Monarchy of Greece

Monarchy of Greece
Sodacan · Public domain · source
Conventional long name	Kingdom of Greece
Common name	Greece
Era	Modern history
Status	Monarchy
Government type	Constitutional monarchy
Established	1832
Abolished	1973/1974

Contents

Monarchy of Greece The Monarchy of Greece was the institution of the King of Greece that existed from the creation of the Kingdom of Greece in 1832 until its final abolition in 1973–1974. It intersected with the reigns of the Bavarian dynasty and the Glücksburg dynasty, and with major European events such as the Congress of Vienna, the Crimean War, the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. The monarchy influenced constitutional crises involving figures like Ioannis Kapodistrias, Eleftherios Venizelos, Georgios Papandreou, and Constantine II of Greece.

History

The early period followed the Greek War of Independence and the intervention of the Great Powers—United Kingdom, France, and Russian Empire—which selected Otto of Greece from the House of Wittelsbach at the decision of the Protocol of London. The reign of Otto confronted the Revolutionary legacy, clashes with the Hellenic Parliament, and the London Conference of 1832. After Otto's deposition in the Revolution of September 1843, the Constitution of 1844 established a constitutional framework leading to dynastic transfer to George I of Greece of the House of Glücksburg under influence from Prince William of Denmark and the Danish royal family. The reign of George I of Greece expanded borders via the Treaty of Berlin (1878), the Balkan Wars, and incorporation of Crete and Macedonian territories, entangling the crown with nationalists like Eleftherios Venizelos and military figures such as Theodoros Deligiannis and Charilaos Trikoupis.

The early 20th century saw the National Schism between royalists supporting King Constantine I of Greece and Venizelists backing Entente policies, culminating in Constantine I of Greece's abdication and restoration cycles, the Asia Minor Campaign, and the Treaty of Lausanne. The interwar period produced coups, the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), and the abolition of the monarchy in 1924, followed by restoration in 1935 after the Venizelos–Pangalos rivalry and the 4th of August Regime of Ioannis Metaxas. During World War II, the royal family went into exile alongside the Greek government-in-exile and engaged with the Battle of Crete and liaison with Winston Churchill's United Kingdom leadership. Postwar reconstruction involved the Greek Civil War, aid from the Truman Doctrine, and political struggles culminating in the 1967 Greek coup d'état by the Colonels' junta, the controversial return and contested reign of Constantine II of Greece, and the junta-backed 1973 referendum and subsequent Metapolitefsi transition to the Third Hellenic Republic.

Under the various constitutions the monarch's prerogatives shifted between executive influence and ceremonial role. Early charters like the Constitution of 1844 and the Constitution of 1864 delineated royal powers alongside the Hellenic Parliament and ministries led by prime ministers such as Charilaos Trikoupis, Dimitrios Gounaris, and Alexandros Papanastasiou. During crises, monarchs exercised appointment and dismissal powers, exemplified by interventions in the National Schism and the dismissal of cabinets associated with Eleftherios Venizelos and Theodoros Pangalos. In wartime the crown coordinated with military leaders like Alexandros Papagos and engaged with foreign heads such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin over postwar alignments. Constitutional monarchy norms were tested by coups exemplified by Georgios Kondylis's 1935 actions and the 1967 coup that limited royal authority, producing legal disputes involving the Greek Supreme Court and international reactions from governments including United States administrations and the European Economic Community.

Royal symbols included the Coat of arms of Greece variants, the Royal Standard of Greece, and dynastic insignia linked to the House of Glücksburg and House of Wittelsbach. Residences and palaces associated with the crown encompassed the Old Royal Palace, the Tatoi Palace, the Maximos Mansion, and royal properties at Psychiko and Corfu. Ceremonial regalia featured crowns and orders such as the Order of the Redeemer, the Order of Saints George and Constantine, and connections to chivalric traditions of European houses like House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and honors exchanged with monarchs of United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark.

The monarchy's abolition followed a sequence of events including the 1967 Greek coup d'état, the 1973 referendum, the Metapolitefsi transition, and the definitive 1974 referendum under interim leaders such as Konstantinos Karamanlis. The abolition triggered legal and property disputes involving heirs like Constantine II of Greece and Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, debates in the Hellenic Parliament, and cultural reflections through works by authors like Nikos Kazantzakis and historians such as George Finlay and Dionysios Zakythinos. The legacy persists in tourism to royal sites like Tatoi, scholarly studies at institutions like the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and ongoing public interest in constitutional questions linked to European integration and Greek national identity exemplified by discussions involving the European Union and the Council of Europe.

Category:History of Greece