George II of Greece
Who was George II of Greece?
King of Greece (r. 1922-1924, 1935-1947)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on George II of Greece (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
George II (19 July 1890 – 1 April 1947) was King of Greece from 27 September 1922 until 25 March 1924, and again from 25 November 1935 until he died. Born at Tatoi Palace, he was the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophia of Prussia. His time as king was full of exiles, political upheaval, and the chaos of two world wars, making his reign one of the most contested and interrupted in modern Greek history.
George first became king after his father was forced to abdicate following the disastrous Greco-Turkish War. His early rule was unstable from the start; a failed royalist coup in October 1923 forced him to leave Greece, and by March 1924 the country became a republic. He was officially deposed and lost his Greek nationality, starting over a decade of exile mainly in Romania and Britain. During this time, he was married to Princess Elisabeth of Romania, though they eventually separated.
He returned to the throne in November 1935 after a referendum that was later admitted to be rigged in favor of the monarchy. His return didn't result in political stability. In 1936, he approved General Ioannis Metaxas's self-coup, which led to the authoritarian 4th of August Regime, shutting down political parties, trade unions, and civil liberties under the guise of fighting communism and restoring national order. There's been much debate over George's role in allowing this dictatorship.
When Germany invaded Greece in April 1941, George fled for the third time, going to Crete and then Egypt before setting up a Greek government-in-exile in London. He worked to keep Greek representation among the Allied powers during World War II, though his government was divided and faced resistance movements in occupied Greece that distrusted the monarchy. His wartime service was acknowledged with honors like the Distinguished Service Order and the War Cross.
After Greece was liberated and the war ended, a 1946 referendum kept the monarchy, and George went back to Athens. His last years were overshadowed by the start of the Greek Civil War, a brutal conflict between the government and communist insurgents that continued even after his death. He died of arteriosclerosis in Athens on 1 April 1947, at 56, without ever having children. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Paul.
Before Fame
George was born on July 19, 1890, at Tatoi Palace, the Greek royal family's summer estate north of Athens. As King Constantine I's eldest son, he grew up aware of his responsibilities in a young kingdom that had only gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1800s. He received a military education and was influenced by the goals and challenges of a small Balkan monarchy caught in the middle of great power rivalries.
His journey to the throne was driven more by turmoil than preparation. During the National Schism, a rift between his father and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos during World War I, Constantine was exiled in 1917, and George accompanied him, while his younger brother Alexander became king. Exile at a young age became a recurring experience for him, and the painful divisions from the Schism affected his dealings with Greek republican and liberal political groups throughout his reign.
Key Achievements
- Maintained a functioning Greek government-in-exile in London during the Axis occupation of Greece in World War II
- Returned Greece to monarchical rule in 1935 after more than a decade as a republic
- Received the Distinguished Service Order and War Cross for his wartime contributions alongside Allied forces
- Secured Greek representation and Allied support during the Second World War despite leading a government without a homeland
- Awarded the Order of the White Eagle by the Second Polish Republic in 1937, reflecting his standing among European heads of state
Did You Know?
- 01.George II was a male-line first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, through their shared descent from the Danish royal house.
- 02.He was formally stripped of his Greek nationality when Greece was proclaimed a republic in March 1924, an unusual fate for a deposed monarch.
- 03.George was awarded the Knight of the Order of the Elephant by Denmark in 1909, one of the oldest and most prestigious chivalric orders in Europe, when he was still a teenager.
- 04.The 1935 referendum that restored him to the throne was widely regarded as rigged, with reported results showing an implausibly high majority in favor of the monarchy.
- 05.His marriage to Princess Elisabeth of Romania ended in permanent separation, and he had no legitimate children, meaning the throne passed to his brother Paul upon his death.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguished Service Order | — | — |
| Order of the White Eagle (Second Polish Republic) | 1937 | — |
| War Cross | — | — |
| Order of the Redeemer | — | — |
| Order of the Dannebrog | — | — |
| Knight of the Order of the Elephant | 1909 | — |