Greece’s highest administrative court has ended a legal challenge over the status of 10 members of the country’s former royal family, ruling their Greek citizenship and use of the surname “De Grèce” are valid.
The Council of State reached the decision following closed-door deliberations, with the ruling to be formally published in the coming weeks.
The case concerns the five children of former King Constantine II and Anne-Marie, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Philippos, Theodora and Alexia De Grèce, as well as Pavlos’ five children: Achileas-Andreas, Odysseas-Kimon, Constantine-Alexios, Aristidis-Stavros and Maria-Olympia De Grèce.
The court confirmed the group holds the same rights as all Greek citizens, including voting and standing for office, as protected under Article 51 of the Constitution.
Their citizenship process began in 2024 through a declaratory act signed by Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios, under Law 2215/1994.
The law required them to accept the post-1974 constitutional order, renounce any claims tied to the monarchy and titles of nobility, and complete official registration. Court records indicate they fulfilled all conditions and declared no claims against the state.
The legal challenge was filed by Panagiotis Lazaratos, who argued the surname could revive historical class symbolism and conflict with constitutional principles.
However, the court rejected the claim, finding the surname lawful and not in breach of the constitution or existing legislation, and upheld the validity of the ministerial decisions.
The outcome effectively settles the dispute over both the family’s citizenship and their right to use the De Grèce name.
Source: Greek Reporter.
