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.
According to Reuters, 10 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, “A great way to start the new year.”
It further said, the awaited announcement reads: “It is with deep emotion that, after thirty years, we hold the Greek citizenship again. The law of 1994 deprived us of our citizenship, rendering us stateless with all that this entails in terms of individual rights and great emotional distress.
“Our father and our family fully respected the result of the 1974 referendum. However, the provision of the 1994 law on citizenship, a result of the political status at the time, was not befitting of a former head of the Greek state and an institution that served the country faithfully. The passing of our father marked the end of an era.”
“During the years we were deprived of our citizenship, we were driven by the duty and honor of serving our country with loyalty and devotion from wherever we were, with all our means. The same principles will continue to guide the course of our family.”
