Happy birthday, Princess Marie-Chantal! Glamorous Greek royal who worked for famed artist before launching her clothing brand celebrates milestone

She experienced ‘love at first sight’ with Prince Pavlos, heir to the Greek throne.

However, Marie-Chantal of Greece’s luxurious lifestyle began long before her royal marriage.

Her billionaire father, Robert Miller, is renowned for founding the Duty Free Shopping chain.

She is also a successful clothing designer with a celebrity clientele, including Kate Middleton, and has recently collaborated with the popular homeware brand, Mrs Alice.

The Greek royals, with homes in New York and London, are well-known for their opulent parties and luxurious holidays around the globe. 

So it’s highly likely that Marie-Chantal will celebrate her 56th birthday with an extravagant affair. 

Born in London on September 17, 1968, to Mr Miller, now 89, and his Ecuadorian-born wife Maria Clara Pesantas, 84, Marie-Chantal spent her early years in Hong Kong before attending boarding school in Switzerland from the age of nine.   

Her father, Robert, originally made his fortune as a pioneer in duty-free shopping, establishing the DFS, or Duty Free Shopping, chain. 

He later expanded into investment ventures, further increasing his and his family’s wealth. 

Marie-Chantal is the middle of three sisters, Pia, 58, and Alexandra, 51, who are also best known for their well-connected marriages. 

In the 1980s, she attended a bilingual school in Paris before transferring to the Masters School in New York for her senior year of high school. 

Marie-Chantal has long been associated with the rich and famous – before marrying into royalty, she worked for Andy Warhol. 

In 1993, she began a degree in History of Art at New York University, where she first met Prince Pavlos, 57. 

Their meeting was a blind date arranged by their mutual friend, New York investment banker Alecko Papamarkou, who was confident they would be a great match.

‘We clicked,’ the Princess told Vanity Fair in 2008. ‘It was love at first sight. I knew that he was the person I would marry.’ 

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller’s 1995 wedding marked the largest royal gathering in London since Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1946, with 1,250 guests, including the royal families of Britain, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Romania, Jordan and Bulgaria

Marie-Chantal has long been associated with the rich and famous; before marrying into royalty, she worked for Andy Warhol

Marie-Chantal spent her early years in Hong Kong before attending boarding school in Switzerland at the age of nine

The couple had their firstborn Olympia in Manhattan, before moving to London in 2002 so their children could have a European education

The couple became engaged in 1995 after a romantic proposal in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad. 

Their July wedding that year marked the largest royal gathering in London since Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1946, with 1,250 guests, including the royal families of Britain, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Romania, Jordan and Bulgaria. 

The couple moved to Manhattan, where Marie-Chantal continued her studies in art history and Pavlos worked as an investment consultant. 

It was here they had their firstborn Olympia, before moving to London in 2002 so their children could have a European education.

The couple now have five children: daughter Olympia, 28, and four sons: Constantine, 25, Achileas, 24, Odysseas, 19, and 16-year-old Aristidis.

In 2000, Marie-Chantal launched her eponymous luxury childrenswear brand, which is stocked in boutiques around the world. 

Her successful designs have garnered attention from celebrities and royals alike, including Kate Middleton, who dressed her daughter, Princess Charlotte, in a Marie-Chantal scarf for her first day of school. 

This summer, the princess has collaborated with tableware brand Mrs Alice on a selection of exquisite tablewear and accessories, including hand-painted crockery and rattan placemats.

Speaking of the collection, she told Vogue: ‘I love the mix of all the different materials and textures, from bamboo bud vases and rattan lanterns to hand-painted china. It is the small details that make a table so special, and I adore the colour palette of blue and pink.’

Marie-Chantal (right) and her daughter Olympia (centre) enjoy front row seats at the Valentino show during Paris Fashion Week

L-R: Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2023

Although Greece hasn’t had an official monarchy since the 1970s, Marie-Chantal and her husband are still referred to as Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess 

The family enjoys a lavish lifestyle, dividing their time between their luxurious Upper East Side New York home and holidays around the globe. Pictured: Marie-Chantal and her daughter Olympia

Prince Pavlos and Marie-Chantal have five children: daughter Olympia, 28, and four sons: Constantine, 25, Achileas, 24, Odysseas, 19, and 16-year-old Aristidis

According to the mother-of-five, the key to raising successful children lies in teaching them the value of good manners and courteous behaviour, regardless of financial status

The Greek royals have lived between New York and London since 2004, with Marie-Chantal running her clothing line from the UK.

The family enjoys a lavish lifestyle, dividing their time between their luxurious Upper East Side New York home and holidays around the globe. 

Besides their New York residence, the Greek royals own four other properties worldwide, including a house in London, a Cotswolds estate, a holiday home in the Bahamas, and a country retreat in Yorkshire. 

In 2020, Marie-Chantal published Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern Etiquette for Families, in which she claims that parenting principles are simple and not affected by wealth.

According to the mother-of-five, the key to raising successful children lies in teaching them the value of good manners and courteous behaviour, regardless of financial status. 

‘It’s statistically proven that children who have beautiful manners do better in life,’ she explained in an interview with Hello! magazine. ‘That child will be remembered for being polite.’

In her interview with Hello!, she emphasised the importance of teaching children these lessons from a young age.

‘I believe children should be taught from a young age how to behave in a caring and mindful way. They need to be taught to be aware of others and to be instilled with these simple values when they are still so sponge-like.

‘Once children are older the lessons are much harder to just accept. I certainly like to think Olympia has taken it all on board,’ she said, referring to her eldest.

Although Greece hasn’t had an official monarchy since the 1970s, Marie-Chantal and her husband are still referred to as Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess – and their children hold these titles as well. 

While King Constantine and his son, the Crown Prince, no longer have official duties, they remain active in European royal circles. 

The family has strong ties with the British royals, as Constantine is Prince William’s godfather. 

Prince Charles hosted a gala at Highgrove to celebrate King Constantine’s 60th birthday in 2000.