Prince Michael's father, Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, was the youngest son of former Greek King George I. Also known as George I of the Hellenes, he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1845 and was later elected by the Greek National Assembly to help form a new royal dynasty when he was a teenager, according to Henry Poole & Co. He then moved to Athens, Greece, in 1863. During his nearly 50 years as King of Greece, George I sought to establish a democracy as part of his rule, and he even helped form the modern Olympics.

In 1913, George I decided to abdicate his throne, and his eldest son, Constantine I, took over as King. Tragically, in March of that same year, George I was assassinated by Alexandros Schinas, a reported socialist anarchist. George I was 68 years old at the time of his death, which was caused by a gunshot to his heart. "It is my deep grief to announce to you the death of our beloved king and invite you to swear fidelity to your new sovereign, King Constantine," Prince Nicholas, George I's third son reportedly stated through tears, according to a March 1913 Sausalito News article. While these events happened several years before Prince Michael was born, the assassination of King George I was the first notable tragedy connected to him.