Was Princess Tatiana too down-to-earth for royal life? As Prince Nikalaos of Greece and his Venezuelan-born wife split, how she craved ‘a simple life’ following their lavish ‘Mamma Mia, with aristocrats’ wedding

Greece’s Prince Nikalaos and Princess Tatiana announced their ‘amicable’ divorce after fourteen years of marriage in a statement that shocked royal fans around the world.

The royal couple married in a lavish wedding in 2010 and appeared in public together earlier this year at a memorial service for the prince’s father, King Constantine II in Windsor.

But despite their long-term union and marriage that seemed idyllic to outward eyes, the couple may have had major differences from the start.

Although 54-year-old Nikalaos loves Greece with all his heart, it was a difficult adjustment for his wife when they moved there permanently in 2013.

Tatiana, 43, seemed to embrace the royal life, but it is said she never felt completely at home in the country and felt more comfortable wearing her jeans and sneakers than the royal tiara and sash.

After Greek media reported divorce rumors for months, the couple released a statement announcing their separation on the royal website.

It read: ‘We would like to inform you about an important and sincere decision of TRH Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana.

‘After fourteen years of marriage, they have chosen to amicably dissolve their marriage.

“This decision was made with great care and mutual respect and reflects their deep appreciation for each other and the moments they have shared.

“Their future interactions will continue to be guided by the same principles of respect and understanding as they transition to a relationship rooted in a strong friendship.

‘They will continue to live and build their lives in Greece, a place they both call home. The family will always support them.”

The couple married in August 2010 on the Greek island of Spetses.

The wedding – which was described as ‘Mamma Mia, but with aristocrats’ – was attended by royals from around the world, including monarchies from the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.

But the down-to-earth Tatiana already seemed at odds with the extravagance of Greek royal life and asked the nobles and princes present to swap their formal clothes for caftans and sandals.

Shortly after her wedding she admitted: ‘I don’t feel like a princess. I don’t feel like I married a prince, with a title. Well, actually he’s my prince, but that’s all.’

Tatiana was born in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and attended boarding school in Switzerland before studying sociology at Georgetown.

She met her future husband on a skiing holiday in Switzerland in 2003 and announced their engagement six years later – with the wedding being one of the high society events of the year.

Shortly after the wedding, Princess Tatiana left her job as an event organizer for designer Diana Von Furstenberg, MailOnline previously reported.

She lived in Chelsea, London and first visited Greece with Nikalaos in 2004, before moving there permanently in 2013.

Nikalaos, who grew up in Britain, had always dreamed of living in Greece, but his wife didn’t feel the same way.

The aristocrat did not speak Greek and told them Fashion about her feelings upon arriving in the country – which already indicated how uncomfortable she felt.

She told the fashion magazine: ‘I remember when we drove in, it felt like everyone was driving in the opposite direction.’

In the same interview, she revealed that her new royal life was quite different than you might expect.

She continued, “I live a very simple life here. I work, I go to the supermarket, I cook, I walk my dog, and the Greek people have welcomed me like any other.”

Tatiana attempted to immerse herself in Greek life, working with charity Boroume to provide meals and publishing a cookbook called A Taste Of Greece, as well as making painstaking efforts to learn the language.

Over time, she said she became more comfortable with life in the countryside – and the royal announcement said she will continue to live there. The couple has no children.

King Constantine, the last king of Greece before the country abolished the monarchy in 1973, died of a stroke in Athens last year at the age of 82. He also had close ties to the British royal family and was the godfather of Prince William.

Tatiana is also known for her father’s broken engagement to Natalie Wood, the glamorous American model who died mysteriously after a boating accident.

Shoe manufacturer Ladislav Blatnik was engaged to Wood before they separated in 1965.

Wood died on November 29, 1981 during a weekend trip to Santa Catalina Island on her husband Robert Wagner’s yacht.

The cause of death was confirmed as drowning, but it was never determined how she entered the water in the first place.

In 2018, Wagner himself was named as a person of interest in the case and there were reports that the couple had had an argument. In 2022, it was announced that all leads had been exhausted and the case remains unsolved. Blatnik died by suicide when Tatiana was only seven years old.