The former Greek royal family has expressed “deep emotion” after the Greek government restored their citizenship.
The move ended a decades-long conflict rooted in the monarchy’s abolition in 1974 and a 1994 law that rendered them stateless.
In a statement, the family spoke of the emotional toll and loss of rights they endured after losing citizenship.
“It is with deep emotion that, after 30 years, we hold the Greek citizenship again. The law of 1994 deprived us of our citizenship, rendering us stateless with all that this entails in terms of individual rights and great emotional distress,” the statement read.
“Our father and our family fully respected the result of the 1974 referendum. However, the provision of the 1994 law on citizenship, a result of the political status at the time, was not befitting of a former head of the Greek state and an institution that served the country faithfully. The passing of our father marked the end of an era.”
Citizenship has been reinstated for 10 members, including the five children of the late King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie, and five of their grandchildren.
As part of the agreement to regain citizenship, the family adopted the surname “De Grece,” renounced royal titles, and recognised Greece as a republic.
Source: AP News
