Fifty years after the political transition and the 1974 referendum that decisively established Greece as a republic with 69.18% voting in favor, descendants of the deposed King Constantine II of Greece, who refer to themselves as “Princes of Greece,” and their children applied for Greek citizenship and the surname “De Grecia”.
However, Anna-Maria, former queen consort of Greece, chose not to follow suit.
Speculation Surrounds Her Decision to Decline Greek Citizenship
According to To Vima, this decision might be linked to her desire to retain her royal titles as a member of the Danish royal family. When asked about her decision, Anna-Maria was firm: “I am not interested.”
Beyond official reasons like titles, it appears there are deeper personal motives behind her choice.
Anna-Maria has had little connection with Greece, a country that welcomed her but never fully accepted her or her husband. Her husband’s name remains associated with the political instability of the 1960s, which culminated in the colonels’ dictatorship and the suspension of democracy.
Despite this, Anna-Maria remains the president of the Anna-Maria Foundation, which manages the €13.7 million compensation paid by the Greek state for the so-called “royal properties.” This sum was drawn from Greece’s “natural disaster” fund and was allocated to the former king as compensation.
Anna Maria was born in Copenhagen as the daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and sister of former Danish Queen Margrethe.
