The European royal household making landmark transfer to return residence after a long time in exile | EUROtoday

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Members of Greece’s former royal household have utilized for citizenship and formally acknowledged the nation’s republican system of presidency, in a landmark transfer 50 years after the monarchy was abolished.

The late King Constantine II and his relations had been stripped of Greek citizenship in 1994 in a dispute with the federal government over previously royal property and over claims that he refused to resign any proper to the Greek throne for his descendants.

Interior Ministry official Athanasios Balerpas mentioned that kin of the late king, who died final 12 months on the age of 82, signed a declaration Thursday acknowledging the republican authorities and adopting a brand new surname, “De Grece” – French for “of Greece.”

“A historically pending matter is being resolved,” Balerpas instructed state-run radio. “Let’s look to the future now. I think it’s a good moment because it closes an account from the past and we can now look forward as a people.”

Officials haven’t formally named the candidates. But Greek information media broadly reported that ten relations have sought citizenship, together with all 5 youngsters of Constantine II and former Queen Anne-Marie – Alexia, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Theodora, and Philippos – in addition to 5 of the late king’s grandchildren.

The Greek monarchy was abolished by referendum in December 1974, when voters overwhelmingly backed a republican structure, months after the autumn of a seven-year navy dictatorship.

Members of the royal household lived in exile for many years earlier than Constantine returned as a non-public citizen in his seventies. They had been stripped of their Greek citizenship in 1994 throughout a authorized battle over the previous royal property, which is now state-owned.

They had beforehand refused to undertake a surname, distancing themselves from the title Glucksburg, assigned in a 1994 regulation, which they noticed as linking them too intently to their German ancestry and making them appear much less legitimately Greek.

The choice on citizenship should now be revealed within the official authorities gazette earlier than they’ll apply for state identification playing cards and Greek passports.

Lawmakers from center-left and left-wing opposition events argued that the previous royal relations shouldn’t have been permitted to decide on their very own surname however didn’t oppose their proper to citizenship.

Some lawmakers from center-left and left-wing opposition events objected to the surname chosen by the previous royal relations, arguing it seems like a title reasonably than a regular surname, however didn’t oppose the their proper to citizenship.