European Royal Shocks With Wedding Just Weeks After Confirming New Relationship

The first royal wedding of 2025 is a surprising one.

Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece and Denmark, Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark posing on the red carpet at Tribeca Film Festival
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Royal fans tend to focus on the Brits when it comes to marriages, but 2025 is kicking off with an exciting Greek royal wedding—and this relationship has been quite the whirlwind one.

Greece's Prince Nikolaos surprised the public when his engagement to shipping heiress Chrysí Vardinogianni was announced on Jan. 22, mostly because no one even knew he was in a relationship at the time. Prince Nikolaos has been divorced from ex-wife Princess Tatiana for less than a year, but on Friday, Feb. 7, he'll tie the knot with Vardinogianni, who has been a friend of the Greek royals for a number of years.

Nikolaos and Tatiana, who wed in 2010 and did not have any children, were divorced for just nine months when his engagement to Vardinogianni made news.

For those unfamiliar with the family, Prince Nikolaos is the grandson of the late King Constantine II of Greece, who was King Charles's second cousin and Prince William's godfather. Although members of the Greek royal family still use their titles, the monarchy was abolished in 1973, making King Constantine the last king of Greece.

Prince Philippos of Greece and Prince Nikolaos of Greece in black suits attending the funeral of Prince Michael of Greece at the First Cemetery of Athens

Prince Nikolaos (right) attended the funeral of Prince Michael of Greece in August 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Tatiana wearing a white gown and Princess Nikolaos wearing a suit standing under a clear umbrella standing in front of a black van

Princess Nikolaos posed with his ex-wife, Princess Tatiana, in 2017.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

King Constantine's death made headlines, but not just for the usual reasons. In February 2024, Prince William backed out of attending his godfather's memorial service, but a month later, it was revealed that his sudden no-show was due to Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis.

As for Friday's royal wedding, Hello! reported that it will be "a very private ceremony" with only "close friends and family" in attendance. It's expected that other members of the Greek royal family, including the prince's siblings, Crown Prince Pavlos, Princess Alexia, Prince Philippos and Princess Theodora, will be there to support Prince Nikolaos.

His nieces and nephews may also make an appearance in Athens, like model and socialite Princess Olympia, and Prince Constantine-Alexios, who was tied to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Brooks Nader last summer.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.