BURIAL CHURCHES OF GREEK SOVEREIGNS FROM A TO Z

 

MUNICH (GERMANY)

BURIED IN THE THEATINE CHURCH (München, Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan, Theatinerstrasse):

 

1. King OTTO I (+1867)

His heart was buried in the Holy Chapel in Altötting (Bavaria).

 

2. Queen AMALIA OF OLDENBURG (+1875), consort of King Otto I

 

Photo courtesy of Mr Alexander Krischnig

 

 

SIGMARINGEN (GERMANY)

BURIED IN HEDINGER CHURCH (Sigmaringen, Hedinger Kirche, Karlstrasse):

 

Queen ELIZABETH OF RUMANIA (+1956), consort of King George II

 

 

 

TATOI (GREECE)

BURIED IN THE TATOI ROYAL MAUSOLEUM AND CEMETERY (Vasiliko Mavsolion Tatoiou):

 

1. King GEORGE I (+1913)

 

2. Queen OLGA OF RUSSIA (+1926), consort of King George I

 

3. King ALEXANDER I (+1920)

 

4. King CONSTANTINE I (+1923)

 

5. Queen SOPHIA OF PRUSSIA (+1932), consort of King Constantine I

 

6. King GEORGE II (+1947)

 

7. King PAUL I (+1964)

 

8. Queen FREDERICA OF HANOVER (+1981), consort of King Paul I

 

Photo courtesy of Mr Andrew Megos

 

 

LIST OF GREEK SOVEREIGNS 1832-1973

 

KINGDOM OF GREECE 1832-1924:

HOUSE OF WITTELSBACH

1832-1862: OTTO I (Othon A)

Born in 1815 in Salzburg, Austria.

Father: King Louis I of Bavaria. Mother: Queen Theresa of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Married in 1836 in Oldenburg Princess AMALIA of Oldenburg (*1818 Oldenburg,+1875 Bamberg).

He was never crowned.

Deposed in 1862 and exiled in Bavaria.

Died in 1867 in Bamberg (Bavaria).

Buried with his Queen Amalia in the Theatine Church in Munich.

 

 

 

HOUSE OF GLÜCKSBURG

1863-1913: GEORGE I (Giorgios A)

Born in 1845 in Copenhagen as Prince William (Vilhelm) of Denmark.

Father: King Christian IX of Denmark. Mother: Queen Louise of Hesse-Cassel.

Married in 1867 in St Petersburg Grand Duchess OLGA of Russia (*1851 Pavlovsk, Russia,+1926 Rome, Italy).

He was never crowned.

His issue who reigned: CONSTANTINE I (*1868,+1923).

Died in 1913 in Salonica (assassinated).

Buried with his Queen Olga in the Royal Mausoleum at Tatoi near Athens.

Queen Olga was buried from 1926 to 1936 in the Russian Orthodox Church in Florence.

 

 

 

1913-1917 and 1920-1922: CONSTANTINE I (Konstantinos A)

Born in 1868 in Athens.

Father: King George I of the Hellenes. Mother: Queen Olga of Russia.

Married in 1889 in Athens Princess SOPHIA of Prussia (*1870 Potsdam,+1932 Frankfurt).

He was never crowned.

His issue who reigned:

-GEORGE II (*1890,+1947),

-ALEXANDER I (*1893,+1920),

-Helen (*1896,+1982; Queen Mother of Romania),

-PAUL I (*1901,+1964).

Abdicated twice: in 1917 and in 1922.

Exiled in Switzerland (1917-1920) and in Italy (1922-1923).

Restored in 1920.

Died in 1923 in Palermo (Italy).

Buried with his Queen Sophia of Prussia in the Royal Mausoleum at Tatoi near Athens.

King Constantine I and Queen Sophia were buried until 1936 in the Russian Orthodox Church in Florence.

 

 

 

1917-1920: ALEXANDER I (Alexandros A)

Born in 1893 in Tatoi near Athens.

Father: King Constantine I of the Hellenes. Mother: Queen Sophia of Prussia.

Married in 1919 in Athens Aspasia Manos (*1896 Athens,+1972 Venice; from 1922 Princess of Greece).

He was never crowned.

His issue who reigned: Alexandra (*1921,+1993; Queen of Yugoslavia).

Died in 1920 in Tatoi near Athens.

Buried with his consort Princess Aspasia (who had been initially buried at the cemetery of San Michele Island in Venice) in the Royal Mausoleum at Tatoi near Athens.

 

 

 

1922-1923 and 1935-1947: GEORGE II (Giorgios B)

Born in 1890 in Tatoi near Athens.

Father: King Constantine I of the Hellenes. Mother: Queen Sophia of Prussia.

Married in 1921 in Bucharest Princess ELIZABETH of Rumania (*1894 Castle Peleș, Sinaia,+1956 Cannes, France). Divorced in 1935.

He was never crowned.

Abdicated in 1923. Exiled 1923-1935 in Rumania and in England.

Restored in 1935.

Died in 1947 in Athens.

Buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Tatoi near Athens.

His Queen Elizabeth of Rumania was buried in Hedinger Church at Sigmaringen, Germany.

 

 

1924-1935: REPUBLIC OF GREECE

 

 

KINGDOM OF GREECE 1935-1973:

HOUSE OF GLÜCKSBURG

1947-1964: PAUL I (Pavlos A)

Born in 1901 in Athens.

Father: King Constantine I of the Hellenes. Mother: Queen Sophia of Prussia.

Married in 1938 in Athens Princess FREDERICA of Hanover (*1917 Blankenburg,+1981 Madrid).

He was never crowned.

His issue who reigned:

-Sophia (*1938; Queen of Spain),

-CONSTANTINE II (*1940).

Died in 1964 in Tatoi (Decelea) near Athens.

Buried with his Queen Frederica in the Royal Mausoleum at Tatoi near Athens.

 

 

 

1964-1973: CONSTANTINE II (Konstantinos B)

Born in 1940 in Psychiko near Athens.

Father: King Paul I of the Hellenes. Mother: Queen Frederica of Hanover.

Married in 1964 in Athens Princess ANNE MARIE of Denmark (*1946 Copenhagen).

He was never crowned.

Issue of marriage: Alexia (*1965); Pavlos (*1967); Nikolaos (*1969); Theodora (*1983); Philippos (*1986).

Exiled 1967-1973 in Italy and since 1974 in England.

Dethroned in 1973.

 

 

REPUBLIC OF GREECE FROM 1973

FOREIGN ROYAL BURIALS IN GREECE:

AGIOS AHILLIOS

1. Samuel, Czar of Bulgaria

2. Ivan Ladislaus, Czar of Bulgaria

 

FOREIGN CORONATIONS ON PRESENT-DAY GREEK TERRITORY:

AGIOS AHILLIOS

Czar Samuel of Bulgaria (997)

GREEK REGALIA

 

The coronation was never introduced in Greece. The kings usually took an oath before the Greek Parliament, which served as the act of their official accession to the throne of Greece.

 

The most important items of the Greek regalia were kept at the Royal Palace in Athens until c. 1967 and included:

-the crown of Otto I from 1832,

-the sceptre of Otto I from 1832,

-the coronation sword of Otto I from 1832,

-a new set of symbolic regalia made for the House of Glücksburg for use during accessions and funerals.

 

The 1832 regalia had been ordered by King Otto I in Paris and made by the French jeweller Fossin et Fills. Following King Otto I's deposition in 1862 the regalia were taken by the king to his Bavarian exile and returned to King Paul I almost a century later in 1959.

 

The Crown of Greece (1832)

 

 

Select Bibliography

Burke's Royal Families of the World, vol. I: Europe and Latin America, London 1977

Van der Kiste J.: Kings of the Hellenes. The Greek Kings 1863-1974, Stroud 1994

 

Flaggen Aller Staaten der Erde, Leipzig [1934/37?]

Flaggenbuch, Berlin 1905

Flags of Maritime Nations, Washington 1899

Kannik P.: Alverdens flag i farver, København 1956

Le Gras M. A.: Album des pavillons, guidons, flammes de toutes les puissances maritimes, Paris 1858