Princess Alexandra (1968-), dau of Prince Michael


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purple_platinum

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i found this on Getty :

NEW YORK - MARCH 7: Princess Alexandra of Greece and her husband Nicolas Mirzayantz attend the New York City opera spring gala at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center on March 7, 2006 in New York City.
(Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)




Who is she? What's her background and how is she related to GRF?
 
purple_platinum said:
Princess Alexandra of Greece and her husband Nicolas Mirzayantz attend the New York City opera spring gala... March 7, 2006
Who is she? What's her background and how is she related to GRF?
Bio
HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece (1968- ), married 1998 Nicolas Mirzayantz
father:
HRH Prince Michael of Greece (1939-), son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Françoise of France; grandson of George I, King of the Hellenes
mother:
married 1965 Marina Karella (1940- ), artist
sister:
HRH Princess Olga of Greece (1971- ), engaged 2005 to HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta.
 
Warren said:
Bio
HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece (1968- ), married 1998 Nicolas Mirzayantz
father:
HRH Prince Michael of Greece (1939-), son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Françoise of France; grandson of George I, King of the Hellenes
mother:
married 1965 Marina Karella (1940- ), artist
sister:
HRH Princess Olga of Greece (1971- ), engaged 2005 to HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta.

thanks, warren.
it's funny we often see her sister, Princess Olga. she's more in the news. and it's the 1st time i've heard she has a sister..
 
she was in the vanity fair issue on young royals a few years back. I think her picture was of her in her NY apartment.
 
ravergirl said:
she was in the vanity fair issue on young royals a few years back. I think her picture was of her in her NY apartment.
Here's the link to the Vanity Fair page on Princess Alexandra.
 
She is wearing that little fur coat again:
At the Fragrance Foundation´s 34 Annual Fifi Award in New York, April 3.


Source: Gettyimages, www.gettyimages.com
 
Bio
HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece (1968- ), married 1998 Nicolas Mirzayantz
father:
HRH Prince Michael of Greece (1939-), son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Françoise of France; grandson of George I, King of the Hellenes
mother:
married 1965 Marina Karella (1940- ), artist
sister:
HRH Princess Olga of Greece (1971- ), engaged 2005 to HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta.

The daughters of Michel de Grece, Olga and Alexandra, are exquisite specimens of style and sophistication, and are well educated in result of having been reared by two people of Letters and the Arts. Having said that, these remarkable ladies are neither royal nor princesses.
The reasons are countless and I shall quote a few:
1. Even in Great Britain, the most royal among countries with royal tradition, grand children of a monarch in the male line are the last generation to be princes, and great-grand children become peers/commoners. In another age-old kingdom, Denmark, the sons of prince Joachim, the monarch's junior-line grand children are referred to as HH not HRH.
2. The Greek Constitution, in the monarchy years, made provisions only for the children of a King [Vassilo'paes, Βασιλόπαις (singular), Vassilo'paedaes, Βασιλόπαιδες (plural)] in a manner similar to that of the Spanish tradition (infantes/infantas), and made no mention whatsoever for a king's grand children.
3. Thus, if the title prince instead of vassilo'paes was/is incorrect for a Greek king's child, it would be presumptuous for a king's grand child and, imaginary for a king's great-grand child.
4. All the above notwithstanding, the two ladies' grand father, vassilo'paes Christopher of Greece, resigned his rights to the Throne when he married American heiress Nancy Leeds, cutting himself off of the line of succession. Further, there is no documentation (it didn't matter anyway) that Christopher's rights were reinstated (and how) upon his first wife's death and prior to his marriage to Francoise de Guise.
5. Assuming that Christopher's rights were legally reinstated, Michel de Grece resigned his rights (if any), as declared in the Greek Press, upon his marriage (1965) to Marina Karella, a private man's daughter who remains so.

Both in Europe and in New York's social circles, there are many personages, who are referred to as princes/ses by courtesy (like the daughters of Michel de Roumanie who were all born after their father abdicated), others presumptuously (like Mrs Miller*, wife of prince Paul, former Diadoch of Greece), and last, some who are imaginary princes/princesses.
It is very unfortunate that, despite their superior pedigree through their father, Alexandra and Olga would only be imaginary princesses, even if the monarchy was still in effect in Greece.

*In the Greek royal tradition, the only marriage of a close-to-the-Throne dynast to a commoner, that of king Alexander to Aspasia Manos, was recognized only posthumously by Royal Decree gazetted on September 10, 1922. It was only then that the king's widow, Madame Aspasia Manos, was elevated to, and became, HRH Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark and their issue, Alexandra, HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark (later queen of Yugoslavia) but even this approval took place only on a non-dynastic basis!
 
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From a strictly constitutional viewpoint the lack of "Prince"/"Princess" titles for grandchildren of a Greek Sovereign may well be correct, but common and 'Royal' usage is quite different.

For example, Princess Marina, who became the Duchess of Kent, and her sisters Olga and Elisabeth, were granddaughters of George I yet were recognised as Princesses of Greece and Denmark with the style of Royal Highness, as were the daughters of Prince Andrew. Andrew's only son of course later became the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Michael himself is a grandson of George I and I assume was recognised in the former Kingdom of Greece as a Prince. It should also be noted that there are many examples across European dynasties where the renunciation of succession rights did not (and does not) necessarily lead to an automatic loss of style and title (although I am unsure if the Greek constitution at the time had anything to say about Prince Michael's situation).

It's the same story as the political versus 'royal' recognition we have discussed elsewhere; the Almanach de Gotha lists both of Prince Michael's daughters as Princesses [of Greece and Denmark]; whether one chooses to accept that title as legitimate and valid (or not) is up to the individual.

It really gets down to distinguishing between two same but separate entities: the Royal House of the former Kingdom as defined by past and present Greek constitutional law, and the Royal House which exists separate to and independent of the Greek State.
 
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Most of King George I's grand children were raised outside Greece, during interregnums, the Ethniki Catastrophe etc. The prince Nicholas's daughters were early teenagers when they left the country and never returned and so was the case with prince Andrew's children. Prince Michael was born abroad but was sent to Greece to live with King Paul and Queen Frederika, as an orphan. He was little known to the Greek people.
In any case, these individuals were styled as princes/ses even though they had no statutory rank or title.
You are correct. The Greek Constitution at the time did not mention anything but as I indicated above, it was royal tradition and government demand to disallow members of the royal family to marry non-royals. And despite absence of restriction by the Constitution, prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos refused to acknowledge the secret wedding of King Alexander and Aspasia Manos which was deemed morganatic. And even after the Royal Decree retroactively approving of the marriage, the issue, princess Alexandra became a HRH but without dynastic rights.
Michel de Grece, although not statutorily a prince, did have rights to the throne and, as such, he was asked to resign his rights in the line of Succession when he married commoner Marina Karella. And I cannot see how one cut off of the line of Succession twice, once through an action of his father and then of his own volition, and who married morganatically could issue princes/ses of the blood.
But you are right in saying that the Greek Royal House exists (in fact, has always existed) separate to and independent of the Greek State and has observed its own rules, which it has paid dearly for, and in kind. What a waste for no reason. They were such a handsome and elegant crowd.
 
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They were such a handsome and elegant crowd.
Getting off topic, but we would probably both agree that it's a pity such appealing assets didn't go hand in hand with a greater degree of political acumen.
 
Getting off topic, but we would probably both agree that it's a pity such appealing assets didn't go hand in hand with a greater degree of political acumen.

Right on!!
I mean, think about this example: The Queen, up until 1957, and in her addresses to the people of Britain and the Realms, and in the Opening of Parliament, would always say "The Duke of Edinburgh and I", because prince Philip was not a prince at that time and it was not until the government came up with the appropriate wording (even though still semasiologically wrong*) and she agreed, and after it was gazetted and he was statutorily elevated to a prince, that she started saying, "Prince Philip and I". How about that!
That's sensitivity and sensibility and compliance with the will of the People as represented by their Government as well as compliance with tradition - the key, which needs not necessarily be in the form of a constitution or statute!
And I remind myself of king Farouk's say, "the last kings to remain in the next century will be the sovereign of the United Kingdom and that of the playing cards".

I thoroughly enjoy interacting with you!

*What is semasiologically wrong with prince Philip's title (HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) is the usage of the capitalized definite article The, which is normally restricted to children of monarchs. So, from the historic perspective, it should be HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
 
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Princess Alexandra of Greece attends the Luca Luca Brunch and Viewing of the Spring and
Summer 2008 Collection which benefits The New York City Opera Family Benefit at the Luca
Luca Store on October 18, 2007 in New York. (Photo by Getty Images for Luca Luca)

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **
 
Dose Alexandra poses a tiara-is she entitled to wear one?.
 
But dose the family have any jewels from the French or Greek side? any pictures.
 
But dose the family have any jewels from the French or Greek side? any pictures.

I am sure they do. Prince Michael is the son of the last child and fifth son of king George I of Greece, prince Christopher of Greece, technically a rather irrelevant royal personage, but son of an important French princess, Francoise de Guise, a grand daughter of a Comte de Paris (through her mother), a daughter of a Comte de Paris and a sister of a Comte de Paris. She was wealthy.
 
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I always believed that both Alexandra and Olga are the most elegant ladies I've ever seen.It seems that it comes from their nature and no title or money can buy it.Well done,ladies!!
 
I do not understand it.

MIGUEL IS princes of Greece, but their children are not Princess of Greece.

On the website of the Royal Family Greek, THEY ARE NOT members of the Royal House of Greece.

IT is not fair, because Princess Alexia is the daughter of Kings, grandson of Kings, and their children ARE NOT princes of Greece.I think:


iN THE FUTURE, Prince Nicole will marry and will have children, would it be fair that VANITTY FAIR would say that his children are not princes?.
is it fair?
It breaks the traditional rules of the European monarchies.
 
Princess Alexandra of Greece is a great-granddaughter of a Greek King through a collateral line and is the product of an "non-dynastic" marriage. Alexandra's mother is known as Marina Karella, not "HRH Princess Michael" and her husband gave up his right to the throne on his marriage.

Princess Alexandra's generational position as a King's great-granddaughter is the same as Lady Rose Windsor [Gilman], Lady Helen Taylor and Lady Gabriella Windsor in Britain. In the Netherlands the children of the Queen's sons (apart from the children of the Prince of Orange), are mere counts and countesses. In Denmark the sons of Joachim have the lesser style of HH rather than HRH and in Norway the son of the Crown Prince is a prince with no style at all. In Spain the great-grandson of King Alfonso XIII, Luis Alfonso de Bourbon, has no position in the Spanish Royal Family, and no official Spanish title.

Liechtenstein, in common with the German and Austrian Houses, is the only reigning House where we see the Princely style and title carried on for generation after generation without apparent limitation, providing the marriage of the parents is approved by the Reigning Prince.

So, it's not a break with tradition and it's not so unusual.

I would imagine that any children of Prince Nikolaus will be Princes and Princesses of Greece with the style of HRH. If they are to carry different titles, or none at all, it will be up to his father the King to make the decision.
 
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I can't wait to see new photos of Alexandra and her family from her sister's wedding.All of them have attended it.I know that she has 2 sons and they live in USA.Does anyone know if her husband is Greek or at least,half-Greek?
 
I know he is not half or full Greek but I really forget what exactly his ancestry is. It sounds a bit French but I may be totally wrong. They live in New York City. They were married in Venice. Romantic wedding the two ladies had. Isn't it?
 
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Princess Alexandra of Greece at a screening dinner for
Lee Daniel's film "Precious", hosted by Marcia and Richard
Mishaan, September 4, 2009, Sagaponek, New York.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **
 
I believe Princess Alexandra s husband is of Armenian origin.
 
Nicolas Mirzayantz and wife Princess Alexandra of Greece
at the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards, New York, June 7, 2010


** Pic **
 
i think alexandra is a beautiful lady. she looks very greek to me. is she cousins with alexia, pavlos and nicolas?

gregory
 
The way we count cousins here in Greece she is King Constantine's second cousin , which makes her Alexia's , Nicolaos' and Pavlos' aunt . :flowers:
 
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