European royals attend the wedding of the second son of Greece’s former king

European royals attend Greek island wedding

ATHENS, Greece — Prince Nikolaos, the second son of former King Constantine of Greece, married a fashion events planner on Wednesday in a ceremony on a southern Greek island attended by royals from across Europe.

The prince’s wedding to Tatiana Blatnik was held in a monastery near the old port of Stepses island. Blatnik, 29, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage and waved to a crowd of well wishers gathered outside. The 40-year-old Nikolaos arrived by boat.

The Greek Orthodox service was attended by Spanish Queen Sofia — Constantine’s sister — Crown Prince Felipe and his wife, Letizia. Members of royal families from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands also were present.

Ahead of the ceremony, the groom’s parents, former King Constantine and former Queen Anne Marie, paid a last-minute visit to the church as trucks carried in ornaments and flowers.

“As you know, in all of these situations, even the last minute you are preparing,” Constantine told AP Television.

The 70-year-old Constantine ascended to the throne in Greece in 1964, but he was formally deposed in 1973 during the country’s 1967-1974 military dictatorship.

In 1974, after the restoration of democracy in Greece, its citizens voted in a referendum to abolish the country’s monarchy.