Prince Constantine (left) was formally received by President Ioannis Karras (right) at the historic offices of the Omilos Ereton in Piraeus.
Prince Constantine was formally received at the historic offices of the Omilos Ereton (Rowers' Club) in Piraeus by President Ioannis Karras and the Board of Directors. The visit marked a profound reconnection between the dynasty and the premier sporting institution in Greece and the Balkans, which was originally founded by Royal Charter in 1885 through the vision of his collateral ancestor, Prince Paul I (Pavlos Ambrosios Damalas).
During the exceptionally warm reception, Prince Constantine was given a tour of the historic facilities and conversed with the club's youth athletes, expressing his admiration for the new generation continuing the institution's legacy. As a token of honour, the Board presented the Prince with a centennial silver medal commemorating the club's founding.
In discussions with the Board, Prince Constantine outlined his vision for a renewed dynastic relationship. He expressed his firm intention to grant formal Dynastic Patronage to the club, utilising his international profile to promote the institution and establishing targeted philanthropic endowments to support its athletic programmes—with a particular emphasis on the annual "Pavlos Damalas" Regatta.
The historic visit was prominently featured in the regional press. To ensure its nuances are accessible to an international audience, the Chancery has provided an official English translation of the syndicated coverage below.
Historic Visit to the Ereto Rowing Club: The Return of the House of Damalas
The Board of Directors of the Ereto Rowing Club had the exceptional honour to welcome to its offices Mr Constantine-Paul Damalas, Head of the House of Zaccaria-Damalas, the historic family of our founder, Paul Ambrosios Damalas.
Present at the meeting were the President of the Club Mr Ioannis Karras, the Vice President Mr Konstantinos Lymperopoulos, and the Treasurer & Public Relations Curator Ms Alexandra Margaroni. During his visit, Mr Damalas was given a tour of the historic facilities of the Club and had the opportunity to converse with our youth athletes, expressing his admiration for the new generation of rowers who continue the tradition of the club.
Founded in 1885 by Royal Charter, our Club was born from the vision of Paul Damalas, a prominent figure of European high society, who collaborated closely with Prince George for the organisation of water sports in the 1896 Olympic Games and attracted Crown Prince Alexander (later King Alexander I) to our ranks. Today's historic visit reconnects us directly with that glorious founding era.
For decades, after the emigration of the senior branch of the family to the United States in the early 20th century, the successors of our founder had been geographically cut off from their ancestral homeland. Today, this historic gap was bridged, as the House of Damalas returns to honour its legacy and the history of our Club.
During the meeting, which took place in an exceptionally warm climate, Mr Damalas developed his vision for a renewed dynastic relationship with the Club. His intention is to provide formal dynastic patronage, utilising his international profile for the promotion of the Club, the strengthening of its athletic programmes, and the creation of targeted philanthropic endowments, with special emphasis on supporting the annual "Pavlos Damalas" Regatta.
As a token of honour, the Ereto Rowing Club presented Mr Damalas with a collectable 100-year silver medal from its founding, sealing the beginning of a new, dynamic chapter in our shared history.
Greek Press Coverage
The official visit was published in regional news media: