50 years ago: King Constantine fails to restore democracy in Greece

King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie arrived in Rome early in the morning of 14th December 1967

From the outset, the relationship between King Constantine and the colonels, who seized power in Greece with a coup d'état was an uneasy one. Constantine II was at the Tatoi Palace outside Athens when the coup occurred in the early hours of the 21st of April. The king was cut off from his advisers and was at an initial loss as to how to re-act. His Majesty made his way to the Defence Ministry where the assembled generals stood at attention and pledged allegiance to their king.

However Constantine II’s visit to the Defence Ministry demonstrated to His Majesty that operational power was with the colonels, not the generals. Constantine II had to accept that actual power lay with the coup leader Colonel George Papadopoulos and not the army chief of staff General Grigorios Spantidakis (who was ignorant of the April coup).

The King on returning to Tatoi from the Defence Ministry was faced with the agonizing choice of departing for exile or initially acquiescencing to the coup. Cut off from his political advisers Constantine II opted to stay in Greece. Following his mothers’ suggestion the Supreme Court Prosecutor Constantine Kollias was appointed the new prime minister whom the colonels grudgingly accepted.

The King decided to launch his counter-coup on 13th December 1967. Since Athens was militarily in the hands of the colonels, Constantine decided to fly to the small northern city of Kavala, where he hoped to be among troops loyal only to him. The vague plan that Constantine and his advisors had conceived was to form a unit that would invade and take control over Thessaloniki, where an alternative administration would be installed. The King hoped that international recognition and internal pressure between the two governments would force the junta to resign, leaving the field clear for him to return triumphant to Athens.

In the early morning hours of 13th December, the King boarded the royal plane, together with Queen Anna Maria, their two baby children Princess Alexia and Crown Prince Pavlos, his mother Queen Frederika, his sister, Princess Irene and Prime Minister Constantine Kollias. At first, things seemed to be going according to plan. Constantine was well received in Kavala, which was under the command of a general loyal to him. The Hellenic Air Force and Navy, both strongly royalist and not involved in the junta, immediately declared for him and mobilised. Another of Constantine's generals effectively cut all communication between Athens and northern Greece.

However, Constantine's plans were overly bureaucratic, naïvely supposing that orders from a commanding general would automatically be obeyed. Further, Constantine was obsessive about avoiding "bloodshed", even where the junta would most likely respond with violence. Instead of attempting to drum up the widest popular support, hoping for spontaneous pro-democracy risings in most towns, Constantine preferred to let his generals put together the necessary force for advancing on Thessaloniki in strict compliance with military bureaucracy. The King made no attempt to contact politicians, even local ones.

In the circumstances, middle-ranking pro-junta officers neutralised and arrested Constantine's royalist generals and took command of their units, and subsequently put together a force to advance on Kavala to arrest the King. Realising that the counter-coup had failed, Constantine fled Greece on board the royal plane, taking his family with him. They landed in Rome early in the morning of 14th December. The royal family took refuge in the Greek embassy, but Queen Anna Maria, who was pregnant again, lost her baby.

Greek King and Queen cheered in Athens streets

Doing their Christmas shopping in Athens: King Constantine II of the Hellenes and his wife Queen Anna Maria in a shop.

The monarchist news agency Royal Central published this report from Greece on 14th December:

"Now, King Constantine have appeared publicly on the streets of Athens with his wife. The two were seen when they were out, looking to buy Christmas gifts for their family. According to witnesses, they visited one of Athens finest jewellery stores and some other shops. The news that the Greek King was out in the streets spread quickly both in the media and among Athens residents. Not long after the King was first observed a small herd of Greeks had gathered outside the store the King was in and cheered when the King came out.

"The King seemed in good health, he took the time to be photographed with some of those who waited for him and he spoke to some of them. He was still pretty shaky and had difficulty keeping his balance. He leaned on a walking stick with his right hand and his wife held him steady with his other arm."

King Constantine's 75th birthday

King Constantine II of the Hellenes and his eldest grandson Prince Constantine Alexios, who is second in line to the throne.

This 2nd June not only marks the 62nd Accession Day of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, but it is also the 75th birthday of His Majesty King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

 On the occasion of his 70th birthday, the radical royalist wrote this extensive biography on the Greek King.

50 years ago: State funeral for King Paul I of the Hellenes

The Times published the following correspondent report from Athens in its issue of 12th March 1964:

Tomb of King Pavlos and Queen Frederika of the Hellenes (+6th February 1981)

King Paul of the Hellenes was laid to rest among his ancestors at the Tatoi royal estate today in the presence of his family and a number of 'Europe's reigning monarchs. King Paul himself had marked the place where he had wished to be buried under the pine trees near the tomb of his brother and predecessor, King George II.

Huge crows fare welled their King.

Almost every inhabitant of Athens and many more from country districts lined the two-mile procession route from the Metropolis Church. As the crowds grew weary of the hours of waiting there was some disorder. Many women fainted. Swaying masses forced a police cordon to yield half of the wide boulevard on which the procession was moving. Unfortunately the din and clamour did not die out even when the solemn cortege went by.

King Constantine II kissing the coffin.

Gun salutes boomed across the city as the funeral procession set off after the service at the Metropolis Church where the King's body lay in state for two days. The service was conducted by Archbishop Chrysostomos, the octogenarian Primate of the Orthodox Church of Greece. Before the eight white-kilted Evzones of the Royal Guard moved the black draped coffin from the catafalque on to a gun carriage outside. Queen Frederika knelt and kissed the side of the coffin. She had to be helped to rise, temporarily overcome by emotion. After her King Constantine, the King's son and successor, and his sister Crown Princess Irene kissed the coffin.

The dead king was flanked by a company of Evzones in pairs on both sides.

A company of sailors from the Greek Royal Navy drew the gun carriage bearing the King's body. They were flanked by a company of Evzones in pairs on both sides.

Behind the coffin came the King's personal servants and his white horse.

Behind the coffin came the King's personal servants and his white horse. The King's widow and her son, the new King, followed in the cortège. Behind them walked the Crown Princess, Princes Peter and Michael and Princess Sophia of Spain, nee Princess of Greece and Denmark and her husband, Don Juan Carlos of Spain.

King Constantine II of the Hellenes, his mother, Queen Frederika, behind them Princess Sofía of Spain and Prince Peter, second in line to the Greek throne in 1964.

right to left, German president Lübke, the Duke of Edinburgh, Mr. Lyndon Johnson, Prince Rainier III of Monaco,

The heads of foreign states or their personal representatives followed. They included the Kings of Sweden, Denmark. Norway. and Belgium, and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus. and President Lübke of West Germany, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Prince of Monaco, Mrs. Lyndon Johnson, and the brother of the Shah of Iran. The former President Truman, who is 80, followed in a car, as did Mr. Papandreou, the Greek Prime Minister. It was an impressive procession, though the solemnity and poignancy of the occasion were marred by a mass turn-out such as Athens has never seen before.

The procession ended before the Hilton Hotel and the gun carriage with the coffin was linked to an army vehicle which took it to Tatoi eight miles north of Athens, followed by the cars of the heads of state or personal representatives, who attended the private interment later.

Honouring King Pavlos I of the Hellenes

In the centre: H.M. King Constantine II of the Hellenes and his wife, H.M. Queen Anna-Maria of the Hellenes. On the extreme right, H.R.H. Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark and next to her, H.M. Queen Sofía of Spain.

Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine attended the two day commemoration for the 50 years of the passing of His Majesty King Paul I of the Hellenes and published the following short report on the website of The Royal Family of Serbia.

A documentary “Pavlos No Ordinary King” about the life of His Majesty King Paul of the Hellenes was shown last night at the Gennadius Library, Kolonaki in Athens. HM Queen Sophia of Spain hosted a dinner for relatives after the documentary.

This morning a memorial service took place at the graveside located at Tatoi for His Majesty King Paul.

The Greek Royal Family was represented by Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie, Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess Marie Chantal and their children and Her Royal Highness Princess Irene. Also present were Her Majesty Queen Sophia of Spain, Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, as well as His Majesty King Simeon of the Bulgarians.

King Paul was born in Athens 14 December 1901 and was the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. King Paul married Princess Frederica of Hanover. King Paul’s brother was His Majesty King Alexander of the Hellenes grandfather of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia. King Paul died in Athens 6 March 1964.

His Majesty King Alexander of the Hellenes and Her Royal Highness Princess Aspasia (grandparents of Crown Prince Alexander) are buried in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi. Her Majesty Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia was buried in the cemetery and was transferred last year to the Royal Family Crypt in the Mausoleum at Oplenac, Serbia.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander II lays wreath on the tomb of HM King Paul of the Hellenes, commemorating the 50 years of his passing, Tatoi cemetery, Athens, March 6, 2014.

Queen Sofía turns 75

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain celebrates her 75th birthday today. She was born Princess Sophia Margarita Victoria Friederika of Greece and Denmark nearly exactly three years to the day that Greece had voted in a referendum to restore the Monarchy (3rd November 1935). King George II of the Hellenes had returned after 12 years of exile, but he and his Romanian born wife Queen Elisabeta had no children, therefore Princess Sophia’s father Pavlos was Crown Prince of Greece. In 1947 the Crown Prince ascended to the Greek throne as King Pavlos I. When she was born Princess Sophia was second in line to the Greek throne until her brother Konstantinos was born on 2nd June 1940. He succeeded his father in March 1964 as King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

Princess Sophia with her father, King Pavlos, and sister Princess Irene 1948.

The Greek Royal Family was again forced into exile in 1941, when German and Italian troops invaded the Kingdom. In an adventurous escape Crown Princess Friederika and her two children fled first to the island of Crete, then to Egypt and finally to South Africa, where the family stayed until in 1946 another referendum affirmed the Monarchy in Greece.

During the Greek civil war and the years of reconstruction in the 1950s Princess Sophia fulfilled her duties as a member of the Greek Royal Family.

Royal wedding in Athens in May 1962.

On 14th May 1962 she married Prince Juan Carlos of Borbón y Borbón in a colourful ceremony in Athens. The Greek parliament has approved a $300,000 tax-free dowry for Princess Sophie. The bill was passed by a show of hands. Two parties, the Union of the Centre and the Pro-Communist United Democratic left, abstained from the voting. Opposition leaders "denounced the practice of granting dowries and anachronistic and barbarous."

Between 1963 and 1968 the couple had three children: Infanta Elena (* 20th December 1963), Infanta Cristina (* 13th June 1965) and Infant Felipe (* 30th January 1968).

Queen Sofia cuddles a panda bear in the Madrid zoo.

After General Franco’s death Prince Juan Carlos was proclaimed King of Spain and the return of the Monarchy, which had been approved in a referendum in 1947 was completed in November 1975. A new democratic constitution was drawn and accepted by the Spanish people in a referendum. In the difficult years of the renewed the Monarchy as well as democracy and various attempted coups that were tried by adherents of the old regime Queen Sofia was at her husband’s side to encourage and inspire him. On the occasion of his 30th anniversary as King, Don Juan Carlos thanked Queen Sofia "for her constant support, sensitivity and commitment”.

Queen Sofia behind the wheel of the Peugeot iON, a zero-emission electric vehicle with a battery life of 80 miles.

"King Constantine was the first to move against the colonels, but was shown the door"

Good old Taki Theodoracopulos sums the Greek problem up in a few words What History Does to Heroes:

"We Greeks are down and out right now, but there are still a few seconds left before the referee counts to ten. When in trouble, think and dream about the past. Back then we were number one in everything. There were no gruesome, soulless, untalented hustlers like Jay-Z, no punk rockers, no TV vulgarians like Jonathan Ross. Sure, we were a bit tough on people who were born on the wrong side of the tracks, but no one’s perfect, as Socrates should have told us. My great hero was a real person, not a mythological one—Kimon, son of Miltiades, victor of the battle of Marathon. Kimon had his cake and also ate it. He was a real stud who serviced everyone and was madly loved by his wife. He, too, ended up in exile like his old man.

Official photo of H.M. King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

"Greeks have a tendency to do that sort of thing—get rid of what’s good and keep what’s rotten and corrupt. Themistocles won the battle of Salamis and was shown the door.

"Since 1974 the same two parties have shared power and have stolen the country blind. The king, who was the first to move against the colonels, was also shown the door and his property stolen from him by the state. Go figure, as Homer never said."

100 years ago: Greek King George I assassinated

King George I (Γεώργιος Αʹ, Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων, Geórgios Αʹ, Vasiléfs ton Ellínon; *24th December 1845) was elected King of the Hellenes by the Greek National Assembly on 30th March 1863.

Just as he did in Athens, the King went about Thessaloniki without any protection. While out on an afternoon walk near the White Tower on 18th March 1913, he was shot at close range in the back by Alexandros Schinas, who was said to belong to a Socialist organization and declared when arrested that he had killed the King because he refused to give him money. The King died instantly, the bullet having penetrated his heart.

The King's body was taken to Athens on the Amphitrite, escorted by a flotilla of naval vessels. The first King of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty was buried at Tatoi, a royal resort at the foot of Mount Parnitha outside Athens, which King George had bought with his own private money.

The tombs of the Greek Royal Family, lying in a pine wood by a disused chapel, have been vandalised. They include the graves of the Duke of Edinburgh's parents. In 1994 a decree by the viciously anti-royal Socialist Government of the time stripped King Constantine II of Tatoi, its contents, and his Greek citizenship. In November 2002 the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg ruled that the confiscation of the Greek Royal Family's property in their homecountry was an illegal act.

The Belgian-Greek Royal Connection

In his latest posting The Exiled Belgian Royalist published a most interesting article on the Belgian-Greek Connection in the 1830s:

"The Greeks had claimed independence to break away from the Ottoman Empire of Turkey in 1830 and were in need of a monarch. A prince from a powerful royal family or with, at least, family ties to powerful countries, was preferred to help secure Greek independence as a policy of insurance against efforts by the Turks to retake Greece. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was considered and was asked to come reign over the new Kingdom of Greece. The cause of the Greeks had been a popular one in Europe, seen by many as a great romantic adventure and there was much sympathy for the Greeks against the Turks. Prince Leopold was not unaffected by this and he considered seriously accepting the offer to become the first King of Greece or King of the Greeks.

"After reviewing the Greek situation, he did not have much confidence in their chances of success. The population seemed too divided, the situation was too unstable and there were not the resources to ensure to a reasonable degree the long-term success. Finally he decided to decline the offer ..."

Instead of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in August 1832 the Greek National Assembly elected 17 year old Prince Otto, the second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria as King of Greece. He arrived in his new Kingdom on 6th February 1833.

The Greek Crown Prince joins the discussion

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece has launched his discussion forum, The Periscope Post. Just a few days before the Greeks go to the polls again, he has chosen a provocative title: Germany failed to conquer Europe through military power, are they now succeeding through financial and socia-economic power? 

The answer the Greek Crown Prince gives, is far away from statements uttered by the Neo-Nazis of Chryssi Avgi, populist Syriza or the numerous marxist parties who shout unrealistic slogans and promise the sky to the desperate Greeks. 

"Not all countries have the resources to be as industrially productive as Germany, but in the southern sphere of Europe, we at least need to consider a better work ethic and social responsibility. We need to pay our taxes, not cheat the system, and ensure that education is based not only on completing a high school diploma or baccalaureate, but also on bringing up socially responsible adults. If a population wishes to mirror some of the social benefits that northern European countries such as Germany, Denmark, and Sweden enjoy, then they must also recognize the need to be responsible to themselves, to their neighbours and to their governments. Similarly, governments can no longer try to gain votes by promising deals that will eventually bankrupt their own countries. We cannot expect to receive and not give back in sweat, innovation and social unity. As the late John F. Kennedy famously said, 'ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country'."

While the Greek Royalists are still not able to present their ideas to the Greek people because of the banning of the Monarchist party  National Hope (ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΔΑ), Crown Prince Pavlos is able to have his say in the Greek future. The internet cannot be banned by the Greek authorities.

Greek Crown Prince comments on the political crisis in his country

In an article published in The Periscope Post His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece commented his country's political deadlock after the elections of 6th May.

Greece has always had a strong-minded population that liked to work hard and was proud of its history. Sadly we do not have too much to be proud of at the moment. This was the chance to get some change and new blood in to the government, but unfortunately the extremist mentality of some of the parties will make it near on impossible to structure a viable coalition. A second election has a good chance of keeping the traditional duopoly intact but with hopefully a reasonable third party for balance. We may even see an outright victory, which would be good because we need stability more than anything else right now. 

The lesson to be learnt here is that most of the party leaders gave everything for a chance at the PM position – but did so without a real appreciation of the country’s and its citizens’ needs. I hope that we will see some leadership with responsibility towards Greece, all members of the population and, of course, our place in Europe. Long term corruption and tax evasion has brought Greece to her knees. All this led to the vote – or lack of vote – on Sunday by Greek citizens that made it look like an attempt for defection, but in actual fact it’s simply a vote of no confidence in past leadership. The future leaders need to work for the country first and then their personal glory. The people have spoken and the politicians need to listen. We have the ability to work together so let’s put our misgivings and pride aside and let’s get Hellas back on track.

Crown Prince Pavlos will soon be launching a regular discussion forum hosted on The Periscope Post, engaging selected participants and Periscope readers in conversations about current social and economic topics.

Greeks will not be allowed to vote for a Monarchist Party

A total of 32 parties, coalitions and individual candidates will contest the general election on 6th May, following their approval by the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) on Thursday.

The court banned four parties from taking part: National Hope, PAME in GESEEP [Π.Α.Μ.Ε. στο Γ.Ε.Σ.Ε.ΕΠ.], the Friends of Man, and Citizens Assembly-(Direct) Democracy in Practice.

It is understood that National Hope (ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΔΑ) was prohibited under the electoral law from participating as it is a Monarchist Party.

Less of a problem were strange parties like these:

Communist Party of Greece (Marxist-Leninist)-Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Greece (KKE (m-l)-ML KKE), 

Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow (Antarsya), 

Organisation of Communist Internationalists of Greece (OKDE), 

Workers Revolutionary Party (EEK Trokskyists), Sabetai Matsas

Organisation for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece (OAKKE).

from: neoskosmos

95th birthday of HM Queen Frederica of the Hellenes

The Greek Queen Frederica was born on 18th April 1917 as daughter of Duke Ernest Augustus III of Brunswick and his wife, Duchess Victoria Luise, née Princess of Prussia, the only daughter of German Emperor Wilhelm II and Empress Augusta Viktoria. As daughter of the head of the House of Hanover, she was Princess Frederica of Hanover, Great Britain and Ireland, and also Duchess Frederica of Brunswick-Lüneburg. As a descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom, she was, at birth, 34th in the line of succession to the British throne.


HRH Crown Prince Paul of Greece proposed to her during the summer of 1936, while he was in Berlin attending the 1936 Summer Olympics. Prince Paul was the son of King Constantine I of Greece and Queen Sophie, sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Their engagement was announced officially on 28th September 1937. They married in Athens on 9th January 1938. With her marriage Frederica used the title Hereditary Princess (Greek: Πριγκήπισσα Διαδόχου, Prinkēpissa Diadókhou, literally "Princess of the Heir") of Greece, her husband being heir presumptive to his elder brother, King George II of the Hellenes.


During the early part of their marriage, they resided at Villa Psychiko in the suburbs of Athens. Ten months after their marriage, their first child, Princess Sophia (the future Queen Sofia of Spain), was born on 2nd November 1938. On 2nd June 1940, their son and heir, Prince Constantine (the future King Constantine II), was born.

On 28th October 1940 Mussolini's troops attacked Greece, but were defeated by the Royal Greek Army. In April 1941 Hitler came to Mussolini’s rescue and invaded Greece. Crown Princess Frederica and her infant children were evacuated on a British warplane to Crete, where they were repeatedly strafed by the Luftwaffe. Several weeks later, Crete fell, and the Royal Family escaped to Cairo. From there, Crown Prince Paul accompanied King George to London, where a government-in-exile was formed. Crown Princess Frederica and the children spent the next two and a half years in South Africa, where a third child, Princess Irene, was born in 1942.


After the war, the Allies oversaw a plebiscite, and in September 1946, the Royal Family returned to Athens. On 1st September 1946 the Greek people decided by referendum on the Monarchy, which won 69 percent of the vote. King George II returned to the throne for a third time.


On 1st April 1947, King George II died suddenly and Frederica's husband ascended the Greek throne as King Paul I. Civil war was raging with the Communist guerrillas in the North, and that spring the Truman Doctrine had been launched to prevent Greece and Turkey from coming under Communist control. The King and Queen toured Northern Greece under severe security to try to appeal for loyalty in the summer of 1947.



During the civil war, Queen Frederica set the Queen's Camps or Child-cities (translation of: Παιδο(υ)πόλεις / Paidopoleis or Paidupoleis) a network of 53 camps around Greece where she would gather mostly orphans and children of poor families. These camps provided much needed shelter, food, and education to these children.


The Greek Civil War ended in August, 1949. The Sovereigns took this opportunity to strengthen the monarchy. But Queen Frederica has been described as "inherently undemocratic". The reason why the Queen became an often hated figure was because she was involved in Greek politics. However this involvement was often undertaken out of necessity. A closer analysis of Queen Frederica’s actions indicate that she was motivated by a desire to promote democracy and ultimately ensure that the Greek Monarchy became an institution that was above politics.


On 6th March 1964, King Paul died of cancer, and her son ascended the throne as King Constantine II. Queen Frederica assumed the title of queen dowager but continued to serve in the role of Queen. When King Constantine married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark later that year on 18th September, Queen Frederica stepped back from the majority of her public royal duties in favor of the new Queen. She remained a target for vicious attacks. In response she renounced her apanage and retired to the countryside where she lived an almost reclusive life. However, she continued to attend Royal events that were family-oriented, such as the baptisms of her grandchildren in both Spain and Greece.


After King Constantine’s counter-coup to restore democracy failed on 13th December 1967, Queen Frederica left the country with the King, Queen Anne-Marie, the King’s two year old daughter Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, the King’s sister, Princess Irene and Prime Minister Kollias.


Queen Frederica died during a surgery in Madrid on 6th February 1981. Her funeral on 12th February 1981 in the garden of the Royal Estate Tatoi was attended by a multitude of reigning and deposed royalty. This was testament to the high esteem that the late Queen was still held in royal circles. Unfortunately Queen Frederica’s status as an important twentieth century historical figure progressively diminished following her son’s exile and the repudiation of the monarchy in 1974. When King Constantine II and his family were allowed to return to briefly attend Queen Frederica’s funeral at Tatoi, the King’s return was brief and His Majesty was not even allowed to stay overnight. At Athens Airport the King and his family were greeted by cheers from Monarchists behind a wire fence. Poignantly, many of the assembled Monarchists were vexed to the point of crying that their King was not allowed to go over and meet with them.

In February 2006 the Royal Family commemorated the late Queen Frederica at Tatoi.

Good news from Greece

There was a time, not so long ago, when news from Greece were joyful:


Arrival of HRHPrincess Anne-Marie of Denmark in her new homecountry.



Their Majesties' wedding on 18th September 1964 was the first televised royal wedding in Greece. This wedding was watched by millions of people around the world and was international headline news. All of Athens seemed to celebrate the wedding. Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou attended the wedding in good spirits. King Constantine II publicly heralded the prime minister as a replacement father figure in the wake of his father’s death. King Pavlos I had died on 6th March 1964.

The US magazine Time knew this about the Royal Wedding:

"Weddings are, so to speak, expensive propositions. In Athens, Finance Minister Constantine Mitsotakis announced that the marriage of Greece's King Constantine, 24, to Denmark's Princess Anne-Marie, 18, cost the treasury $303,000, including $183,300 spent on wedding gifts.

However, an issue of 2,000,000 commemorative 30-drachma pieces will net a profit of $1,063,000, leaving the wily Greeks with $760,000 to play around with, or possibly use as a dowry for Crown Princess Irene."

A very apt comment by a French Royalist
Ces vues nous rappellent que la dynastie et le peuple grec faisaient qu'un à l'époque et que la Grèce pouvait montrer au monde sa puissance et sa prospérité. Quel dommage que le jeune couple royal n'est pas pu gouverner plus longtemps leur royaume. Peut-être aujourd'hui il n'y aurait pas la crise et le chaos qui se passe actuellement en Grèce. Si les Grecs voient ces photos, ils doivent se rappeler du bon vieux temps. Espérons que dans quelques années, le roi Constantin ou un de ses descendants pourra remonter sur le trône grec.

And of course this is still true: The Hellenic Republic is losing its sovereignty

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece on the economic problems in his home country

CNN's Max Foster interviews Crown Prince Pavlos about the economic problems in Greece.


Solving Greece's economic woes by CNN_International

A Royal summit in Serbia

The website of the Serbian Royal Family is certainly one of the best of a royal dynasty – easy access, accurate and well up-to-date. Of special significance are the photos displayed on the website. All living Balkan Kings (with the exception of King Leka I of the Albanians) posed for a photo: HM King Simeon II of the Bulgarians (*16th June 1937), HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia (*17th July 1945), HM King Michael I of Romania (*25th October 1921) and HM King Constantine II of the Hellenes (*2nd June 1940).

On 17th September Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine celebrated their 25th wedding. Among the guests were among others Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, King Simeon and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians, King Michael of Romania, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Princess Irene of Greece, Princess Desiree, Baroness Silfverschiöld of Sweden and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld, Princess Margarita of Baden, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Philipp Erasmus and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein and Her Serene Highness Princess Ira von Fürstenberg.

"What a beautiful three days and nights"

Good old Taki Theodoracopulos was invited to attend last week's wedding of HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and Ms Tatiana Blatnik on the Greek island of Spetses.

"... King Constantine’s speech which was unsurpassed in expressing his love for his son and his country and its people without being awkward in the least. So much so I got up and told him so and he thanked me and put his arm around me.
Many of us were very moved. When I saw the king speaking to a prominent Cretan, I remembered that 69 years before, Constantine and his sister Sophia, the Queen of Spain, were in Crete both suffering from the onslaught of Cretan bedbugs. They were two and one years of age. The royal family was retreating from the German invasion, which came days later."

Royal wedding in Greece

Finally, there is good news coming from Greece. On 25th August the seventh in line to the Greek throne, King Constantine II of the Hellenes second son, HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark married Tatiana Blatnik at the church of Aghios Nikolaos, on the island of Spetses. The last Greek royal wedding took place in September 1964, when the ruling King Constantine married 18 year-old Danish Princess Anne-Marie in a lavish ceremony in the nations' capital Athens.


His Majesty's website describes the Spetses wedding as following:

We are delighted to announce that the wedding of HRH Prince Nikolaos to Tatiana Blatnik took place at the church of Aghios Nikolaos, Spetses.

The ceremony was officiated by His Eminence the Bishop of Hydra, Spetses, Aigina, Ermionida and Trizinia, Efraim.


During the dinner that followed, His Majesty King Constantine delivered the following speech:

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Eminence, Your Excellencies and dear friends….as the King of Siam put it in the musical The King and I….etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...

Nikolaos…..at last! As Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet..”Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast”…and Tatiana….“One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world begun”…..

A little morality tale for my son on the occasion of his wedding:
A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary in a quiet, romantic, little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny and beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said, 'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.

The wife answered, 'Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.' The fairy waved her magic wand and - suddenly! – two tickets for the Queen Mary II appeared in her hands

The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.'

The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and suddenly!...the husband became 92 years old.

The moral of this story? Always remember this, my son: however magical they may be, fairies are always female!

So…. Pavlo brought into the family a shining diamond, Alexia brought a bright star, and you a beautiful pearl. I remember when you were born, I was in the delivery room and the doctor said in a loud voice “2” meaning the medical team should be alert as the umbilical cord had gone twice round your neck! In my ignorance, I thought my lovely wife was about to produce twins! Thinking back, I am not convinced that the world is quite ready to cope with two Nikolaos’!

Your negotiating skills were apparent to me from the moment you went to Brown University. Whenever the occasion presented itself, and you had to submit your work or an essay which, more often than not, wasn’t ready, you always managed to persuade The Dean to give you an extension.

You impressed me a great deal that you wanted to follow your elder brother, Pavlo, into the Army. Having left the regiment, Pavlo volunteered to re-join at the beginning of the Gulf War and you approached the Brigadier commanding 7th Brigade requesting to join the front line alongside your fellow officers. It was quite a difficult period for your mother and me when it became apparent that you might have to go to war.

I know I don't need to remind you of our country's history, but from the day your great great grandfather, George I, was elected by the Greek national assembly unanimously to become King of the Hellenes until today, when our lives have changed and Greece has become a republic. Service to our country and the Greek people has always been our tradition, and always will be.

As you know, Nikolae, our country and all of us Greeks are going through and will continue to endure difficult times. I have great confidence in the resilience of the Greek People. I can only wish that there is a sign of hope soon so that the crisis is terminated and that Greece finds its way to redevelopment.

This is the first wedding of our family in Greece since we left and we are delighted that it is taking place on this beautiful island, Spetses, with it’s wonderful people. It is a place we have come to love and, don’t forget, very close to here is where your mother and I spent our honeymoon and just across the sea on the mainland, we have started to make our home.

With deep gratitude to the people of Spetses and to the people from different parts of Greece who have come here today – our love and sincere thanks. We would also like to thank the Municipality of Spetses for welcoming this wedding on their island and for their understanding, the Police Authorities represented, the Port Authority and the Fire Brigade for the long hours they have all put in and for their discretion.

Anne-Marie has asked me to mention, as happy as we are to have you here today, we would be really thrilled if you would return and spend some time getting to know this beautiful island.

The advice I gave to your brother in law, Carlos, when he married Alexia, I give to you now….

“To keep your marriage brimming
with love in the loving cup,
whenever you are wrong, admit it,
whenever you are right, shut up”.

There is a song written by Rogers and Hammerstein which you will all be happy to know I am not going to sing… which goes…

"It's a lovely day for a wedding
Every heart is bursting with pride
It's a lovely day for a wedding
But not for the parents of the bride."

Why? Because today they lose their daughter to my son Nikolaos. To my brand new daughter in law… I say from my heart - welcome to our family.

Tatiana, I heard you ask your mother in the midst of all the planning for this great day, how far have you got…..what have you accomplished….the answer, without doubt…..her greatest accomplishment is you….

My friends, it is a lovely day for a wedding and my heart is indeed bursting with pride.

Tatiana, look after your husband. He's not a bad fellow.

And Nikolaos, look after your wife. She's a treasure.

God bless you both.


By the way, the state controlled TV-station ERT reported nothing on the wedding. And there is no hint on the website on what happened on Spetses. That's called freedom of information. Well done, you republicans!