Greek Royal Family
Encyclopedia
The Greek Royal Family was a branch of the House of Glücksburg that reign
ed in Greece
from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. Its first monarch
was George I
. He and his successors styled themselves "Kings of the Hellenes". Most members of the dynasty
(aside from the last king to reign, Constantine II
and his queen consort
, Anne-Marie of Denmark) hold the title Prince or Princess of Greece and Denmark with the style Royal Highness
, except Marina, Consort of Prince Michael
, Princess Alexandra
and Princess Olga.
. In a referendum, the Greeks elected
Prince Alfred of the United Kingdom
as their new king, but the candidature was rejected by the Great Powers, who refused to permit any member of their respective royal families to ascend to the Greek throne. A search for other candidates ensued, and eventually, the Greeks offered the throne to Prince William of the Danish Glücksburg dynasty, who had received six votes in the referendum. The Greek National Assembly proclaimed him king as George I
, and he arrived in Greece in October 1863.
The royal family saw Greece experience several upheavals including the Balkan Wars
, World War I
, World War II
(during which Greece experienced Axis occupation), the Greek Civil War
, and the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. Following the National Schism during World War I and subsequent Asia Minor Disaster, the monarchy was deposed in March 1924 and replaced by the Second Hellenic Republic
, which lasted until overthrown by a royalist coup d'etat in October 1935.
was established. The regime, known as The Regime of the Colonels, forced King Constantine II into accepting it as legitimate. On December 13, 1967, the King launched a counter-coup but it failed and he, together with his family, fled to exile in Rome
and soon after to London
.
On 1 June 1973, Constantine II was declared deposed by the military junta and Papadopoulos appointed himself as President of the Republic. On 29 July 1973, a questionable plebiscite
sought to confirm the abolition of the monarchy. The dictatorship fell in August 1974 and the new regime held a fresh plebiscite
on 8 December 1974, which confirmed the abolition of the monarchy. The deposed King has never questioned its validity.
and his wife, Anne-Marie
and unmarried children currently reside in London
. As male-line
descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark
the members of the dynasty bear the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark
; this is why they are traditionally referred to as Princes or Princesses of Greece and Denmark.
The extended members of the Greek royal family are:
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ed in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. Its first monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
was George I
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
. He and his successors styled themselves "Kings of the Hellenes". Most members of the dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
(aside from the last king to reign, Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
and his queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
, Anne-Marie of Denmark) hold the title Prince or Princess of Greece and Denmark with the style Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
, except Marina, Consort of Prince Michael
Marina Karella
Marina, Consort of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark - is a Greek artist. She is married to Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark. However, because this marriage is considered morganatic, she did not gain the title of 'Princess Michael of Greece and Denmark' and cannot style herself as 'her...
, Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra of Greece
Princess Alexandra of Greece is the elder daughter of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Marina, consort of Prince Michael...
and Princess Olga.
Arrival
The family came to the throne after the overthrow in 1862 of the first king of the independent Greek state, Otto of BavariaOtto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
. In a referendum, the Greeks elected
Greek head of state referendum, 1862
The Greek head of state referendum, 1862, was held in December 1862 on the issue of the form and identity of the Greek head of state. The results were announced in February the following year. Of the 240,000 votes reported, the vast majority were in favour of appointing Prince Alfred of the United...
Prince Alfred of the United Kingdom
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
as their new king, but the candidature was rejected by the Great Powers, who refused to permit any member of their respective royal families to ascend to the Greek throne. A search for other candidates ensued, and eventually, the Greeks offered the throne to Prince William of the Danish Glücksburg dynasty, who had received six votes in the referendum. The Greek National Assembly proclaimed him king as George I
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
, and he arrived in Greece in October 1863.
The royal family saw Greece experience several upheavals including the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(during which Greece experienced Axis occupation), the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, and the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. Following the National Schism during World War I and subsequent Asia Minor Disaster, the monarchy was deposed in March 1924 and replaced by the Second Hellenic Republic
Second Hellenic Republic
The Second Hellenic Republic is the term used to describe the political regime of Greece from 1924 to 1935. It followed from the period of the constitutional monarchy under the monarchs of the House of Glücksburg, and lasted until its overthrow in a military coup d'état which restored the monarchy...
, which lasted until overthrown by a royalist coup d'etat in October 1935.
Downfall
On April 21, 1967 the elected government was overthrown by a group of middle-ranking army officers led by Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos and a military dictatorshipGreek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
was established. The regime, known as The Regime of the Colonels, forced King Constantine II into accepting it as legitimate. On December 13, 1967, the King launched a counter-coup but it failed and he, together with his family, fled to exile in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and soon after to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On 1 June 1973, Constantine II was declared deposed by the military junta and Papadopoulos appointed himself as President of the Republic. On 29 July 1973, a questionable plebiscite
Greek plebiscite, 1973
The Greek plebiscite of 29 July 1973 was held by the then ruling dictatorial regime under Georgios Papadopoulos and resulted in the abolition of monarchy and the establishment of a Republic, initiating the first period of the Metapolitefsi.- Background :...
sought to confirm the abolition of the monarchy. The dictatorship fell in August 1974 and the new regime held a fresh plebiscite
Greek plebiscite, 1974
The Greek plebiscite of December 8, 1974, resulted in the final abolition of the monarchy in Greece and the establishment of the current Third Hellenic Republic....
on 8 December 1974, which confirmed the abolition of the monarchy. The deposed King has never questioned its validity.
Present status
All members of the former royal family are living abroad; Constantine IIConstantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
and his wife, Anne-Marie
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece is the wife of former King Constantine II of Greece, who was deposed in referendums in 1973 and in 1974. Her title "Queen of Greece" is not recognized under the terms of the republican Constitution of Greece...
and unmarried children currently reside in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As male-line
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
the members of the dynasty bear the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
; this is why they are traditionally referred to as Princes or Princesses of Greece and Denmark.
Members
- HMMajestyMajesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
Constantine II, King of the HellenesConstantine II of Greece|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family.... - HMMajestyMajesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
Queen Anne-MarieQueen Anne-Marie of GreeceQueen Anne-Marie of Greece is the wife of former King Constantine II of Greece, who was deposed in referendums in 1973 and in 1974. Her title "Queen of Greece" is not recognized under the terms of the republican Constitution of Greece...
- HRH Princess AlexiaPrincess Alexia of Greece and DenmarkPrincess Alexia of Greece and Denmark , born 10 July 1965, is the elder daughter and eldest child of former King Constantine II of Greece and former Queen Anna-Marie .-Early life:Princess Alexia was born at Mon Repos, Corfu, Ionian Islands,...
, born on 10 July 1965 (age 46) - HRH Crown Prince Pavlos, born on 20 May 1967 (age 44)
HRH Crown Princess Marie-ChantalMarie-Chantal, Crown Princess of GreeceMarie-Chantal Claire, Crown Princess of Greece, Princess of Denmark , is a member of the Greek Royal Family through her marriage to Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece...
, born on 17 September 1968 (age 43)- HRH Princess Maria-Olympia, born on 25 July 1996 (age 15)
- HRH Prince Constantine Alexios, born on 29 October 1998 (age 13)
- HRH Prince Achileas-Andreas, born on 12 August 2000 (age 11)
- HRH Prince Odysseas-Kimon, born on 17 September 2004 (age 7)
- HRH Prince Aristide Stavros, born on 29 June 2008 (age 3)
- HRH Prince NikolaosPrince Nikolaos of Greece and DenmarkPrince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark is the second son and third child of King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark, the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark....
, born on 1 October 1969 (age 42)
HRH Princess Tatiana, born 28 August 1980 (age 31) - HRH Princess TheodoraPrincess Theodora of Greece and DenmarkPrincess Theodora of Greece and Denmark is the younger daughter and fourth child of former King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. She was born 10 years after her father was deposed and 9 years after the monarchy was officially abolished in Greece.-Family:Her paternal grandparents...
, born on 9 June 1983 (age 28) - HRH Prince Philippos, born on 26 April 1986 (age 25)
- HRH Princess Alexia
The extended members of the Greek royal family are:
- HM Queen Sofía of SpainQueen Sofía of SpainQueen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
- eldest daughter of King Pavlos I and sister of King Constantine II - HRH Princess IrenePrincess Irene of Greece and DenmarkPrincess Irene of Greece and Denmark is the youngest child of King Paul of Greece and his wife Frederika of Hanover. She is the younger sister of Queen Sofía of Spain and of deposed King Constantine II of Greece...
Youngest child of King Pavlos I and younger sister of King Constantine II - HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
and HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
(King Constantine II's 1st cousin once removedCousinIn kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
and his wife) The Duke renounced his Greek succession rights and titles shortly prior to his marriage in 1947- Prince Philip's family form the senior part of the British Royal FamilyBritish Royal FamilyThe British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
- Prince Philip's family form the senior part of the British Royal Family
- HRH Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark and Marina, Consort of Prince MichaelPrince Michael of Greece and DenmarkPrince Michael of Greece and Denmark, is the author of several historical novels and biographies, as well as a contributing writer to Architectural Digest.-Birth and family:...
(King Constantine II's cousin and his wife)- Princess AlexandraPrincess Alexandra of GreecePrincess Alexandra of Greece is the elder daughter of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Marina, consort of Prince Michael...
, born on 15 October 1968 (age 43) - HRH Princess Olga, Duchess of Apulia
- Princess Alexandra