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103-491: King George I purchased the estate in 1872, purchasing it with private funds he had brought from Denmark . In July 1916, an arson attack ravaged Tatoi Palace. The royal family barely escaped the flames. Among the palace personnel and firefighters who arrived to deal with the blaze, sixteen people were killed. During the Republican regime in the 1920s, most of the estate was confiscated from its owners. Around 1929-1930

206-418: A lying-in-state for Constantine's body. Many "right-wing politicians" reportedly were upset with the decision for neither a state funeral nor a lying-in-state, something which was requested by his family. The prime minister of Greece , Kyriakos Mitsotakis , defended the government's decision by insisting that Constantine was only the leader of the "Kingdom of Greece, which no longer exists". Despite this,

309-601: A dairy at his palace at Tatoi, which was managed by native Danes and served as a bucolic reminder of his homeland. Queen Olga was far less careful in hiding her nostalgia for her native Russia, often visiting Russian ships at Piraeus two or three times before they weighed anchor. When alone with his wife, George usually conversed in German. Their children were taught English by their nannies, and when talking with his children he therefore spoke mainly English except to his son Andrew who refused to speak anything but Greek. The King

412-568: A funeral procession was still planned to occur outside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. On 12 January 2023, Queen Sofía of Spain, Princess Irene and Princess Nina , as well as Princess Theodora's fiancé, Matthew Kumar, were photographed visiting the royal cemetery at Tatoi Palace for preparations at the royal tombs ahead of Constantine's funeral. Mitsotakis received backlash from many, including former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras , over his decision to deny Constantine

515-510: A lunch was held for the Greek royal family and close friends. A service to unveil Constantine's tomb with a Trisagion hymn occurred the following morning. On 10 January 2024, the first anniversary of Constantine's death, a private memorial service was held in Tatoi and was attended by his immediate family. On 27 February, a thanksgiving service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle , was held by

618-528: A marriage with a Russian grand duchess would re-assure his subjects on the question of his future children's religion. Olga was just 16 years old when she married George at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg on 27 October 1867. After a honeymoon at Tsarskoye Selo , the couple left Russia for Greece on 9 November. Over the next twenty years, they had eight children: As a marriage gift,

721-659: A monarchy rather than a republic. Many Greeks, seeking closer ties to the pre-eminent world power, the United Kingdom , rallied around Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh , second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert . British prime minister Lord Palmerston believed that the Greeks were "panting for increase in territory", hoping for a gift of the Ionian Islands , which were then a British protectorate . The London Conference of 1832 , however, prohibited any of

824-491: A museum and public venue, while facing political indifference and lack of money. In 2015, ten cars which were kept in the former royal estate of Tatoi, were designated as cultural monuments by the Central Council for Modern Monuments (ΚΣΝΜ). However, the cars, as well as the carriages (which were not included in the decision) remained in the ruins, with parts of the roof falling on the cars in 2016. However, as of 2020,

927-408: A nearby church was repaired by "frantic" workers. After the funeral, with police escort and five supervising drones and two helicopters, Constantine's body was driven 29 kilometres to Tatoi Palace via Metropolitan Road, which was closed to the public from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm (UTC+2). It took at least 40 vehicles to transport all 60 guests who attended the burial to Tatoi Palace. The coffin

1030-457: A new constitution would be finalized, and that if it was not he would feel himself at "perfect liberty to adopt such measures as the disappointment of my hopes may suggest". It was unclear from the wording whether he meant to return to Denmark or impose a constitution, but as either event was undesirable the Assembly soon came to an agreement. On 28 November 1864, George took the oath to defend

1133-485: A policy of disarmament and tactlessly questioning the descent of modern Greeks from classical antecedents. Like Julius, he was dispatched back to Denmark. From May 1864, George undertook a tour of the Peloponnese , through Corinth , Argos , Tripolitsa , Sparta , and Kalamata , where he embarked on the frigate Hellas . Proceeding northwards along the coast accompanied by British, French and Russian naval vessels,

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1236-553: A private citizen. It was also announced that his burial location would be at Tatoi Palace , where other past Greek royal family members have been buried. The funeral location was decided to be the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Monday 16 January. Lina Mendoni , the Minister of Culture and Sports , was also called to be the government's representative at the funeral. The government also declined requests for

1339-422: A procession into the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens occurred. Τhe procession was headed by a crucifer , followed by two priests, including Archbishop Ieronymos II , then the coffin, which was draped in the current flag of Greece , and finally Constantine's three sons, with crowds watching from the side. Members of the public were chanting "Immortal" and "Constantine, you will never die" and held flowers, flags of

1442-600: A resolution in favor of union despite both the reservations of the Athens government under Georgios Theotokis and the objections of the Great Powers. The muted reaction of the Athens Government to the news from Crete led to an unsettled state of affairs on the mainland. In August 1909, a group of army officers that had formed a military league, Stratiotikos Syndesmos , demanded, among other things, that

1545-452: A restaurant for lunch with his wife, Queen Anne-Marie , and his two sisters, Queen Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene . Although he remained undisturbed during his meal, Spanish tourists later noticed Queen Sofía and a Greek civilian recognised the former king, who was being pushed in a wheelchair with nasal catheters that provided him with supplementary oxygen, prompting concerns for his health. His heart and mobility issues had "worsened" in

1648-510: A state funeral, and he later agreed to put the former king's body on display in an unofficial lying-in-state, while also giving him the "honours of a state leader". Police also stated that they would "have a presence at vital points around the Metropolitan Cathedral and Tatoi, as well as the funeral procession's route and the locations where invited officials stay." Royal guests began arriving in Greece on 15 January 2023 and most of them stayed at

1751-481: A strong relationship with his brother-in-law the Prince of Wales, who in 1901 became King Edward VII , and sought his help in defusing the recurring and contentious issue of Crete , an overwhelmingly Greek island that remained under Ottoman Turk control. Since the reign of Otto, the Greek desire to unite Greek lands in one nation had been a sore spot with Great Britain and France, which had embarrassed Otto by occupying

1854-640: Is −8.9 °C (16.0 °F) on 9 January 2019. Tatoi was until 2021 one of the areas in the Athens Metropolitan Area (the other one was Elefsina ) which held the record of the highest ever officially recorded temperature in Europe for 44 years with a reading of 48.0 °C (118.4 °F) on 10 July 1977. *Not included the most parts of Athens urban area 38°09′45.83″N 23°47′37.28″E  /  38.1627306°N 23.7936889°E  / 38.1627306; 23.7936889 George I of

1957-678: The Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain . Constantine's eulogy was delivered by Nicholas Soames , which he described as a "great and humbling honour". After the Lord's Prayer was read in English and in Greek , the British national anthem was sung to conclude the service. Five of Constantine's grandchildren, King Charles III and Constantine's two British godchildren, Prince William and Lady Gabriella Kingston , were not present. William

2060-404: The British royal family and attended by Constantine's family, members of foreign royal families and both former and present members of British parliament. The Protestant service was officiated by Christopher Cocksworth , Dean of Windsor . Greek Orthodox representation was also present at the service. Readings were conducted by all five of Constantine's children and Archbishop Nikitas Loulias ,

2163-691: The Congress of Berlin convened in 1878 to determine peace terms for the Russo-Turkish War, Greece staked a claim to Crete, Epirus and Thessaly. The borders were still not finalized in June 1880 when a proposal very favorable to Greece that included Mount Olympus and Ioannina was offered by the British and French. When the Ottoman Turks strenuously objected, Prime Minister Trikoupis made

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2266-578: The First Lord of the Admiralty at the time was Lord Ripon , whose brother-in-law had been murdered in Greece 16 years before. This was not the last time that King George discovered that his family ties were not always to his advantage. Deligiannis was forced to demobilize and Trikoupis regained the premiership. Between 1882 and 1897, Trikoupis and Deligiannis alternated the premiership as their fortunes rose and fell. George's silver jubilee in 1888

2369-551: The Great Powers ' ruling families from accepting the crown. Queen Victoria herself was adamantly opposed to the idea. The Greeks nevertheless insisted on holding a plebiscite in which Alfred received over 95% of the 240,000 votes. There were 93 votes for a Republic and six for a Greek national to be chosen as king. King Otto received one vote. With Prince Alfred's exclusion, the search began for an alternative candidate. The French favored Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale , while

2472-613: The Hellas reached Corfu on 6 June, for the ceremonial handover of the Ionian Islands by the British High Commissioner , Sir Henry Storks . Politically, the new king took steps to conclude the protracted constitutional deliberations of the Assembly. On 19 October 1864, he sent the Assembly a demand, countersigned by Konstantinos Kanaris , explaining that he had accepted the crown on the understanding that

2575-552: The Hotel Grande Bretagne , where both reporting mediai and crowds greeted them. Constantine's body laid in the Agios Eleftherios Chapel from 6:00 am till 11:00 am ( UTC+2 ), allowing members of the public to pay their respects. Thousands of mourners viewed his coffin. By 8:00 pm (UTC+2), police estimates placed over 5,000 mourners to have visited Constantine's coffin. Afterwards,

2678-772: The Ionian Islands peacefully in 1864, while Thessaly was annexed from the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) . Greece was not always successful in its territorial ambitions; it was defeated in the Greco-Turkish War (1897) . During the First Balkan War , after Greek troops had captured much of Greek Macedonia , George was assassinated in Thessaloniki . George was born on 24 December 1845 at his parents' residence

2781-481: The Kingdom of Greece and pictures of Constantine and Anne-Marie. Some people were chanting, "Long live the king!" Constantine's body was moved through the church's nave then placed in the centre of the chancel with wreaths, icons and medals surrounding it. Government officials were jeered and booed by the crowd upon their arrival at the ceremony. The wreaths beside Constantine's coffin were made out of lily of

2884-621: The Saint Eleftherios Chapel in Athens from 6:00 am to 11:00 am ( UTC+2 ), followed by a funeral at noon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens . He was then buried privately at Tatoi Palace by his family. Members of royal houses from seventeen countries were in attendance, including the Greek royal family , members of the Spanish royal family and Danish royal family , and the monarchs of Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco,

2987-514: The White Tower on 18 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". George died instantly, the bullet having penetrated his heart. The Greek government denied any political motive for the assassination, saying that Schinas

3090-602: The Yellow Palace , an 18th-century town house at 18 Amaliegade , next to the Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen . He was the second son and third child of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel . He was baptised with the names Christian William Ferdinand Adolph George , and until his accession in Greece, he was known as Prince William,

3193-419: The deputy prime minister of Greece , Panagiotis Pikrammenos , to also represent government at the ceremony. Prime Minister Mitsotakis also allowed members of Greek parliament to attend on their own accord. Anne-Marie wore the same diamond cross from her wedding at the funeral ceremony. Archbishop Ieronymos II presided over the ceremony, standing at the front of the church with almost twenty other priests. To

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3296-489: The 1870s, Greece kept pressure on the Ottoman Empire, seeking territorial expansion into Epirus and Thessaly . The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 provided the first potential alliance for the Greek kingdom. George's sister Dagmar was the daughter-in-law of Alexander II of Russia , and she sought to have Greece join the war. The French and British refused to countenance such an act, and Greece remained neutral. At

3399-480: The British proposed Queen Victoria's brother-in-law Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , her nephew Prince Leiningen , and Archduke Maximilian of Austria , among others. Eventually, the Greeks and Great Powers winnowed their choice to Prince William of Denmark, who had received six votes in the plebiscite. Aged only 17, he was elected King of the Hellenes on 30 March [ O.S. 18 March] 1863 by

3502-579: The Christian countries of the Balkans in opposition to the ailing Ottoman Empire. When the Kingdom of Montenegro declared war on Turkey on 8 October 1912, it was joined quickly by Serbia , Bulgaria , and Greece in what is known as the First Balkan War . George was on vacation in Denmark, so he immediately returned to Greece via Vienna, arriving in Athens to be met by a large and enthusiastic crowd on

3605-1088: The Commemorative Badge of the Centenary of the Royal House of Greece, the Medal of Military Merit , the Order of the Dannebrog , the Order of the Elephant , the Order of George I , the Order of the Golden Fleece , the Order of the Phoenix , the Order of the Redeemer , the Order of Saints George and Constantine and his 1960 Summer Olympic Games golden medal. The funeral ceremony commenced at 12:30 pm (UTC+2) and over 200 people were in attendance, including nine monarchs, which prompted

3708-547: The French port of Toulon on 22 October aboard the Greek flagship Hellas . He arrived in Athens on 30 October [ O.S. 18 October] 1863, after docking at Piraeus the previous day. He was determined not to make the mistakes of his predecessor, so he quickly learned Greek . The new king was seen frequently and informally in the streets of Athens, where his predecessor had only appeared in pomp. King George found

3811-545: The Greek National Assembly under the regnal name of George I. Paradoxically, he ascended a royal throne before his father, who became King of Denmark on 15 November the same year. There were two significant differences between George's elevation and that of his predecessor, Otto. First, he was acclaimed unanimously by the Greek Assembly, rather than imposed on the people by foreign powers. Second, he

3914-467: The Greek culture ministry moved ahead with plans to finally restore the palace. After approximately a year of conservation work had been undertaken, the Greek government announced that the estate would become a mixed-use development after the completion of restoration. Plans are centered on the conversion of the main house into a museum of the royal family, as well as the construction of a new luxury hotel and spa. The 2021 forest fires were catastrophic for

4017-524: The Greek gold medalist, while the King stood and applauded. The popular desire to unite all Greeks within a single territory ( Megali Idea ) was never far below the surface and another revolt against Turkish rule erupted in Crete. In February 1897, King George sent his son, Prince George , to take possession of the island. The Greeks refused an Ottoman offer of an autonomous administration, and Deligiannis mobilized for war. The Great Powers refused to allow

4120-633: The Hellenes George I ( Greek : Γεώργιος Α΄, romanized : Geórgios I ; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination on 18 March 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhagen , and seemed destined for a career in the Royal Danish Navy . He was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly , which had deposed

4223-453: The King insisted, he argued, that only a politician commanding a majority in the Vouli could be appointed prime minister, then politicians would be forced to work together more harmoniously to construct a coalition government. Such a plan, he wrote, would end the political instability and reduce the large number of smaller parties. Trikoupis admitted to writing the article after a man supposed by

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4326-575: The King were united in their belief that the nation required a strong army to repair the damage of the humiliating defeat of 1897 . Crown Prince Constantine was reinstated as Inspector-General of the Army, and later Commander-in-Chief. Under his and Venizelos's close supervision the military was retrained and equipped with French and British help, and new ships were ordered for the Hellenic Navy . Meanwhile, through diplomatic means, Venizelos had united

4429-591: The Ministry of Culture. In June 2007, the Government of Greece said it intended to turn the former palace and grounds into a museum. However, it was reported in September 2012 that the government now intended to sell the palace and its estate in the face of mounting financial pressure. Founded in 2012, the "Friends of Tatoi Association" has set itself the goal to restore the former royal estate and convert it to

4532-596: The Netherlands , Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania , William, Prince of Wales , and Lady Gabriella Kingston . Following Constantine's death, it was announced a discussion would be held later that day at the Maximos Mansion to decide whether a state funeral is appropriate. Following the discussion, it was decided that Constantine would not receive a state funeral, but would rather be buried as

4635-498: The Netherlands and Sweden. In the last few years of his life, Constantine had been experiencing "chronic heart" problems. In September 2022, due to ill health, he was unable to travel to the United Kingdom to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II , his third cousin, and the widow of his first cousin once removed, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . His last public appearance occurred in Athens in October 2022 when he went to

4738-408: The Redeemer , Greece's premier decoration of honor. Death and funeral of Constantine II of Greece On 10 January 2023, Constantine II of Greece , Head of the Royal House of Greece , who reigned as the last King of the Hellenes from 6 March 1964 to 1 June 1973, died in Athens at the age of 82, having already been placed under intensive care after suffering a stroke in hospital. His death

4841-552: The Tsar gave George a group of islands in the Petalioi Gulf , which the family visited on the royal yacht Amphitrite . George later purchased a country estate, Tatoi , north of Athens, and on Corfu he built a summer villa called Mon Repos . George developed Tatoi, building roads and planting grapes for making his own wine, Chateau Décélie. Intent on not letting his subjects know that he missed Denmark, he discreetly maintained

4944-400: The United Kingdom and Alexander III of Russia were his brothers-in-law, and George V of the United Kingdom, Christian X of Denmark , Haakon VII of Norway , and Nicholas II of Russia were his nephews. George's reign of almost 50 years (the longest in modern Greek history ) was characterized by territorial gains as Greece established its place in pre– World War I Europe. Britain ceded

5047-461: The authorities to be the author was arrested, whereupon he was taken into custody himself. After a public outcry, he was released and subsequently acquitted of the charge of "undermining the constitutional order". The following year, the King asked Trikoupis to form a government (without a majority) and then read a speech from the throne declaring that in future the leader of the majority party in parliament would be appointed prime minister. Throughout

5150-442: The beginning of the war was reversed in defeat. For a time, he considered abdication. It was not until the King faced down an assassination attempt on 27 February 1898 with great bravery that his subjects again held their monarch in high esteem. Returning from a trip to the beach at Phaleron in an open carriage, George and his daughter Maria were shot at by two riflemen. The King tried to shield his daughter; both were unhurt though

5253-508: The burial of Constantine II. The forest started recovering by 2024 and plans were announced for the restoration of the palace gardens. The renovations are expected to be completed by late 2025. Tatoi Royal Cemetery is a private cemetery located on the south end of the estate in a large wooded area. Buried in the Tatoi Royal Cemetery are: A mausoleum was built to house the bodies of Constantine I, Sophia and Alexander, seen in

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5356-526: The caretaker's house, the Telegraph Office and Sturm House, were lost. Following the death and funeral of Constantine II , it was announced by Lina Mendoni , the Minister of Culture and Sports , that the government intended to have Tatoi transformed into a museum by 2025. Points of interest are renovating the exterior and tidying up the royal gardens. The project comes following clean-up crews' efforts to clean Tatoi Palace and its surroundings for

5459-501: The cars and carriages have now been removed and restored as part of greater restoration efforts by the Greek government. For several years, the Greek government had no planned efforts for preservation of the Tatoi Palace, neighbouring buildings and the natural area around the Tatoi, and the estate suffered from extensive age and weather damage. The Greek state had renamed the area as metropolitan area . A political idea to convert

5562-590: The coachman and a horse were wounded. The gunmen (an Athens clerk called Karditzis and his assistant) fled into the Hymettus hills but they were spotted and arrested. Both were beheaded at Nauplia . Later that year, after continued unrest in Crete, which included the murder of the British vice-consul, Prince George of Greece was made the Governor-General of Crete under the suzerainty of the Sultan, after

5665-486: The constitution. King George gave way, and new elections to the revising assembly were held in August 1910. After some political maneuvering, Venizelos became prime minister of a minority government. Just a month later, Venizelos called new elections for 11 December [ O.S. 28 November] 1910, at which he won an overwhelming majority after most of the opposition parties declined to take part. Venizelos and

5768-412: The estate in 1946. It passed down as private property to King Constantine II until 1994, when the royal estates were confiscated by the government of Andreas Papandreou . In 1973, the property was abandoned completely. Lack of funding resulted in the cows and horses dying of starvation in the stables. The buildings were subject to vandalism and looting, resulting in significant losses. A former cowshed

5871-749: The estate: 16,997 hectares (42,000 acres) were burnt, with a fire breaking out in the Palace itself. While it was saved, two adjoining storage containers containing objects were destroyed. The area of the Royal Cemetery burned, but the Mausoleum and the Church of the Resurrection were saved. A number of estate buildings, including the Directorate building (which was being used to store furniture),

5974-409: The evening of 9 October. The results of this campaign differed radically from the Greek experience at the hands of the Turks in 1897. The well-trained Greek forces, 200,000 strong, won victory after victory. On 9 November 1912, Greek forces commanded by Crown Prince Constantine rode into Thessaloniki , just a few hours ahead of a Bulgarian division. Three days later King George rode in triumph through

6077-435: The events that would occur following his death. Constantine's daughter-in-law, Princess Tatiana , was seen lighting a candle at church in prayer for his health. He had been placed in the intensive care unit of the private Hygeia Hospital following a stroke, but died on 10 January 2023. He was 82 years old. Constantine died one day short of the centenary anniversary of the death of his grandfather, Constantine I . His death

6180-473: The expansion of Greece, and on 25 February 1897 announced that Crete would be under an autonomous administration and ordered the Greek and Ottoman Turk militias to withdraw. The Turks agreed, but Prime Minister Deligiannis refused and dispatched 1400 troops to Crete under the command of Colonel Timoleon Vassos . While the Great Powers announced a blockade, Greek troops crossed the Macedonian border and Abdul Hamid II declared war . The announcement that Greece

6283-625: The former King of the Hellenes by the media. Upon his death, the International Olympic Committee and Hellenic Olympic Committee flew the flags at the Panathenaic Stadium and the flags at the Hellenic Olympic Committee offices at half-mast . The flags at Amalienborg Palace were also lowered to half-mast. Constantine II was survived by his wife, Anne-Marie, his sisters, Sofía and Irene, and his five children, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Alexia , Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos , as well as his nine grandchildren. He also had nine godchildren, including Prince Constantijn of

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6386-404: The former royal estate to a private winery or a resort with restaurants and barbecue was met with criticism by private persons and organisations, who feared it could erase the historical elements of the property, and who preferred to open Tatoi as a museum for the public. The former royal estate of Polydendri is also completely abandoned, and the buildings are in a state of decay. In late 2019,

6489-473: The government allowed Dimitrios Gaziadis to film the movie The Apaches of Athens (1930) at the lavish estate. In 1936, it was returned to King George II of the Hellenes following the monarchy's restoration. During the Second World War , when the King was in exile and Greeks suffered considerable hardships under German occupation , the woods at Tatoi were chopped down for fuel and corpses were buried in shallow graves. King George II regained possession of

6592-399: The horse head of Lauenburg , the two red bars of the House of Oldenburg and the cross of Delmenhorst . The supporters on either side both depicting Heracles are quite similar to the two wild men from the Danish royal arms. Beneath the shield is the motto in Greek, Ἰσχύς μου ἡ αγάπη τοῦ λαοῦ ("The people's love is my strength"). Beneath the motto dangles the Grand Cross of the Order of

6695-462: The image above. The remaining members are buried in tombs with crosses near the Resurrection Church. Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark , Queen of Yugoslavia (1921–1993) was buried here from 1993 until 2013, when her remains were exhumed and returned to Serbia , where they were reburied at Oplenac in 2013. Tatoi has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The lowest temperature ever recorded

6798-412: The longest of which lasted a year and a half. In July 1874, Charilaos Trikoupis , a member of the Greek Parliament, wrote an anonymous article in the newspaper Kairoi blaming King George and his advisors for the continuing political crisis caused by the lack of stable governments. In the article, he accused the King of acting like an absolute monarch by imposing minority governments on the people. If

6901-450: The main Greek port of Piraeus to dissuade Greek irredentism during the Crimean War . During the Cretan Revolt (1866–1869) , the Prince of Wales unsuccessfully sought the support of the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Derby , to intervene in Crete on behalf of Greece. Ultimately, the Great Powers did not intervene, and the Ottomans put down the rebellion. George first met Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia in 1863, when she

7004-429: The mistake of threatening a mobilization of the Hellenic Army . A coincident change of government in France, the resignation of Charles de Freycinet and his replacement with Jules Ferry , led to disputes among the Great Powers and, despite British support for a more pro-Greek settlement, the Turks subsequently granted Greece all of Thessaly but only the part of Epirus around Arta . When the government of Trikoupis fell,

7107-440: The namesake of both his grandfathers, William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , and Prince William of Hesse-Kassel . Although William was of royal blood (his mother and father were both great-grandchildren of Frederick V of Denmark and great-great-grandchildren of George II of Great Britain ) his family was relatively obscure and lived a comparatively normal life by royal standards. In 1853, however, his father

7210-530: The new constitution , which created a unicameral assembly ( Vouli ) with representatives elected by direct, secret, universal male suffrage , a first in modern Europe. A constitutional monarchy was set up with George deferring to the legitimate authority of the elected officials, although he was aware of the corruption present in elections and the difficulty of ruling a mostly illiterate population. Between 1864 and 1910, there were 21 general elections and 70 different governments. Internationally, George maintained

7313-527: The new prime minister, Alexandros Koumoundouros , reluctantly accepted the new boundaries. While Trikoupis followed a policy of retrenchment within the established borders of the Greek state, having learned a valuable lesson about the vicissitudes of the Great Powers, his main opponents, the Nationalist Party led by Theodoros Deligiannis , sought to inflame the anti-Turkish feelings of the Greeks at every opportunity. The next opportunity arose in 1885 when Bulgarians rose in revolt in Eastern Rumelia and united

7416-530: The others were murdered: British diplomat E. H. C. Herbert (the first cousin of Lord Carnarvon ), Frederick Vyner (the brother-in-law of Lord Ripon , Lord President of the Council ), Italian diplomat Count Boyl di Putifigari, and Mr. Lloyd (an engineer). George's relationships with other ruling houses assisted him and his small country but also often put them at the center of national political struggles in Europe. From 1864 to 1874, Greece had 21 governments,

7519-470: The palace in a state of disarray, after the hasty departure of King Otto, and took to putting it right by mending and updating the 40-year-old building . He also sought to ensure that he was not seen as too influenced by his Danish advisers, ultimately sending his uncle, Prince Julius , back to Denmark with the words, "I will not allow any interference with the conduct of my government". Another adviser, Count Wilhelm Sponneck , became unpopular for advocating

7622-493: The procession, except with the whole Greek royal family followed by all guests at the end. Crowds sang the Greek national anthem as Constantine's coffin exited the cathedral. Over 1,000 police officers were in Athens on the day to secure the funeral. The funeral was streamed on television and online by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT). The burial was a private event at Tatoi Palace,

7725-442: The proposal was put forward by the Great Powers. Greece was effectively in day-to-day control of Crete for the first time in modern history. The death of Britain's Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901 left King George as the second-longest-reigning monarch in Europe, behind only Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria . His always cordial relations with his brother-in-law, the new King Edward VII , continued to tie Greece to Britain. This

7828-668: The province with Bulgaria. Deligiannis rode to victory over Trikoupis in elections that year saying that if the Bulgarians could defy the Treaty of Berlin , so should the Greeks. Deligiannis mobilized the Hellenic Army , and the British Royal Navy blockaded Greece. The admiral in charge of the blockade was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh , who had been the first choice of the Greeks to be their king in 1863, and

7931-425: The residence of the former Greek royal family. Much of the land surrounding Tatoi Palace was destroyed in the 2021 Greece wildfires and no clean-up effort was undertaken. Following the announcement that Constantine's memorial would take place there, clean-up crews arrived to have the site cleared in days. New trees were said to have been planted, burnt trees were removed, newly-pathed gravel pathways were installed and

8034-412: The right and left of him stood two Byzantine choirs and further right sat Constantine's descendants, wife and two sisters. Foreign monarchs, heads of states and other royal family members were seated further left of the Greek royal family. Behind the family were four Orthodox Bishops. Crown Prince Pavlos delivered Constantine's eulogy at the end of the service. The recessional consisted of the same order as

8137-399: The royal family be stripped of their military commissions. To save the King the embarrassment of removing his sons from their commissions, they resigned them. The military league attempted a coup d'état, and the King insisted on supporting the duly elected Hellenic Parliament in response. Eventually, the military league joined forces with Venizelos in calling for a National Assembly to revise

8240-799: The sea journey from the Adriatic Sea to Piraeus by 150 miles (241 km). In 1896, the Olympic Games were revived in Athens, and the Opening Ceremony of the 1896 Summer Olympics was presided over by the King. When Spiridon Louis , a shepherd from just outside Athens, ran into the Panathinaiko Stadium to win the Marathon event, the Crown Prince ran down onto the field to run the last thousand yards beside

8343-564: The streets of Thessaloniki, the second-largest Greek city, accompanied by the Crown Prince and Venizelos. Less than two weeks before the King's death, Greek troops entered the chief Epirus town of Ioannina on 6 March 1913. As he approached the fiftieth anniversary of his accession, the King made plans to abdicate in favor of his son Constantine immediately after the celebration of his golden jubilee in October 1913. Just as he did in Athens, George went about Thessaloniki without any meaningful protection force. While out on an afternoon walk near

8446-481: The twelve months prior to his death and resulted in multiple hospitalisations in 2022. He also suffered through a severe case of COVID-19 . On 9 January 2023, it was revealed that Constantine had been hospitalised and was in a "serious, but stable" condition. His family was said to be at his side, and his two sons, Crown Prince Pavlos and Prince Nikolaos , were meeting in the Maximos Mansion to discuss

8549-634: The unpopular King Otto . His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers : the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , the Second French Empire and the Russian Empire . He married Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia in 1867, and became the first monarch of a new Greek dynasty . Two of his sisters, Alexandra and Dagmar , married into the British and Russian royal families. Edward VII of

8652-453: The valleys , which were the same flowers that Anne-Marie's wedding bouquet was made out of. On the wreath was written in white letters on blue felt, "Your beloved Anne-Marie" ( Greek : Η αγαπημένη σου Άννα-Μαρία , romanized :  I agapiméni sou Ánna-María ), which were revealed, through an attached card, to have been Anne-Marie's last words to Constantine. His three sons decided on the various medals displayed on his coffin, which were

8755-518: The war was lost. The worst consequences of defeat for the Greeks were mitigated by the intervention of the King's relations in Britain and Russia; nevertheless, the Greeks were forced to give up Crete to international administration, and agree to minor territorial concessions in favor of the Turks and an indemnity of 4 million Turkish pounds. The jubilation with which Greeks had hailed their king at

8858-581: The week of 30 October included balls, galas, parades, a thanksgiving service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens , and a lunch for 500 invited guests in a blue and white tent on the Acropolis . Greece in the last decades of the 19th century was increasingly prosperous and was developing a sense of its role on the European stage. In 1893, the Corinth Canal was built by a French company cutting

8961-538: Was 12 years old, on a visit to the court of Tsar Alexander II between his election to the Greek throne and his arrival in Athens. They met for a second time in April 1867, when George went to the Russian Empire to visit his sister Dagmar, who had married the Tsar's heir, Tsarevich Alexander . While George was privately a Lutheran , the Romanovs were Orthodox Christians like the majority of Greeks, and George thought

9064-494: Was Danish, with English as a second language. He was also taught French and German. He embarked on a career in the Royal Danish Navy , and enrolled as a naval cadet along with his elder brother Frederick. While Frederick was described as "quiet and extremely well-behaved", William was "lively and full of pranks". Following the expulsion of Otto of Greece in October 1862, the Greek people had rejected Otto 's brother and designated successor Luitpold , although they still favored

9167-547: Was abundantly important in Britain's support of King George's son Prince George as Governor-General of Crete . Nevertheless, Prince George resigned in 1906 after a leader in the Cretan Assembly, Eleftherios Venizelos , campaigned to have him removed. As a response to the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, Venizelos's power base was further strengthened, and on 8 October 1908 the Cretan Assembly passed

9270-636: Was an alcoholic vagrant. Schinas was tortured in prison and fell to his death from a police station window six weeks later. The King's body was taken to Athens on the Amphitrite , escorted by a flotilla of naval vessels. For three days the coffin of the King, draped in the Danish and Greek flags , lay in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens before his body was committed to a tomb at his palace in Tatoi . The distinctive Greek flag of blue and white cross

9373-645: Was celebrated throughout the Hellenic world, and Athens was decorated with garlands for the anniversary of his accession on 30 October. Visitors included the Crown Prince of Denmark , the Prince and Princess of Wales , the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh , Grand Dukes Sergei and Paul of Russia , and Djevad Pasha from the Ottoman Empire, who presented the King with two Arabian horses as gifts. Jubilee events in

9476-508: Was designated the heir presumptive to the childless Frederick VII of Denmark , and the family became princes and princesses of Denmark. William's siblings were Frederick (who succeeded their father as King of Denmark), Alexandra (who married Edward VII of the United Kingdom), Dagmar (who married Alexander III of Russia ), Thyra (who married Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover ) and Valdemar . William's mother tongue

9579-403: Was due to give a reading at the ceremony, but pulled out shortly before the ceremony commenced for an undisclosed "personal matter". Gabriella's husband had died two days prior to the service. Charles, who was unable to attend due to his cancer treatment, was spotted honouring Constantine by wearing a Greek tie days later. The day following the thanksgiving service, a memorial service was held in

9682-479: Was filled with objects from Rododafni Castle , the mansion at Psychico, Mon Repos palace , and other royal residences. With permission of the Government, in 1993, the ex-King was able to remove nine cargo crates of objects: some of this appeared at auction at Christies in 2007. There remained 17,000 objects, including antiquities, old masters, and a life-size portrait of Queen Anne-Marie that are now in storage at

9785-467: Was finally at war with the Turks was greeted by delirious displays of patriotism and spontaneous parades in honor of the King in Athens. Volunteers by the thousands streamed north to join the forces under the command of Crown Prince Constantine. The war went badly for the ill-prepared Greeks; the only saving grace was the swiftness with which the Hellenic Army was overrun. By the end of April 1897,

9888-563: Was first hoisted during the Greek War of Independence in March 1822. This was later modified so that the shade of blue matched that of the Bavarian coat of arms of the first King of Greece, Otto. The shield is emblazoned with a smaller version of the royal arms of Denmark , including the three lions of the arms of Denmark proper, the two lions of Schleswig , the nettle leaf of Holstein ,

9991-402: Was greeted by many people who were waiting at Tatoi Palace. Although the burial committal ceremony at Agios Athanasios, the chapel at Tatoi Palace, was photographed, there were no press or photographers during the actual burial, as requested by his family. At the burial comittal ceremony, Constantine's coffin was covered in a wreath, his Olympic medal and the monarchical flag of Greece. The burial

10094-440: Was held at 11:00 am (UTC+2). It was officiated by Archbishop Ieronymos and was attended by Anne-Marie, her and Constantine's children, their grandchildren, Constantine's sisters, other members of the Greek royal family and over 250 members of the public. At the front of the cathedral was a kolivo with letters spelling his name in Greek ( Greek : ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΊΝΟΣ Β' , romanized :  KONSTANTÍNOS II ) on top. Afterwards,

10197-418: Was initially announced by an Associated Press report, which referenced hospital staff, however Constantine's private office later released a formal death statement. The Greek government declined the royal family's request for a state funeral, although it was later decided that Constantine should have a lying-in-state and a funeral procession. On 16 January, Constantine's body was laid for public viewing in

10300-569: Was leaked publicly by an Associated Press report, which referenced hospital staff. Constantine's private office later formally announced, "It is with deep sadness that the royal family announces that HM King Constantine, beloved husband, father, and brother, passed away yesterday." Despite the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, Constantine never formally renounced his title as King of the Hellenes due to Greek Orthodox tradition, which holds that an anointed monarch retains their status until their death. However, he had accepted that he would be styled as

10403-551: Was proclaimed "King of the Hellenes" instead of "King of Greece", which had been Otto's style. George's ceremonial enthronement in Copenhagen on 6 June was attended by a delegation of Greeks led by First Admiral and Prime Minister Konstantinos Kanaris . At the ceremony, it was announced that the British government would cede the Ionian Islands to Greece in honor of the new monarch. The new 17-year-old king toured Saint Petersburg, London and Paris before departing for Greece from

10506-418: Was related by marriage to the British, Russian and Prussian monarchs, maintaining a particularly strong attachment to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who visited Athens in 1869. Their visit occurred despite continued lawlessness which culminated in the kidnap of a party of British and Italian tourists, including Lord and Lady Muncaster . Two female hostages, a child and Lord Muncaster were released, but four of

10609-447: Was said to have happened around 4:00 pm (UTC+2). The burial's dignitaries attended a memorial dinner in the evening. Just under two weeks later, a severe storm caused minor damage to the outer edge of Constantine's coffin. Per Greek customary traditions, the coffin had yet to be sealed up as 40 days had yet to pass after his death. On 18 February 2023, a service at the Metropolitan Cathedral to mark 40 days since Constantine's death

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