 |
  |
|
Christie's have announced that an auction will be held in January comprising solely of chattels formerly belonging to King George I and his descendants. 1 December 2006 Category: News Is the former Greek Royal Family the consignor?
No. The royal family are no longer the legal owners of this collection.
Does the collection belong to the Greek State?
Absolutely not. All the items which were transferred to the Greek State in 2003 remain in Tatoi.
Was the former Greek Royal family aware of the sale?
The royal family was informed of this initiative by Christie's, in order to provide details regarding some objects in preparation of the sale's catalogue.
Are items which were exported from Greece in 1991 included in the sale?
As far as we know, many of the items offered, are listed in the records of the chattels which left Greece with the supervision and certification of the appropriate authorities in 1991.
Have all the objects which were given permission to be exported been sold? / Are they all being sold?
As far as we know, all the Greek objects, as well as those which bear the monograms of King Paul and Queen Frederica or King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie and were exported in 1991, are not included in the Christie's auction.
Which objects and pieces of furniture are to be offered for sale?
The royal family is not aware of the details of the sale and a catalogue has not been issued yet.
Please contact Christie's, London for further information.
Why did the royal family decide to sell objects from Tatoi, rather than donate them as part of the Greek heritage to museums?
In 1991, the arrangements between the former Greek Royal family and the Greek government regarding the former's property were at the final stages of resolution (as verified by the 1992 law). No one would ever expect the annulment of the 92 law.
Furthermore, the sheer volume of the chattels which had been exported in 1991 plus that of the items which was expected to follow, rendered the storage and insurance costs impossible to cover.
The confiscation of the remaining chattels, which took place in 1994 and the adamant decision on the part of the Greek government to pay compensation for the property in Greece instead of returning it, -once it was ruled by the court that it actually belonged to the royal family-, changed the facts which in 1991 were taken for granted.
Does the former Greek Royal family support the upcoming auction?
King Constantine has stated that, 'It is certainly a sale of great interest'.
|
|
| © 2006-2011 Greek Royal Family | Site Index | Legal Information | Site Credits |