Alexander of Greece
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Alexander, King of the Hellenes (Greek: Αλέξανδρος, Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων) (1 August 1893–25 October 1920) ruled Greece from 1917-1920.
He was born on 1 August 1893 (21 July O.S.) at Tatoi near Athens, the second son of Constantine I and his wife, Sophie of Prussia.
In 1917, Constantine I, known for his pro-German tendencies, insisted that Greece remain neutral in World War I, while Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos was determined to go to war in support of the Triple Entente. At Venizelos' invitation, French and British troops entered Greece and forced Constantine I and his first born son Prince George into exile (see National Schism). Young Alexander, a proponent of the Megali Idea, was enthroned as King; in reality he had absolutely no power and was a rubber stamp for the Prime Minister, and his only real task was to visit the front frequently and rally the troops.
On one major issue, however, he did defy Venizelos: on 4 November 1919 he eloped with Aspasia Manos (1896-1972) (who was considered a commoner)[1], daughter of Colonel Petros Manos, causing a scandal and infuriating Venizelos, who had wanted the young king to marry Princess Mary, daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and his Queen consort Mary of Teck. The young couple was forced to temporarily flee to Paris, until the crisis was resolved and his wedding was legalized.
On 25 October 1920 he died at Athens, of sepsis, after having been bitten by a pet monkey in the Royal Gardens, it was announced. However, according to rumors of the time, possibly spread by those opposed to his father's return, he was assassinated. After his death, his father Constantine I was permitted to return to Greece as King. Eventually King Constantine would lead the Greeks to engage in the Greco-Turkish War which resulted in Greece's defeat, a quarter of a million military and civilian casualties and the end of the Megali Idea. Winston Churchill would later write that "it was a monkey bite that caused the death of those 250,000 people." [2]
King Alexander's only child, born after his death, was Alexandra of Greece (1921-1993), who later married Peter II, King of Yugoslavia.
The city of Alexandroupolis (former Dedeagatch), near the river Evros on the Greco-Turkish border, was renamed after him in 1920 on the occasion of his visit there. He was the first King of Greece to visit the city since its capture by the Hellenic Army during World War I and the official change of guard between Bulgarian and Greek officials on 14 May, 1920.
Alexander is unusual among monarchs as he ruled in exception to standard primogeniture tradition. He assumed the throne upon the abdication of his father, though his older brother George still lived. In addition, his older brother would later become King of the Hellenes in his own right, providing a rare case where an older brother would succeed a younger one to the throne (though in this case not directly).
Sources
- Hindley, Geoffrey (2000). The Royal Families of Europe. New York: Caroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0828-X.
- van der Kiste, John; Kings of the Hellenes; Sutton Publishing, 1994; ISBN 0-7509-2147-1
- "Alexander (Greece)". (15 ed.). 1990.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|ency=ignored (help) - Miroslav Marek. "Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg". Genealogy.Eu. Retrieved June 30.
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References
- ^ Aspasia was not a member of any Western European royal or princely house. However, she descended from, for example, several reigning princes of Moldavia and Valachia. Alexander himself descended from several Roman Emperors of Constantinople, see Byzantine descent of Danish royals of Greece.
- ^ A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East, David Fromkin, Owl Books (NY); 2nd Rep edition (October 2001), ISBN 0-8050-6884-8
External links
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