Inside the most controversial royal wedding of the year as 'playboy' Prince Nikolaos of Greece prepares to tie the knot TODAY - just 10 months after split from Princess Tatiana

Just like his parents King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Anne-Marie, and more recently, his sister Princess Theodora and her American husband Matthew Kumar, Prince Nikolaos is set to wed his bride in the Greek capital of Athens today. Yet despite sticking to the somewhat customary location for his big day, the royal's whirlwind romance with his bride Chrysí Vardinogianni has hardly been the most traditional.

Nikolaos - once dubbed the 'Playboy Prince’ after partying with the likes of Elle Macpherson and Jemima Khan, according to Tatler - divorced his previous wife, Princess Tatiana, just 10 months ago, following 14 years of marriage. Shipping scion Chrysí, who has reportedly long been a close friend of the Greek royal family, only split from her husband Konstantinos Markoulakis, a director, in December 2023.

In January this year, the fiercely private couple's relationship was revealed, with their upcoming wedding announced shortly after. An official statement from the former Royal Family of Greece read: 'On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM, the wedding of Prince Nicholas, formerly Nicholas De Gres, to Mrs. Chryssi Vardinoyannis will take place at the Church of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas, in the presence of close relatives and friends of the family and the couple.'.

Their special day comes hot on the heels of Nikolaos's separation from Princess Tatiana, who later shared how she had had a 'difficult year', months after announcing her split in April and later learning that her stepbrother had gone missing. As such, it's perhaps unsurprising that the prince and his new bride, a mother-of-two, who is the daughter of a Greek shipping magnate and the ex-wife of a famous pop star, have taken such a low-key approach to their nuptials.

Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Chrysí Vardinogianni departing their pre-wedding party last night. They will marry in a private ceremony in Athens, aware from the glare of the world's media - after royal fans rallied around Nikolaos' ex Tatiana in the wake of the announcement. Although their split in April 2024 was said to be 'amicable', the former publicist has hinted at her personal heartbreak in social media posts discussing her 'year of uncertainty, pain and transformation'.

As well as discussing her struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, the Princess - who has maintained her royal title - has also had the added heartbreak of her beloved stepbrother going missing this year. Yesterday, Nikolaos and Chrysí enjoyed a pre-wedding dinner alongside guests including Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Queen Anne-Marie and Queen Sofia of Spain, as well as Princess Theodora and her husband Matthew Kumar.

But the bride appeared to shield herself from photographers when stepping out at the party with her groom, seemingly using her long blonde locks to hide most of her face. In January, it was confirmed that Nikolaos - the second son of the late King Constantine of Greece and his wife Queen Anne-Marie of Denmark - had proposed to Chrysí, who is the ex-wife of Greek singer Stefanos Xypolitas. Chrysí and Stefanos - who share George, 12, and Karen, 11 - reportedly married in 2012 and divorced five years later.

After this, Chrysí dated the actor Konstantinos Markoulakis for five years. Their split in December 2023 came four months before Nikolaos and Tatiana's shock separation. Just like his parents King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Anne-Marie, and more recently, his sister Princess Theodora and her American husband Matthew Kumar, Prince Nikolaos is set to wed his bride (pictured at their wedding rehearsal on Wednesday) in the Greek capital of Athens today.

Nikolaos - once dubbed the 'Playboy Prince’ after partying with the likes of Elle Macpherson and Jemima Khan, according to Tatler - divorced his previous wife, Princess Tatiana (pictured left), just 10 months ago, following 14 years of marriage. Hello Greece reports Nikolaos and Chrysí are old family friends and made their first appearance as a couple at Princess Theodora of Greece's wedding in October 2024.

Chrysí also joined her fiancée in January at a memorial commemorating two years since his father's death. That same month, the couple travelled to Copenhagen with Nikolaos' family to attend a reception for Lene Balleby - King Frederik and Queen Mary's outgoing Head of Communications. As they arrived at Amalienborg Palace, Nikolaos and Chrysí were congratulated on their engagement by members of local media - with the Prince replying: 'Thank you very much.'.

Just ten months earlier, Nikolaos and his wife of 14-years Princess Tatiana announced their separation. In February 2024, the couple - who never had children - were pictured walking arm-in-arm into St George's Chapel in Windsor for the Thanksgiving Service for King Constantine, who died of a stroke aged 82 the year before. As such, royal watchers were left stunned when the pair announced their split less than two months later.