This Friday, in the golden globate of San Nicolás Ragavas, under the serene look of the Byzantine icons and the murmur of the Psalms, the first paragraphs of a new story will be written. A story that, like the Plaka neighborhood itself, combines the traces of the past with the promise of the future, blue blood with the power of money and black gold. In the intricate emotional geography of the second opportunities, the prince Nicolás de Greece y Chrysí Vardinogianni They have decided to join their paths and the ceremony that consecrates their marriage aims to be according to the weight of history and tradition. This Friday, the bride and groom pronounce the “yes, I want” in the Byzantine church of San Nicolás Ragavas, a corner loaded with spirituality in the Athenian neighborhood of Plaka, under the gaze of close friends and family who will seal with their presence the legitimacy of this Lightning love that, since its inception, was the persistent whisper of the most select circles of Athens.
The third son of Kings Constantine and Ana María marries Chrysi Vardinogianni, daughter of Yiorgos Vardinogiannis, ancient shipping proceedings and president of the Panathinaikos soccer club and, niece of Vardis Vardinogiannis, the king of oil and Greek maritime transport. The Vardinogiannis brothers (the woman’s father and uncles that replaces Tatiana Blanik as a princess consort of the Greek prince) are known for having raised a family, shipping and oil empire.
Just nine months after announcing his separation from Tatiana Blatnik, with whom he shared 14 years of marriage, Nicolás enters a new story with Chrysí, who is not alien to the chapter of the second nuptials. This union is not only registered in the context of the Greek elites, but also in A religious framework where orthodox tradition, despite its reverence for the indissolubility of marriage, leaves room for forgiveness, renewal and grace.
The relationship between Nicolás and Chrysí was formalized in January, but by then it was already an open secret in the most exclusive gatherings of Greek society. Chrysí, daughter of the aforementioned shipowner Giorgos Vardinogiannis and Agapi Politi, was in a moment of emotional transit After finishing a relationship with actor Konstantinos Markoulakis In December 2023. His story with the prince emerged at an unexpected moment, such as those waves that come without notice but break with overwhelming force.
Both shared significant moments that cemented their link, although far from the indiscreet flashes. Chrysí accompanied the prince in the tribute to Constantine II, father of Nicolás, during the second anniversary of his death in Tatoi. Months before, I had also been present at the wedding of Princess Teodora, sister of Nicolás, although on that occasion they preferred to maintain their relationship in a discreet background. Now, that discretion has given the passage to a public statement of love that will culminate on the altar.
The wedding of Nicolás and Chrysí is a reminder of how tradition and modernity coexist in the bosom of the Greek Orthodox Church. Marriage is considered a sacred and indissoluble sacrament, But the Orthodox canon law offers remarkable flexibility under the principle of “????????” (economy). This concept allows those who have crossed the breakdown of a marriage can find redemption and hope in a second or even third union, always under certain limits: a fourth marriage is strictly prohibited. Chrysí, who was married to the pop singer Stefanos Xypolitas, known as Nino, and with whom he has two children, hosts this second chance with the same dignity as Nicolás, who lived a long Marriage with Tatiana Blatnik before separation. For both, the ceremony is a commitment to God but also before society: at that social height, they could not allow other type of relationship as furtive as when it emerged and Tatana Blanik was still Nicolás’s wife. The wedding is also an act of reconciliation with its past and a bridge to the future.
Before reaching the altar of San Nicolás Ragavas, the parties have had to overcome the legal and religious steps required by the Orthodox Church. In Greece, civil courts have the last word in the dissolution of a marriage, and only after obtaining civil divorce the ecclesiastical can be managed. Once both procedures have been completed, future husbands must present the corresponding certificates to legitimize their new union.
The ceremony, although Identical in its structure to the rite of the first marriage, wears a different symbolic load. It is an act that mixes solemnity and humility, in which prayers and blessings emphasize the spiritual renewal of the parties. For those who do not celebrate their first wedding, the words recited on the altar acquire an even more penitent and reflective tone. Is it the case of Nicolás and Chrysí?
The choice of the church of San Nicolás Ragavas is not accidental. Built in the eleventh century, this Byzantine jewel located in the heart of Plaka, the most picturesque and ancient neighborhood of Athens, offers an ideal serenity and spirituality framework for a ceremony that aspires to be as intimate as it is transcendental. The echo of the Byzantine songs and the glow of golden icons will wrap the bride and groom in an atmosphere that seems made to reconcile the modernity of their lives with the weight of an ancient tradition.
Nicolás de Grecia, the third son of Constantino II and Ana María de Denmark It has always been a discreet figure within the already diffuse Greek monarchy, officially abolished in 1974. His life, marked by exile and diplomacy, has been away from the scandals that usually accompany the European royal houses. Chrysí, meanwhile, has forged his identity beyond the powerful surname he carries, balancing his role as a mother and his presence in the social sphere of Greece. Together, they seem to have found a balance that defies prejudices and expectations. Although their relationship arose in a transition context for both, they have managed to build a link that promises stability and complicity.
The wedding of Nicolás and Chrysí is more than a family event. In a country where traditions are the anchor of an identity that resists the onslaught of globalization, this link is a reminder that faith and love, although shaped by the mistakes of the past, can find new ways of expressing themselves.
