Funeral service for former King Constantine II of the Hellenes

The funeral service for former King Constantine II of the Hellenes, who died on 10 January 2023, 82 years old, took place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Monday 16 January 2023, followed by burial at the royal cemetery at Tatoi. 

I wrote last Wednesday that «It is expected that the funeral will be attended by members of Europe's current and past royal and princely families, including Spain, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania». I had somehow feared that many reigning European royal families, except for those with the closest relations, would not be represented in order not to stepping on the toes of the Greek govenment, due to EU and NATO connections etc. I had obviously not thought through this fear or sort of analysis well enough. The funeral turned out to be an impressive gathering of people who wantged to say good bye to a former king and dear relative and friend.

I have tried to compile a survey of royals attending the funeral service, based on the official websites and other sources, such as various TV clips posted on Twitter during the day, Nobiliana.de etc.  Among the members of the Greek royal family attending the funeral were Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Constantine-Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Odyseus-Kimon, Prince Aristidis-Stavros, Princess Alexia, Carlos Morales y Quintana, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Tatiana, Princess Theodora, Matthew Kumar, Prince Philippos, Princess Nina, Princess Irene, the latter the younger sister of the late king, Prince Michael and his wife Marina Karella and their eldest daughter Princess Alexandra and her husband.

Other royal families

Belgium

• King Philippe and Queen Mathilde

Denmark

• Queen Margrethe II
• Crown Prince Frederik
• Prince Joachim
• Princess Benedikte

Jordan

• Queen Noor Al Hussein
• Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein
• Princess Sarvath El Hassan

Liechtenstein

• Princess Margaretha

Luxembourg 

• Grand Duke Henri

Monaco

• Prince Albert II

Netherlands

• King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima 
• Princess Beatrix

Norway 

• Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• Princess Märtha Louise*

Spain

• King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
• King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia (sister of King Constantine)
• Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo
• Infanta Cristina

Sweden

• King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia
• Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnusson*

United Kingdom**

• Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence

Former monarchies

Baden

• Margrave Bernhard and Margravine Stephanie

Bulgaria

• King Simeon II

Hannover***

• Hereditary Prince Ernst August and Hereditary Princess Ekaterina
• Prince Christian and Princess Alessandra

Iran

• Empress Farah Pahlavi

Romania****

• Radu Duda (Prince Radu)

Russia

• Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

• Princess Alexandra

Schleswig-Holstein

• Prince Alexander

Serbia

• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine

Other dignitaries

Greece

• Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos
• Culture Minister Lina Mendoni

According to eKathimerini.com about 200 people attended the funeral service, while 60 of them followed the coffin to the Tatoi royal cemetery. A mermorial dinner took place in Athens later on Monday.

* Princess Märtha Louise does not represent the royal house at the funeral service, cf. the official website, but rather herself. Because she is a princess I have put her in the official section. The same goes for Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnusson

** Lady Gabriella Kingston, who was one of the late king's godchildren, was present for the funeral service. As she is not a royal she is not listed here. It has been stated that she represented the Prince of Wales at the funeral.

*** Chantal Hochuli, formerly Princess of Hannover, mother of Prince Ernst August and Prince Christian, also attended the funeral service.

**** Nicholas de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills, formerly styled Prince Nicholas of Romania), also attended the lying in prior to the funeral service.

Updated on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at 07:45 (added Princess Raiyah in the Jordan section as well as footnotes *** and ****), then at  09:55 (updated footnote ****), last time updated on Monday 23 January 2023 at 09:25 (Schleswigh-Holstein added).

Former King Constantine II of the Hellenes (1940–2023)

Former King Constsantine II of the Hellenes, who was born in Psychiko, a suburb of the capital of Athens on 2 June 1940, died at the private Hygeia Hospital in Marousi outside Athens in the evening of 10 January 2023, 82 years old.

Constantine succeeded to the throne of Greece on the death of his father King Paul on 6 March 1964. After a failed counter-coup against the military rulers (the junta) in December 1967, the king and his family went into exile. In 1973 the junta declared Greece a republic. In 1974, following the downfall of the junta, the new leaders called a referendum to settle the question of the form of government. About 69 % of the electorate voted in favour of a republic. The King was not allowed back into the country before the referendum to defend his cause and was only able to hold a televised speech from London, but the republican majority was so strong that it is very doubtful that the outcome had been different if the king had been allowed to go home. The king's meddling in politics might have caused too many people to turn against him.

The former king and his family lived for many years at Hampstead, London. For many years the king was not allowed to visit his homeland, but the authorities let him make a brief stay in 1981 when his mother was buried at Tatoi, and could not stop him from visiting Athens during the Olympic Games in 2004 due to his role as a member of the International Olympic Committee. For many years the king was in conflict with the Greek authorities over property rights and citizenship. In 2013 the king received compensation (€12 millions) after winning the property case he had brought to the European Court of Human Righs. 2013 was also the year he returned to Greece for good, buying a house in Porto Cheli in the region of Argolis. As his health declined, he sold his villa and moved to Athens in 2021 to be closer to better health facilities there. 

King Constantine II died the day before the 100th anniversary of the death of his grandfather King Constantine I (1868–1923).

Marriage and family

King Constantine married in 1964 in Athens his 3rd cousin Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, by whom he had five children and 9 grandchildren. His eldest son Pavlos (Paul) succeeds him as head of the Greek Royal Family.

Royal relations

Due to his Danish, German and Russian ancestry the king was related to all the other royal and princely families in Europe. He was a brother-in-law to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the elder sister of his wife, and to the former King Juan Carlos of Spain, who was married to his sister Sofia. He was a 2nd cousin to King Charles III of the United Kingdom and a 3rd cousin to King Harald V of Norway.

Condolences

The Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has extended his sincere condolences to the king's family, but did not make much effort to hide his views on the history of the Greek monarchy and the late king's role in it. He has been quoted as saying that «The eventful life of former king Constantine marked and was marked by turbulent moments in the country’s modern history. The wounds were healed by the choices, the free conscience and the maturity of the Greek people. His passing is, on a human level, the formal epilogue to a chapter that was closed and done with the 1974 referendum.»

The Danish Royal Court has issued the following statement:

It is with great sorrow that HM The Queen and The Royal Family have received the announcement that HM King Konstantin II of Greece passed away on Tuesday evening.

At this time, The Royal Family’s thoughts are with HM Queen Anne-Marie and the entire Greek family.

King Konstantin was born in Greece in 1940 as the son of King Paul and Queen Frederikke. King Konstantin assumed the Greek throne after his father in 1964 and was married to the Danish Princess Anne-Marie the same year.

The Royal Couple lived in Rome and London respectively from 1967 to 2013, after which they again settled in Greece.

In 1974, the monarchy in Greece was abolished by a national referendum.

The flags at Amalienborg are flying at half-mast today.

The Office of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia has released the following statement at its website:

With great sadness, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine received the very sad news that their dear cousin, Godfather and friend, HM King Constantine II of Hellenes passed away yesterday, 10 January 2023, in Athens, Greece.

Relations between the Royal families of Greece and Serbia have always been marked with sincere and cordial friendship and deep family bonds. HM King Constantine II was the best man at TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine’s wedding in 1985, and His Majesty was also the Godfather of the Crown Prince’s sons, HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Prince Alexander. Also, the daughter of the late King of Greece, HRH Princess Theodora, is HRH Crown Prince Alexander’s Godchild.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander and the Royal family of Serbia send their condolences and deepest sympathy to HM Queen Anne-Marie, late King’s sisters HM Queen Sophia of Spain, and HRH Princess Irene of Greece, his children HRH Crown Prince Pavlos, HRH Princess Alexia, HRH Prince Nikolaos, HRH Princess Theodora, and HRH Prince Philippos, and all the other members of the Royal family of Greece for their extremely sad loss.

During these most difficult moments, the Royal Family of Serbia shares grief and pain for the passing of His Majesty and sends prayers to the Lord to remember the late King in His mercy. HM King Constantine II will be greatly missed, but the memory of him will be kept forever, with great love and respect.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander was also in close family relations with the late HM King Constantine II. Crown Prince Alexander’s maternal grandfather HM King Alexander of Greece who married Aspasia Manos, was the brother of HM King Paul of Greece, HM King Constantine II’s father.

Crown Prince Alexander was a first cousin once removed to King Constantine.

Funeral service

The Greek government discussed earlier today whether «a state funeral is appropriate», but decided against it. The funeral will therefore be private. Considering the fact that the Greek government offers a state funeral to other former heads of state, as for instance when former president Karolos Papoulias died in 2021, it is quite telling that the late king was refused one. Although the king was a controversial figure, one could have hoped that the government would show more generosity towards a man who always had Greece and his people close at heart. Shouldn't the authorities show more confidence in its republic after so many years? 

The funeral service will take place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Monday 16 January 2023, followed by burial at the royal cemetery at Tatoi. It is expected that the funeral will be attended by members of Europe's current and past royal and princely families, including Spain, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Royalty Digest Quarterly no. 3, 2021

I received the third issue of Royalty Digest Quarterly ages ago, and as the fourth issue is just around the corner, I thought it was on time to write a few words. I have several periodicals in line to be commented on, so stay tuned for the next few weeks ...

My first impression: What a beautiful cover! Both the greyish-blue cover and the photo – of the coronation of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil on 1 December 1822 in the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro – look great. The photo is followed up by Charlotte Zeepvat's article  The Imperial House of Brazil – A Family Album. Besides the introduction to the Brazilian imperial family the readers can enjoy nearly 100 illustrations of various family members and residences. There are many reasons why I would like to visit Brazil one day – the imperial summer palace at Petrópolis is one of them – it just looks splendid! In addition to the illustrations there are also four pages of genealogical tables.

Charlotte Zeepvat's second contribition is the article A Long Chain of Persecutions. Princess Luise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein and Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia. Part I: A Divided Family. The couple in question is Princess Luise Sophie (1866–1952), the sixth child of Duke Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1829–1880), by his wife Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1835–1900). Luise Sophie married in 1889 Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1865–1931). Her elder sister Auguste Viktoria (1858–1921) was the first wife of Emperor Wilhelm II (1859–1941), and who caused the long chain of persecutions. It is almost unbelieveble how badly treated the princess and her husband were. I look forward to reading the second part.

Other articles:

• Memorials to Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse by Elizabeth Jane Timms
• A Devoted Servant – Albert Latapie by Alberto Penna Rodrigues
• Tombs, Graves and Monuments in Thurungia. V: Schwarzburg-Sondershausen by Ove Mogensen
• Little-Known Royals. Prince Peter of Greece by Coryne Hall
• The World Wide Web of Royalty. Births, marriages, deaths and other events in the Royal Families of Europe

The latter column includes news from Austria, Bentheim-Steinfurt, Liechtenstein. Schaumburg-Lippe and Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The aforementioned Albert Latapie (b. 1877) was employed by Princess Isabel of Brazil and her husband Count d'Eu and their children. The article contains extracts of his memoirs.

All in all the issue had several most readable articles and fortunately I don't have to wait long for the fourth and last issue of 2021 to arrive.

Information about Royalty Digest Quarterly can be found at its editor's website Royalbooks.se. See earlier presentations of RDQ here. See also its Facebook page.

UK: Record of Prince Philip's birth at Corfu

The Mail on Sunday has taken the trouble of locating the church book in which the then Prince Philip of Greece's birth and christening was recorded. [External link]

Prince Philip was born at the royal estate of Mon Repos on 10 June 1921 (28 May in the old Julian calendar) and baptized in the Church of Our Christ the Saviour,

The record is dated 24 October 1921 (i.e. 14 November 1921, Gregorian calendar).

UK: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021)

Buckingham Palace announced on Friday 9 April 2021 the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II:

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

Further announcements will be made in due course.  

The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.   

Prince Philip (Filippos), who died two months short of his 100th birthday, was born on at Corfu in Greece on 10 June 1921 as the fifth and youngest child and only son of Prince Andreas of Greece (1882–1944) and Princess Alice, née Princess of Battenberg (1885–1969). In 1922 the family was forced into excile and Prince Philip grew up in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. After leaving Gordonstoun School in Scotland in 1939 he joined the British Royakl Navy and served in the British forces during WW2. In 1947 Prince Philip was naturalized as a British subject, he abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles (there is till a question mark on how this was made legal in Greece and Denmark) and took the surname Mountbatten (an Anglization of his mother's Battenberg family name). On 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey, London he married Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. from 1952 Queen Elizabeth II, eldest daughter of King George VII (1895–1952) and Queen Elizabeth, née Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002). He received the style Royal Highness and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. In 1957 he was created Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Prince Philip left behind his wife of 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II, his four children Charles (the Prince of Wales), Anne (the Princess Royal), Andrew (the Duke of York) and Edward (the Earl of Wessex), 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. His titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich were upon his death inherited by the Prince of Wales in accordance with the Letters Patent of 1947). See my blog article of 10 March 2019 for details of the title Duke of Edinburgh, which in due time will be bestowed on the Earl of Wessex.

Prince Philip's death didn't come as a big surprise, as he looked very frail when he left hospital last month. But I kind of expected that he would at least say on and have his big day on 10 June when he was to turn 100. But unfortunately we lost him yesterday. It is almost impossible to write a blog article which gives justice to such a grand man, who was the longest-serving consort of a British monarch. He dedicated his life to the British Crown and people. When he decided to retire from public life in 2017, we learnt that he had carried out 22,191 solo engagements since 1952. The number speaks volumes. He will perhaps first of all be remembered for his supporting role to Queen Elizabeth. As the Queen said herself during the celebrations of the couple's golden anniversary in 1997: «He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and manybother countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.»

We will remember his smile and sparkle in the eye and all his witty remarks. Yes, he crossed the line a few times, he was far from perfect, but he was first of all a funny and generous man who will be sadly missed by his family and by everyone who cares about the British royal family and monarchy.

Salute

Gun salutes have been fired across the United Kingdom and in Gibraltar at noon today marking the death of Prince Philip. The British always do it proplerly, as described in The Telegraph: «Saluting batteries began firing 41 rounds at one round every minute from midday on Saturday in cities including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well from Royal Navy warships.»

Tributes

Current and former heads of state, other diginitaries and politicians all over the world have expressed their condolences following the news of Prince Philip's death. The statement at the website of the Norwegian Royal Family said yesterday:

The Duke of Edinburgh

The Royal Family has received the news that His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has passed away with great sorrow.

“Our thoughts are with Queen Elizabeth and the rest of her family. We also send our condolences to the British people,” said His Majesty King Harald.

His Majesty has decided that a flag will be flown at half-mast from the Palace balcony today and on the day of the funeral.

Sweden: 

Following the death of HRH The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh HM The King has made a statement:

The Queen and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip has been a great friend of our family for many years, a relation which we have deeply valued.

His service to his country will remain an inspiration to us all.

We offer our sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen, The Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.

CARL GUSTAF

The Queen of Denmark has also sent her condolences to Queen Elizabeth. The head of the Serbian Royal Family, Crown Prince Alexander, has paid the following tributes:

Their Royal Highnesses saddened by the passing of Prince Philip

TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine and the entire Royal Family received with great sadness the news that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, godmother of the Crown Prince, passed away today.

The whole life of Prince Philip was dedicated to the service of the British Crown and the people. He is survived by his wife, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, four children, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Prince Philip was the son of the Greek and Danish Prince Andrew, the brother of the Greek King Constantine, the maternal great-grandfather of the Crown Prince Alexander.

Crown Prince Alexander and the Royal Family had a good cousin, a sincere friend in the late Duke, whose memory will live forever. His departure will create a great void in the hearts of all who knew him.

The British Prime minister, Boris Johnson, gave a televised statement which can be read here. He said among others that «Prince Philip earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth and around the world.» 

The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, expressed among others: «A man of great service to others – first as a decorated naval officer and later as a dedicated leader in the areas of community engagement and philanthropy – the Duke always sought out the best in people and challenged them to strive for greater heights.» 

Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison said: «Your Majesty, here in Australia, and indeed across the world, your Commonwealth family joins in your sorrow and your mourning and that of your family. But also, we give thanks for the life of who you described as your strength and your stay. Your Prince, Prince Philip. Husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. The Duke's life was one of duty and of service, of loyalty and of honour. Memories of him will of course tell stories of his candour, and a unique and forceful and authentic personality. But above all, he was a man who was steadfast, who could be relied upon, always standing by his Queen.»

President Joe Biden gave the following statement:

On behalf of all the people of the United States, we send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the entire Royal Family, and all the people of the United Kingdom on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Over the course of his 99-year life, he saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly. From his service during World War II, to his 73 years alongside the Queen, and his entire life in the public eye — Prince Philip gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family. The impact of his decades of devoted public service is evident in the worthy causes he lifted up as patron, in the environmental efforts he championed, in the members of the Armed Forces that he supported, in the young people he inspired, and so much more. His legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavors he shaped.

Jill and I are keeping the Queen and Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in our hearts during this time.

Every living former US presidents have also expressed their condolences, as summed up on the website of BBC News.

Selected obituaries

• The Telegraph
• The Guardian
• BBC News

Funeral

Details of Prince Philip's funeral have yet to be published. According to his own wishes, it will be a relatively low-key service at the St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Covid-19 restrictions will also hae an impact on the service and the number of people attending will be smaller than originally planned. The prince will first be interred in the royal family vault beneath the chapel, and then later be transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel following the death of the queen.

Updated on Thursday 15 April 2021 at 20:15 (more precise details concerning Prince Philip's interment added).

Prince Philippos of Greece to marry Nina Flohr

The office of the former King of the Hellenes today announced the engagement between Prince Philippos of Greece and Nina Nastassja Flohr. According to Hello Magazine the announcement said:

Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie are delighted to announce the engagement of their youngest son HRH Prince Philippos to Nina Nastassja Flohr, daughter of Thomas Flohr and Katharina Flohr.

Nina and Philippos were engaged on the island of Ithaca in Greece earlier this summer.

The details of their wedding will be announced in due course.

The website of the Royal Greek Family has not yet published the statement. Prince Philippos, b. 1986, is the youngest son and child of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie. He is currently working as a hedge fund analyst residing in New York, while Nina Flohr, b. 1987, the daughter of the Swiss businessman Thomas Fohr and his former wife Katharina Konečný, has worked as a creative director of his dad's private jet charter company VistaJet and is currently listed as a director of Dodeca Holding Ltd.

Due to the pandemic it is still unknown when the couple will tie the knot. Prince Philippos' sister Princess Theodora was in November 2018 engaged to Matthew Kumar, but the wedding has yet to take place due to the pandemic.

Sources: See links. Some information or links has also been gathered from the message board Nobiliana.de (Greece/Flohr, EAG 2020, 1 September 2020).

Prince Michael of Greece's new website

A corredondent has made me aware of the author Prince Michael of Greece's new website, http://www.princemichaelofgreece.com/. Besides a biography and a list of his published works, you will also find many nice and interesting photos.

Prince Michael, b. 1939, is the son of Prince Christopher of Greece and his second wife Françoise, née Princess d'Orleans. Prince Michael was married to Marina Karella in 1965 and has two daughters, Alexandra and Olga, as well as 5 grandchildren. Prince Michael is a first cousin to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as well as a first cousin once removed to the head of the Greek royal family, the former King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

Memorial service for Princess Margarita of Baden

A memorial service for Princess Margarita of Baden, who died on 15 January 2013, was held at the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava in London today, 24 January 2013.

In attendance were, cf. the Office of Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, among others:

• Prince Nicholas (Nikola) of Yugoslavia (son of Princess Margarita)
• Princess Maria (Marija) of Yugoslavia (daughter of Prince Nicholas)
• Princess Katerina of Yugoslavia
• Victoria de Silva (daughter of Princess Katerina) 
• Sir Desmond de Silvia (former husband of Princess Katerina)
• Margrave Maximilian (Max) of Baden (brother of the deceased)
• Margravine Valerie of Baden
• Princess Marie Louise of Baden (daughter of the Margrave)
• Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden (eldest son of the Margrave)
• Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden
• Prince Leopold of Baden (younger son of the Margrave)
• Prince Michael of Baden (younger son of the Margrave)
• Prince Ludwig of Baden (brother of the deceased)
• Princess Anna Maria (Marianne/"Mandi") of Baden (wife of the former)
• Prince Berthold of Baden (son of Prince Ludwig)
• Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (Serbia)
• Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
• Prince Philip of Yugoslavia
• Prince Philip of the United Kingdom (the Duke of Edinburgh) (uncle of the deceased)
• Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• Princess Sarvath of Jordan with her two daughters

The service was officiated by Bishop Dositej of Great Britain and Scandinavia and Bishop Andrej, Vicar Bishop of the Patriarch Irinej of Serbia.

Crown Prince Alexander delivered a speech during the service and said among others:

I first met Margarita when I was a young boy after her marriage to my uncle Prince Tomislav, the middle brother my father King Peter II. I would stay with my uncle and aunt at their farm in Sussex and we would were very close. I learnt a lot about Yugoslavia and our Royal House from my uncle while my aunt Margarita offered me practical advice about problems I was likely to encounter in life.They were very good to me and helped me grow up. Margarita was like a mother to me, having married a then Yugoslav Prince …

... Margarita became interested in all things Yugoslav, especially in the Serbs and the Serbian orthodox church. She was very approachable – she was a real Serbian people’s princess. My family and I and the Serbian people shall miss her greatly. May dear Margarita rest in peace! VJEČNAJA PAMYAT!

 The funeral service and internment - the date is unknown to me at present - will be held at Salem Palace (Schloss Salem) in Germany.

Updated on Thursday 24 January 2013 at 23:45 (spellings).

HRH Princess Margarita of Baden (1932-2013): Obituary in The Telegraph

Princess Margarita of Baden, who was married to Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia from 1957 to 1981, died on 15 January 2013 in her home in Farnham, Surry, England.

Her obituary was published in The Telegraph (Telegraph.co.uk) on Sunday 20 January 2013.

Princess Margarita of Baden (1932-2013)

Princess Margarita of Baden, b. Salem, Germany 14 July 1932, died at Farnham, Surrey, England on Tuesday 15 January 2013, 80 years old, after a long illness, cf. the announcement by the Office of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia (Yugoslavia) and the German newspaper Südkurier (Suedkurier.de).

Princess Margarita was the oldest child of Margrave Berthold of Baden (1906-1963) and Margravine Theodora of Baden, née Princess of Greece and Denmark (1906-1969). Her younger brother. Margrave Maximilian (Max), b. 1933), is today the head of the Grand Ducal House of Baden. Princess Margarita's mother Princess Theodora was the 2nd daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark, née Princess of Battenberg. Princess Margarita was thus a nice of Prince Philip, of Edinburgh, and a first cousin of the Prince of Wales.

Princess Margarita married in 1957 Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia (1928-2000), the second son of King Alexander of Yugoslavia and Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, née Princess of Romania. The princess was at the time she met Prince Tomislav working at a hospital in England, and continued to live there after the wedding. The couple divorced in 1981. In the last years the princess lived in Farnham, Surrey. Prince Margarita and Prince Tomislav had two children together - Prince Nicholas and Princess Katarina. She also left behind two grandchildren and one great grandchild.

The funeral service will take place at the Serbian-Orthodox Church of St. Sava in London, while her last-resting place will be at Salem Palace (Schloss Salem).

Updated on Thursday 17 January 2013 at 10 p.m. (more exact place of death added, cf. Eurohistory 16 January 2013).

A cemetery in Rhodes (city), Rhodes, Greece

(1) "Nekrotapheion", today's Greek word for cemetery, it seems. And it make sense!

(2) The entrance of the cemetery, at the backside.

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(4) Cemetery chapel.

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(29) Have you noticed that while the animal you most likely are going to meet at a North European cemetery is a squirrel, the cemeteries in the Mediterranean region are usually swarmed by cats? I will come back to this when I some time in a not too distant future publish photos of a cemetery I once visited in Istanbul, Turkey. Anyway, this particular cat was actually resting inside the shovel when I discovered it. But unfortunately as soon as I took up my camera it came out to meet me.

(30) This cat, on the other hand, was not a happy sight, as one of its eyes had a running sore. Not a cat I wanted to have too close to my daughter, who was sitting in her pram, so I walked away soon after the encounter, but of course it started to follow me! Scary cat!

I try to visit cemeteries whenever or wherever I travel, but at a place like Rhodes with so many historical places it would normally not be included in my "things to do list". The Acropolis of Rhodes would be a better idea. However, my daughter, almost 15 months old at the time, needed her afternoon nap, so I was worried that the tourist-crowded Acropolis would disturb her sleep and thus I decided to go to the cemetery instead. Getting my daughter to sleep turned out to be a greater challenge than anticipated. She usually falls asleep with one of her thumbs in her mouth, but in addition she needs her small comfort blanket. She managed to lose it or throw it away not many metres outside the walls of the old town, but I didn't discoved it before it was too late. So she didn't sleep at all during my cemetery visit, but as soon as I had found the blanket again on our way back to the old town, she entered dreamland only after a minute or two! The pram was not easy to manouvre at the cemetery because the graves were so close to eachother that they were almost above eachother, so I couldn't get all the shots I would have liked, as I wouldn't leave the pram in order to get closer to the objects.

Anyway, I am not sure if there are more than one cemetery in Rhodes (and now I am mostly thinking about the new city) or if the cemetery I visited had a particular name, hence the subject title "A cemetery in Rhodes ...". The word "cemetery" comes from Greek originally and means "sleeping place", but it seems that the word used today is "Νεκροταφείο" ("Nekrotapheio"). It's all Greek to me, anyway (sorry, I just couldn't resist!).

According to the map I had got, the cemetery was supposed to be quite close to the sea, but the cemetery I found was close to a stadium, but certainly not to the sea. And yes, I am quite good with reading maps, actually! So it is possible that I stumbled over another cemetery than the one I had planned to visit. Will I ever find out? Anyway, it was an interesting cemetery to visit, even if I am not mastering the Greek words too well and even though my daughter's restlessness cut the visit short!

(All the photos were taken on Friday 7 October 2012.)

Rhodes (city), Rhodes, Greece

(1) A part of the Grand Master's Palace (the Knights Hospitallers). It was just too crowded to get decent photos of the main part of the palace. it was not easy to get a good over view anyway.

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(6) At the top of Socrates Street.

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(9) A memorial for the 1604 Jews from Rhodes and Kos who were deported and killed in concentration camps. See the website of the Rhodes Jewish Museum for more information .

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(13) Kleftikos, "a very traditional dish with lamb, vine leafs, gently baked in the oven." The dinner was enjoyed at the restaurant Romeo, which is situated in Menekleous Street, a few metres off the main street Socrates. I can absolutely recommend this restaurant! Nice atmosphere and great food!

I visited the old town of Rhodes during my week-long stay at the Greek island of Rhodes in early October 2011. Except for a short excursion to the local cemetery outside the city walls I stayed in the old town, thus missing among others the Acropolis of Rhodes. A bit too crowded with tourists, but a lovely place to visit, and so rich of history, and under so many regimes - among others the Romans, the Knights Hospitallers, Ottomans and Italy, before becoming united with Greece in 1947. The diffferent architecture is of course marked by the different periods. As this was "an enlarged family trip", I didn't get to see everything I had hoped for, so I will not rule out the possibility of another visit later on. There are plenty of sights both in the city and at other parts of the island, and if you are just going for the sun and the beach you will seldomly be disappointed...

Lindos, Rhodes, Greece

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(2) On the way up to Acropolis. View of the city of Lindos.

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(5) How did the cat stand the heat, I wonder... A beauty, anyway!

(6) This was unfortunately the closest we got to Acropolis this time, as at the gate we were told that the tourist attraction was affected by the general strike that day...

(7) The ancient theatre.

(8) A glimpse of Acropolis in the background.

(9) On our way to St. Paul's Bay where a chapel has erected in memory of St. Paul the Apostle's visit during his third missionary journey. As Acropolis was closed, the stay at the bay was the higlight of our visit to Lindos. Beautiful surroundings and a great beach as well.

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(11) From the beach in St. Paul's Bay one could view the back side of Acropolis.

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(18) On our way back to "down town" Lindos. Yet another angle of Acropolis.

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I visited the Greek island of Rhodes in early October 2011. My parents-in-law had invited their children, children-in-law and grandchildren to a week's vacation at Rhodes in connection with their 70th birthdays. Sun hungry as we were, we spent most of the time at the beach closest to Sunwing Resort & Spa Kallithea, but made two excursions - to Lindos (founded around the 10th century BC!) and to the city of Rhodes. I will come back to Rhodes with a couple of blog articles later on.

Lindos is a most beautiful place and really "a must" if you ever visit the island of Rhodes!