Greek Royal Family
 |
This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (April 2011) |
|
.svg)
The Greek Royal Family was a branch of the House of Glücksburg that reigned 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".[1] 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.
Contents |
[edit] Arrival
.svg)
The family came to the throne after the overthrow in 1862 of the first king of the independent Greek state, Otto of Bavaria. 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.
[edit] 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 dictatorship 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[2] 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.
[edit] Present status
All members of the former royal family are living abroad; Constantine II and his wife, Anne-Marie and unmarried children currently reside in London.[3] 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.[3]
[edit] Members
- HM Constantine II, King of the Hellenes
- HM Queen Anne-Marie
- HRH Princess Alexia, born on 10 July 1965
- HRH Crown Prince Pavlos, born on 20 May 1967
HRH Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, born on 17 September 1968- HRH Princess Maria-Olympia, born on 25 July 1996
- HRH Prince Constantine Alexios, born on 29 October 1998
- HRH Prince Achileas-Andreas, born on 12 August 2000
- HRH Prince Odysseas-Kimon, born on 17 September 2004
- HRH Prince Aristide Stavros, born on 29 June 2008
- HRH Prince Nikolaos, born on 1 October 1969
HRH Princess Tatiana, born 28 August 1980 - HRH Princess Theodora, born on 9 June 1983
- HRH Prince Philippos, born on 26 April 1986
The extended members of the Greek royal family are:
- HM Queen Sofía of Spain - eldest daughter of King Pavlos I and sister of King Constantine II
- HRH Princess Irene Youngest child of King Pavlos I and younger sister of King Constantine II
- HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (King Constantine II's 1st cousin once removed 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 Family
- HRH Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark and Marina, Consort of Prince Michael (King Constantine II's cousin and his wife)
- Princess Alexandra, born on 15 October 1968
- HRH Princess Olga, Duchess of Apulia
[edit] References
- ^ "Greece". MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5kwqFRZrs. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
- ^ "Greece". MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5kwqFzXlj. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
- ^ a b Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XV, C.A. Starke Verlag, 1997, p.20.
[edit] External links
|
||||||||
