What’s shaping up to be the “wedding of the year” on Friday between Nikolaos, the second-born son of the late former (1964-74) king of Greece Constantine, and Chrysí Vardinogianni, a younger member of the east Mediterranean country’s well-known Vardinogiannis family of industrialists and shipowners, is attracting increased press attention, especially by “royal watchers”.
The nuptials will take place on Friday at the picturesque and historic middle Byzantine-era chapel of St. Nicholas – Aghios Nikolaos Ragava in Greek – located just off the northeast slope of the Acropolis in downtown Athens, in the eponymous old quarter district of Plaka.
For Nikolaos, who along with his adult siblings and mother, Anne Maria, added the surname “De Grece” recently to acquire Greek citizenship, the marriage will be his second. It is the second also for Chrysí, the daughter of Giorgos Vardinogiannis, a former merchant marine master, and shipping and football executive, part of the Vardinogiannis family from Crete, which founded and still controls the Motor Oil petrochemical concern, among others.
Constantine-Alexios, left, is shown walking in Athens behind his mother, Marie-Chantal.
All of Nikolaos’ siblings, including his older brother, Pavlos, and the latter’s children, will attend. However, it’s Pavlos’ oldest son, styled as “Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece and Denmark”, and now listed as Konstantinos Alexios De Grece on the national registrar, who is drawing particular attention – besides the actual groom and bride-to-be.
According to media reports in Athens this week, Constantine-Alexios, 27, will remain in Greece to fulfil his mandatory military service – in light of recently acquiring Greek citizenship.
Speaking on Mega Channel’s “Buongiorno” morning talk show this week, author and journalist Christos Zambounis, who has covered the specific royal family extensively, revealed that Constantine-Alexios De Grece is awaiting his notification from the military to report. Zambounis also said the grandson of the former monarch may voluntarily choose to train for an assignment in the special forces.
Constantine-Alexios, called “Tino” by his friends and previously identified as a painter and sculptor in some press articles, is the eldest son and second child of Pavlos and Marie-Chantal Claire Miller, the daughter of Robert Warren Miller, one of the co-founders of the Duty Free Shops chain.
