Engagement of Princess Theodora of Greece and Matthew Kumar - November 16, 2018


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Congratulations to the couple!!. I really like Princess Theodora. I think the wedding could take place in London, Queen Elizabeth is the godmother of Theodora. Will there be a press conference of the couple? Where will it be, in Greece?.
Congratulations!!!
 
I read this in a group of facebook, the person who wrote it seems to have investigated the subject. she says: Matthew's mother is 65 years old, Matthew has three brothers. Matthew's father could have his origins in India. Theodora's best friend, her family is origin from India, she married in Texas in 2016, Princess theodora was in this wedding, Theodora published the photo with Matthew. This friend is who could have presented Matthew to Theodora.
I have been able to contrast some data of this commentary, I found data of Matthew's mother, at a kind of telephone guide, she is 65 years old(it is true) . Theodora's friend is Monica, and her father is of Indian origin, her mother is from the United States, she married in 2016 by the Hindu rite. Monica and her husband were spending a few days on vacation with King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie in Porto Heli, in 2016.
This is not much information, it is the little I have found.
 
Last edited:
According to information in Ancestry, Shalendra "Sam" Kumar was born in Fiji on 28 July 1954, married Yolanda Sherry Richards in Clark County, Nevada on 2 September 1978, and became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. on 22 November 1985 in the District Court of Los Angeles, California. At that time he was a resident of Simi Valley, California. His wife Yolanda Sherry Richards was born 10 November 1953.

The California Birth Index 1905-1995 shows the births of two children surnamed Kumar whose mother's maiden surname was Richards: Reggie Samuel Kumar (born 17 April 1978 in Los Angeles County) and Matthew Jeremiah Kumar (born 15 Dec 1983 in Ventura County). Matthew is of course Princess Theodora's fiancé.
 
I found a website with this information from Matthew's mother, Age: 65 , and people related to her, Shalendra Kumar, Reggie Kumar, Catalina Kumar, Gie Kumar and Matthew Kumar. Shalendra is the husband, Reggie, is the brother of Matthew, but I thought that Catalina and Gie Kumar were her sisters???.
I am reading that , the population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, (54.3%), and Indian (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract laborers brought to the islands by the British colonial powers. The first religion is Christianity and the second Hinduism.?
In short, I think Beltraneja and Gawin are saying the same thing.;):flowers:
 
stef said:
I found a website with this information from Matthew's mother, Age: 65 , and people related to her, Shalendra Kumar, Reggie Kumar, Catalina Kumar, Gie Kumar and Matthew Kumar. Shalendra is the husband, Reggie, is the brother of Matthew, but I thought that Catalina and Gie Kumar were her sisters???.
I am reading that , the population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, (54.3%), and Indian (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract laborers brought to the islands by the British colonial powers. The first religion is Christianity and the second Hinduism.?
In short, I think Beltraneja and Gawin are saying the same thing.;):flowers:
Click to expand...

I think Gie is a nickname for Reggie.
 
Catalina may be the wife of Reggie.
 
And it looks like Reggie was born a few months before his parents got married.
 
We could very well see a gathering of the Danish and Spanish cousins at the wedding next year.
 
Last edited:
An Ard Ri said:
We could very well see a fathering of the Danish and Spanish cousins at the wedding next year.
Click to expand...

A fathering of the Danish and Spanish cousins... ? sounds complicated.

Seconds later I realized that you surely meant gathering :D
 
Has a date or venue been announced for the wedding?
 
Slowly I start to wonder what' s going on.....
 
I think it's strange, too. I think they must have postponed the wedding for next year, but the reason is unknown.
 
Makes sense. It is where her brother Nikolaus married. And its a short ferry ride from where Constantine and Anne-Marie live in Porto Cheli.
 
I had forgotten all about poor Theodora's engagement!

Why the long delay? Does the groom need to first be instructed and received into the Orthodox Church perhaps? Are the Greek Royal Family lawyers drawing up prenups and other legal documents for him to sign before the wedding can take place?
 
Moonmaiden23 said:
I had forgotten all about poor Theodora's engagement!

Why the long delay? Does the groom need to first be instructed and received into the Orthodox Church perhaps? Are the Greek Royal Family lawyers drawing up prenups and other legal documents for him to sign before the wedding can take place?
Click to expand...

Some couples choose to have a longer engagement, even up to 2 years.

The possible pre-nups would certainly not have taken this long.

If he Chose to convert to Oxthodox it may be a reason, it can take up to a year to go through instruction. But there is no requirement for him to do so.
 
CyrilVladisla said:
What denomination/religion/faith is Matthew?
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any confirmation what he is. We know his father was born in Fiji and is of Indian descent. His mother is American. Even if he was raised Christian, he wouldn't have been raised in the Greek Orthodox faith.

But the Greek orthodox church doesn't require conversion.
 
:previous: True, but none of the GRF have married outside their faith. Tatiana and Marie-Chantal converted to Orthodoxy before their weddings.

So even though it's not a requirement of the Church, it's like to be an expectation by the family...even though an unspoken one.
 
It's certainly possible that's what the "hold up" has been. It's also highly possible there were other personal or professional (or both) reasons for an 18 month engagement. Whilst it's long my modern royal standards it's not that long.

I imagine that the family might prefer it if he was Greek Orthodox but in interfaith marriages or where one of the couple considers converting it has to be best for them not their wider family otherwise resentment sets in from the start.
 
Moonmaiden23 said:
:previous: True, but none of the GRF have married outside their faith. Tatiana and Marie-Chantal converted to Orthodoxy before their weddings.

So even though it's not a requirement of the Church, it's like to be an expectation by the family...even though an unspoken one.
Click to expand...

Did Carlos Morales Quintana also 'convert' from (most likely) Roman Catholic to Greek Orthodox? Their marriage was Orthodox as were the baptisms of their children if I am not mistaken.
 
:previous: Good question! I know their wedding ceremony was Orthodox and yes, their children have been baptized Greek Orthodox.
 
Neither wedding or baptism in the Greek Orthodox church would require both the couple to be of the Orthodox faith.

There was likely more at least internal pressure with Pavlos and Nikolai. Even though they no longer have a throne, the Greek royals hold to their titles (and do have their Danish ones). Any woman marrying into the royal family became a princess, and considered a member of the RF. It was likely seen as important that they carry on the faith.

Alexia and Theodora's husbands are/will not be members of the RF. There wont be the same pressure likely internally for them to have converted.

Like weddings, baptizing children doesn't require for both parents to be Greek Orthodox. Theodora could marry in the church, and baptize her kids Greek Orthadox, without her husband converting.


I don't think we will know either. I don't see conversion being made public. I find no information one way or the other if Alexia's husband did.
 
Conversion is not necessary, an orthodox person can marry a person who belongs to another faith, this is not a problem today, it is not necessary a religious conversion event.

I see it more as an act of loyalty to the Greek Royal Family, I believe that in the case of Marie Chantal, the conversion was "mandatory", she is the Crown Princess of the Royal House, and in the rest, Carlos and Tatiana has been more a question of "tradition", I don't know how I could describe it ... but it has been something "voluntary".

The conversion to the Orthodox rite of Princess Marie-chantal was in New York, and that of Carlos and Tatiana was in London , it is a private act.

If the future husband of theodora voluntarily decides, not to change his religion, then two ceremonies must be held.

For example:
Markos Nomikos and Princess Victoria of Borborn-two Sicilies, she did not convert, married for the Catholic rite in Spain, and a week later in Athens for the Orthodox rite.

With Princess Theodora there could be TWO CEREMONIES.
 
I vaguely remember hearing that Carlos did not convert and as a result Princess Alexia and her children are not in the line of succession to the British throne while the rest of the family is.
 
stef said:
Conversion is not necessary, an orthodox person can marry a person who belongs to another faith, this is not a problem today, it is not necessary a religious conversion event.

I see it more as an act of loyalty to the Greek Royal Family, I believe that in the case of Marie Chantal, the conversion was "mandatory", she is the Crown Princess of the Royal House, and in the rest, Carlos and Tatiana has been more a question of "tradition", I don't know how I could describe it ... but it has been something "voluntary".

The conversion to the Orthodox rite of Princess Marie-chantal was in New York, and that of Carlos and Tatiana was in London , it is a private act.

If the future husband of theodora voluntarily decides, not to change his religion, then two ceremonies must be held.

For example:
Markos Nomikos and Princess Victoria of Borborn-two Sicilies, she did not convert, married for the Catholic rite in Spain, and a week later in Athens for the Orthodox rite.

With Princess Theodora there could be TWO CEREMONIES.
Click to expand...

I am not sure that two ceremonies 'must' be held if they don't share the same denomination. While the Catholic church might require a 'catholic marriage' for it to be accepted as a valid marriage - and an orthodox marriage would be expected of a Greek princess, the Anglican/Episcopal and all/most other protestant churches do not require additional ceremonies for it to be valid/recognized by the church. And I am not aware of any information suggesting that Matthew is Roman Catholic (as far as I know, his religious affiliation is unknown; although it is unlikely that he grew up Greek Orthodox).
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Marengo
Princess Theodora of Greece and Matthew Kumar - 28 Sept. 2024
6 7 8
Replies
211
Views
32K
Moonmaiden23
Moonmaiden23
iceflower
Engagement of Prince Philippos of Greece and Nina Flohr: Summer 2020
2
Replies
33
Views
10K
iceflower
iceflower
Blog Real
Photos of Royal Engagement Announcements
Replies
15
Views
6K
An Ard Ri
An Ard Ri

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom