I don't think Maria Pavlovna had a very close relationship with her Greek relatives and I've often wondered why that is. She talks little about them in her autobiographies although I believe she did interact with Olga and her great-grandmother somewhat in Russia.
Marie spent so much of her life sort of wandering, "lost", or detached from her family members. The Greek RF was so different than the Russian one, and I think Marie would have found a strong sense of family, acceptance, and love among them had she chose to identify with them.
However, the many exiles of the Greek RF may have made this somewhat difficult....
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Yes. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna seemed to have such a sad life. She seemed emotionally detached from everyone - a prime example is her relationship (or lack of) with her son Prince Lennart of Sweden. It's no wonder. She grew up without her natural parents, was married off young and into a foreign country, and then the Russian Revolution resulted in the deaths of many other relatives or their exile.
did seem to have a strong bond with younger brother, Grand Duke Dmitri. Her uncle, Grand Duke Serge, seemed affectionate with the two - but again she lost him, too. it is very sad to not see in her a real connection with family and a wandering lifestyle. But I guess normal to one is abnormal to another.
