Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, first cousin to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has died at the age of 85 in Athens. The royal was pronounced dead at a hospital in the Greek capital, and his burial is scheduled for Thursday.
Born in 1939, Prince Michael was the only child of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Francoise d’Orleans of France, linking him to the House of Bourbon through his mother. Tragically, he lost his father at the age of one and became an orphan by 14 when his mother died in 1953.
Known as a writer and historian under the pseudonym Michel De Gres, Prince Michael was “the last remaining grandson of George I.” He studied political science in Paris and later served in the Hellenic Coast Guard to regain Greek citizenship.
In 1965, he renounced his right to the Greek throne to marry artist Marina Karella. Their marriage produced two daughters, Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta and Princess Alexandra of Greece.
Despite political turmoil, Prince Michael was “the only member of the Greek royal family to remain in the country” during the 1967 military coup that toppled the government, showing his deep connection to Greece.