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Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece

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Marie-Chantal
Marie-Chantal in 2013
BornMarie-Chantal Claire Miller
(1968-09-17) 17 September 1968 (age 56)
London, England
Spouse
​
(m. 1995)​
Issue
FatherRobert Warren Miller
MotherMaría Clara Pesantes Becerra
Greek royal family

The former Queen

Marina Karella

Marie-Chantal (Greek: Μαρί Σαντάλ, romanized: Marí Santál; born Marie-Chantal Claire Miller; 17 September 1968), is a member of the former Greek royal family and the extended Danish royal family. She is married to Pavlos de Grece, son of King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. Marie-Chantal's husband was the heir apparent to the throne of Greece until the monarchy was abolished in 1973.

Early life

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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, formerly married to Christopher Getty, and a younger sister, Alexandra, formerly married to 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.[5] She interned with Andy Warhol while she was in high school.[6] 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

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Main article: Wedding of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal Miller

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 Catholicism to Greek Orthodoxy, taking the Greek name María on 22 May 1995 in a private Chrismation ceremony at St Paul's Chapel in New York.

Her engagement ring was a cabochon-cut sapphire and heart-shaped diamond ring.[7] The wedding was planned by Lady Elizabeth Anson and Robert Isabell. Marie-Chantal wore a Valentino dress.[8][9] 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 live in London[10] and have five children:

Activities

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Marie-Chantal with her husband, mother-in-law and King Charles III at Buckingham Palace the evening before his coronation, 5 May 2023

In 2000, Marie-Chantal founded the luxury childrenswear brand Marie-Chantal.[11] The brand expanded with a store in London in 2018,[12] and with a new line of fabrics for nursery's in 2022.[13] She collaborated with Alice Naylor-Leyland on the 2024 housewares collection,[14] and collaborated with Silver Cross on prams.[15]

In 2019, she published the book Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern etiquette for families.[16][17] She is a trustee of the Royal Academy Trust and a board director of DFS Group Ltd.[18]

Her husband's family is closely related to many European royal families, particularly the British and Danish royal families. Marie-Chantal has been a guest at high-profile events such as the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson (now King Frederik IX and Queen Mary), the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III.[19] She also attended the 2023 birthday of Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark.[20]

Titles, styles, and honours

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  • 17 February 1968 – 1 July 1995: Miss Marie-Chantal Miller
  • 1 July 1995 – present: Her Royal Highness Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, Princess Pavlos of Denmark

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.

Bibliography

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  • Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern etiquette for families (2019). ISBN 9780865653719[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b Suzy Menkes (6 August 1995). "RUNWAYS; Breathing New Life Into Couture". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Some ancestry of the Miller sisters". www.wargs.com.
  3. ^ "HRH Crown Princess Pavlos". 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2019 – via Greekroyalfamily.org.
  4. ^ Colacello, Bob (December 2008). "Greece's Royal Couple". Vanity Fair.
  5. ^ Fearon, Francesca (12 July 2009). "Marie Chantal". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  6. ^ Wilkinson, Isabel (20 March 2020). "How Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece Spends Her Sundays". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Crown jewels: The fabulous rings which sealed the love of Europe's royal couples". HELLO! magazine. UK. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  8. ^ "Royal weddings in history". Vogue. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
  9. ^ Menkes, Suzy (6 August 1995). "RUNWAYS; Breathing New Life Into Couture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  10. ^ Keltner de Valle, Jane (2 August 2019). "Decorating Legend François Catroux Breathes New Life Into Crown Princess Marie-Chantal's Manhattan Town Home". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  11. ^ Colacello, Bob (1 December 2008). "Greece's Royal Couple". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  12. ^ Cantrell, Liz (29 November 2018). "Marie-Chantal Just Opened A New London Flagship". Town & Country. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  13. ^ Akkam, Alia (15 August 2022). "Marie-Chantal Has a Super-Sweet New Nursery Decor Line—Here's Your First Look". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  14. ^ "In Southampton, Marie-Chantal of Greece Fetes Her Collaboration With Mrs. Alice With a Lovely Supper". Vogue. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  15. ^ Cronin, Emilyl (25 March 2018). "WONDER WHEELS: When a real princess collaborates with a heritage brand on a luxury pram, you know it's going to be fabulous". The Sunday Telegraph; London (UK). p. 14 – via Proquest.
  16. ^ Perry, Simon (20 March 2020). "Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece on Her New Etiquette Book — and Having Prince George Wear Her Design!". Peoplemag. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  17. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (30 October 2019). "Marie-Chantal Miller Opens Showroom, Writes New Book". WWD. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  18. ^ Menkes, Suzy (21 November 2013). "Blending History and Modernity in Children's Clothes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  19. ^ "The Coronation Roll". coronationroll.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  20. ^ Henni, Janine (17 October 2023). "Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece Quickly Fixed Her Style Mishap at Prince Christian's Birthday Bash". People Magazine. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  21. ^ Review of Manners Begin at Breakfast
[edit]
Greek royalty
Titles in pretence
Preceded by — TITULAR —
Queen of Greece
10 January 2023 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Monarchy abolished in 1973 		Incumbent
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