Fotini Mavromichali (; 1826–1878), was a Greek court office holder and royal mistress. She was the granddaughter of

Petrobey Mavromichalis Petros Mavromichalis (; 1765–1848), also known as Petrobey ( ), was a Greek general, politician and the leader of the Maniot people during the first half of the 19th century. His family had a long history of revolts against the Ottoman Empi ...

. She was acquainted with

Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance (Greek: Δούκισσα της Πλακεντίας) (1785–1854) was a French noblewoman, known as an important figure in Greek high society the first decades after Greek independence. She was b ...

, who taught her French and French etiquette. In 1844 she became the

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

(dame d'honneur ) of the queen of Greece,

Amalia of Oldenburg Amalia of Oldenburg (; 21 December 181820 May 1875) was a Bavarian princess who became Queen of Greece from 1836 to 1862 as the wife of King Otto Friedrich Ludwig. She was loved widely by the Greeks due to her patriotic love for the countr ...

after Katerina Botsari, who retired from court service that year. Fotini Mavromichali was described as a beauty, and became a popular figure at the court. She accompanied the queen on her visit to Berlin in 1849. She is described as the only confirmed extramarital love affair of king

Otto of Greece Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862. The second son of King Ludw ...

, an affair that resulted in her dismissal and a conflict between the

Mavromichalis family The Mavromichalis family ( el, Μαυρομιχάλης, , ) is a prominent clan from Mani Peninsula, which played a major role in modern Greek history. Origin According to the Maniot tradition, confirmed by the May 31, 1870 epitaph of Anastasio ...

and the queen.Zaoussis A. melia and Otto.Athens: Oceanida; 2002. In Greek

References

1826 births 1878 deaths Ladies-in-waiting Greek courtiers 19th-century Greek women Royal mistresses Mavromichalis family {{Greece-bio-stub