With a simple announcement posted on the website of the former royal family of Greece, the news of the impending marriage of Nicolaos de Grece to Chrysi Vardinoyannis has been made official. The wedding as protothema.gr has already written will take place on Friday, February 7 at 18:00. The ceremony will be religious and will be held at the Church of St. Nicholas Ragava. The wedding will take place in the presence of close relatives and friends of the family and the couple, according to the announcement of the family.

This was a whirlwind wedding that no one expected to happen so soon—not even those who knew the couple—yet they proved everyone wrong.

Their relationship has lasted seven months and was an open secret in Athens’ social circles, as many had seen them mainly at private social events, while some had also spotted them strolling around the city.

The young woman’s presence at the memorial service for the late king on Thursday, January 16, marked the couple’s first public appearance, captured by cameras and photographers as they left after the luncheon that followed.

The Beginning of Their Relationship

In early June of last year, whispers about a possible romance between Nikolaos and Chrysi Vardinoyannis began circulating among Athens’ elite. However, the rumored couple gave no reason for their relationship to be confirmed, and complicating matters further was their long-standing friendship. According to sources familiar with the relationship from the start, in the first few months, Nikolaos and Chrysi preferred to meet at friends’ houses, where they could enjoy a private setting without the fear of paparazzi, avoiding Athens’ well-known restaurants.

By mid-summer, George Vardinoyannis’ daughter is said to have introduced Nikolaos to her father, who had until then known him as just a good friend of hers. The couple spent a few days aboard the “Captain’s” yacht on a cruise to the islands, giving the two men the opportunity to talk extensively. The same happened with her mother, who had also known Nikolaos for many years.

Shortly after summer, the couple began making careful public appearances. The first was in September at the Acropolis Museum during an event for Robert McCabe’s photography exhibition—Nikolaos’ passion for photography is well known—although no photos of them together emerged.

The second, which fueled rumors even more, took place on September 28 at the wedding of Nikolaos’ sister, Theodora, to Matthew Kumar at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Chrysi discreetly attended the ceremony, while Nikolaos accompanied his mother, Queen Anne-Marie. At the wedding reception, the couple seemed more relaxed among friends. Many speculated that marriage wouldn’t be far off, but in the end, it was a decision they made on their own. Reliable sources even say they have been living together for a while, though this has not been widely publicized.

The Cool Prince

After a highly publicized romance, Chrysi married singer Nino in December 2012, and they had a son and a daughter.

Their marriage did not last, ending in an amicable and peaceful divorce in 2017. The former couple maintains a very good relationship to this day. After her divorce, Chrysi had a five-year relationship with actor and director Konstantinos Markoulakis, whom she met a year after her marriage ended. Those who know her well say she has inherited traits from both her father and mother, shaping her into an unconventional and strong personality.

Such unconventionality is rare among the heirs of powerful business families, let alone royalty—but there are always exceptions.

Nikolaos de Grece was never the typical “clean-cut prince,” displaying a much more extroverted personality than his older brother, Pavlos. He also took his time before settling down, enjoying his role as the charming bachelor for many years.

In London, his reputation as a “cool royal” was built through wild nights at the legendary “Elysee” club, heavy zeibekiko dancing, and his constant presence at parties, always accompanied by beautiful women. “I don’t need anyone to call me ‘Your Highness’—there’s no reason for that. I introduce myself as Nikolaos,” he said in an interview with ERT last year alongside his brother, Pavlos.

Even when he met and fell in love with Tatiana Blatnik in 2001 in Gstaad, it took them nine years from their engagement to finally have their grand wedding in Spetses.

The Divorce from Tatiana

Just days before the official announcement that ended their 14-year marriage, Tatiana Blatnik attended a private gathering with her mother. In contrast, Nikolaos appeared solo at an Axion Hellas event—an organization he has long supported as a volunteer and special advisor—still wearing his wedding ring. However, just a few days later, the ring was noticeably absent when he was seen in Sifnos, Schinoussa, and Astypalaia for an Axion Hellas event, during what was clearly a difficult time in his personal life.

As early as 2018, reports surfaced about trouble in Nikolaos and Tatiana’s marriage. The rumors of an impending split gained traction due to Nikolaos’ solo vacations in Paros and Tatiana’s separate outings with friends in Athens, away from the public eye. The speculation intensified when Tatiana failed to attend the event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the “Elpida” foundation at Zappeion Hall.

Adding to the gossip was Nikolaos’ absence from the Hellenic Initiative charity gala in London, where Tatiana was the keynote speaker—an absence that did not go unnoticed. However, that same year, the couple made a joint appearance at a dinner hosted by Queen Margrethe of Denmark and attended the U.S. Independence Day reception at the American ambassador’s residence in Athens. These appearances temporarily silenced the rumors, but those who truly knew them were aware that their marriage was far from perfect.

The word “divorce” had not yet been spoken. It finally surfaced in 2021, along with various rumors—including whispers of extramarital affairs—which were never confirmed but lingered in the background of a marriage that lasted 14 years before the divorce was finalized.