Greek Royal Family

The Greek Royal Family was a branch of the House of Glücksburg that reigned in Greece from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. Its first monarch was George I. He and his successors styled themselves "Kings of the Hellenes". Most members of the dynasty (aside from the last king to reign, Constantine II and his queen consort, Anne-Marie of Denmark) hold the title Prince or Princess of Greece and Denmark with the style Royal Highness, except Marina, Consort of Prince Michael, Princess Alexandra and Princess Olga.

Arrival

The family came to the throne after the overthrow in 1862 of the first king of the independent Greek state, Otto of Bavaria. In a referendum, the Greeks elected Prince Alfred of the United Kingdom as their new king, but the candidature was rejected by the Great Powers, who refused to permit any member of their respective royal families to ascend to the Greek throne. A search for other candidates ensued, and eventually, the Greeks offered the throne to Prince William of the Danish Glücksburg dynasty, who had received six votes in the referendum. The Greek National Assembly proclaimed him king as George I, and he arrived in Greece in October 1863.

The royal family saw Greece experience several upheavals including the Balkan Wars, World War I, World War II (during which Greece experienced Axis occupation), the Greek Civil War, and the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. Following the National Schism during World War I and...
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