Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, known as the historian and writer under the pseudonym Michel de Grece, passed away at the age of 85 in an Athens hospital on Sunday, Greek media reported.
He was the last surviving grandson of King George I of Greece and the last surviving great-grandson of King Christian X of Denmark. The Prince was also a first cousin of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
His funeral will take place on August 1, 2024 in Athens.
Prince Michael was born on January 7, 1939 in Rome, Italy, the son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and Princess Françoise d’Orléans of France. He grew up mostly abroad, in exile, and was an orphan from the age of 15. The prince served in the Greek coast guard.
The Prince was also widely known as a writer. He is the author of several bestselling historical novels.
His career as a writer and historian began in 1970, and he worked tirelessly every day, either writing or researching on the wide variety of historical topics that occupied him, from Greece to the Ottoman Empire, Louis and the Kings. He was able to balance his stories on the fine line between truth and fiction.
Prince Michael was married to Marina Carella, who gave him two daughters, Princess Alexandra and Princess Olga. They had four grandchildren.
