The death of Prince Miguel de Grecia (85 years old) has been particularly painful for Queen Sofia. Our Emeritus not only loses a beloved uncle, but also one of her few true friends. For decades, Miguel de Grecia has been one of the closest people to the mother of Felipe VI, a member of that small circle of intimates who have accompanied her in her best and worst moments with absolute discretion. A group with many absences already, which also included Doña Sofia's brother, King Constantine, or her beloved cousin, King Michael of Romania, who passed away in 2017.
Miguel de Grecia, the last living grandson of King George I and Queen Olga of the Hellenes, passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Athens. He was not a royal figure well known to the general public, despite always being present at all major events of both the Greek and Spanish dynasties. He visited our country on numerous occasions to be by Doña Sofia's side - it is worth noting that the prince's relationship with King Juan Carlos was also very close - and did not miss special events such as the weddings of Infantas Elena and Cristina, or that of the then Prince and Princess of Asturias in Madrid in 2004.
The prince was born in Rome in 1939. His parents were Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark - the youngest son of the aforementioned King George I and Olga - and his second wife, Princess Françoise of France, sister of Henry, Count of Paris.
Miguel's father passed away just a few months after his birth. During World War II, his mother had to live successively in Larache (Morocco), Malaga, and finally Paris, the three cities where the prince grew up. Tragedy seemed to follow him, and at the age of 14, he also lost his mother, coming under the guardianship of Henry, the aforementioned Count of Orleans. Although he frequently visited Athens, along with the rest of the Greek royal family. During this time, he solidified his intimate friendship with his niece Sofia - our future Queen - who was actually a few months older than him. Another close relative of the deceased was Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Miguel de Grecia studied Political Science at La Sorbonne. However, he settled permanently in the Greek capital, where he served in the army during his early years. It is worth noting that, more than for his royal blood, the prince gained fame as a renowned historian and writer of biographies and historical novels, including titles such as The Last Tsars Nicholas and Alexandra, Joan of Arc, and The Empress of Farewell.
In his home country, he met the daughter of a Greek businessman, Marina Karella - a recognized painter - whom he married in 1965 in a lavish wedding held at the Royal Palace of Athens, attended by numerous members of the Gotha. It was a morganatic marriage. Therefore, Miguel was excluded from the Greek throne succession line from that moment on, although he always claimed that he voluntarily renounced his rights. Doña Sofia's brother, Constantine, had been proclaimed king a year earlier and retained his title of prince.
Despite losing his succession rights, Miguel de Grecia was able to maintain his nationality and continue living in his country after the fall of the Monarchy in the 1973 referendum. In 1967, after the Colonels' Coup, Constantine II and his family had to leave the country, almost empty-handed, and begin a long exile of almost five decades. Doña Sofia's brother passed away without being able to regain his nationality, denied by the authorities of the Hellenic Republic, a struggle that is now carried on by the current head of the dynasty, Prince Paul. Miguel de Grecia had a magnificent house in Patmos, which served as a refuge for countless family trips for Doña Sofia, who has always felt most comfortable with her Greek relatives.
Miguel de Grecia's parents are buried in the cemetery of the Royal Palace of Tatoi, although it is currently unknown where the prince's remains will rest. His funeral will be held on Thursday in Athens, with the undeniable presence of the entire Greek royal family and Queen Sofia, and perhaps also that of King Juan Carlos.