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William George was born in 1845. He was the second son of King Christain IX and Queen Louise of Denmark, and this unlikely to inherit the Danish crown. Greek officials asked the young prince in 1863 to consider the Greek throne. For some arcane reason, the Greeks were unwilling to consider a monarch of Greek blood. Prince William George was acceptable to the Greeks after deposing Otto I and he was crowned George I in 1863. The British ceded the Ionian islands which they seized during the Napoleonic Wars to show their support for the reconstituted monarchy. A more democratic constitution was adopted in 1864. King George also had family ties to England as his older sister was Alexandra who married the Prince of Wales. Both heartily disliked the Prussians, who had seized Schleswig Holstein from their father, and in later years Wilhelm II who purchased a residence on Corfu in 1907. The Greeks desired to incorprate the Greeks population still under Turkish rule. war threats swept the Balkans, but the Great Powers attempted to prevent hostilities. Crete became another issue. War broke out with Turkey in 1896 and diasaster was only prevented by the intervention of the Great Powers. Prince George served as a time as Greek high commisioner on Crete. He had to resign, but in 1908, Crete was united with Greece. Greece was drawn into a series of Balkan wars. In the years leading to World War I, Macedonia became increasingly difficult. George's oldest son suceeded him as Constantine I. Another son, Prince Andrew's son Philip married Britain's future Queen Elzabeth. King George was assasinated in 1913 on the eve of World War I.
He was the second son of King Christain IX and Queen Louise of Denmark, and this unlikely to inherit the Danish crown.
King Christian is often called the grandfather of Europe because of the number of his discendents who became monarchs. Christian was born in 1818. Christian's father was Duke Frederick William of Schleswig-Holstein (1785- ). His mother was Princess Louise Wilhelmina von Hessen-Cassel (1789- ). By his father, he was a direct descendant of King Christian III of Denmark and his mother was a granddaughter of King Frederik V. Prince Christian studied at the Militar Academy of Cophenagen and he entered the Danish army in 1837. That same year he persued the young Queen of Engalnd, Victoria, who had just acceded the throne. Victoria instead chose Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg. Christian
mairred Princess Louise Wilhelmina of Hesse-Casselin 1842. Christian produced two kings and a queen. His son Frederick succeded him as King of Denmark in
1906. His son Charles became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. His daughter Alexandra mairred the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) and became Queen
of England.
Prince Christian mairred Princess Louise Wilhelmina of Hesse-Casselin 1842.
King George also had family ties to England as his older sister was Alexandra who married the Prince of Wales. The two were very close, he was her favorite brother. She called him "Willie". Both heartily disliked the Prussians, who had seized Schleswig Holstein from their father. King Christian is often called the grandfather of Europe because of the number of his discendents who became monarchs. Christian produced three kings and a queen. His son Frederick succeded him as King of Denmark in 1906 and his grandson Charles became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. William George became King of Greece in 1863. His daughter Alexandra mairred the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) and became Queen of England. Dagmar mairred the Russian Tsar. It is one of the ironies of history that two princess from a family of very limited means mairred into two of the greast royal families of Europe.
William George was born in 1845.
Prince William George had embarked on a naval career and was an inexperienced 18-year old naval lieutenant when the Greek throne was offered him in 1863.
William George appears to have been selected for the Greek throne rather casually. His older sister Alexandra claims that at Marlborough House, just before her marriage, Lord John Russel casualluy asked William who was in England to attend the wedding, if he would like to be king of Greece. William at the time was an 18-year old naval cadet and jokeingly replied that there would be nothing he would like more--thinking to himself that a king who not have to deal with tiresome examinations. [Battiscombe, p. 60.] The British Foreign Office then consulted with William's grandfather the king and soon he was nominated. Greek officials then asked the young prince in 1863 to consider the Greek throne. His father, who was still a prince, and his mother were very concerned that his son who was only 18 years old was not prepared for such responsibilities in a distant land. His grandffather, however liked the idea and threatened to arrest his father if he complicated matters. As a result, Prince William George became George I of the Hellens before his father became King of Denmark. For some arcane reason, the Greeks were unwilling to consider a monarch of Greek blood. Prince William George was acceptable to the Greeks after deposing Otto I and he was crowned George I in 1863. The British ceded the Ionian islands which they seized during the Napoleonic Wars to show their support for the reconstituted monarchy. A more democratic constitution was adopted in 1864. Many thought that the inexperienced Danish Prince could never handle the demands of ruling Greece. In fact King George ruled for 50 years until assdasinated in 1913.
King George met the Russian Grand Duchess Olga on a trip to Russian to visit his sister Dagmar who had mairred Tsar Alexander III and was the Tsarina. The Grandduchess was the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke Coastantine Nicolaievitch and a Grand-daughter of Tsar Nicholas I. He fell in love at once and insisted on mairring her. She was only 16 years old when they mairred on St. Perersburg.
The young Queen was totally unprepared for adult life and for leaving Russia. She did not speak Greek. An elderly Russian Countess was brought back to Athens to provide companionship and to help Greek ladies learn the fineer points of court life. The Queen herself was very homesick and took quite a while to adjust to her new life. Her husband and the Russian Countess after searching everywhere found her hiding under a staircase crying with a favorite Russian teddybear. (Incidentally this was before teddy bears were popular in America and Europe.) One interesting aspect of Queen Olga was that despite she was located at some distance from England, she way English Prince George's favorite aunt. She strongly advised him after the death of his brother to marry Princess Mary of Teck as soon as possible. [Battiscombe, p. 195.]
King George and Queen Olga had seven children. Another child died in infancy. George's oldest son suceeded him as Constantine I. Another son, Prince Andrew's son Philip married Britain's future Queen Elzabeth. King George was reportedly perpetually involved in constant quarrels with his sons as they grew up, failing to recognize their status as adults. [Battiscombe, p. 195.]
Crown Prince Constantine was born in 1868. He was the oldest son of George I and Russian
Princess Olga Constantinovna Romanov (1851- ). He married Prussian Princess Sophie Dorothea Ulrica Hohenzollern, a sister of Wilhelm II and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, in 1889. Wilhelm was not close to his sister, considering part of his mother's (Victoria) "English colony". When Sophie decided to convert to Orthadoxy before the birth of her son, Wilhelm sent his wife Dona to forbid her. Dona reportedly told Sophie that she would "burn in hell". They had six children George II (1890- ), Alexander I (1893- ), Helen (1896- ), Paul I (1901), Irene (1904- ), Catherine (1913- ). King Constantine suceeded his father in 1913. When World War I (1914-18) broke out, Constantine was pro-German, but refused to commit himself publically. The King, despite his persinal feelings, did not want his country to enter the war. He especially joining on the Allied side. He was the Kaiser's brother-in-law. He fully expected the Central Powers to win the War. Prime Minister Venizelos felt differently. He thought that the Allies would win the war, and that Greek participation would yield
benefits against Bulgaria and Turkey. Greeks on 1914 were divided about what they should do. When Bulgraia and Turkey joined the Central Powers, the potential stakes rose for Greece. It was likely that the
end of the war would bring major border changes. If the Central Powers won, Bulgaria might claim land in Macedonia and
Thrace, at the expense of Greece. On the other hand, if the Allies won, Bulgaria and especially Turkey would lose territory. There was thusconsiderable support for the Allies in Grrece, especially after the Turks joined the Central Powers in the War. An oposition government was formed which was recognized by Britain and France. King Constantine was forced to abdicate in favor of his second son, Alexander. A national plebecite return Constantine I to the throne by a huge margin, although the Allies disapproved. After World War I, Greece took part in the Allied occupation of Turkey, where many Greeks still lived. The previous regime had launched a new war with Turkey. and moved toward Ankara. The Greeks were defeated by Turkish forces led by Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk) and forced to withdraw. The military disaster in Smyrna occured after the Allies withdrew support. An attempt to demobalize the Army resulted in a miltary dictatorship. Constantine was deposed again and forced into exile. Constantine's younger brother was crowned as King George II in 1922, but was a pupet ruler under the military government. In 1923 large numbers of Greek and Turkish nationals were removed from their homes and repatriated. These refugees as well as the army were strongly anti-royalist and in 1924 a republic was proclaimed.
King George II had to leave the country. He returned in 1935 and ruled until 1947, including a period in exile during World War II.
Princess Alexandrai married Paul of Russia (1860-1919).
Prince George mairred Marie Bonaparte (1882-1962).
Prince Nicholas mairred Helen of Russia (1882-1957). Prince Nicholas's daughter Marina (1906-38) married Prince George, son of Britain's King George V in 1934. They had three children, but we know little about them.
Princess Marie was with her father during one attack on his life. The king faced down armed asailants, pushing her down and brandishing his walking stick at them. The Princess mairred Grand Duke George (1863-1919).
Prince Andrew was reportedly the most Greek of all the children. He was the only one who felt most comfortable speaking Greek. As a child he spent some time on an isolated island where he was tutored by a military governor. The Prince was raised to be an officer in the Greek Army. He attended was enrolled in the Athens Miliatry Academy at age 14. The Academy was staffed with German officers. He was also tutored by an Army Major and subjected to a strict rergime beginning with a cold bath at 6:00 am every morning. As a result after a demanding 3-day exam, he was in 1901 commissioned a major in the calvary. [Heald, Philip, pp. 18-19.] Prince Andrew married Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885-1969). She was the eldest daughter of Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse, a grand daugter of Queen Victoria. The Princess was only 18 years old when they mairred and described by some as the "prettiest princess in Europe".
The couple returned to Greece. The couple had five children, four boys and a girl. Prince Andrew continued his career in the calvary. He trained peasant recruits at a garison town near the Turkish Frontier. Revolutionay officers in 1909 demanded that the King's sons be prohibited from holding Army commissions. To help his father deal with the situation, Andrew and his brothers resigned their commissions. Only with war broke out with the Turks was Andrew reinstated with the Army. Victory over the turks brought command of the 3rd Calvary until 1916 when his brother who had after their father's assasinaton become King Constantine I. The Allies helped engineer the removal of King Constantine ho wanted to keep Greece out of World War I. Prince Andrew was exiled from Greece until his brother was reinstated by plebecite after the War in 1920. Prince Andrew joined the Army as a Major General. The campaign was a disaster and the Prince quarled with his commander. The military overthrew King Constantine and on November 28, 1922 six supporters were shot. It is likely that Prince Andrew himself would have been shot, had his wife not appealed for help. Her younger brother Prince Louis gained an auyduience with George V. The result was that the Prince and his family, who were on Corfu, were spirited to saftey on a British naval ship. Their son Prince Philip married Britain's future Queen Elzabeth.
Family life was quite interesting. King George was determined to succeed as monarch. Despite his Scandinavian roots, he became a fervent Greek patriot, despite the fact the Greeks kept trying to assasinate him. He lectured his children, according to daughter Marine that we were "Greeks and nothing else". She reports as a small child crying when told that she was Danish and not Greek. English nurses taught the children English until the King forbade it and insisted tghey spaek Greek. The children grew up speaking Greek to each other, but English to their parents. Their parents usually spoke German when talking among themselves.
George like his sister Alexandra heartly disliked the Prussians who had dismembered Denmark. He also disliked Kaisser Wilhelm II who purchased a residence on Corfu in 1907, but for diplomatic reasons had to endure his annual visits.
King George pursued a very Danish approach to monarchy. Denmark is a very small country and there is as a result a closer personal relationship between the king and his subjects than in a larger country. Every monday King George held audiences for anyone who wanted to raise issues or complain about goverment affairs. Queen Olga gradually adjusted to adult life and involved herself in social issues, she gave special attention to hospitals and prison reform. While popular with most of his subjects, there were elements opposed to the monarchy. After an assaination attempt, the King had bith the ptinces and princesses carry relbolvers as well as the footmen.
The Greeks desired to incorprate the Greeks population still under Turkish rule. war threats swept the Balkans, but the Great Powers attempted to prevent hostilities. Crete became another issue. War broke out with Turkey in 1896 and diasaster was only prevented by the intervention of the Great Powers. Prince George served as a time as Greek high commisioner on Crete. He had to resign, but in 1908, Crete was united with Greece. Greece was drawn into a series of Balkan wars. In the years leading to World War I, Macedonia became increasingly difficult.
After several unsuccessful attempts, King George was assasinated in 1913 on the eve of World War I.
Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).
Heald, Tim. Philip: A Portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh (William Morrow and Company, Inc.: New York, 1991).
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