Prince Nikolaos of Greece’s whirlwind romance with family friend Chrysí Vardinogianni has been somewhat untraditional. The so-called ‘playboy prince’, who split from Princess Tatiana last spring, did not personally announce his engagement, and it was not confirmed that he was even in a new relationship until 22 January – and the wedding is less than two weeks away, on 7 February.
Rumours, of course, had been brewing for months that the son of Queen Anne-Marie and the late King Constantine might be romantically linked with shipping scion Chrysí, daughter of Giorgos Vardinogiannis and Agapi Politi. How could they not, when last year she attended the wedding of Nikolaos' sister, Princess Theodora, to Matthew Kumar? She was also reportedly at Nikolaos' side when he recently paid a visit to the Royal Palace of Tatoi to attend a memorial service for his father, who sadly passed away in January 2023.
A year after separating from his partner, the Greek so-called ‘Playboy Prince’ is said to have proposed to his new girlfriend, Chrysí Vardinogiann
Now, in the first glimpse of the royal couple since their shock announcement, it seems that Prince Nikolaos, 55, and Chrysí have decided on a less-than-conventional engagement ring to mark the happy occasion. Pictures of Chrysí sporting an all-black outfit also offered a reveal of her new ring, which seems to be a classic gold band, with no gemstones to draw attention away from the simple sophistication.
It makes a change from the sparkle that royal watchers may well have come to expect from an engagement ring – no bad thing. Often, when picturing such a piece, one pictures dazzling diamonds (think Meghan Markle’s custom piece) or sapphires that require some kind of ring finger aerobics to support their monumental heft (no wonder the Princess of Wales is now more often seen in her infinity bands). But not so for the Greek Prince and his soon to be wife.
Chrysí, who shares two children from previous marriage to singer Nino, ended a five-year relationship with Konstantinos Markoulakis in December 2023 – but the two are said to remain on amicable terms.
Still, it has been an incredibly challenging year for the Princess – whose stepbrother, Attilio Brillembourg, was reported missing just months after the split. She has recently spoken out about how ‘painful’ the past months have been for her, saying it was ‘filled with moments of uncertainty.’ Speaking to Tovima in an interview conducted before the Prince's new engagement was announced, the Princess said, ‘I learned the importance of allowing oneself to feel, to grieve, to process one’s emotions, and to move forward with compassion for oneself.
'Through these challenges, I understood that while we cannot control what happens to us, we can choose how we react. I move forward with hope, knowing that even in the darkest moments there is always light and the opportunity to grow.’ Saying that adversity has been her ‘deepest strength’, she revealed, ‘Life’s challenges remind me how important it is to endure, to hope, to have faith in the power of the human spirit.’
Posting the interview on Instagram, Princess Tatiana explained how the feature had been written ‘a few weeks back’ but added, ‘Sometimes before moving forward we need to take a step back.’ She went on to thank her supporters for ‘all those who trusted her and allowed her to fully trust herself.’
In October, Tatiana spoke candidly of the ‘avalanche of changes’ that had befallen her, telling the Greek publication BHMagazino that her year had been one of ‘uncertainty and pain’.
‘Everything happened at the same time,’ the Princess said. ‘It was like an avalanche of changes in front of everyone.’ The support of her family, she explained, had been an invaluable pillar of strength in these most trying of times. ‘I think it is in adversity that we often find our deepest strength. Life's challenges remind me how important it is to persevere, to have hope and faith in the power of the human spirit.’ She reflected: ‘I learned the importance of allowing myself to feel, cry, manage emotions and move forward with self-compassion.’
