Marie-Chantal's relationship with her Royal In-Laws

[Julian]

Paloma, I think your last sentence about her partygiving, couture and babies is going to be an interesting thing to watch how she handles in future. By this I mean the fact that now she's faced with a new circumstance and that's that the new Greek government has allowed them back into the country, residence rights, property rights, etc. So, right away they were back there and we can understand Pavlos and his parents being thrilled to have these opportunities again but what is MC really thinking and feeling about it? She's saying the right thing on the surface of it for now about how she can make a home anywhere, but personally I suspect she's a lot more used to jetting back and forth between London, New York and the big capitals and social scene places. Not Athens. In Athens, she'll be faced mostly not with her Hamptons/Belgravia/Chelsea circles but mostly the traditional social circles comprising the large shipbuilding families. These people believe me are not usually college dropouts like her but many well educated, cultured and sophisticated people and not in a superficial way but from applying themselves seriously in their lives and occupations. Not everyone relies solely on money and privilege for a sense of worth. Whether they like monarchy or not the older ones at least will definitely be comparing her abilities and character to the likes of Queen Frederika or Queen Ann-Marie, these ladies might not have been university geniuses but they at least had breeding down to their fingertips, something I don't MC measures up to. So she will be like a fish out of water down there in Greece, is my belief, and if Pavlos moves down there she'll be the traveling princess who's out of the country as much as in it. I think she'll need a lear jet with a full tank and ready most days! Then as to the babies, I'm also interested to see if she has this one again in the States or if we can detect some pressure for her to have it on Greek soil. I can definitely imagine KC hinting privately that he'd like at least one of his grandchildren to be born on Greek soil. As I said in a previous post, in those recent photos of her in Hello in Greece this summer she looks less than enthusiastic. I realise she never has the most effervescent personality in her photos but I wonder how constrained she's already beginning to find the changes coming in her life now that Greece is a real factor.

 

[Alexandria]

Then as to the babies, I'm also interested to see if she has this one again in the States or if we can detect some pressure for her to have it on Greek soil. I can definitely imagine KC hinting privately that he'd like at least one of his grandchildren to be born on Greek soil.

I think this fourth child will be born in London. I don't think Marie-Chantal even made it to Athens for the Olympics, although Pavlos did with his parents and siblings. I think that likely this fourth child will not be born in the U.S. as his/her other siblings were but in London. It's a bit late for Marie-Chantal to be flying off to Greece now to be having her fourth baby. If there had been real intentions or plans to have this fourth child on Greek soil I think Marie-Chantal would've have to flown there by the end of her second trimester or shortly after beginning her third trimester. Now it is much too late with the due date only about two weeks away.

 

[ReinaMissy]

Marie Chantal has been in Greece for at least a month and perhaps more, Alexandria. She attended the Olympics; I've seen the pictures on the InterNet.

 

[Julia]

Could you share the photo sites, ReinaMissy? Would be interesting to see.

 

[Chatleen]

I have seen pictures of her and Pavlos in the Danish magazine 'Billed Bladet'. They stayed along with their children at the same hotel as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark stayed in during the first week of the olympics.

 

[ReinaMissy]

Unfortunately, no, Julia, but I can direct you to wireimages.com where I saw a small picture of them.

If anyone knows how to enlarge those pictures, please let the rest of us know!

 

[Alexandria]

Marie Chantal has been in Greece for at least a month and perhaps more, Alexandria. She attended the Olympics; I've seen the pictures on the InterNet.

Thanks ReinaMissy for the clarification. I hadn't seen any pictures of her in Greece or mention of it either so I presumed that because of the lack of mention she must've stayed behind in Greece.

 

[Isabel]

I wasn't certain, but I thought that MC was in Greece as well. I remember seeing Pavlos. MC probably spent more time indoors or simply relaxing since she is due very soon. She many have been uncomfortable moving around too much and going to the different venues and sightseeing so close to her due date. So, is she still there?

I agree with those who have said that MC most likely would not have married Pavlos had she not come from a wealthy family. I don't think that she would have been accepted, especially if the family were still reigning at the time. Constantine is said to be a somewhat of an old-fashioned royal, so he may have preferred his son to marry a Princess or aristocrat. My problem is that even though MC is wealthy and somewhat superficial, I don't think that necessarily makes her unsuitable. Granted, we are talking about Constantine and his standards here. But, most of the Crown Princesses these days have passes that are open books, so in that respect MC really wouldn't be unsuitable to me. She and her sisters are rich, spoiled, and okay...they went to their share of parties and grew up jet setting a bit, but I don't think that would necessarily make her unsuitable.

The thing about her that really strikes me as odd for someone in her position is the fact that MC seems to lack a particular type of personality. She doesn't seem to be extremely interested in doing a lot of charity work with the indigent, children, or the ill and disabled. MC also never finished her education, but I can't hold that against her too much, because neither has MM of Norway (at least not yet anyway). Another thing about MC is that she seems to be so superficial. I understand that she is enjoying being a Princess and all, but I would like to see her do magazine layouts because she has done something-talking about a new charity, a goodwill mission, something concerning education or society other than dinner parties. It seems that now the GRF will perhaps be allowed to return to Greece, and she hasn't even learned the language. Even though the GRF will most likely never reign again, it would occur to me that a sensible person would assume that the exile wouldn't last forever. I don't know, but I think that given so many years, I would have learned Greek by now.

 

[paloma]

MC's way of doing charity is to sit on the board and delegate, but not do any of the dirty work. However, this is traditional for most Boards. The foot soldiers(volunteers) do the hard stuff. I know this because I used to be a Volunteer Coordinator for a non-profit. IMO, never be impressed that someone is on a corporate or foundation board. These positions are given out because of connections and most of the board members don't do sh_t! It is on a very rare occasion that a board member will take an active role in a corporation or foundation. Most of them are on the board to make themselves look good to the community and to boost their resumes.

 

[rere]

MC's way of doing charity is probably a lot of rich women's way of doing charity. I can think of several examples in America.

The GRF sold some jewelry after they went into exile. With the right invest and help from friends, this money could go a long way. Having rich friends and in-laws can always be a plus. I think KC get a lot of help from relatives and Greek families in the early days. But at some point, to me, this stopped.

May be Miller taught KC how to increase his family's wealth. It happens all the time when two in love marry and the families wish to grow their names and money. The family received $12 million in the 1990s from the government for some properties. The family may receive a nice profit for the school. Their financial portfolio may be good now.

If the family moves back to Greece, MC knows she'll be under intense scrutiny. She's been married for 10 years and should know a great deal about Greek customs and language. The GRF know what people think and say so MC will work very hard if she's in Greece. She may be spoiled and rich but I applaud MC for her various financial projects and family life. Her children's stores are somewhat successful.

Even with numerous servants and nannies, MC may still spend 8 plus hours a day with her kids. With that schedule, one's social life must change. I don't think the GRF will be restored, but we all know KC has all the cards in place. In pictures, she appears to get along with the family. MC, Theodora and Alexia may have different lives, but family is still family.

 

[julial]

Paloma, I think your last sentence about her partygiving, couture and babies is going to be an interesting thing to watch how she handles in future. By this I mean the fact that now she's faced with a new circumstance and that's that the new Greek government has allowed them back into the country, residence rights, property rights, etc. So, right away they were back there and we can understand Pavlos and his parents being thrilled to have these opportunities again but what is MC really thinking and feeling about it? She's saying the right thing on the surface of it for now about how she can make a home anywhere, but personally I suspect she's a lot more used to jetting back and forth between London, New York and the big capitals and social scene places. Not Athens. In Athens, she'll be faced mostly not with her Hamptons/Belgravia/Chelsea circles but mostly the traditional social circles comprising the large shipbuilding families. These people believe me are not usually college dropouts like her but many well educated, cultured and sophisticated people and not in a superficial way but from applying themselves seriously in their lives and occupations. Not everyone relies solely on money and privilege for a sense of worth. Whether they like monarchy or not the older ones at least will definitely be comparing her abilities and character to the likes of Queen Frederika or Queen Ann-Marie, these ladies might not have been university geniuses but they at least had breeding down to their fingertips, something I don't MC measures up to. So she will be like a fish out of water down there in Greece, is my belief, and if Pavlos moves down there she'll be the traveling princess who's out of the country as much as in it. I think she'll need a lear jet with a full tank and ready most days! Then as to the babies, I'm also interested to see if she has this one again in the States or if we can detect some pressure for her to have it on Greek soil. I can definitely imagine KC hinting privately that he'd like at least one of his grandchildren to be born on Greek soil. As I said in a previous post, in those recent photos of her in Hello in Greece this summer she looks less than enthusiastic. I realise she never has the most effervescent personality in her photos but I wonder how constrained she's already beginning to find the changes coming in her life now that Greece is a real factor.

I agree with most of what you say about Chantal, but I think GRF actually love her for her financial support-otherwise, why would king keep telling his children to marry the money?

 

[julial]

Chantel is no princess. Everyone knows that. She bought the title. That is all.

 

[lashinka2002]

I think the answer to your question is in your last sentence (I didn't quote) regarding the fact that she isn't quite the kind of daughter-in-law they might have envisioned. Exactly so! Do you think if they were still reigning that this woman would be married to their son? I for one definitely do not. Contrary to what you might think, I believe the so-called "dowry" is just a nice way of saying "pay-off" for the Greek Royal Family accepting her, the "dowry" was very much part of the deal. King Constantine's finances and investments had not gone well in the years he moved to London, and probably by the time M-C appeared on the scene all the Greek shipbuilder families were somewhat tired after 20 years of supporting him and his family in lavish royal style. Something had to be done, and M-C was the solution. The fact that they make this marriage work on the exterior so far is nothing new, many royals have done likewise. I think also the fact that her two sisters' marriages, that IMHO were also engineered by Robert Miller and wife, have now failed, just underlines what really mattered in the M-C/Pavlos arrangement. This one cannot be allowed to fail because the Greek Royal Family have now staked their reputation for money on a woman that would never have been considered under happier circumstances as a reigning family.

It's pretty sad when you have to send your son out to find your fortune.
Seems to me he sold his son for money! Pavlos may have to spend the rest of his life in a marraige he abhors putting on a happy public face. Poor guy!
Did they really need that much money? Was it worth it?
Granted maybe pavlos & marie chantal have somewhat of a happy marraige but I doubt it. They never look really happy to me.

 

[Bubbette]

I'm sure if Pavlos wants to have affairs he can have affairs.

 

[Reina]

After the revolution, this family should have led a more private life.

 

[tanya]

my dad worked in the governmen t and i played with several royals one of the royals i played with was pavlos i do not belive for a second that pavlos is being led around the nose by MC.

 

[Athena]

Not as a kid but people do change.

 

[eireann]

If the GRF is there by name only, then surely MC cannot be expected to perform as the CP of a ruling family....ie patron of charities etc...so she's living the life of those with money...it is to be expected, or??? It's hard to know about their relationships...pictures do tell a story, but at the same time pictures can be selected to tell a story...

 

[Emily]

Somewhere there are photos of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie with Pavlos and Marie-Chantal and their daughter, Maria Olympia, inside the Millers chateau in Gstaad -- does anyone have medium sized photos of this? Although it was shortly after the birth of Constantine, he is not featured in these interior photos. Any help is appreciated!

 

[SpiffyBallerina]

If the GRF is there by name only, then surely MC cannot be expected to perform as the CP of a ruling family....ie patron of charities etc...so she's living the life of those with money...it is to be expected, or??? It's hard to know about their relationships...pictures do tell a story, but at the same time pictures can be selected to tell a story...

Of COURSE she can do charity work. There is the Queen Anna Maria Foundation to help disaster victims in Greece. Just because they aren't actually in Greece doesn't mean they can't do a lot of work for it. They insist on using the titles, so they should at least help back it up a little. I doubt Princess Alexia really uses her title (as she prefers to have a more private life). Prince Nik worked for the Anna Maria Foundation for a long time, and the king and queen are, of course, committed to doing whatever they can for Greek charities. The two younger ones are still in school and such, so not much is expected of them at this point. The elder children, who INSIST on using titles in everyday life, can and should do much work for Greece in whatever capacity the Greek people see fit. CP Pavlos and MC can do much more than they do now to serve the people they wish to rule.

 

[kelly9480]

Pavlos and MC have a foundation of some sort that works with children, so they are doing something charitable.

 

[Charlotte1]

As well as their Foundation that works with children's charities, MC in the past designed a sweater that was sold to raise money for a children's charity in Greece.

She is a board member of the Anna-Maria Foundation, the foundation set up to help Greeks affected by natural disasters.

In the UK she is a patron of the charity "Over the Wall" it provides residential camps for children and young people affected by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in the UK. MC is also a committe member of "Friends of Over the Wall" which raises awareness and funds for "Over the Wall". (Chairman is QEII's cousin James Ogilvy)

She's on the Honour Committee for "Innocence en danger" (International Child Protection Movement)

 

[Lady Jean]

I think she goes out to social events (fashion events, etc., where she is photographed) on her own very rarely and I would not call her a partier. She could probably go out a lot because I assume she has the help, and she probably gets many invitations. Before she was engaged I don't remember seeing photos of her out clubbing , so I think she tends to be more of a homebody. She doesn't strike me as superficial.

 

[LaPetite]

Must she speak Greek on a daily basis?

Not fluently, even 10 years later.

At her engagement press conference she said that she was already starting to learn Greek but it is a very hard language to learn. While I totally believe her that it is a difficult language to learn, I can't believe that in 10 years she has made so little progress. I think too that even though she said she was determined to "master" it, she gave up her private lessons some time soon after the wedding. And I think that Pavlos not speaking Greek at home with her didn't make her learning Greek any easier.

But still, 10 years later and she can barely hold a conversation in Greek.

I know that she is the "Crown Princess" of Greece, but she does not live there to represent the country. So, what is the big deal if she cannot speak the language not to mention master it?

By the way, according to a Greek friend of mine, they kicked out the royal family, and they don't want them back!

 

[Menarue]

The Greek royal family are not even Greek so why worry about MC learning the language. Most of you seem to be very hard on her. She is rich, very rich, or at least her father is and I am sure that she has brought a lot of advantages to the GRF and this is not the first time such has happened. When I think of all the marriages to rich American heiresses a century ago, there are so many British aristocrats with rich American ancestresses. Even Princess Diana, had a Miss Fanny Work to thank for most of her fortune. Even Winston Churchill had an American mother even though the fortune wasn´t as large as MC´s or perhaps Miss Frances Work´s.

 

[Odette]

All the members of the GRF speak fluent Greek and Q Anne Marie learnt it as well. I do not think MC cares to try, not that the people care since they do not even consider her as a CP. I read that the supposed dowry is in the $200,000,000 area but do not believe the GRF has directly benefited from it. The one certain thing is that Pavlos married well. I still believe she is much more close to her own sisters than any of the in laws.
I remember the guide at Blenheim Palace mentioning that the marriage to Consuelo Vanderbilt brought with it the needed funds for a replacement of the leaky roof......How's that for a romance story?? LOL

 

[Menarue]

That is funny. A marriage that fixed a leaky roof.... That really brought a smile to my face.......

 

[Odette]

That is funny. A marriage that fixed a leaky roof.... That really brought a smile to my face.......

Her mother wanted a title for her daughter and the Duke needed a new roof. A match made in heaven.......LOL

 

[pamk]

I wish that I had found this thread sooner - it's verrrrry interesting!
From what I remeber or read, the dowry was in the $30,000,000 USD range.
MC also received a nice tiara (the spikey one she wears) from her parents.
She also often wears a string of magnificent large pearls. They were very noticeable in her engagement photos.
The prewedding party held at a private estate just days before the wedding is traditionally given by the bridegroom's parents (KC and AM) - This over the top event was "hosted" by KC and AM, but was supposedly paid for by Robert Miller. The party favors given to the guests were very expensive --- this party which featured a real carousel could not have been afforded by KC.
And we all know about the lavish wedding reception at Hampton Court Palace.
And does anyone remember the photo of KC, Pavlos and MC sneaking out of the registar's office in London just after they returned from their honeymoon? Evidently, their lavish church wedding ceremony was not legally recognized in Great Britain as it was conducted all in Greek - so Pavlos and MC had to retake their vows in English in a registar's office to make the marriage legal in Great Britain!
And as for MC's "job"? Give me a break - she doesn't put in 8-hour work days every week.

 

[Menarue]

You just reminded me of those pearls.... What huge pearls! Her mother wore one to the wedding with two rows and down to her waist. Beautiful South Sea pearls the biggest I have seen. At the time it was said it was the most expensive wedding ever!! Well I suppose they mean in England as there have been some very very expensive weddings in other parts of the world.