie Foundation", which provided assistance to people in rural areas of Greece. In 2013, she and Constantine moved back into Greece. They moved to Athens in 2022. Constantine died in January the following year.
Birth and family
Princess Anne-Marie was born on 30 August 1946 in
Anne-Marie was
Anne-Marie is a great-great-granddaughter of both Queen Victoria and Christian IX of Denmark. Therefore, she is related to many other members of European royalty, such as her future husband Constantine II, who is also a great-great-grandchild of both Queen Victoria and Christian IX of Denmark. Moreover, Anne-Marie is the aunt by marriage of Felipe VI of Spain and the first cousin of Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Early life
Princess Anne-Marie and her sisters grew up in apartments at Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in Fredensborg Palace in North Zealand. She spent summer holidays with the royal family in her parents' summer residence at Gråsten Palace in Southern Jutland. On 20 April 1947, less than a year after Princess Anne-Marie's birth, her grandfather, Christian X, died, and her father ascended the throne as King Frederik IX.
At the time of her father's accession to the throne, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark. As Anne-Marie's parents had no sons, it was assumed that her paternal uncle,
Anne-Marie was educated at N. Zahle's School, a private school in Copenhagen, from 1952 to 1961.[3] In 1961, she attended the Chatelard School for Girls, an English boarding school outside Montreux in Switzerland. In 1963 and 1964, she attended the Institut Le Mesnil, a Swiss finishing school also in Montreux.[3] Upon returning from schooling, Anne-Marie undertook childcare work for a few years. This was in approval of her mother, who wished for her to become a good housewife to her future husband.[4]
Marriage
In 1959, at the age of 13, Anne-Marie first met her future husband, her third cousin Constantine,
Constantine's mother, Frederica, initially requested that one million dollars be spent on the wedding, however, the private office of the Danish royal family denied this. The Danish and Greek royal families eventually agreed on two million dollars being invested in the wedding. Prior to it being spent, this money was stored in the Swiss banking system.[9] In July 1964, the announcement of the engagement of Constantine and Anne-Marie raised the polite protests of the Left in Denmark.[10] Previously, on 6 March 1964, King Paul died, and Constantine succeeded him as King of the Hellenes. There was speculation that as a result of Paul's death, the wedding would be postponed and delayed. However, Frederica requested that their marriage remained on its original date. Anne-Marie and Constantine were married on 18 September 1964 (two weeks after Anne-Marie's 18th birthday) in the Metropolis, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Athens. Prior to the wedding, Anne-Marie converted from Lutheranism to the Greek Orthodox Church. Also, in view of the fact that she was marrying a foreign ruler, consent to the marriage was given on the condition that Anne-Marie renounce her succession rights to the Danish throne for herself and her descendants.[11]
Queen of the Hellenes
As
On 10 July 1965, Queen Anne-Marie gave birth at the villa
A group of Greek soldiers in April 1967 overthrew the government of the new Prime Minister,
Exile
In December 1967, Constantine attempted to shake off the military's authoritarian regime by trying to stage a counter-coup with the help of his political allies.[
Possibly due to stress and worry, Anne-Marie suffered a miscarriage in early 1968.
Throughout this time, although they were living in exile, Anne-Marie and Constantine still formally remained the monarchs of Greece. They were paid monthly by the military junta, but lacked invitations to Greek governmental events. They were still allowed to represent Greece and the Greek crown at international royal events. For example, the pair attended the 21st birthday of
Dethronement
The military junta in Greece began noticeably distancing itself from the monarchy when
The military dictatorship in Greece collapsed in 1974 after a
In London, Anne-Marie established with Constantine the
Return to Greece
The government of Greece in 1991 granted Anne-Marie and Constantine permission to retrieve over 68 tonnes of their belongings to either keep or sell. These objects had previously been abandoned in Tatoi Palace and Mon Repos Palace when the monarchs were exiled 23 years earlier. Two years later, the couple were allowed to enter Greece again in a private visit on their yacht with their children. They had agreed with the government to avoid touristic and populated areas. When the family stopped for oil at a port in southern Greece, Anne-Marie and Constantine were swarmed with crowds of people and press, who greeted them with cheers and claps. As a result, the Greek government sent naval destroyers and a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. This was called evidence that the pair still held "real influence in Greece".[51] The family were subsequently escorted by members of the military, before being obliged to sail out of Greek maritime borders.[33][52]
Possibly as a result of their 1993 visit,
Anne-Marie and Constantine, along with Princess Irene and Princess Katherine, made the decision to take the Greek government to court in April 1996 over the confiscation of their citizenships and properties. The Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece agreed with their discrimination claim, however, the Council of State overrode their decision and stated that the removal of their passports was a measure taken that conforms with the constitution of the Third Republic. As a result, the family took Greece to court in the European Court of Human Rights and sued them for €200 million.[51] Months later the initiation of the claim, the court ruled in the royal family's favour in November 2000. The ruling, however, did not require the government to return the family's properties and instead allowed them to be compensated through money. Of the €200 million claim, Anne-Marie and Constantine won €12 million, Irene won €900,000 and Katherine €300,000.[51] The family did not receive their citizenship back either. Although originally requesting Spanish citizenships, Anne-Marie eventually requested from her sister, Margrethe II, to have Danish diplomatic passports established in the names of the members of the Greek royal family. She agreed and in their Danish passports, their names were established as "HM Queen Anne-Marie" and "HM King Constantine II".[58][59]
Possibly in an attempt to villainise the former monarchs,
Later life
Following the resolution of the disputes, relations between the Greek royal family and the Greek government began to relax. On 21 May 2004, Anne-Marie was peripherally involved in a dispute in Madrid between former
On 14 August 2004, Anne-Marie and her husband Constantine visited their former home in Athens, the former Royal Palace that is currently the Presidential Palace, for the first time since 1967. They were received by then-
In 2013, Anne-Marie and Constantine returned to reside in Greece. They sold their home in London for €11.5 million and announced their return to Greece.[64] The move back to the country came at a time of low real estate prices. He and his wife, Anne-Marie, purchased a villa in Porto Cheli, Peloponnese residing there until they relocated to Athens in the spring of 2022.[65] For her 60th birthday, Anne-Marie boarded the cruise ship the Aphroessa, which Constantine had organised for her.[66][67]
Constantine began experiencing health and mobility issues, leading to him requiring more care from Anne-Marie.[68] He was hospitalised following his COVID-19 diagnosis.[69] On 10 January 2023, Anne-Marie became widowed when her husband died of a stroke at the private Hygeia Hospital in Athens at the age of 82.[70]
Titles, styles, honours, and arms
Titles and styles
She has been the titular Queen of the Hellenes since 1973. This title is not recognized under the terms of the republican Constitution of Greece.[71]
- 30 August 1946 – 18 September 1964: Her Royal HighnessPrincess Anne-Marie of Denmark
- 18 September 1964 – 1 June 1973: Her Majesty The Queen of the Hellenes, Princess of Denmark
- 1 June 1973 – present: Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Princess of Denmark[72][73]
Honours
National
- Denmark:[74]
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.)
- Commemorative medal on Margrethe II's 25th anniversary of her reign.
- Commemorative medal on Queen Margrethe's and Prince Henrik's silver wedding anniversary (S.E.m).
- Commemorative medal on the centenary of Frederik IX's birth (M.M.11.marts 1899-1999).
- Memorial medal on the centenary of Christian X's birth (M.M.26.sept.1870-1970)
- Queen Ingrid's Memorial Medal (Dr.I.M.M.)
- Greek Royal Family:
- Royal Order of the Redeemer
- Grand Mistress & Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Olga and Sophia
- Grand Mistress Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Beneficence
- Centennial Medal
Foreign
- Commemorative Medal of the 2,500 year Celebration of the Persian Empire.[75]
- Netherlands: Recipient of Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix and Claus van Amsberg.[76]
- Sweden: Recipient of the Commemorative Golden Jubilee Medal of His Majesty The King.[77]
- Thailand: King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal, First Class.[78]
Arms and monogram
The coats of arms of Queen Anne-Marie combine the 1936–1973 royal coat of arms of Greece and the 1948–1972 coat of arms of Denmark which was current at the time of her marriage in 1964. The Danish coat of arms is almost identical with the dynastic arms inescutcheon in the Greek coat of arms, which equals the Danish coat of arms of 1819–1903. The only difference is that the Greek arms also include Iceland's white stockfish on red in the lower dexter corner.
Issue
Constantine and Anne-Marie have five children and nine grandchildren.
Name | Birth | Marriage | Children | |
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Date | Spouse | |||
Princess Alexia | 10 July 1965 | 9 July 1999 | Carlos Morales Quintana |
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Crown Prince Pavlos
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20 May 1967 | 1 July 1995 | Marie-Chantal Miller
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Prince Nikolaos
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1 October 1969 | 25 August 2010 Separated 2024 |
Tatiana Blatnik
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Princess Theodora | 9 June 1983 | |||
Prince Philippos | 26 April 1986 | 12 December 2020 / 23 October 2021 | Nina Flohr
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Ancestry
Ancestors of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
Citations
- ^ ISBN 0-85011-023-8
- ^ Prinsesse Anne-Maries fødsel og dåb Archived February 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine – Website of the Danish National Archives.
- ^ a b "Queen Anne-Marie". The Greek Royal Family. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 361.
- ^ "Kongen uden rige" (in Danish). Vejle Amts Folkeblad. June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Tiburcio, Núria (30 August 2016). "Ana María sopla 70 velas: así es la cuñada de Doña Sofía que se 'comprometió' con 13 años". El Confidencial (in Spanish).
- ^ a b Celada 2007, p. 118.
- ^ Hourmouzios 1972, p. 327.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 363.
- ^ Situationist International, issue No 9, The Longest Months, August 1964
- ^ Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (1999-02-02). "Conditional Consent, Dynastic Rights and the Danish Law of Succession". Hoelseth's Royal Corner. Dag Trygsland Hoelseth. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- ^ Lee 2000, p. 40.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 131.
- ^ Maniatis, Dimitris N. (14 January 2023). "Ο Κωνσταντίνος, τα Ιουλιανά του 1965 και ο δρόμος προς τη χούντα". In.gr (in Greek).
- ^ Pantazopoulos, Yannis (13 January 2023). "Οι σκοτεινές σελίδες της ιστορίας του τέως βασιλιά Κωνσταντίνου". Lifo (in Greek).
- ^ Van der Kiste 1994, p. 184.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 160 et 365-369.
- ^ Dimitrakis 2009, p. 114-125.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 365.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 367 and 384.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 369.
- ^ "CNN.com Transcripts – Larry King Live Interview With King Constantine of Greece". 2001-02-07. Archived from the original on 2004-12-26. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 370.
- ^ Palmer & Greece 1990, p. 114.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 161 and 370-371.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 164.
- ^ Celada 2007, p. 127-131.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 371, 372 and 374.
- ^ "Greek Queen Suffers Miscarriage in Rome". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 1967-12-30.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 371.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 377-378 and 382.
- ^ Opfell 2001, p. 210.
- ^ a b Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 378.
- ^ Dimitrakis 2009, p. 128.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 371-372.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 373.
- ^ Dimitrakis 2009, p. 140.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 372.
- ^ Dimitrakis 2009, p. 141.
- ^ Palmer & Greece 1990, p. 114-116.
- ^ Dimitrakis 2009, p. 141-143.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 374.
- ^ Palmer & Greece 1990, p. 116.
- ^ Van der Kiste 1994, p. 184-185.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 374 and 376.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 168-169 et 378.
- ^ Palmer & Greece 1990, p. 119.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 384.
- ^ Celada 2007, p. 134.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 373, 378.
- ^ a b c d e f Constantine II; Anne-Marie (15 September 2018). The Last King Of Greece: King Constantine - Timeline. Timeline via YouTube. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ Van der Kiste 1994, p. 185.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 379.
- ^ Celada 2007, p. 173-174.
- ^ "Is This Huge Greek Wedding A Royal Plot?". Newsday. Newsday. 30 June 1995.
- ^ ""Royal Wedding" reveals deep divisions in Greece". Reuters. 25 June 1995.
- ^ "A Royal Wedding". Royalty Magazine. 1 July 1995.
- ^ Gage, Nicolas; Paulson Gage, Joan (21 August 2015). "Why Is the King of Greece Living as a Commoner?". Town and Country.
- ^ "Grækenland blander sig ikke i Konstantins diplomatpas". Berlingske (in Danish). 28 October 2011.
- ^ "Anna Maria Foundation - Royal Greek Family". www.greekroyalfamily.gr. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
- ^ a b c McIntosh, David (December 2005). "The Sad Demise of the House of Savoy". European Royal History Journal. 8.6 (XLVIII). Arturo E. Beeche: 3–6.
- ^ Mateos Sáinz de Medrano 2004, p. 383.
- ^ "Constantino y Ana María de Grecia están buscando casa en Atenas y en cuanto la encuentren se trasladarán allí". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 25 August 2004.
- ^ Smith, Helena (15 December 2013). "Greece's former king goes home after 46-year exile". The Guardian.
- ^ "Los reyes Constantino y Ana María han vuelto a Grecia". ¡Hola! (in Spanish). 13 December 2013.
- ^ Fernández, Lara (30 August 2016). "La cuñada de la reina Sofía vuelve a ser feliz a los 70". El Español (in Spanish).
- ^ Caron, Jérôme (11 August 2015). "Vacances royale : entre farniente et polémiques". L'Express (in French).
- ^ "Former king of Greece, Constantine II, dies at 82". ABC News (Australia). Reuters. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "King Constantine II Of Greece Admitted To Hospital With Covid-19". 10 January 2022.
- ^ "Constantine II, last king of Greece dies at 82". BBC News.
- ^ Article 4, Section 7 of the constitution states, "Titles of nobility or distinction are neither conferred upon nor recognized in Greek citizens." See also the full text.
- ^ "FAQ". Official website of the Greek royal family. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
The correct form of address is: King Constantine, former King of the Hellenes and so on for the family members.
- ^ "HM Queen Anne-Marie". Official website of the Danish royal house. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ Official list of knights of the Order of the Elephant Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine. (in Danish)
- ^ "The Billion-Dollar Party That Ended a 2500-Year-Old Monarchy". Medium. Josh West MA. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ McMahon, Emily. "Wedding of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg". Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Bäst klädda gästerna på kungens jubileumsmiddag".
- ^ Announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister regarding the awarding of the Royal Decoration of the Rattanaporn Medal, Royal Gazette, vol. 79, section 69D, 31 July 1962, p. 1692
Bibliography
- Bloch Skipper, Jon (2008). Tre søstre : samtaler mellem dronning Margrethe, prinsesse Benedikte og dronning Anne-Marie [Three sisters: conversations between Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 978-87-11-30060-2.
- Blædel, Sara (2000). Anne-Marie : dronning uden rige [Anne-Marie: queen without a kingdom] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Haase Forlag. ISBN 87-559-1146-3.
- Bramsen, Bo (1992). Huset Glücksborg. Europas svigerfader og hans efterslægt [The House of Glücksburg. The Father-in-law of Europe and his descendants] (in Danish) (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: Forlaget Forum. ISBN 87-553-1843-6.
- Celada, Eva (2007). Irene de Grecia: La princesa rebelde (in Spanish). Plaza & Janés. ISBN 978-84-01-30545-0.
- Dimitrakis, Panagiotis (2009). Greece and the English. British Diplomacy and the Kings of Greece. London: Tauris Academic Studies. ISBN 978-1-84511-821-1.
- Hourmouzios, Stelio (1972). No Ordinary Crown. A Biography of King Paul of the Hellenes. Weidenfeld & N. ISBN 0-297-99408-5.
- Kølle, Niels (1964). Fra prinsesse til dronning : Anne-Maries bryllup [From princess to queen : Anne-Marie's wedding] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Illustrationsforlaget.
- Lee, Jeffrey (2000). "Greece: Queen Anne Marie". Crown of Venus: A Guide to Royal Women Around the World. Writers Club Press. pp. 37–41. ISBN 0595091407.
- Lerche, Anna; Mandal, Marcus (2003). A royal family : the story of Christian IX and his European descendants. Copenhagen: Aschehoug. ISBN 9788715109577.
- Mateos Sáinz de Medrano, Ricardo (2004). La Familia de la Reina Sofía: La Dinastía griega, la Casa de Hannover y los reales primos de Europa (in Spanish). Madrid: La Esfera de los Libros. OCLC 55595158.
- Opfell, Olga S. (2001). Royalty Who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786409013.
- Palmer, Alan; Greece, Michael of (1990). The Royal House of Greece. London: Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated. OCLC 59773890.
- Spencer, Herbert (1973). Anne-Marie : prinsesse af Danmark, Hellenernes Dronning [Anne-Marie: princess of Denmark, Queen of the Hellenes] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Gutenberghus.
- ISBN 978-0-7509-2147-3..