Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Who was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark?
Greek prince and military officer who was exiled from Greece and became the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark was born on February 2, 1882, at Tatoi Palace. He was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece, and a grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark, which gave him princely titles in both Greece and Denmark. His early years were influenced by the political situation in Greece and connections with other European royal families.
Andrew started a military career early on, receiving formal training and becoming an officer in the Greek army. Unlike many royals given ceremonial titles, he had real military roles and actively took part in the Balkan Wars, which significantly changed southeastern Europe in the early 1900s. He married Princess Alice of Battenberg in 1903 and they had five children: four daughters and one son, Philip.
King George I's assassination in 1913 brought Andrew's older brother Constantine to the throne, but soon political issues arose. Constantine's neutral stance during World War I upset the Allies, leading to his abdication and the exile of most of the royal family, including Andrew. After returning to Greece, Andrew served as Major General in the Greco-Turkish War from 1919 to 1922, leading troops in a war that ended badly for Greece.
After military defeats in Asia Minor, Andrew was blamed for Greece's territorial losses and exiled permanently in 1922. He spent most of his later years in France, growing apart from his wife Alice by 1930. The rise of Nazi Germany added to family tensions since three of his four daughters married Germans with Nazi ties, while his son Philip joined the British Royal Navy during World War II. Separated from Alice and Philip due to the war, Andrew died alone at the Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo on December 3, 1944, not having seen them since 1939.
Before Fame
Andrew's rise in military ranks began when he was a child, growing up during the turbulent political times of late 19th-century Greece. The Greek kingdom, started in 1832, stayed unstable during his early years, with governments frequently changing and ongoing land disputes with the Ottoman Empire and nearby Balkan states. As a prince in the ruling family, Andrew was expected to serve in the military, continuing the tradition of European royalty actively participating in their countries' armed forces.
During Andrew's military training, the Ottoman Empire was declining, and Balkan nationalism was on the rise, offering many chances for military involvement. Greece's ambitions to unite all Greek-speaking people into one state, known as the Megali Idea, led the country into several military conflicts that shaped much of Andrew's military career.
Key Achievements
- Served with distinction as a career military officer in the Greek army during the Balkan Wars
- Commanded significant military positions during the Greco-Turkish War as Major General
- Father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became consort to Queen Elizabeth II
- Received numerous international honors including the Order of St. Andrew and Order of the Elephant
- Maintained Greek royal legitimacy during two periods of exile spanning over two decades
Did You Know?
- 01.He was rescued from execution in 1922 by the intervention of his cousin King George V of Britain, who sent a Royal Navy cruiser to evacuate him from Greece
- 02.His son Philip was born on a kitchen table on the Greek island of Corfu and was smuggled out of Greece as an infant in an orange crate
- 03.Andrew spoke fluent German, English, French, and Greek, reflecting his cosmopolitan royal upbringing
- 04.He was related to most European royal families, including being a cousin to both Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
- 05.Despite his exile, he never renounced his Greek titles and continued to use them until his death
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of St. Andrew | — | — |
| Order of the Elephant | — | — |
| Order of the Most Holy Annunciation | — | — |
| knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus | — | — |
| Order of the Black Eagle | — | — |
| Royal Victorian Order | — | — |