Extravagant Facts About Princess Marina Of Greece And Denmark, Britain's First Celebrity Royal

Changing The Narrative

Leaving behind her own royal family and marrying into another, Marina would never gain a higher title than Princess, but that was all she needed. At the time of her marriage, the public largely viewed the British royals as pompous and distant, but this was an image that the crown desperately wanted to fix. Through Princess Marina and her husband, the Royal Family went from highfalutin to highly fashionable—and it changed Britain forever.

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1. She Was The Youngest

Already royalty from birth, Princess Marina wasn’t a stranger to the spotlight, but she would have much more fame and admiration by the end of her life than she likely ever expected. Before any of that, though, she wasn’t even the center of attention in her own family. Born in 1906 to Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Marina was their third-born daughter and the youngest of them.

As such, she went along with everything her sisters did—including her family’s most serious traditions.

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2. She Had Strong Faith

For the first several years of her life, Marina’s grandparents reigned over Greece as king and queen, so she and her siblings lived with them in the palace and followed their rules. Therefore, at Queen Olga’s suggestion, religion became one of the main priorities of their upbringing, and they grew up to be pious women of faith.

Still, her childhood wasn’t only about stern teachings—and she even got to see the world before long.

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3. They Loved To Travel

It would be a while before Marina made the move to the United Kingdom, but she still got an early taste of the British lifestyle—even if she was too young to remember it. As a big summer vacation family, Marina and her sisters accompanied their parents on a trip to Britain when she was only three years old, where she happened to meet her future in-laws.

In doing so, she found one of the most treasured relationships of her whole life.

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4. She Met Some Special People

Princess Marina may have been too young to remember her family’s visit with the British royal family, but any memories she did hold onto would have been some of her dearest. Britain’s Queen Mary was more than happy to have her and her sisters around, and she welcomed them as if they were her own daughters—a wonderful hint at her future as Marina’s mother-in-law.

Before then, however, Marina would have to endure quite a bit of turmoil—and the tragic loss that caused it.

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5. Her Whole Life Changed

For a large part of it, Marina’s childhood was almost like a dream come true, but it would all come crashing down around her before too long. When she was just seven years old, an assassin took the life of her grandfather, King George I of Greece, and her family was suddenly thrown into chaos.

Soon enough, she would have to leave behind everything she had ever known.

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6. They Had To Get Out

If losing her grandfather in such a violent way wasn’t bad enough, Marina had to deal with the ever-changing political climate in Greece, which was about to reach a boiling point. When she was 11, her whole life was uprooted as the people of Greece toppled the monarchy and sent the royal family into exile in Paris.

Eventually, she had the chance to improve her lot in life—even if it meant saying goodbye to her family.

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7. They Made An Announcement

With the royal family ousted from power, Princess Marina spent the next several years hopping between different family members across Europe, never really having anywhere to call home. However, things began looking up in the 1930s when she traveled to London and met Prince George, whom she seemed to take a liking to. This made it even easier when the British crown announced their engagement in 1934, despite her having little say in it.

As much as it was a calculated pairing, it came as quite a shock to most of the world.

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8. They Were Surprised

Although Marina was technically of royal blood, her family was still exiled and had little actual power. On the other hand, Prince George was the brother of King Edward VIII of Britain and had recently gained the duchy of Kent, making him quite the hot commodity. Needless to say, when word got out about his engagement to Marina, it was something that the general public hadn’t ever seen coming.

Of course, there were a few people who weren’t totally in the dark.

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9. They Went To The Source

While most of the press and public were initially unaware of the plan to marry Princess Marina and George, the Daily Mail had already heard rumblings of the idea and just needed to confirm it. Catching the prince off guard one night after he left the opera, the publication tried to get George to admit the truth.

Put on the spot, George tried his best to maintain his poker face—even if it was all in vain.

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10. He Stayed Silent

As one of the royals, George was likely used to dealing with publicity and answering difficult questions, but the Daily Mail had caught him when he had least expected it. Thinking on his feet, he adamantly denied any truth to his and Marina’s engagement. However, it didn’t matter whether they believed him or not in the end, since the announcement happened the very next day.

At the same time, the press already had other things to talk about—and it wasn’t good news for Prince George.

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11. He Had A Reputation

While George and Marina had initially hit it off when they met, she would need to be careful of what kind of person he was—at least, if the gossip around town was anything to go by. While it wasn’t all confirmed, George had developed some notoriety as a scoundrel, with rumors stating he had substance issues and multiple affairs, one of which had allegedly resulted in his being blackmailed.

With so much talk going around, the royal couple thought it was best to clear the air—and boost their reputations at the same time.

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12. They Had A Spotlight

With the royal engagement now public and the press in a frenzy to get any more information they could, one news outlet received an unprecedented honor which they couldn’t refuse. Wanting to greet their awaiting public, the betrothed couple asked the popular newsreel British Movietone to come and film them addressing the people of Britain.

While promos like this happen all the time today, this was a much bigger deal at this point for one reason.

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13. They Were Stars

For British Movietone, this invitation was too great a prize to pass up, especially since it was the first time that the British royals would be using the cinema to speak to their people. As a result, they began to transform from the proud and distant rulers that the public had always seen them as into a likable family who felt much more like movie stars.

While their happiness may have indeed been genuine, their putting it on display was no accident.

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14. They Were Picture-Perfect

Since the monarchy now had a new chance to reform its reputation with the public, it was tactful about the kind of image it wanted to present. For centuries, royal marriages were little more than strategic decisions. However, Princess Marina and George were the first step in a new direction, shifting the narrative to one where those in such a pairing could actually fall in love.

This worked better than ever, and it was time for Marina to meet her people in person.

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15. She Made Her Entrance

Now that the public was already falling in love with the new royal couple, all Marina had to do next was actually meet them. Entering the UK for the first time as Prince George’s fiancée, Marina greeted the ecstatic crowds as her boat docked and even managed to start a trend within those first few moments. Just as many would after her, she gave her fans a wave to say hello, which became the first of countless iconic royal waves in the UK.

In return, she received a welcome that was beyond her wildest dreams.

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16. They All Loved Her

Through the simple act of waving to her people, Princess Marina had broken down a barrier between royalty and the general public, and it only made her fans love her more. They all cheered her on and shouted to get her attention, but she could hardly contain her own excitement. Before long, her reserved, regal gesture turned into a more enthusiastic two-handed wave, greeting them “almost as frantically as they were waving to her”.

Making this moment even more iconic, the couple decided to give the spectators another sensational first.

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17. They Had Another First

After disembarking from her ship, Marina took a train to meet her beloved Prince George, along with—as she discovered—even more adoring fans waiting for her arrival. Captured on video, George met the princess as soon as she got off the train, and they embraced for what was the first on-camera royal kiss ever.

Even after the spectacle of her initial arrival, Princess Marina continued to amaze the public.

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18. She Brought Her A-Game

As Princess Marina continued to develop her image in the UK, the media couldn’t help but become obsessed with her. Not only was she part of the most famous royal couple at the time, but her style was unmatched, and she dazzled every event she attended. As the media stated, she had become “the envy and admiration of all of Paris”.

Naturally, it was only a matter of time before this became a part of her legacy.

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19. She Was An Icon

Marina’s name filled the news headlines at the time with reports on all the fantastically chic outfits she put together, but this appreciation was no 15 minutes of fame. Decades later, in 1960, her name appeared in another article, this time as one of the many royals inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame.

Finally, their big day arrived—and with it another long-awaited milestone.

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20. They Were The First In A While

At last, after all the smiling, waving, and grand pageantry, it was time for Marina and George to join in holy matrimony—which meant even more spectacular displays. Making the day all the more special, the two were set to marry each other at Westminster Abbey, London, where there had been no royal weddings in 11 years.

Needless to say, it was an occasion full of history and tradition—but not just for the British.

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21. She Wanted To Keep Her Culture

Although this was going to be one of the best days of Marina’s life, she couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something, especially since she had been away from her childhood home for so long. Thankfully, the Archbishop of Canterbury was more than happy to help, and together, they integrated Greek Orthodox customs into the day’s events.

This wasn’t just an event for the royals and nobility, however, and they pulled out all the stops.

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22. They Rigged The Place

Adding even more significance to the occasion, Princess Marina and George’s wedding helped the UK step into the future, all because they wanted the whole country to celebrate with them. Setting up microphones all around Westminster Abbey, they essentially allowed everyone who owned a radio to attend the ceremony, becoming the first royal wedding to be wirelessly broadcast.

Despite having all these momentous firsts associated with her, Marina would also mark the opposite in a huge way.

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23. She Was The Final One

Even if it was just to present an image of love and happiness, the British royal family was so willing to accept Marina and her culture, but this wasn’t a permanent change. In fact, since this historic pairing, not once has another princess from a foreign country married into the British royal family.

If there were somehow still any doubt in Marina’s mind of how beloved she was, it would soon vanish.

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24. She Was Extremely Popular

Along with all the love and praise that the British people showered Princess Marina with, she would have many more concrete signs of their admiration by the end of the day. As a princess, she was undoubtedly familiar with all the opulence that came with her status, but the public grew to love her so much that she received about 1,000 wedding gifts in total.

Of course, she also received a few more personal gifts—but they were no less extravagant.

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25. They Welcomed Her To The Family

Aside from all the amazing presents she now had, Marina’s new in-laws wanted to make sure she knew how happy they were about the marriage, and what better way to show that than with more gifts? From her father-in-law, King George, she received a gorgeous diamond collet necklace, and Queen Mary—whom she'd first met as a child—gave her a diamond and sapphire parure.

As beautiful as these gifts were, they were far from the only treasures she accepted that day.

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26. She Had Gifts From Afar

Many of Marina’s enormous assortment of presents came from her adoring public, but even when it came to the most exorbitant ones, her in-laws weren’t the only people behind them. As a welcome gesture to the new Duchess of Kent, the City of London gave her a magnificent tiara, and from across the world, the government of Australia sent her two solid gold cups.

While she certainly enjoyed all these amazing gifts, she was just as eager to give back to the people who needed it.

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27. She Had A Big Heart

Despite growing up in a similar life of luxury, Princess Marina displayed an impressive drive to serve the less fortunate—perhaps as a result of her family’s exile. Regardless of where this quality originated, she was willing to use her wealth to help all kinds of charities, including the Central School of Speech and Drama and the Women's Hospital Fund.

Meanwhile, she devoted the rest of her attention to a much more personal cause—building a family.

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28. They Made A Life Together

As Marina’s mother-in-law, Queen Mary, had first met the princess when she was three, she already had experience treating her like her own daughter, and the two only grew closer. At the same time, Marina’s relationship with George flourished, and the two would eventually welcome three children of their own.

Still, when it came to Britain’s darkest hour, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

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29. She Wanted To Help People

Although Marina’s spectacular welcome to the British royal family may have given the public a new sense of hope for the future, the world was in for its greatest calamity in recent history. As WWII began and the need grew for everyone to do their part, Marina couldn’t bear to sit on the sidelines. Assuming the alias of “Sister Kay,” the Princess trained for three months and joined the civil nurse reserve to help treat those serving their country.

Sadly, another disaster was on the horizon that would hit much closer to home—and would uproot her life once again.

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30. She Lost Her Love

Not every royal couple can say they enjoyed a loving marriage at the end of it all, but for eight years, Princess Marina and George truly seemed to be a happy husband and wife—until it all slipped away. Marina wasn’t the only one to serve in WWII, as the prince also joined the Royal Air Force to fight alongside his people. Tragically, on August 25, 1942, he lost his life while on active duty, perishing in a plane crash over Scotland.

To make matters even worse, Marina was once again left with nothing but her title.

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31. They Had Nothing

Losing her husband after such a relatively short marriage, Marina was already suffering from a sea of grief, but that wasn’t even the worst part. With Prince George’s passing, all Civil List payments to him and his family ceased, so with no other form of income, Marina became a royal without the means to live like one. But there was something else that added insult to injury.

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32. She Had To Pay Up

George’s passing required certain expenses—and Marina was on the hook for them. During this period, an estate left behind by anyone in the UK who had passed was subject to death duties. Reportedly, it was the king and queen who stepped in to help her financially. Nonetheless, Marina refused to let her husband’s legacy go with him, and she took matters into her own hands. 

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33. She Kept On Serving

Before Prince George’s demise, he had taken the lion’s share of royal responsibilities while Marina grew closer to Queen Mary and took care of their children. However, much of the weight was now shifted onto her shoulders, and she was ready to step up. Rather than becoming a recluse in her grief, she stayed in the spotlight and continued working in an official capacity.

As part of her royal duties, Marina visited many of the areas left in ruins by WWII—and even helped them rebuild.

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34. She Fixed The Damage

Marina and George had become Britain’s greatest public icons at the time, but even after losing him, she was happy to keep putting on a show in service to the crown. This wasn’t any superficial position, however, and in 1952, she appeared before the people at St Mark's Church, which looked a little worse for wear since WWII. As a sign of perseverance and rebirth, she laid the new foundation stone, marking the church’s restoration.

Of course, her responsibilities would take her beyond the bounds of the UK—and to some of the most unlikely places.

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35. She Traveled Abroad

Marina’s attempts to restore that which had fallen victim to WWII were not solely confined to Britain, and in fact, took her across the world to a few of the most unexpected areas. She helped open the outpatient department of Sibu’s Lau Kheng Howe Hospital, and even visited a former Japanese internment camp in Borneo, which had become a training college for teachers.

Despite these public appearances, she was still grieving—but thankfully had someone to lean on.

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36. They Were Still Close

In the immediate aftermath of her husband’s passing, Marina undoubtedly felt more alone than she had ever been before. Fortunately, she found comfort in the arms of someone going through the same grief. Just as she had been since Marina was little, Queen Mary was there for her daughter-in-law and allowed her to stay over with her as much as she liked.

Sadly, while this relationship was invaluable to Marina, it wasn’t long for this world.

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37. She Was On Her Own

Queen Mary helped Marina work through her mourning period like no other, and for over a decade after, the two were each other’s closest companions. That would be all the time they had, though, as the queen sadly passed in 1953, leaving Marina not only without her greatest supporter but also without anywhere to truly call home.

Although she may have been at the end of her rope, a lucky break was about to come her way—and sooner than expected.

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38. She Found A Home

With the passing of Queen Mary, Marina surely felt like life would never stop beating her down, but things started to look up only a year later. Still trying to find a permanent home for her and her children, Marina was finally relieved to hear that the crown was granting her a grace-and-favour residence at Kensington Palace.

This wasn’t just any old home, though, and it allowed Marina to have one more iconic “first”.

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39. She Filled A Vacancy

Just like many milestones in her life were usually accompanied by spectacle and history, even the act of moving into her new home carried a significant weight. Before she and her children took up residence there, the last person to live in the apartment had been Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll—15 years earlier.

In keeping with the new vision she gave the monarchy, the crown had a few changes in mind for the place.

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40. They Split It Up

Although the British government was happy to grant Marina this residence, they also realized that it was only her and three children moving in, making the apartment much too large. Looking to downsize to better fit the family’s needs, the plan was to split the entire unit to create Apartment 1A on the eastern end.

Marina still had a say in all the renovations—although not all her ideas were popular.

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41. They Stopped Her

As construction began on Marina’s new apartment, her keen eye for style and design was a welcome addition, but one choice wasn’t as warmly received. Since she felt it was too narrow and resembled a servant’s staircase too much, she wished to take out the original staircase designed by Sir Christopher Wren. However, once the palace officials heard about their plans, they swooped in immediately and convinced her to keep it.

Finally, after all the heartache and hopping from place to place, it was time for Marina to settle down.

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42. They Could Finally Relax

As Marina was still in need of a place to live, construction on the apartment didn’t take too long before she and her children had their home at last. With all their belongings brought in, the family officially moved into the unit in October 1955, and Marina was lucky enough to enjoy this residence for the rest of her days.

Even though she could finally rest if she wanted to, she was still willing as ever to serve the family she had married into.

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43. She Went In Her Name

Given everything she had been through and her lack of direct relation to any surviving royal family members, it would have been perfectly understandable if Marina had decided to step back from the public eye. However, under the new Queen Elizabeth II, she still fulfilled her royal duties, such as representing the queen at the festivities in Ghana when the nation gained its independence from Britain.

Even after all this time, she still upheld her late husband’s legacy—whether in big or small ways.

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44. She Took Over His Title

When it came to Marina’s duties as the Duchess of Kent, they didn’t consist only of grand events or important royal meetings; other times, she was simply picking up her late husband’s slack. Since he had served as the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s president, she took up the mantle after his passing and maintained it for a whopping 26 years.

Beyond honoring George’s memory, Marina never stopped getting involved in her community—and even saved a few lives.

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45. She Helped Those In Trouble

Although her extensive term as the President of the All England Club may be one of her most famous achievements in Britain, there was certainly a much more impactful position she held. Becoming President of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, she oversaw the deployment of lifeboat services across the UK and Ireland.

Still, above all her other titles was the one that mattered most—and it came down to one act of respect.

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46. She Kept Her Title

Although Marina came from royalty in her own right, the common practice would have had her use the style Dowager Duchess, but Queen Elizabeth wouldn’t stand for it. Preserving Marina’s regal heritage, the Queen allowed her to keep the title of Her Royal Highness Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent.

Unfortunately, she was in for one more horrible piece of news—and this one was a doozy.

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47. They Found Something Wrong

Marina continued to serve in an official capacity for several more years, but a moment came when her health stopped her from going any further, and it was almost instantaneously. Admitting herself to the hospital in 1968, it was only a matter of days before the doctors discovered what was wrong and explained to the stunned princess that she had an inoperable brain tumor.

As a silver lining, she didn’t have to worry about being alone—even in her final moments.

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48. They Said Goodbye

After learning such devastating news, Marina knew that her days were now numbered, but she likely didn't realize just how swiftly her condition could catch up with her. A little over a month later, her health had declined so much that it was obvious her time had come, and as her children gathered around her on August 27, she fell asleep and never woke up.

At last, after saying farewell to each other so early on, Marina and her love were together again.

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49. They Were Reunited

When Marina had lost her beloved Prince George so many years ago, he had been laid to rest at St George’s Chapel in the Royal Vault, but that wasn’t his final resting place. Following Marina’s passing, the crown decided to move George’s remains to Frogmore, where they placed her right next to him at the Royal Burial Ground.

Ultimately, although her story was over, the world would forever feel the impact she left.

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50. She Had A Lasting Effect

For someone who was not only a foreign princess marrying into the British royal family but also the last to do so, the magnitude of how Princess Marina changed the future was astounding. Using her natural charm and knack for publicity, she helped reshape how everyone viewed the royals, for better or for worse. Whether it was all the drama involving Prince Harry or the public’s admiration of Princess Diana, it all went back to Marina.

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Sources:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7