,type=downsize)
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece has made a name for herself outside of her husband’s family. The mom of five, who married King Constantine II’s son Crown Prince Pavlos in 1995, founded her eponymous childresnwear brand 20 years ago. “Someone from my father-in-law‘s kind of family weren’t too comfortable (with royals) working. I think going into the children’s business was so sweet and they saw there was nothing wrong with it,” the Crown Princess, 52, shared in a new interview with Paper magazine. According to Marie-Chantal, her royal in-laws viewed her doing business as just her “being healthy, doing something I like.”
© Crown Princess Marie-Chantal“I was never exploiting the family or taking advantage. I was doing something that was complementary,” she said. “We’ve built this wonderful relationship with my in-laws.” The Greek royal added, “There’s also a sense of reality. You have to get on and work and it’s ok to do that as long as you do it correctly. When you’re not offending or taking advantage. I would die if anyone thought I was taking advantage of that position.”
Marie-Chantal noted that it’s a balance. She explained, “You have this name and you have to balance it. You have to balance it correctly. Not everyone is going to love you. They say you should be doing more of this. But you do your best.”
Both the Crown Princess and her husband believe in “being modern.” That’s evident by Marie-Chantal’s presence on social media. The Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern Etiquette for Families acknowledged that she is “very spontaneous” on social media. “What you see is what you get. I think in today’s world if I’m going to be on social media I might as well show you the real me,” she said. “Sometimes I wish someone would do it for me. Sometimes I shoot from the hip and I get into trouble but it’s okay. We’re all human.”
© Crown Princess Marie-ChantalThe Crown Princess’ children sometimes have to remind their mother to stop using her mobile. “They’ll remind me, ‘You’ve written a book so put your phone down,’” she shared. One of the royal’s sons, Achi, is an actor, which Marie-Chantal supports. “I’ve always encouraged my kids. They are who they are. You can choose to do whatever you want to do and you can be whoever you want to be,” she said. “[Choose] any profession and I will totally champion you. Do the best, just as long as there’s some contribution back to humanity. I think one has to.”
The Crown Princess continued, “I want them to go out there and choose their paths and careers. I don’t want them to go into the family business or tell Tino (her oldest son, second in line to the throne) one day he might be King. I think that’s not right. I think he needs to figure it out for himself. I think that’s what makes the best individuals.”
