Princess Theodora of Greece is finally set to wed her fiancé Matthew Kumar on Saturday in front of 250 guests – and among them will be many members of the royal family.
The bride, 41, is the goddaughter of the late Queen and has close ties to both the Danish and Spanish royal families.
She will tie the knot with her LA-based lawyer fiancé at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens at 5.30pm tomorrow.
And preparations are already underway, with the bride and her husband-to-be obtaining a blessing from the Archbishop of Greece, while videos posted on social media showed the scene being set for the stunning nuptials.
Unsurprisingly, the wedding is set to see several famous faces in the crowd – but some major European royals will not be attending.
Princess Theodora of Greece is finally set to wed her fiancé Matthew Kumar on Saturday in front of 250 guests
Princess Theodora’s mother is Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and she has been very actively involved in the wedding planning and joined her for her blessing by the Archbishop earlier this week.
Her father King Constantine passed away in January 2023, postponing her wedding for a second time after the initial covid delay, but his wide influence could attract many royals to the nuptials.
Theodora’s paternal aunt is Queen Sofia, who was Queen of Spain from 1975 to 2014 as the wife of King Juan Carlos I.
However, her aunt on her mother’s side, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, may not attend after she recently suffered a fall.
Meanwhile, it is unconfirmed whether any members of the British royal family will attend.
Prince William is King Constantine’s godson, but he and the Princess of Wales may remain at home after she recently completed her cancer treatment.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are likely to miss the nuptials as they are due to be in Scotland on Saturday for the 25th anniversary of Parliament.
And on Saturday, the Duke of Edinburgh will be attending a concert for Windsor Festival in St George’s Chapel.
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece attends the gala diner to celebrate the 18th birthday of H.K.H. Prince Christian in October 2023
King Charles and Queen Camilla will not be in attendance, as they are attending the anniversary of Parliament in Scotland
In October 2021, when Theodora’s brother Prince Philippos of Greece married Nina Flohr, the daughter of a billionaire, both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (pictured in 2023) were in attendance
Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi arrive at the Athens Orthodox Cathedral following the wedding ceremony of Nina Flohr and Prince Philippos in 2021
Princess Eugenie also attended the wedding of Princess Theodora’s brother in 2021
The bride’s mother is Queen Anne-Marie of Denmark – but her aunt Queen Margrethe has suffered poor health in recent months
Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark of Greece with Matthew Kumar and her mother, Queen Anne-Marie met with Orthodox Archbishop in his office to receive a blessing ahead of the wedding
The couple have begun their wedding preparations ahead of the big day this weekend
However, in October 2021, when Theodora’s brother Prince Philippos of Greece married Nina Flohr, the daughter of a billionaire, both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were in attendance, as well as Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
It is believed Theodora’s oldest brother Crown Prince Pavlos will give her away, and royal fans will also hope to catch a glimpse of her siblings, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos, and godparent Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia.
Though the Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, the members of the royal family are still prominent members of society, and there is set to be a large turn-out for the wedding.
Margrethe, 84, was discharged from hospital last week after falling while staying at Fredensborg Castle.
Her daughter in law, Queen Mary of Denmark, updated royal fans earlier this week, saying: ‘Under the circumstances, she is doing very well.
‘I had the opportunity to visit her a few times since she came home. She’s super cool and keeps her spirit high. Thank you for the question.’
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, King Constantine II of Greece, Prince Pavlos of Greece, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Princess Alexia of Greece, Carlos Morales, Princess Theodora of Greece and Prince Philippos of Greece are pictured in 2014
Queen Mary herself and King Frederik could be attendance themselves, as Frederik is Theodora’s first cousin
Theodora’s paternal aunt is Queen Sofia, who was Queen of Spain from 1975 to 2014 as the wife of King Juan Carlos I
Mary herself and King Frederik could be attendance themselves, as Frederik is Theodora’s first cousin.
Preparations have already commenced for the wedding, and this evening the couple will reportedly host a dinner at the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.
The princess is finally set to wed her partner Matthew Kumar on September 28, following a four-year delay.
The Greek royal, who was born in London and plays secretary Alison Montgomery in The Bold and the Beautiful, will tie the knot with her LA-based lawyer fiancé at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
Guests will arrive around 5.30pm to watch the bride walk down the aisle, while on the eve of the big day, the couple will reportedly host a dinner for their loved ones at the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.
The wedding date – which was postponed twice – was said to be picked due to it being close to the wedding anniversary of Theodora’s parents, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, who were married on September 18, 1964, in Athens.
Princess Theodora of Greece is finally set to wed her partner Matthew Kumar (pictured together) on September 28, following a four-year delay
Initially, Princess Theodora and her fiancé, who announced their engagement in November 2018, were scheduled to wed on the Greek island of Spetses in 2020.
But the couple – who began dating in 2016 – were forced to put the May 26 event on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite not walking down the aisle on the day, Theodora still celebrated with her husband-to-be and she shared a snap of herself with Matthew on Instagram as they dined on Greek salad, olives, bread and cheese and shared a tipple.
As she posted the photo, the Princess wrote: ‘On what should have been our wedding weekend – the love and support from friends and family have been so appreciated. We can’t wait to celebrate with all of you in Greece once it’s safe.’
When the pandemic finally came to an end, Theodora and Matthew set another wedding date – ‘early summer’ in 2023, in Porto Heli, Greece.
However, just a month after the Greek Royal Household announced the second wedding date, actress Theodora’s father, King Constantine of Greece, passed away.
King Constantine, the last King of Greece who was exiled in 1973 when the monarchy was abolished, had five children; Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Philippos, Princess Alexia, Princess Theodora and Prince Nikolaos.
The exiled king died at the age of 82 in January 2023. As Theodora mourned her father, she postponed her wedding to Matthew for the second time.
Theodora and Matthew appeared in Windsor in February 2024 when they attended a memorial service for King Constantine
The bride and groom were spotted side-by-side at the memorial service for King Constantine at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in February 2024, which saw royals from across Europe in attendance including Queen Camilla, King Felipe of Spain and Queen Letizia.
Two months after her father’s death, the princess posted a tribute to him on Instagram which read: ‘It’s been two months since you left us. Miss you everyday Papa. Love you.’
Hello! Greece previously reported the bride had planned to wear a gown designed by Celia Kritharioti – a dress she picked out ahead of the original wedding date in 2020.
Celia is Greece’s foremost fashion designer, whose elegant creations are worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Taylor Swift.
She is the owner of the oldest Greek fashion house, which was established in Athens in 1906, and features at Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture and at London’s Harrods.
Although Theodora will not have her father to walk her down the aisle as she showcases her stunning wedding dress for the first time, it is thought her oldest brother Crown Prince Pavlos will perform the role of ‘giving away’ his younger sister.
While Theodora’s choice of tiara hasn’t been confirmed ahead of the wedding day, the bride could follow in a long family tradition. The Khedive of Egypt Tiara has long been worn by women in Theodora’s family on their wedding days, including by her aunt Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (pictured in 1967)
Margrethe married French diplomat Henri de Laborde de Monpeza at Holmen Church in Copenhagen in 1967
While Theodora’s choice of tiara hasn’t been confirmed ahead of the wedding day, the bride could follow in a long family tradition.
The Khedive of Egypt Tiara has long been worn by women in Theodora’s family on their wedding days, including by her mother Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and her aunts Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Benedikte of Denmark.
It was given to Princess Margaret of Connaught – who married the future King of Sweden, Gustaf VI Adolf – as a wedding present in 1905 by the Khedive, reported Royal Central.
The tiara was created by Cartier and features a laurel wreath-inspired design, which includes diamonds and platinum.
Princess Margaret often wore the tiara before her death in 1920. The tiara then left Sweden when her daughter Princess Ingrid, married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.
Famous godmother! The late Queen with her Greek counterpart Anne-Marie at Princess Theodora’s christening in London in 1983
King Constantine’s son Crown Prince Pavlos and the Greek Royal Family have no official remit, but are still active participants in royal life around Europe.
At the time of her engagement, Theodora announced the happy news on Instagram, saying: ‘Words can’t express our happiness and excitement. I can’t wait to marry this wonderful man. I love you, Matt.’
Her parents separately released a statement saying: ‘Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie are delighted to announce the engagement of their youngest daughter Theodora to Mr Matthew Kumar.
‘Further details about the forthcoming wedding will be provided in due course. Mr Matthew Kumar, 34, was born and raised in Southern California to Sam and Lonnie Kumar. He is a practising attorney in Los Angeles.’
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