by Christos Zabounis

Those who climbed that icy January morning toward the hill of Palaeokastro, where the royal tombs are located, for the funeral of Princess Irene, could not fail to notice the intense construction activity in the areas surrounding the Tatoi Palace. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Culture, the full restoration of the historic core and the museum and visitor facilities is expected to be completed by the end of the year. At the same time, the same ministry created an online platform titled “Tatoi Collections,” where works of art, furniture, photographs, and clothing belonging to the royal family are presented. The impressive figure of 70,000 objects appears somewhat misleading, as it includes forks, knives, plates, trays, books, and so on. As for the garments, particular attention was drawn to the appearance of the wedding dress worn by Queen Anne-Marie at her marriage to King Constantine of the Hellenes in 1964. It is a creation in white silk by the Danish designer Holger Blom, which will be exhibited at the Tatoi Museum. A question of judgment arises: after so many decades of inappropriate conduct by the Greek state toward this particular family, has the time come for the Crownless Republic to show its magnanimity by returning this item – of high sentimental value – to the Queen?