Georges of Greece

Georges de Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderbourg-Glücksbourg, prince de Grèce and of Denmark (in Greek: Πρίγκιπας Γεώργιος ) was born on June 24th, 1869 with Corfou, in Greece, and is deceased on November 25th, 1957 with Saint-Cloud, close to Paris. It is a family member royal Helene and a governor of the Crete.

Family

Prince Georges is the second wire of the king Georges Ier of Greece (1845-1913) and his wife the large-duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia (1851-1926). By his father, the prince is the grandson of the king Christian IX of Denmark (1818-1906), called the “father-in-law of Europe”, while, by his mother, he is the great-grandson of the tsar Nicolas I {{er}} of Russia (1796-1855).

The November 21st and December 12th, 1907, Georges of Greece civilly marries (in Paris) then religieusement (in Athens) the princess Marie Bonaparte (1882-1962), girl of Roland Bonaparte (1858-1924), itself going down from the prince Lucien Bonaparte (1775-1840), and from his wife Marie-Felix Blanc (1859-1882).

Union of Georges and Marie are born 2 children:

Pierre of Greece (1908-1980), prince de Grèce and of Denmark, which marries morganatiquement divorced Irina Aleksandrovna Ovtchinnikova (1900-1990) and thus loses its dynastic rights;
Eugenie of Greece (1910-1988), princess of Greece and Denmark, which marries the prince Dominique Radziwill (1911-1976) but divorces it in 1948 and remarie the following year Raymond von Thurn und Taxis, prince della Torre E Tasso and duke of Duino Manor house, before divorcing one second time in 1965.

Biography

First years

Prince Georges passes his childhood to Greece, at the sides of his parents and his six brothers and sisters. But, in 1883, whereas it does not have which 14 years, it is sent by his father to the Denmark, in order to integrate the royal navy into it. With Copenhagen, the teenager is accommodated by young person of his paternal uncles, the prince Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939), then admiral of the fleet. For Georges, this meeting is a revelation: it falls passionately in love with the young man 25 years and will test from now on the need to be found regularly at its sides.

In 1891, the Tsarévitch Nicolas of Russia (1868-1918) share for a voyage around the world which must lead it to the the Indies, in Malaysia, with Java, in Thailand, with the Vietnam, in China and with the Japan. However, prince Georges of Greece east then lieutenant in the Russian marine and his uncle, the tsar Alexandre III (1847-1928), asks him to accompany his cousin during his tour. In the first times, forwarding occurs for best and the princely continuation discovers with much pleasure the delights of Asia, being delivered sometimes to hunting for the tiger, sometimes for the purchase of antiquities.

Unfortunately, the Japanese stage of the voyage appears much more testing that had not been to it the preceding destinations. May 11th, 1891, Tsuda Sanzō, a Japanese police officer charged by the government with its country with escorting the heir to the Russian throne, tries to assassinate this last by striking it by twice with the head with its saber. The event, known under the name of “Scandal of Ōtsu”, is the occasion for Georges of Greece to reveal his courage. It indeed succeeds in striking the attacker of its cane and thus saving the future Nicolas II of an unquestionable death.

The glory whose the son of the king of Hellènes haloes itself then is however of short duration. In fact, the news which comes from to Saint-Pétersbourg introduces Georges like the person in charge of the attack. According to those, the prince would have indeed involved his cousin in dangerous places. Worse still, it would have pushed the tsarévitch to profane a temple and would have thus caused the anger of the population. Georges is thus disgraced and must leave his cousin and the Russian fleet, which tarnishes its image durably. Despite everything, the tsarévitch is grateful with respect to his/her cousin and makes conceal his detractors after his return in Europe.

In 1896, Georges and two of his brothers, the future king Constantin Ier and the prince Nicolas, imply in the organization of the Olympic first modern Games. Extremely of his marine experiment, prince Georges is used then as president in the sub-committees for the Water sports.

High-Commissioner in Crete

In 1897, a revolt irredentist bursts in Crete and Greece, eager to still annex the provinces hellenes under Turkish domination, declares the war with the Ottoman Empire: it is the gréco-Turkish war. However, Athens is very badly prepared with the combat and the Sublime door easily manages to crush its adversary. The European great powers (Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy), initially opposed to Greece, however prevent the Turks from imposing too hard conditions on the Helene kingdom. Especially, they decide to give to Crete its autonomy all while leaving it placed under Othoman suzerainty. But, for that, the chancelleries need a governor profiting from the support from the population crétoise: they thus ask Georges to ensure the position of Haut-commissaire in the island.

Contrary to appearances, the load entrusted to the prince is far from being of any rest. Crétois are shown not very satisfied with the intermediate solution that the foreigners impose to them and of the riots continue to occur in the island. In same time, the great powers behave more while conquering than as liberators: they occupy each one part of the territory and are unable to get along. Let us add to that Georges has the feeling not to be not constant by the Greek government, too scalded by the war which it has just lost to invest itself in the businesses crétoises. To face the instability which reigns in the island, the prince thus chooses to control without dealing too much with his assembly. Unfortunately, while thus acting, the son of the king of Hellènes attracts himself the lightnings of Eleftherios Venizelos, leader of the partisans of the Enosis and Minister for the Justice of the government crétois. The two men enter soon an open conflict which destabilizes the island more.

In 1905, Venizelos convenes an illegal revolutionary assembly with Theriso, in the hills, close to Caned the, then capital of Crete. The following year, the elections at the official assembly divide the population crétoise deeply: 38.127 people support the prince while 33.279 others offer their voices to the partisans of Venizelos. An open revolt is declared, during which the insular gendarmerie remains faithful to prince Georges while carrying out his work most objectively possible.

Finally, in 1906, the British diplomacy organizes negotiations between the two camps. July 23rd, prince Georges decides to leave his functions of High-Commissioner and flees Crete while hiding. Two years later, despite everything the efforts of the great powers, the assembly crétoise again unilaterally proclaims her fastening in Greece.

Marriage and private life

From this date, prince Georges of Greece does not play any more any important official function. In 1907, he marries the princess Marie Bonaparte who comes from a not very prestigious family but strong rich person. The marriage is not very happy because of homosexuality of Georges and the complicated character of the intelligent Marie. However, within this improbable couple, is born a deep friendship which crosses the reciprocal years and frauds.

Until 1912, the princely couple shares its time between Athens, Paris and Bernstorff, where Valdemar of Denmark has a castle. It is the time when the children of Georges and Marie are born and where the two husbands know the joys simple to be parents. But it is also a long period of idleness during which Georges hardly has official role, except the organization of tests of gymnastics at the time of the panhellenic Jeux and the representation of Georges Ier of Greece during crowning of the king George V of the United Kingdom (1865-1936).

The time of the tests

In 1912 the First Balkan War bursts which opposes the Bulgaria, the Serbia, the Montenegro and Greece with the Ottoman Empire. The Turks are overcome but the old allies do not manage to get along because Bulgaria shows itself too demanding at the time of the division of the territories given up by Istanbul. This disagreement causes the release of the Second Balkan War (1913), which links this time Greece, Montenegro, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire and the Romania against Bulgaria. During these events, prince Georges is initially affected with the Staff of the Helene navy before being named like general Aide-de-camp of his father.

Greece leaves these two conflicts increased considerably. However, a terrible event comes to obscure the rejoicings which mark the end of the second conflict. March 18th, 1913, king Georges Ier is assassinated whereas he walks in the streets of Thessalonique, city just attached to Greece. It is about the first of a series of violent deaths which will strike the royal family.

In 1914, when the First World War begins, the Helene kingdom remains neutral and prince Georges and his wife remain lengthily in France, where they support of their cassette various hospitals and caritative institutions. During the first three years of the conflict, the situation hardly develops in Athens. However, in May 1917, the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, sworn enemy of Georges since his mission crétoise, organizes a blow-D' State against the king Constantin Ier of Greece (1868-1923) in order to oblige its country to begin in the war at the sides of the Allies. After this event, the chancelleries of the Triple Entente consider a time to name Georges and Marie with the head of the kingdom of Greece but it is finally the second wire of Constantin, Alexandre Ier of Greece (1893-1920), which is retained as king. In any case, Georges is deeply faithful to his older brother and does not aspire any more to play any political role since years.

All these events cause the exile of most of the Greek royal family, whose certain members find refuge in the Parisian residence of Georges and Marie. However, all the parents of the prince do not find same safety. In 1918, the tsar Nicolas II, his wife and their five children are assassinated by the Bolcheviks and, the following year, it is with the turn of two brothers-in-law of prince Georges, the large-dukes Paul Alexandrovitch and Georges Mihailovich of Russia, to be carried out by the henchmen of Lénine. With these disappearances, is added that of young king Alexandre Ier, victim, in 1920, of a Septicémie caused by a bite of monkey.

In the shade of Marie

In 1925, the Marie princess contacts Sigmund Freud and leaves to Vienna so that this last the analysis. Prince Georges, deeply preserving, disapproves his wife and tries to dissuade it to undertake the voyage. But the small-niece of Napoleon i is obstinate and meets despite everything the Austrian expert: it is the beginning of a fertile friendship. With the passing of years, the behavior of Georges with respect to Freud will evolve/move and the prince will testify to him more and more to respect. It remains that if the husband of Marie Bonaparte learns how to appreciate the character, it refuses despite everything to adhere to its ideas and prefers to remain to move away from work of his wife.

In 1936, Georges and his family return for the first time to Greece after 16 years of exile. They receive warm welcome on behalf of the population there, which reassures the prince deeply. Two years later, Georges and his wife turn over again in their country and continue even their visit as far as Crete, where the former High-Commissioner given forever feet since 1906. There still, the inhabitants reserve for the uncle of their king a triumphal reception.

However, the joys of the prince are of short duration. On its return of Crete, this one is scrambled with his/her son, Pierre of Greece, which maintains a connection with a divorced commoner that it ends up marrying in 1939. Especially, Georges must face the death of that which he likes more in the world, prince Valdemar of Denmark. For him, it is the one long period beginning of tinted melancholy of bad mood.

From Paris, Georges and his wife attend in addition impotent with the rise of the Nazism in Germany and antijuives persecutions. When the Second world war bursts, the couple thus decides initially to remain with Paris and fact gift with the French Croix-Rouge several ambulances. However, the invasion of the fatherland of origin of the Marie princess leads Georges and his family to join Greece in February 1941.

Unfortunately, the German projection continues in Europe and Greece is in its turn invaded by the Nazis. Accompanied by the royal family Helene, Georges and Marie thus flee in Crete then in Egypt, before being established for several years in South Africa. It is only in October 1944 that the princely couple regains Europe and, a few weeks later, Georges is made operate in London of a épithéliome larynx.

In 1945, the prince and his wife return to Paris but, hardly arrived, Georges hastens to set out again in Denmark in order to find the memory of his beloved there. Lastly, year 1945 is enclosed for Georges and Marie by a stay of several months to the Canada and the the United States, where the disciple of Freud carries out conference series.

During the ten last years of his life, prince Georges still carries out a series of official trips in Europe in order to represent the king of Greece at the time of ceremonies. He thus attends the funeral of the king Christian X of Denmark (1870-1947), with the crowning of the queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909-2004), with the marriage of the prince Philippe of Greece (1921) with future the Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926) and with the crowning of this same Elizabeth. He also turns over each winter to Greece as from 1948 and pays a new visit in Crete in 1954.

February 21st, 1957, Georges and his wife celebrate their golden wedding at the sides of their parents and friends. Four days later, the prince, then 88 years old, dies of Hématurie after a long anguish. He was oldest of princes d' Oldenbourg of his generation. Its body is transported shortly after to the royal cemetery of Tatoi, to Greece.

Others

With his death, prince Georges bequeaths his collection of 3000 snuffboxes of Empire style to the museum of Malmaison.

In Crete, the seaside resort of Georgioupoli, located between Chania and Rethimno, was baptized according to the name of prince Georges.

Work

George, prince off Greece and Denmark, The Cretan Drama. The Life and Memoirs off Prince George off Greece , A.A. Pallis, London, 1959.

Source

Celia Bertin, Marie Bonaparte , Perrin, Paris, 1982
RF Holland, “Nationalism, Ethnicity and the Concert off Europe: the box off the High Commissionership off Prince George off Greece in Crete, 1898-1906” in Newspaper off Modern Greek Studies vol. 17 (1999) pp. 253-276.

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