HRH Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark

Royal House of Oldenburg
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Fourth child and third son of King George I of the Hellenes and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna Romanova.

Paternal grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel, Queen Consort of Denmark. Maternal grandson of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg.

As a young man, Nicholas spent his summers between Aix-les-Bains and Denmark, in the company of his cousins. Much of his family called him "Greek Nicky" to distinguish him from his cousin, the Tsarevitch of Russia (future Nicholas II).

He helped organize the Athens Summer Olympic games in 1896, and like his brothers, he began a military career in the Hellenic Army. He was forced to resign in 1908, due to the political situation in Greece.

In 1902, Nicholas married HIH Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Together they would have three daughters. The eldest, Olga, later became Princess Paul of Yugoslavia; the youngest, Marina, would later become Duchess of Kent.

Nicholas was a talented oil painter whose spent much of his time improving this talent. His assumed the pseudonym "Nicholas Le Prince", and sold many of his paintings while the family was in exile.

In 1923, Nicholas and Elena decided to make their home in Paris, but they returned to Greece in 1936. They lived at the Nicholas Palace, which had been a wedding gift to them from Tsar Alexander III.

Nicholas died in Athens in 1938, survived by his wife; three daughters, HRH Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, HRH Princess Elizabeth of Greece and HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; and three grandchildren, Princes Alexander and Nicola of Yugoslavia and Prince Edward of Kent.

HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent