Country: Greece
Issue: King George II
Face Value : 3δρχ
First Day of Issue: 1973
Condition : Used
George II (Greek: Γεώργιος Βʹ, Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων, Geórgios Βʹ, Vasiléfs ton Ellínon; 20 July 1890 – 1 April 1947) reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947. George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. George pursued a military career, training with the Prussian Guard at the age of 18, then serving in the Balkan War as a member of the 1st Greek Infantry. When his grandfather was assassinated in 1913, George became the crown prince (Diadochos) as well as the Duke of Sparta. When Alexander I died following an infection from a monkey bite in 1920, Venezelos was voted out of office, and a plebiscite restored Constantine to the throne. Crown Prince George served as a colonel, and later a major general in the war against Turkey. During this time he married his second cousin, on 27 February 1921 in Bucharest, Princess Elisabeth of Romania, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania. When the Turks defeated Greece at the Battle of Dumlupınar, the military forced the abdication of Constantine, and George succeeded to the Greek throne on 27 September 1922.
In elections
held on 31 March 1946 the monarchist parties won a clear majority of
the parliamentary seats, aided by the abstention of the Communists, and
the referendum on the monarchy
was set for 1 September. Between then and the plebiscite, the electoral
registers were revised under Allied supervision. The announced results
claimed 69% in favour of the King's return on a 90% turnout.
On 26 September George returned to Greece to find the Royal Palace looted, the woods at Tatoi chopped down for fuel and corpses buried in shallow graves outside. His country faced economic collapse and political instability.
He died of arteriosclerosis on 1 April 1947, after he was discovered unconscious in his room at the Royal Palace in Athens. When the news was announced some thought it to be an April Fool's joke.
His funeral was held on 6 April at the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
He was succeeded by his younger brother, Paul. On account of his many exiles, he is said to have remarked that "the most important tool for a King of Greece is a suitcase." [wikipedia]
