A grand palace owned by the late Prince Philip’s family has been left untouched for decades. But a £12.3million renovation of the home could finally see it restored to its original glory.
The Tatoi Palace - located on Mount Parnitha, near Athens - was the 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.
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, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis last year appeared to mark the start of a new chapter. Charles visited the Palace as part of the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
A £12.3 million investment will reportedly see the palace revived and transformed into a museum by 2025, as part of a joint venture between Britain and Greece.
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.
