It is with great sadness that we announce that the prince has passed away suddenly tonight…

Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark Passes Away at 85

Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has passed away at the age of 85. Known professionally as Michel De Gres, he was a distinguished writer and historian. He died in a hospital in Athens, Greece, and will be laid to rest in the Greek capital on Thursday.

Prince Michael was the last surviving grandson of King George I of Greece and had connections to the House of Bourbon through his mother. His personal life was marked by his marriage to Marina Karella, which led him to renounce his claim to the Greek throne in 1965. The couple had two daughters: Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta and Princess Alexandra of Greece.

As the only child of Prince Christopher and Princess Francoise d’Orleans of France, Prince Michael faced early hardships, losing his father at the age of 51 in 1940 and his mother in 1953, which left him orphaned at 14. He pursued political science studies in Paris and later returned to Greece for military service in the Hellenic Coast Guard, which facilitated his reacquisition of Greek citizenship.

Prince Michael remained in Greece through a tumultuous period in 1967 when a right-wing military coup overthrew the government, following his nephew King Constantine’s unsuccessful challenge to the junta. His life and career were deeply intertwined with Greek and European history, and he will be remembered for his contributions and resilience.