Athens Court Grants Papandreou a Divorce From Wife of 38 Years

ATHENS — An Athens court on Friday granted Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou a divorce, ending a 38-year marriage to his American-born wife, Margaret, a court spokesman said.

The court issued the divorce on the basis of a suit Papandreou filed March 30 saying the couple had been separated for at least four years, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

The 70-year-old Papandreou has been living with former airline attendant Dimitra Liani, 35, since October.

Papandreou married the former Margaret Chant, 66, of Elmhurst, Ill., in 1951. They have four children.

Papandreou’s wife played an active role in the country’s political life. For many years she was the leader of the Greek Womens Union, the largest feminist group in Greece, until she resigned earlier this year.