Once upon a time, two American sisters became princesses. One has, so far, lived happily ever after, while the other has not had the same luck. Let’s take a look at the Miller sisters, Marie-Chantal and Alexandra.
Marie-Chantal Claire Miller, born 17 September 1968 in London, England, is the second child of Ecuadorian Maria Chantal Pesantes Becerra and American Robert Miller. She has one older sister, Pia (b. 1966). Raised a Roman Catholic, she was christened into the church at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with one of her godmothers being Princess Donatella Missikoff of Ossetia.
Raised between Hong Kong and Switzerland, Marie-Chantal resided in Hong Kong through age 9 when she attended The Peak School before boarding at Switzerland’s Institut Le Rosey. By 1982, Marie-Chantal was in Paris at Ecole Active Bilingue before completing her senior year of high school in New York’s The Masters School. For one year, she attended the Academy of Arts before starting a degree in history of art at New York University. She would not complete her degree as she dropped out upon becoming engaged.
Marie-Chantal would meet Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in New Orleans at a party, and the pair would wed in a lavish London ceremony on 1 July 1995 at St Sophia’s Cathedral. She had converted from Roman Catholicism to Greek Orthodoxy in May. Upon her marriage, she became the Crown Princess of Greece.
Marie-Chantal and Pavlos have five children: Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Constantine-Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Odysseas-Kimon, and Prince Aristidis-Stavros. All but Odysseas-Kimon were born in the United States with American citizenship. As Marie-Chantal has renounced her US citizenship, Odysseas-Kimon was not granted US citizenship from birth like his siblings since he was born outside the USA.
She founded a children’s clothing brand in her name which has become highly successful. She, along with the members of the deposed Greek Royal Family, attend various royal functions across Europe each year.
Alexandra Natasha Miller was born on 3 October 1972 as the youngest of Robert and Chantal’s three daughters in New York City. Like her sisters, most of her childhood was spent in Hong Kong (which was under British rule until 1997), Paris, and New York.
Alexandra would spend her post-secondary education at Brown University and Parson’s School of Design while majoring in fashion and art history.
By 28 October 1995, Alexandra would wed Prince Alexander von Fürstenburg (who was born and raised in New York) in New York City’s Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. At this point, she became Her Serene Highness Princess Alexandra of Fürstenberg. The House of Fürstenberg was a noble family mainly in the current Baden-Württemberg area of Germany.
Together, the couple had two children, Princess Talita Natasha and Prince Tassilo Egon Maximilian. However, the fairytale would not last, and Alexandra and Alexander would separate in 2002 and subsequently divorce. At this point, Alexandra lost her style of Serene Highness and the title of Princess.
The former royal currently works as a furniture designer, as well as image director for the famous American brand, Diane von Fürstenberg (founded by her former mother-in-law, Diane von Fürstenberg). She also founded her own furniture brand, Alexandra von Fürsetnburg.
Alexandra would remarry on 7 July 2015 to the designer, Dax Miller in their Los Angeles, California, home. Unlike her sister, it is not believed that she has renounced her American citizenship.
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