Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (,
romanized: ''Nikólaos''; 22 January 1872 – 8 February 1938), of the
Glücksburg branch of the
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a Germans, German dynasty whose members rule or have ruled in Danish Realm, Denmark, Kingdom of Iceland, Iceland, Kingdom of Greece, Greece, Norway, Russian Empire, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, King ...
, was the fourth child and third son of King
George I of Greece
George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, romanized: ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination on 18 March 1913.
Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhage ...
, and of
Queen Olga. He was known as "Greek Nicky" within the family to distinguish him from his cousin
Emperor Nicholas II of Russia (first cousin on the paternal side and second cousin on the maternal side). Prince Nicholas was a talented painter, often signing his works as "Nicolas Leprince."
Marriage and issue
He married
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (1882–1957), daughter of
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the only sister of the future Russian imperial
pretender,
Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich, and his second cousin through his mother
Olga Constantinovna of Russia and her father
Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, on 29 August 1902 in
Tsarskoye Selo
Tsarskoye Selo (, , ) was the town containing a former residence of the Russian House of Romanov, imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the Pushkin, Saint Peter ...
, Russia.
They had three daughters:
*
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark (1903–1997); married
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Olga was the maternal grandmother of actress
Catherine Oxenberg
Catherine Oxenberg (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s prime-time soap opera ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty''. Oxenberg is the daughter of Princess Elizabeth of ...
and author
Christina Oxenberg.
*
Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark (1904–1955); married Count Carl Theodor of Toerring-Jettenbach.
*
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (1906–1968); married
Prince George, Duke of Kent. Marina was the mother of
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...
,
Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and
Prince Michael of Kent.
The princesses were raised with an English nanny, Kate Fox, known as "Nurnie".
Public life
Along with his elder brothers
Constantine and
George, Nicholas helped to organize the
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad () and commonly known as Athens 1896 (), were the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), wh ...
in Athens, the first to be held since 393. Nicholas served as president of the Sub-Committee for Shooting.
His father bequeathed him the
Royal Theater of Greece which Nicholas, in turn, transferred to the Greek state in 1935. He was friends with George Simitis and was godfather to his son, future socialist Prime Minister
Kostas Simitis.
Death and burial
Prince Nicholas died in Athens on February 8, 1938 and was buried in the Royal tomb at the Palace of
Tatoi.
Honours
* :
** R.E.:
Knight of the Elephant, ''7 September 1890''
** D.M.:
Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog, ''29 October 1891''
** Gb.E.T.: King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark Golden Wedding Commemorative Medal
** M.M. 8 Apr.: King Christian IX Centenary Medal
* :
**
Cross of Naval Merit, with White Decoration, ''27 January 1892''
**
Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, with Collar, ''15 May 1902''
* : GCVO: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
, ''16 August 1901''
* : Grand Cross of the
Ludwig Order, ''18 April 1904''
* :
Knight of the Annunciation, ''8 April 1907''
Ancestry
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas Of Greece And Denmark, Prince
1872 births
1938 deaths
19th-century Greek people
20th-century Greek people
Princes of Greece
Princes of Denmark
House of Glücksburg (Greece)
Burials at Tatoi Palace Royal Cemetery
Grand Crosses of Naval Merit
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Recipients of the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog
Sons of kings
Children of George I of Greece