Pavlos And Marie Chantal: Current Events December 2002 - October 2003
 

...[I]f you are, say, the New York socialite Barbara de Portago, the message you are presenting is evidently one of gilded prosperity, and stalwart single motherhood, as evidenced by Christmas cards depicting Ms. Portago alone with her son, often posed in a lavish evening gown against a backdrop of Impressionist pictures and bamboo ballroom chairs. If you are Tina Brown and Harry Evans, the message of a yearly collaged photographic card showing these rhino-tough publishing veterans disporting themselves on carefree vacations with their children, George and Isabel, is decidedly wistful and Kennedyesque. If you are Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, the message in an engraved Christmas card that shows your family — mother, father, Olympia, Constantine and Achileas — wearing sweaters hand-knitted in a Greek flag motif is both achingly tasteful and politically suggestive. The Greek royal family, as some recipients of the cards will undoubtedly remember, remains distinctly unwelcome in Greece.


Exerpt from The New York Times online.


Pic of family...

Over at the Miller Sisters Message Board Mary said that MC was interviewed on Greek TV. Here's her scope on the interview.

Thanks for the snippet, Sylvia! MC sounds like a lovely person!

-Julia

Thanks for the info Sylvia. I have to admit that although I always thought that MC was most likely a fairly nice person, I am a bit disappointed that after eight years she has yet to learn the Greek language. I understand her perhaps not taking it seriously with the way many of Greece's government officials feel about the Royal Family and their return, but I think that she should know more than simply one phrase. I know that she is fluent in French, so she possesses the ability to learn languages if she desires to, but it is sad that she has not learned more.

I guess that she must be really happy with having three children. I remember her saying something about having five and a mini van or something to that effect years ago....but I guess that she may now settle for three.

Mary over on the Miller Sisters Message Board said that she saw the second half of Pavlos and MC's interview on Greek TV. This is what she had to say about it.

I'm glad that they have decided to have another baby. I wonder how long they will wait. They seem very happy and in love.

Ok, another few pics of Crown Princess Pavlos... Pic from Corbis

I got this from the Miller Sisters Message Board. I thought you all would like to read this.

I've never heard of that magazine. Where's it sold?

I think it's a Greek magazine.

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

picture from http://alloverpress.dk

I found this on www.ritva.com its from a Swedish magazine - ETA: Svensk Dam /Mandy

I did a direct translation from Swedish to English

Victoria's friend and jetset princess
Marie-Chantal
Controls Europe's royal women


I have not read the article but dying to hear is someone else has read it

No, I haven't read the article. I wish I could. Maybe Ritva would translate it for us.

No doubt, it would be interesting, but proper? Marie-chantal is not even a real princess or real royalty. She doesn't have a country to represent. Maybe she should, but the current fact is that she does not.

:unsure: Oh, I wish, she would something to her hairs! She looks so elegant, when she wears her hair high. It is always a problem for us with fair, colourless hairs, it looks just nothing without some kind of a hairdo. :cry:

Thank you for posting these photos! I like Marie-Chantal and the whole Greek royal family. I look forward to seeing the rest of your photos.

Crown Prince Pavlos

Photo From: Polfoto

Any one read the article yet?
I'm curious about what the article says... :innocent:

She does not have a country to represent, but she is a princess by marriage. I think that it is quite insulting to Pavlos' parents to say that they are no longer royal and that their daughter-in-law isn't real royalty. In essence it is the same as saying that their son Pavlos is not a real prince and that his bloodline is fake. That is quite unfair to the GRF and Marie-Chantal and Pavlos' children. The GRF along with many non-reigning royals exists under very difficult circumstances. It is unfortuante that they have to live in exile and that there is no longer a monarchy in Greece but that happens. However, their birthright is not something that should be treated so shabbily.

I was born a commoner, of course, and if someone were to tell me that my surname wasn't real or that of my daughter-in-law's (if I were to have one) simply because we no longer lived in our ancestral homes, I would be very upset. I don't live in my family 's ancestral countries, but we are still comprised of many ethnicities and I would be very disheartened if anyone said that I was less than that simply due to political reasons. I may not be able to represent these countries to the best of my ability, but I should at least be allowed to keep my name without someone calling me a fake. Granted that Marie-Chantal was born a commoner, she did marry a prince and whatever title he holds or uses as someone of royal birth became hers as well when they married.

But, I guess that it is easy to make fun of Marie-Chantal since she wasn't born a royal. It is always easy to make fun of commoners especially those who marry exiled and/or deposed royals. The royal may be good enough in exile, but never the commoner. I guess that a commoner that marries an exiled royal is still a commoner. :blink:

Hey Jacqueline,

I think what Thissal meant(and Thissal if I am wrong please correct me :unsure: ) is that Marie-Chantal isn't a real princess in the sence that she not a 'working' princess.'Working' princess meaning going on state vists,attending goverment functions and so on.You look at the 'working' crown princesses(Mette-Marit,Maxima,Mathilde and Masako) who are doing all these things and more.You have to wonder if its fair to say that Marie-Chantal is leading them,seeing as she really doesn't have to fulfill as many obligations or sacrifice perharps as much personal time as the others do.I think that yes she is a 'real' princess :king: but not a 'working' princess like the others. :neutral:

Jacqueline,

I can assure you I wasn't making fun of commoners especially those who marry exiled and/or deposed royals.

What I believe is that those who retain the title of king or queen and crown prince or crown princess, after they are deposed, devalue and demean what those titles mean for others who hold them. Those titles represent a function which is an important role in the running of a country.

This doesn't apply to the lesser titles such as prince/princess/duke/duchess and other royal titles or evidence of "bloodlines", whose function doesn't necessarily involve the hard work and importance that the titles of king, queen, and crown prince/princess do.

I understand exactly what is being said here and I promise that I have noted every single word.

It is an interesting point, but surely someone cannot be faulted for "not working" if the country and the country's government doesn't want them to even live in the country. I don't see the Greek royals as a group of individuals that are purposely "not working." They really cannot be blamed for not having any official functions in Greece or anywhere for that matter. They are in exile and there is only so much that they can do. They simply cannot have functions involving other heads of state and represent Greece to their fullest abilities. The amount of "work" that they can do is limited. It appears to me that this discussion makes it appear as though the GRF is purposely trying to demean the titles that they hold and that doesn't appear to be true. I would tend to believe that many deposed royals would be very happy to still be functioning within their countries, but it is completely out of their control.

I agree that reigning monarchs do serve important roles within their respective countries, however, they really do not serve any purpose in the running of a country's government. They are more symbolic than anything in most countries, and they reign and they do not rule, which may be one of the reasons for the longevity of some.

On a side note, I do not believe that the magazine is implying that Marie-Chantal is actually "leading" Europe's royal women where "work" or dedication is concerned. I would tend to believe that this is about fashion and the attire of royal women, MC in particular. Most articles about MC are about her clothing line and her sense of style and her charity work. I don't think that this one will differ from the others greatly. However, if anyone does read the article, please give us a brief summar. I would like to know what was written as well.

Thank You so much for the photos that you are posting. Are there any that you have of her wearing a tiara?

As for the green dress that she wore to the Dutch royal wedding last Feb. by Oscar de la renta, it STILL SCARES me..... Sorry to admit it, but, it was not appropriate for the occasion what so ever......


chanel

Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal at Wedding
Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece stands with his bride, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, at their wedding.

ETA copyright source www.pro.corbis.com /Mandy

1. www.rexfeatures.com

2. www.rexfeatures.com

3. picture from www.ibl.se

4. picture from www.ibl.se

5. 7 July 2003 going to a fashion show picture from www.ibl.se

6. VIPs at Dior Fashion Show - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2003-04 July 7, 2003 Paris, France www.pro.corbis.com

ETA copyright source

Pavlos looks really cute w/ spectacles!

www.rexfeatures.com - Princess Marie Chantal of Greece at the Christian Dior Haute Couture show, Paris Fashion Week, France, 7 July 2003.

Not the most opportune time for a photo of MC is it?

Getting back to the "real" Princess or not debate. - even if one dismisses the Greek Princess title as null and void because the monarchy has been abolished, Marie Chantal can still claim to be a Princess of Denmark through her mother in law Queen Anne Marie - so constitutionally she is a "real" princess!!

actually she can't. The title isn't passed through the female (Queen Anne-Marie's) line.
The Greek royal family are Prince/Princesses of Greece and Denmark because a younger son of a Danish king had become the new king of Greece and his dad wanted his heirs to be Prince/Princesses of Denmark.

I read on the Glittering Royals message board that Princess Marie-Chantal might be pregnant again. One of the pictures to "prove" this point was a picture of MC at Ana-Maria's baptism. The "evidence" was that the bottom button on MC's jacket had been left unbuttoned and that MC who is slim and fit had a bit of a belly showing.

Has anyone heard anything concrete about a pregnancy? Or do you think it's just overactive imaganiations fuelled by a bad angle of the cameras?

ETA copyright source www.rexfeatures.com /Mandy

old pictures from www.lifepress.com

These are great pictures Josefine.

Is this a new photo website? It seems suddenly that we are seeing images from this site. How does one go about searching for particular images or people?

Jay has updated her site with new photos of Marie-Chantal, Pavlos and their family.

Link: Miller Sisters

Thanks to Samitude, pictures from Jay's Miller Sisters website.

Pavlos and Marie-Chantal with their children arriving at the baptism for Pavlos' sister Alexia's youngest daughter Ana-Maria's baptism.

http://bookzrus.tripod.com - Pavlos and Marie-Chantal attending the 21st birthday celebrations or Prince William.

www.corbis.com - Stars Attend Launch of Jimmy Choo at Harvey Nichols
Prince Pavlos of Greece and wife Marie Chantal attend the launch party for a new Jimmy Choo concession at Harvey Nichols.

http://bookzrus.tripod.com/Manhattan.htm

http://bookzrus.tripod.com/Manhattan.htm

Great pictures, Alexandria! Thank you!

Question: is M-C very actively involved in many charities and how proficient is she in Greek?

The issue I have is that the slit up her thigh on that dress is most unladylike
for a woman of her age, married with children, plus her position !
If she was not princess then it would be no issue. I think she has a position
and represents the family and country-and she needs to understand that comes
with sacrifices-one can not always do what the ordinary girl can.

It is also too high. Maybe a smaller slit -shows too much thigh. Not attractive.

Less is more. It is sexier to leave it to the imagination instead of showing it all.

But these are modern times and sometimes a woman needs to learn
common sense.

I've heard that M-C was a terrible Greek speaker. Apparently she has an atrotious accent, she's probably just bad with languages. Some people pick up languages really quickly, like Alexandra of Denmark, she didn't grow up speaking Danish. I don't think she's too involved with charities, no offense, but I've always thought that she was more involved with herself.

The slit in the one picture isn't Crown Princess Pavlos's. It's her sisters leg that is showing that much.

I was thinking of the first picture at the top of this page with Marie-Chantal and her sister Pia Getty both in black dresses, the slit is quite high in that one as it goes mid-thigh. Standing up with a gust of wind ... :innocent: And in that picture it is most certainly MC's legs that are showing rather than her sister's.

Oops, I goofed Alexandra. Sorry about that, I thought it was MC's legs that were behind the sisters and Pia's body in front. sorry!

www.realestatejournal.com

Royal Retreat For Sale In Connecticut

By DANIELLE REED
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

From The Wall Street Journal Online


Their home is their castle.

But Princess Marie-Chantal and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece have moved to London -- and are selling White Ash Farm, their country estate in Connecticut. The 64-acre farm property in the Litchfield County town of Washington has an asking price of $6.2 million. The royals -- he's heir to the now-defunct Greek monarchy; she's the middle member of the celebrated Miller Sisters (the three socialite daughters of American duty-free tycoon Robert Miller) -- have three young children. The princess is about to open the flagship store for her own line of children's clothing -- Marie-Chantal LLC -- in London next month. With business keeping the couple there, they found it impractical to keep the ivy-covered circa-1740 stone house they bought in 1999 for $3.275 million through holding company Peck Realty Ltd., real-estate records show. They renovated and added a four-bedroom guesthouse and put in a pond. Besides the 5,000-square-foot main house, the estate also comes with a six-stall horse barn, a riding ring, tennis court, pool and poolhouse, entertainment barn, apple orchard and a stocked chicken coop. Peter Klemm, of Klemm Real Estate in Washington Depot, has the listing.

Seasonal Sale

Four Seasons restaurant co-owner Julian Niccolini and his wife, Lisa, have purchased a pied-à-terre studio in Manhattan's Sutton Place. The suburbanites "needed a place that was within walking distance from the restaurant," says listing agent Sabrina Kleier Morgenstern, of Gumley Haft Kleier. The 700-square-foot space was listed for almost a year, starting at about $240,000; the sale price was approximately $200,000. Although buyers showed plenty of interest in the property, which has big closets, wood floors, bay windows and a glimpse of the East River, the process of getting co-op board approval slowed the sale, Ms. Morgenstern says. While the Niccolinis may be quiet neighbors, their Philip Johnson-designed restaurant can get pretty rowdy. During last week's blackout, it was the site of an impromptu Champagne and foie-gras party. That's not the only noise lately: Diners have been up in arms about former corporate parent Vivendi Universal's plan to auction the dining room's "Tricorne," a stage curtain painted by Pablo Picasso. While he's hoping Vivendi will decide to donate it, Mr. Niccolini says galleries are calling daily seeking to provide a replacement. A Vivendi spokeswoman says no formal decisions have been made.

Lagging on the Lake?

Upper-end properties aren't moving as fast as they once were around Lake Tahoe, so some sellers are going the auction route instead. Ted Fuller, owner of Stonebridge, a new 13-room, 7,954-square-foot residence in Incline Village, Nev., listed it for $5.65 million in November 2002. But he says he didn't get any suitable bids. So now the former insurance executive plans to sell the five-bedroom residence to the highest bidder at a sealed-bid auction, with offers due Sept. 25. "It's a way of capturing the attention of the market and bringing the property to the forefront," says Steven L. Good, chairman and chief executive of Sheldon Good & Co. Auctions of Chicago, which will handle the proceedings. The home has broad lake and mountain views, two master bedroom suites, a media room and a game-room level. Why sell a brand-new home? During the four years of construction, Mr. Fuller says he changed his mind about moving and has decided to stay in his other residence in Incline Village.

Web Watch / Foreclosures

For bargain-hunters, the Web is an easy way to find properties in various stages of foreclosure. One site, Realtytrac.com, allows registered users to search by location to find soon-to-be foreclosed properties in all price ranges. The site shows lender information, the applicable state-foreclosure laws and contacts for agents with experience selling distressed properties. Like a competitor site, ForeclosureFreeSearch.com, each has free seven-day trials. But it's up to the consumer to remember to cancel when the trial period is up or continue being charged a monthly fee.

Pavlos and Marie-Chantal in their house in London

Scanned from Point de Vue

Great new pictures Martine! Where did they come from?

I cannot belive how big and grown-up Marie-Olympia is and how much like Marie-Chantal she resembles.

The pictures are from this weeks "point de vue".

yes Olympia really looks like Marie-Chantal ! that was the first thing i noticed when i looked at the pics :-) I think she will grow up to be as glamorous as her mum and aunts...

I think Achileas really looks like Pavlos , especially after seeing those pics of Pavlos as a child (which are sooo cute ;-) )

I also love how they decorated the house (the picture with the red art on the wall : that are pictures of ex king constantine...) it's much better than their NY house

that is great pictures Martine, thank so much, can you give a summery what the articles said?

Wah those kids are cute and they look happy!

Summary of the article

-Pavlos said that they always intended to come back to Europe , mainly because of the children's education. they want that the children know their roots.
He also said that the move is important cause his family lives in Europe and they missed out a lot (marriages , christenings,...). If they want to be at those events when they lived in NY , they would have to leave the children at home and they didn't want to do that.Pavlos also think that NY has changed after 9/11.

-They are selling their house in Connecticut , but they are thinking about buying something on the country in England or Greece. (They also kept their horses and dogs from the Connecticut home ;-) )

-Marie-Chantal actually rather wanted to live in Paris but London is better cause of the family and Pavlos' work (he goes back to NY once a month)

-They live next door of Marie-Chantal's sister Pia , but this isn't their dreamhouse , they are still looking for something better.

-Pavlos and Marie-Chantal went to Greece this summer , to the island of "Spetsae", pavlos's parents and Alexia were there too.

-When visiting Athens Olympia said : "this is where i want to live later "

-Marie-Chantal is going to open a shop with children's clothing in London

That were they most important things they said in the interview

if you want and understand french i can scan the article , just let me know if anyone is interested in that

Oh, could you scan the article? I would appreciate that as I'm sure others would also.

ok hope this comes out good :-)

article from this weeks"point de vue"

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Thank you very much for scanning this. A. over at the Miller Sisters Message Board translated this article. Here's the translation.

Link: Translation

Hmm... okay, enough all ready.... I seriously doubt that CP Pavlos and MC will ever become [Fmr.] King and Queen of Greece any way. (((Nica is our man))). They gave such lame excuses.....P&MC are perhaps the most boring royal couple on the planet (yawn). :innocent:

Thank you for the link samitude.

Imagine Scandanavia has a close picture of Marie-Chantal and Pavlos.

Copyright Imagine Scandinavia

Is Marie-Chantal wearing pants or is her skirt just blowing between her legs?

Thank you, Josephine, for posting this photo. I have not been having success attatching photos to this message board.

It's a skirt. Not a bad outfit for her--but still so conservative!

What's wrong with being conservative?

yeh I'm wondering that too , i think there's nothing wrong with being conservative. I don't think MC is totally conservative ( I remember a special "spanish like" dress she wore at some marriage)though. I think she has a lot of special things added to conservative outfits , she in a way creates her own style i think.

Ah, nothing wrong with conservative--I much prefer that to women hanging out of their clothes! Perhaps a better description is that for such young woman with a beautiful figure, she dresses old for her age.

:o Sorry, Bubette. I'd meant to post the message on the board...Not that I wouldn't send you a message some other time--I don't know you yet! :P
But, getting back to the topic of MC's clothes, I agree with you ladies. Conservative is better than busting out of your clothes...But, do at least try to dress more 'flatteringly' to your age! Look at Queen Rania-Not only is she beautiful and elegant, her clothes are always classy, stylish, not-too-conservative, and most importantly of all-at least for this present topic-flattering and appropriate for her age...no matter what situation that she's in (of course, only judging from all the pix pix of her that I've seen). Alexandra of Dk seems to suffer from the same "affliction" as well, at least in terms of her day-clothes.

These are really great pictures. Can anyone tell me where Marie Chantal was born and her nationality? Cuz i read on some websites that she was born in england and some said she was born in the united states. Also does she have any greek blood in her? Thankyou :)

I think Princess Marie Chantal is not beautiful. She is too thin. She sould add the weight. Do you think so??

i think she was born in the u.s but raised in the u.k. I dont know about her father bu her mother is from ecuador.

Hi! I'm new here and was just wondering...is Marie-Chantal really a nice person? It just seems to me from the photos that I have seen that she is a little snooty and aloof. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I really don't know much of anything about her. From what I have surmised, it seems that if you were to meet her on the streets, she would not be the most pleasant person around. I could be completely off base here and know that you should never judge a book by it's cover or anything, I was just wondering if anyone knew if anything has ever been said about her personality.

~ella~

The impression I get is that she is snooty. She and her sisters Alexandra and Pia were expected to marry well. Her marriage is the only one that is still intact.

Thanks for your reply! I did not know that they were expected to marry well. Wow! As I said I don't know that much about her. So do you think that she maybe, I don't know, "flaunts" her status?

I've read stories where Marie-Chantal insists on being addressed as Princess Marie-Chantal even when she is out shopping or attending fashion shows. And those who forget who she is, she reminds them that she is the Crown Princess of Greece.

Quite the opposite of those stories you often would hear about John F. Kennedy Jr., who always insisted on being called "just John" rather than Mr. Kennedy, Jr. or anything with the slightest hint of grandeur. I think it is often the case for those who come into wealth or titles later on in life rather than being born into it, they like to remind others of their wealth or status.

Hmmm....Well, if those stories are true, then that doesn't say much about her character. I tend to think that the rest of the Greek Royal family is pretty down to earth, and they seem like they are really happy people who truly love their kids. That's why to me Marie-Chantal seems to almost stick out. She's more of an ice princess than anything else. But once again, I don't think you should ever judge a book my it's cover. That's just my opinion.

Gabriella,

First of all: hi! On to MC-if you check at the Alex B's Miller Sisters Board, you will be sure to read a whole load of info on Marie-Chantal, ahem, Her Haughty-Oh, excuse me, Her Highness...along with several other 'persons in the spotlight.' But, I agree with you, MC does seem to be snooty. THe pictures of her over the past several years depict at least one side of her. Again, I agree with you that you can't judge a book by its cover, even if you've seen so very many covers of this one particular book... :innocent:

Daughters can be "expected to marry well" but that is not excuse to be snooty!

There is some "basic good manners" lacking which one would expect !

Nuvoux riche indeed! all the $ no class.

That is how the old timers with money see such newbees.

Someone who is born into it is comfortable and need not flaunt it.

They are natural and it shows.

I think she's glacial. Cold and enjoys her title and the benefits that come from it. I wonder if she'll ever do anything apart from sit front-row at fashion shows and appear in fashion shoots with her sisters...not very queenly or gracious in my opinion.

Alexandria, she does indeed remind people of her status. You are quite right. There was some story about M-C shopping in a boutique. She had some clothes on hold and asked some young man working in the store to get them for her (I cannot remember the exact story...look at the Miller Sisters Board). He asked what name they were under and she cooly replied "Marie-Chantal of Greece". The guy gave a snort and asked her if she was in the show "Grease" (this took place after all in New York) and she became very haughty and said no she was the crown princess of Greece, the country. The guy still didn't care and said he had no idea that Greece even had a crown princess. As you can imagine she was livid. :innocent:

What I do not understand is why Prince Pavlos married her? Yes, she's got loads and loads of money but he seems rather sweet. Of course I don't know that he is...just an impression. Does anyone know what Pavlos' personality is like? Is he sweet?

Well, I guess that all this now begs a new question for me. I have to wonder what the rest of the Greek Royal Family thinks of her? Do they all get along. They seem so nice and down to earth. They always have very warm smiles and seem to get along well with each other. I especially love Princess Alexia. Shes always just doing her thing regardless of whats going on around. You don't ever see her sitting front row at fashion shows.

Julia, I think Pavlos does seem like a very sweet man, but a bit passive. He seems to be led around by the nose a lot by Marie-Chantal.

I am not at all surprised to hear about her behaviour in the New York boutique. But quite funny that the sales associate asked her if she was in the musical Grease! What I wouldn't give for the security camera tapes from that episoide!

It makes you wonder how Marie-Chantal would really fare if she had to take on the duties and responsibilities associated with being the Crown Princess of Greece rather than just revel in the title and status? I just can't seem to picture her graciously accepting flowers, opening museum exhibits or hospitals, talking to children or visiting senior citizens in nursing homes. She wouldn't be warm and friendly to the people at all, not like we're used to with Mathilde, Maxima and Alexandra.

As the saying goes, or rather something akin to this: If you are real Gold, you need not worry about melting when in the heat/fire...Gold melts at a specific temperature, so it need not worry about melting at any other. :o Of course, if you're pure class and dignity and quality, you need not try to prove it.

MC does not, by any stretch of the imagination (disclaimer: according to all the pix I've seen of her over the past years/seen her a couple of times in person), dress like a tramp, but her manner of dress/decorum need not bo so "in your face." I think back to the ballgown that she wore to Alexandra's and Joachim's wedding and shake my head in wonder. I guess that one could say that it was beautiful in an outlandish, queen-of-the-island/cabana kind of way...I keep wondering where her fruity headgear was?...And, the outfit that she wore to V de D-S's wedding-elegant, but way too old for her. It's as if she wants to show to the world that she can dress in the best designer threads to every single function that she attends. I don't know; that's just my opinion. I think that she can still dress elegantly/classy but more to her age-not so matronly.

Moreover, she knows that she's in the public eye: first, as R.Miller's daughter, or more to the point, as one of the Miller Sisters, and second, as Crown Princess of Greece. If she truly is not as snooty or haughty as is her reputation shows her to be, then perhaps, she should try to ameliorate her public persona. Class and elegance emanate not only from manner of dress, but (and moreso) from personality, carriage and dignity as well.

As for Ice Princess, does anyone know at what temperature Ice melts in Greece? ;)

Alexandria, you seem to be quite right...Pavlos does seem to be led around by the nose a lot by Marie-Chantel. He does also seem passive but sweet. I look at photos of him with his children and he seems so warm. And, yes, how I wish I could have been a customer in that boutique the day that M-C and the sales clerk had that tiff!

solangedebn, I never got a look at M-C's gown at Alexandra and Joachim's wedding. I only saw the Prussian-blue satin overcoat but not the gown. Do you have photos? You are right when you say that some of M-C's fashion selections leave one scratching one's head. Valentino creates gorgeous clothes for women her age and yet she opts for (and this is just my opinion) what she seems to think is very "Princess Grace". If that is what she's trying to accomplish, being this century's Princess Grace, she's at a loss. Firstly, it's best to be yourself...whatever that may be. Secondly, she doesn't have (that I've seen) Grace's poise and graciousness. Grace was tireless in her work for the Red Cross and other organizations. And she had natural charisma.


I agree, Gabriella, that the rest of the Greek royal family seems to be very down-to-earth...especially Princess Alexia.

Is the short-hand definition of this, "gold digger" ?

I would hardly call Marie-Chantal a gold digger in this situation. She is the one, afterall, with all the money in the marriage. Pavlos simply provided the title and prestige in this marriage. The Greek royals are hardly wealthy in comparison to Robert Miller and his duty-free empire.

I think Pavlos was - is - sincerely in love with Marie-Chantal, he was swept up by her beauty and whatever superficial layer of poise and grace she showed him while they were dating. I don't think, however, that Marie-Chantal is as much in love with Pavlos is as he is with her. She was expected to marry well, saw a good opportunity in Pavlos, and went for it. Marie-Chantal probably could've married someone much richer if that were her intention, but instead she went for a rare quality a man can offer: the title of Princess. I don't doubt that she doesn't love him, just not as much as he loves her.

As for the rest of the Greek royals, Marie-Chantal seems to very much stick out, as mentioned previous. The rest of the family do seem incredibly down-to-earth and not at all glamour-pusses, espescially Alexia, who is probably as earthy and wholesome as they come. Even at royal weddings, Alexia dresses very simply and very little makeup, none of the "look at me/take my picture" quality that Marie-Chantal seems to scream in her choice of outfits, how to do her hair.

She is/was more of a "title-snatcher". ;)

Not trying to curb this discussion, I really would like to hear more about what people think of Pavlos, Marie-Chantal and their relationship or more pictures and news of them and their family, but this thread is getting long. The following link is a second news and picture thread.

http://www.lestribunesroyales.com/forums/i...=ST&f=34&t=3358