Abandoned and in decay for decades, the Tatoi Palace in a forest outside Athens that was owned by the late British Prince Philip’s family is planned to be restored to its royal status with a $14.97 million renovation.
It’s located on Mount Parnitha about 13 miles northeast of Athens and barely escaped previous wildfires and the renovation is a joint venture between Britain and Greece to make it a museum by 2025, said the news site Asharq Al-Awsat.
The palace was the then-Greek Royal Family’s home before the abolition of monarchy in 1973. King George I bought the 10,000-acre estate with private funds from Denmark in 1872 for his family to enjoy in the summertime, according to the Ground News website.
It’s surrounded by woods, rivers, and wildlife, the staggering complex is made up of personnel quarters, stables, beehives, and farms, as well as the main palace building. It is also the final resting place of Philip’s father and King Charles’s grandfather, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
A meeting between King Charles and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 2022 revived the idea and Charles visited the Palace as part of the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence in 2021.
King Charles’ Prince’s Foundation is said to be providing advice to the Greek government on restoring the complex. Works are set to include converting King George I’s stables into a museum and renovating the gardens, which house several royal tombs.
It comes after a lengthy legal battle over who owned the palace was finally settled in 2002 that kept up divisive politics about the role of the Royal Family in Greece over the decades.
Source: Tornos News