Greek Independence Day, a national holiday that is celebrated annually on 25th March, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. It coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church’s celebration of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear the son of God.
Very often it has been celebrated with military parades. In 1964 King Constantine II had been King of the Hellenes for just 19 days following the death of King Paul I, when he presided over the celebrations for the first time as Greece's sovereign. The excellent Greek Royalist blog The Royal Chronicles reminded of the 1964 celebrations with a couple of photos of King Constantine II on horseback and Prince Peter at his side the author also published this video report of the celebrations in Athens:
On 25th March 2015 Greece was still celebrating her Independence Day, but this time King Constantine II of the Hellenes no longer watched the crowds on horseback, but the King followed the military parade standing on the balcony of the Hotel Grande Bretagne. Poor Greece!
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| King Constantine II in Athens on Independence Day 2015 |
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