Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark
Encyclopedia
Maria or Marie Georgievna, Princess of Greece
and Denmark
(3 March 1876 – 14 December 1940), was the fifth child and second daughter of George I of Greece
and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
and thus a family member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
as a younger sister to Constantine I of Greece
, Prince George of Greece, Alexandra Georgievna of Greece and Prince Nicholas of Greece. She was an older sister of Prince Andrew of Greece and Prince Christopher of Greece as well as the shortly-lived Princess Olga of Greece. She was very close with her cousin Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
. They both later married two Romanov Grand Dukes and stayed together on many occasions.
in Corfu
. George chased after Maria, who was nicknamed "Greek Minny" to tell her apart from the Dowager Empress Maria of Russia. She refused to marry unless her place in the line of succession to the Greek and Danish thrones was secured. She made it clear that she was not in love with him when she married him, but the Grand Duke hoped that feelings might grow in time. The couple had two daughters:Nina
, born 7 June 1901, and Xenia
, born 9 August 1903. As they grew older, Maria seized the opportunity to spend more time abroad, ostensibly for her daughters' health, but also to spend more time away from her husband. She was in Great Britain when World War I broke out and chose not return to Russia. She was patron of a military hospital there.
She became a widow on 30 January 1919, when her husband was murdered by the Bolsheviks. On 16 December 1922, Maria was remarried to Admiral Pericles Ioannides in Wiesbaden
. She died in her native Athens during the Greco-Italian War
(28 October 1940 – 30 April 1941).
Her daughter Xenia lived for years in Long Island
and was for a time married to millionaire William Leeds. She took in for a few months a woman later found to be an impostor, Anna Anderson
. Anderson fraudently claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II of Russia
and was forced to leave Xenia's house at the demand of William Leeds. Grand Duchess George never recognised Anderson.
*Note. Women who marry into the Russian Imperial Family are made Grand Duchesses in their own right with the style of Imperial Highness by the Czar. Therefore Princess Maria correct style is Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia, Mrs. Perikles Ioannidis.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
(3 March 1876 – 14 December 1940), was the fifth child and second daughter of George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia , later Queen Olga of the Hellenes , was the queen consort of King George I of Greece and briefly in 1920, Queen Regent of Greece...
and thus a family member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
Early life and family
She was born in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
as a younger sister to Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
, Prince George of Greece, Alexandra Georgievna of Greece and Prince Nicholas of Greece. She was an older sister of Prince Andrew of Greece and Prince Christopher of Greece as well as the shortly-lived Princess Olga of Greece. She was very close with her cousin Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia was a daughter of Tsar Alexander III of Russia and the elder of Tsar Nicholas II two sisters. She married her cousin Grand Duke Alexander Mikailovich of Russia, with whom she had seven children....
. They both later married two Romanov Grand Dukes and stayed together on many occasions.
Marriage
On 30 April 1900, Maria was married to Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of RussiaGrand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863-1919)
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Emperor Alexander III. He was a General in the Russian army in World War I...
in Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
. George chased after Maria, who was nicknamed "Greek Minny" to tell her apart from the Dowager Empress Maria of Russia. She refused to marry unless her place in the line of succession to the Greek and Danish thrones was secured. She made it clear that she was not in love with him when she married him, but the Grand Duke hoped that feelings might grow in time. The couple had two daughters:Nina
Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia
Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia, , was the eldest daughter of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia. A great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, she left her native country in 1914, before World War I...
, born 7 June 1901, and Xenia
Princess Xenia Georgievna Romanova of Russia
Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia was the daughter of Grand Duke George Mihailovich of Russia and Princess Maria Georgievna of Greece and Denmark.-Youth:...
, born 9 August 1903. As they grew older, Maria seized the opportunity to spend more time abroad, ostensibly for her daughters' health, but also to spend more time away from her husband. She was in Great Britain when World War I broke out and chose not return to Russia. She was patron of a military hospital there.
She became a widow on 30 January 1919, when her husband was murdered by the Bolsheviks. On 16 December 1922, Maria was remarried to Admiral Pericles Ioannides in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
. She died in her native Athens during the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
(28 October 1940 – 30 April 1941).
Her daughter Xenia lived for years in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and was for a time married to millionaire William Leeds. She took in for a few months a woman later found to be an impostor, Anna Anderson
Anna Anderson
Anna Anderson was the best known of several impostors who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia...
. Anderson fraudently claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna....
, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and was forced to leave Xenia's house at the demand of William Leeds. Grand Duchess George never recognised Anderson.
Titles and styles
- 3 March 1876 – 30 April 1900: Her Royal Highness Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark
- 30 April 1900 – 16 December 1922: Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia
- 16 December 1922 – 14 December 1940: Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia, Mrs. Perikles Ioannidis
*Note. Women who marry into the Russian Imperial Family are made Grand Duchesses in their own right with the style of Imperial Highness by the Czar. Therefore Princess Maria correct style is Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia, Mrs. Perikles Ioannidis.