Greece’s former royal family regains citizenship, surname De Gréce

Greece’s former royal family has been granted Greek citizenship and pledged loyalty to the republic in a landmark move 50 years after the country abolished the monarchy.

Ten members of the family, including the children and grandchildren of former King Constantine who died in 2023, applied for citizenship last week.

The former royals welcomed the decision with a statement on Monday saying that the passing of their father and grandfather had marked the end of an era.

However, their choice to use the surname De Gréce – which in French means “of Greece” – has angered leftwing politicians who claim a nobility title is unconstitutional.

“The surname they have chosen proves that they want to maintain a myth,” said Nikos Androulakis, leader of the centre-left PASOK party, the main opposition.

The former royals said picking a surname was a prerequisite for the reinstatement of their nationality, the loss of which had rendered them stateless and caused significant emotional distress. The family, they said, was and would be loyal to Greece.

“It is with deep emotion that, after thirty years, we hold the Greek citizenship again,” they said.

Greece’s former King Constantine II ascended to the throne in 1964 but his reign was marred by political instability that culminated in a military coup on April 21, 1967.

After the fall of the junta in 1974, Greeks rejected monarchy in a referendum, making Constantine the last king of Greece. Athens stripped him of his citizenship in 1994 and defined the terms under which he and his family could be recognised as Greek nationals.

Leftist parties said that migrants working in Greece were having to wait for decades to get citizenship, despite meeting the criteria, and accused the conservative government of trying to win votes.

The government says the issue is a formality and that democracy can protect itself.