Paul of Greece

Early life

Paul was born on 14 December [Old Style: 1 December] 1901 at the Tatoi Palace in Attica north of Athens, the third son of Crown Prince Constantine and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. To his family, he was known as Palo.

Paul grew up in the Presidential Mansion, where his parents resided, and Tatoi Palace, the official residency of the Greek monarch. Paul grew up with five other siblings. When Paul was three years old, his brother, Alexander, almost killed him by accidentally throwing him off a cart that was going full speed into the royal gardens. Paul grew up speaking English to his parents and learned Greek as a second language.

Paul was born as fourth in line to the Greek throne, behind his father and two older brothers. As a result, Paul did not receive a sophisticated education. He was privately tutored by foreign teachers, Greek university professors, who were chosen by Constantine, and Dr Hoenig, his mother's Pomeranian chaplain. From 1911 to 1914, Paul travelled to the UK to attend summer courses in Eastbourne at Saint Peter's Preparatory School for Young Gentlemen. Paul was said to stand out in more physical subjects, such as woodwork, and in discipline.

In 1909, when Paul was seven years old, a group of Greek officers mounted a coup d'état against his grandfather, George I of Greece. The officers, led by Nikolaos Zorbas, declared themselves in support of the monarchy, however, asked George I to dismiss his sons from the army. His sons instead resigned from the army. As a result of criticism, Constantine decided to move with his wife and his sons, including Paul, to Germany for several months. The family stayed with Princess Margaret of Prussia, who was Paul's maternal aunt, in Kronberg. The family returned to Greece at the beginning of 1911, when the new Greek Prime minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, allowed the princes to regain the ranks in the military. The following year, in 1912, and until 1913, Greece fought in the Balkan Wars. Greece was able to double its size in territory in the wars, during which Paul served as the youngest cadet in the Hellenic navy, at eleven years old.

World War I and aftermath

National Schism

Paul's father, Constantine, ascended to the throne upon the assassination of George I in 1913. Constantine wished to keep Greece neutral during the prelude to World War I, but was in support of the Central Powers, since he was the brother-in-law of the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II. Venizelos, however, was staunchly in support of joining the Allies due to the Ottoman Empire's mistreatment of its Greek population. The disagreement between Constantine and Venizelos quickly resulted in the National Schism, a civil war between the two opposing sides. Per Van der Kiste, possibly due to "being afraid" of Wilhelm II, Constantine continued to refuse to succumb to Venizelos' demands. Constantine was also pressured to oppose Venizelos by Ioannis Metaxas. On 10 June 1917, Charles Jonnart, who acted as the Allies' representative in Greece, ordered Constantine to abdicate. The Allies threatened to invade Greece from a military landing at Piraeus, so Constantine unofficially abdicated. The Allies did not wish to replace Greece with a republican system, so Venizelos scrambled to find a replacement king. It was finally decided that Paul's older brother, Alexander, though not the eldest son of Constantine, would succeed to the throne, as Constantine's eldest son, George, was also seen as pro-German. Following Jonnart's demands for abdication, Paul and his family, except for Alexander, had evacuated Athens.

Exile to Switzerland

Paul and his family briefly travelled to Oropos, before going through Italy to live in Switzerland. They first resided in St. Moritz and then in Zürich. The rest of the extended Greek royal family joined them when Venizelos announced Greece's entry into World War I. In 1918, Constantine contracted the Spanish flu, causing him to fall severely ill and restricting him from providing for Paul and his other children. The disease almost killed him, however, he managed to recover. Constantine remained concerned about Paul's lack of education after the Greek government refused his entry into the British Royal Navy. To Paul's dismay, Constantine accepted the offer made by Wilhelm II for Paul to join the Imperial German Navy. Paul soon left Switzerland for Germany and became a cadet.

Paul continued to join the German Imperial Naval Academy, where his training was supervised by his uncle, Prince Henry of Prussia. However, when the German Revolution arose, many naval officers and their crews began mutinies, such as the Kiel mutiny, while the German monarchies began being overthrown, forcing Paul to evacuate back to Switzerland. However, before leaving the country, Paul contracted the Spanish flu, delaying his reunion with his family. It took Paul several days to finally travel back to Switzerland.

After World War I, Greece had made territorial gains in Thrace and Anatolia per the Treaty of Sèvres, to the dismay of the Ottomans, causing the Greco-Turkish War. Despite the war's resolution, tension between Constantine and Venizelos still remained high. Paul's brother, Alexander, died of sepsis after having been bitten by a monkey, leaving Greece without a monarch and plunging the country into a constitutional crisis. Venizelos sought to find a replacement successor. The Greek parliament refused to reinstate Constantine, and thus Venizelos, on 29 October 1920, sent a letter to the Greek ambassador to Switzerland at the National Hotel in Lucerne, requesting that he meet with Paul, who he saw as the new potential king.

The following day, Paul sent a letter to the ambassador expressing his refusal to disregard the laws of succession to the crown, which is what would occur if Paul were instated as the monarch. Paul wrote that neither his father, Constantine, nor his older brother, George, had ever renounced their rights to the throne and that therefore, his ascension to the throne would be illegitimate. The Greek throne remained vacant while Greece fought in the Greco-Turkish War, during the Turkish War of Independence. During the 1920 Greek legislative election, fighting broke out between a sector of monarchists, who protested for Constantine's reascension to the throne, and supporters of Venizelos. On 14 November 1920, the monarchists won and it was organised for Constantine to become King of the Hellenes, while Venizelos was replaced with Dimitrios Rallis. Before Venizelos' exit from office, he requested that Paul's grandmother, Olga Constantinovna of Russia, act as regent before Constantine returned.

Return to Greece

On 19 December 1920, Paul and the other Greek royals returned to Greece. They were greeted by demonstrations in support of the monarchy. However, Constantine's restoration was criticised by Greece's allies in the concurrent Greco-Turkish war, most of which were also Greece's allies in World War I, to which Constantine refused to join. Constantine was denied additional support from the Allies in the war against Turkey, allowing Mustafa Kemal to eventually make more territorial gains. Constantine left Paul and his other children with his wife in 1921 when he travelled to Anatolia to boost the morale of Greek troops. While on the frontlines, Constantine attempted to boost confidence by reminding soldiers of their successes in the Balkan Wars. However, after only a few months, Constantine reunited with his children at Tatoi in September 1921.

Upon their return to Greece, Paul wished to resume his naval training and joined the Hellenic Naval Academy, taking up residence in the academy's boarding school, located in Piraeus. Paul studied and trained there for two years and was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in 1922. Paul served for several months on a Greek cruiser, the Elli. Despite Greece's involvement in the Turkish War of Independence, Paul never fought in a battle but participated in the evacuation of Greek and Armenian refugees from Smyrnan shores following the burning of Smyrna by Turkish troops. Turkey later defeated Greece and their allies, who had been suffering since the fall of Smyrna in August 1922.

Crown Prince

Abdication of father

Republican propaganda began gaining speed and was being produced by supporters of Venizelos, who was no longer serving in office. On 11 September 1922, a precinct of the army, led by colonels Nikolaos Plastiras and Stylianos Gonatas, conducted a coup d'état which turned into the 11 September 1922 Revolution, where the second abdication of Constantine was demanded, in addition to the dissolution of the Greek parliament. To avoid unrest and civil war, Constantine abdicated on 27 September, before fleeing to Palermo with his wife and daughters, leaving his two sons, Paul and George, behind. George, the eldest son, succeeded him as George II during political instability caused by the ongoing effects and aftermath of the Greek genocide.

With his brother remaining childless, Paul was officially declared the Crown Prince of Greece. However, the birth of a child between George and his wife, Elisabeth of Romania, would remove Paul from his first-in-line position to the throne. With greater roles as Crown Prince, Paul greater divided his time between serving as a lieutenant in the navy and completing his royal duties in Athens, where he attempted to assist George and Elisabeth in their roles of positively representing the monarchy, which had been facing backlash for almost the past decade. Paul and George's father, Constantine, died in exile on 11 January 1923. The government refused to give Constantine a state funeral and Paul was placed in charge of organising his funeral in Italy.

The Greek royal family further suffered damage to its reputation when Paul was involved in a car accident, which resulted in the death of a member of the public. George was forced to pay a large sum of money as compensation for the victim's family by using the royal family's funds, which had already been greatly depleted because of the Greco-Turkish war.

Second Hellenic Republic

In the 1923 Greek legislative election, Venizelos and his party won victory in the Greek parliament and were to assume government at the commencing of the following year. Gonatas, who was serving as prime minister, called for the Greek royal family's evacuation of the country while Venizelos and the victorious Liberal Party prepared to assume government. George succumbed to political pressure but refused to abdicate. Tatoi told the press that George and the royal family would be taking an official visit to Romania to visit Elisabeth's family, however they were going into exile. George and Elisabeth left the country first, followed by Paul and other members of the royal family on 19 December 1923, residing in Bucharest.

Two months after Venizelos' government was proclaimed, the Kingdom of Greece was replaced by the Second Hellenic Republic on 25 March 1924, Greece's national independence day. Two and a half weeks later, the democratically conducted 1924 Greek republic referendum occurred, confirming the abolition of the monarchy and officially removing George as Greece's head of state and Paul as the Crown Prince of Greece. The Greek royal family became stateless, however, Paul was granted a Danish passport from his cousin, Christian X of Denmark.

In Bucharest, where the royal family remained, Paul was welcomed by his sister, Princess Helen, who was unhappily married to the future Carol II of Romania. Not too long after arriving in Romania, Paul departed to stay with his mother and sisters, Princess Irene and Princess Katherine, at the Viva Bobolina in Fiesole. Whilst there, Paul took piano lessons with a retired Italian concert artist.

After living in Tuscany, Paul drove his Lancia Lambda to London, where he wished to become employed. His royal connections to London allowed him to obtain a job in the aeronautics industry, which he wished to join. According to historian Stelios Hourmouzios, Henry Drummond Wolff, and according to historian Ricardo Mateos Sáinz de Medrano, Alphonse d'Orléans, helped Paul become hired as an apprentice mechanic for Armstrong Siddeley. Paul took on the name Paul Beck, which referred to his family's descent from the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and used that name when renting a room in a house in Clarendon Square, Leamington. Paul travelled to Coventry daily, where he worked in assembling aircraft engines. Paul used his salary to help financially aid his mother in Italy.

Restoration of the monarchy

The Second Hellenic Republic had tired most Greeks out, with, in only eleven years, 23 governments, 13 coup d'états and one dictatorship. Each government lasted on average six months, while a coup was either attempted or organized every 42 weeks. The majority of Greeks were now opposed to the republic, and many called for the return of the monarchy. However, monarchists were divided over who should take up the Greek throne. Most supported George's restoration, however, there were large minorities that wished for the king to be a different person, such as Prince George, Duke of Kent. The Greek army finally deposed Prime Minister Panagis Tsaldaris and President Alexandros Zaimis on 10 October 1935, and replaced them with the Minister of War, Georgios Kondylis, who had been a supporter of Venizelos during the National Schism. Despite this, Kondylis disapproved of the republic and publicly claimed while in office that it had brought anarchy to the country. Kondylis' government proclaimed that the Kingdom of Greece had been restored, and he became the regent of Greece while George travelled from England to take back the crown. Before doing so, George, supported by Paul and other members of the family, ordered that a referendum be hosted to confirm his return.

The 1935 Greek monarchy referendum was held, which affirmed that 97.87% of Greeks were in support of the return of the king. Foreign observers at the time claimed that the vote was rigged and noted concerns that voters who were opposed to the monarchy would face beatings. Once the figure of the supposed overwhelming support for the monarchy was announced, a Greek ambassador met with George and Paul at the Greek embassy in London and officially requested that they return to Tatoi. On 5 November 1935, they accepted and began their journeys back to Greece on 14 November. Before returning to Greece, they stopped in Paris and met President Albert Lebrun and their uncle, Prince Andrew. Paul and George then stopped in Italy to collect their sisters, who had been living in the Villa Sparta, and other members of the Greek royal family, such as Prince Christopher. Paul and his family briefly went to Florence to pay homage to their parents, who had been buried temporarily beside the Church of the Nativity of Christ and St. Nicholas, a Russian Orthodox Church. In Rome, Victor Emmanuel III gifted the Greek royals the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation. The Elli took the family from Brindisi back to Athens, where they arrived on 25 November and were welcomed by a large applauding crowd.

Paul became overwhelmed with his royal duties upon George's almost immediate neglect of his role within Greece. Historian John Van der Kiste describes George as having become a "suspicious and taciturn man" who had little interest in showing affinity and becoming close with his younger brother, Paul. Both living at Tatoi, their interactions became awkward and their relationship distanced, while both had little affection for one another. Paul frequently acted as the unofficial regent for Greece and often represented George at events, such as at the repatriation of their parents' bodies to the Tatoi burial grounds and at Venizelos' funeral in 1936. Additionally, Paul resumed his duties within the navy, further overworking him. His royal duties restricted him from working out at sea, however, he worked to develop and modernise the Scouts of Greece, which he became the president of during the 1920s.

World War II

While Frederica was pregnant and giving birth to her three children, the last of which was Princess Irene, Nazi troops were gradually invading different countries throughout Europe, including France, which collapsed under the Nazi tactic of blitzkrieg. On 10 July 1940, Fascist Italy entered the war on the side of the Axis. Benito Mussolini launched a violent propaganda campaign against Greece and accused George of violating its neutrality by harbouring British ships within its waters. On 15 August 1940, an Italian submarine sunk the Elli, which was escorting pilgrims from Tinos. Germany offered mediation between Greece and Italy. It was agreed that if George were to abdicate and Paul become the monarch, Germany would prevent an Italian invasion of Greece. The deal also guaranteed Greek territorial gains in the Balkans. George was furious and made the Nazis write in response to Greece's actions: "They would do better not to stick their noses in the affairs of [his] country in they know what is good for them!" Germany continued attempting to put Paul on the throne.

On 28 October 1940, Mussolini sent Metaxas an ultimatum and demanded that he accepted within three hours while placing Italian troops in Italian-occupied Albania and in Greek Epirus. Metaxas refused and the Greco-Italian war commenced. Both the opposition, led by Plastiras, and the current government, pledged their support for George, who took charge of the Greek armed forces. Greece automatically joined the Allies and remained in close contact with their leaders. George held daily war council meetings at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, while Paul hosted communication links from each war front and continued his role in the navy from Athens. Greece successfully repelled Mussolini's invasion and occupied southern Albania.

Metaxas died on 29 January 1941. George refused to establish a national unity government and appointed the Governor of the National Bank of Greece, Alexandros Koryzis, as the new prime minister. This gave George an even worse reputation as his decision to inaugurate Koryzis continued the dictatorship established by Metaxas in 1936. George faced criticism not only in Greece but also by the Allies. After several victories in Albania, Greek forces capitulated in the German invasion of Greece, which proceeded the German invasion of Yugoslavia. The Luftwaffe' launched Operation Retribution, which saw the German army invading Yugoslavia after their refusal to join the Axis. The German annexation of Yugoslavia put Axis troops on the Greek border. Greek soldiers, accompanied by a regiment sent by London, were overwhelmed in Macedonia and Thessaloniki was captured on 9 April. The Metaxas Line was also crossed by Axis soldiers the same day. By mid-April, Koryzis asked George to accept capitulation, but George refused to compromise with enemy forces. On 18 April, Koryzis committed suicide, and Emmanouil Tsouderos took office three days after.

Reign

Accession

Paul succeeded to the throne on 1 April 1947 upon the death of his childless elder brother, George II, during the Greek Civil War. Paul and his family left their villa in Psychiko and moved to Tatoi after major work had been done to restore the palace. The family continuously moved between Tatoi and Psychiko due to building disruptions until 1949 when they moved in permanently. Paul and Frederica spoke English to each other and to their children despite being fluent in the Greek language. Paul frequently read, told stories and listened to classical music in the presence of his daughters, who later attended a boarding school in Salem to complete their education. The two girls were influenced by the teachings of Kurt Hahn, a Judo-German teacher whose ideas were commonly found as principles in royal families of German origin. Meanwhile, the new Crown Prince, Constantine, was sent by Paul and Frederica to the Anavryta Experimental Lyceum in Marousi.

Starting in 1947, Paul and Frederica took their children to Falken, Austria, for a skiing holiday every winter, and to Petalis in the summer, where the family was lent yachts. On these holidays, Frederica's German relatives were frequently invited, such as princes and princesses of the royal houses of Baden, Hesse, Hanover and Hohenlohe. In 1947, Paul was unable to attend the wedding of Prince Philip to the future Elizabeth II as he was suffering from typhoid fever. In addition to their German relatives, members of the Romanov dynasty who had not been murdered after the Russian Revolution were often welcomed at Tatoi. In June 1948, the wedding of Michael I of Romania and Anne of Bourbon-Parma was held in Athens.

During Paul's early reign, there was tension between certain members of the Greek royal family. Paul and his cousin, Peter, maintained a strained relationship after the royal family accused him of entering a misalliance by marrying Irina Ovtchinnikova, a divorced Russian commoner. Paul's aunt, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who was the mother of Prince Philip, regularly engaged in disagreements with Frederica, who she thought was clumsy and scared of her sister-in-law, Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.

Greek Civil War and Cyprus problem

Paul's contraction of typhoid fever immobilised him for several weeks and caused fears for his health, concurrent to the ongoing Greek Civil War, in which guerrilla warfare conducted by communists continued in the north of the country. Communists in Macedonia attempted to proclaim a people's republic. On Christmas Day 1947, communist militias initiated an attack on Konitsa, and Paul wished to walk through the frontlines but was unable to due to his health. Instead, Frederica held numerous talks between her and the fighting soldiers. At a point in time, Frederica herself travelled to the Epirus frontline, which, according to Hourmouzios, boosted her popularity and branded her a "strong and courageous woman".

On 15 October 1949, the communist forces retreated, which caused large celebrations within the army, also due to higher tensions in Soviet Union–Yugoslavia relations, which slowed support for the Greek communists. By the end of the civil war, around 158,000 people had been killed and approximately 100,000 to 200,000 civil war refugees were deported by Eastern Bloc nations. Thousands of Churches, schools, factories, and homes were destroyed or incapable of functioning. In response to these damages, Paul and Frederica created the Her Majesty's Fund foundation in 1947 to give financial aid to victims of the civil war.

In June 1952, Paul and Frederica made an official state visit to Turkey to ease Greco-Turkish relations. The Turkish government invited the couple to the Hagia Sophia, a Greek Orthodox Church that had been converted into a mosque and then to a museum, but they declined, instead only visiting the tomb of Mustafa Kemal. The state visit marked the first time a Greek head of state had made a state visit to Turkey, which had occupied Greece for over 400 years. This improved relations between the two nations. Paul also worked to facilitate Greco-Yugoslav relations by making a state visit to Belgrade in September 1955. The following year, Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and First Lady Jovanka Broz privately met Paul and Frederica in Corfu. Paul and Frederica also made state visits to the United Kingdom in 1952 and 1963, to the United States in 1953, to France and West Germany in 1956, to Switzerland in 1958, to Ethiopia and Italy in 1959, and to India and Thailand in 1963.

During his visit to the United Kingdom in 1952, Paul walked behind the coffin of George VI during his state funeral procession. Alongside Paul were members of the British royal family, Haakon VII of Norway, Frederik IX of Denmark, Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and President Vincent Auriol of France. Paul and Frederica also made trips to different regions of Greece. Every year on 21 February, the liberation day of Ioannina, on 26 October, the liberation day of Thessaloniki, and on 30 November, the liberation day of Patras and Saint Andrew's Day, Paul and Frederica would celebrate these regional festivities. Paul also habitually ensured that Greece's borders with its neighbours were secured. Paul also travelled to the destruction sites of natural disasters, such as the 1953 Ionian earthquake, 1955 Volos earthquake and 1956 Amorgos earthquake.

Economic miracle and growing authoritarianism

Greece was one of the first nations to benefit from the Marshall Plan and took advantage of American economic aid. Between 1948 and 1952, Greece received over US$376 million in financial aid from the United States. Economic growth was also due to growing political stability within Greece, something that Paul was greatly credited for. In eleven years, Greece was governed by only two prime ministers, Papagos and Konstantinos Karamanlis, a record for the past few decades. Alongside Wirtschaftswunder, agriculture, industry, mining and tourism boomed. The Greek drachma stabilised, while many Greeks moved into West Germany to send back large parts of their incomes. Economists, however, continued to worry about the fact that Greece's economy was very reliant on foreign loans and a majority of food consumed needed to be imported into the country. In addition, one-third of the national budget was spent on the military and defence.

Although written out as a constitutional monarchy, critics of Greece's politics claimed that the country contained traits of an authoritarian monarchy. The Greek constitution of 1952 granted extensive powers to the king, more than that of other European monarchs. Throughout Europe, Paul was subject to accusations of limiting democracy by the media, though both Van der Kriste and Hourmouzios state that many of these reports were exaggerated. The media used Paul's quick political stance to the Cyprus problem, his travel to Britain in 1963 despite the prime minister's recommendation and his close links with higher ranking staff in the Greek army as examples of these accusations. The cost of the monarchy was also questioned, and Paul and Frederica were accused of spending public funds for their own personal holidays and expensive lifestyle while having a lack of worry for the Greek public. The couple were also accused of taking money from Her Majesty's Fund for their personal use. One of the greatest critics of the monarchy was the leader of the opposition, Georgios Papandreou. Papandreou made the words in one of his speeches – "The king reigns, but does not govern" – his motto and boycotted several royal events.

In 1956 a minor controversy arose over a proposed increase to the Greek Civil List. By 1956 the King received 635,000 drachmae per month (7,620,000 annually, then worth approximately US $254,000) from the Civil list; from this he was expected to cover the costs of maintaining the Royal Palace in Athens and the Royal Yacht, as well as any private or official entertaining. The proposed increase for 1957 was 920,000 drachmae per month; despite earlier assurances that this would be supported by the Government and Opposition parties, in the minutes prior to the vote on the increase in the Greek Parliament the members of the Opposition departed the chamber. Although the vote on the increased passed, the King eventually informed Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis that he could not accept this increase if it lacked the support of all major political parties.

Later reign

On 2 June 1958, Crown Prince Constantine turned 18 and thus commenced his royal duties. Constantine often shadowed Paul, who taught him the role of being the monarch. Paul was also very weary of the struggles he and his brother faced and wished to teach Constantine ways of avoiding the types of issues they experienced. Since the age of six, Constantine accompanied Paul in his sailing trips, and in December 1958, Paul and Frederica gifted him with his private sailboat. Constantine trained daily with Odysseus Eskitzoglou and Georgios Zaimis. With the support of Paul, the three enrolled to participate in the 1960 Summer Olympics. On 7 September 1960, they won a gold medal in the sailing event at the Olympics. It was marked with celebrations in Greece, being the second time Greece had won a gold medal in the Modern Olympics, the first being at the 1896 Summer Olympics and won by Spyridon Louis. Paul was also pleased with the wedding of his eldest daughter, Sofía, to Prince Juan Carlos of Spain, who was the heir to the Spanish throne. After having first met on the Cruise of the Kings, Sofía and Juan Carlos reunited at the Rome Olympics, where their relationship and future marriage was pathed.

In early 1963, Frederica was invited to attend the wedding of Princess Alexandra of Kent and Angus Ogilvy. Karamanlis persisted that she did not go to the wedding due to tensions between Athens and London over the Cyprus problem. Karamanlis feared that their attendance at the British royal wedding would create public uproar and opposition. However, Frederica did not listen to his advice and when she arrived in London, English tabloids released photos from the 1930s that showed Frederica and her brothers in the Hitler Youth uniform, describing her as a right-wing extremist with an iron fist. Protests against Frederica were held in the United Kingdom, however few were in Greece. Papandreou and his allies used it as an opportunity to claim that the lack of protests in Greece was because the monarchy had restricted freedom of speech, saying that Greece had committed "crimes". Communist Betty Ambatielos, whose husband had been imprisoned, organised violent demonstrations in London outside the hotel that Frederica was staying in. Frederica is forced to escape with members of the public who support her. The British government sent a "clumsy apology letter" to Paul, further damaging Greco-British relations.

On 22 May 1963, left-wing minister of parliament Grigoris Lambrakis was hit by a motorcycle in Thessaloniki and was killed. A later investigation discovered that the accident was a political attack and high-ranking government officials, who were closely associated with Paul and the monarchy, had been involved in its organisation. Although Paul's reputation was not as badly affected directly, Karamanlis' party, the National Radical Union, who was the monarchy's greatest supporter, was weakened in the public eye. Paul visited London two months later, which resulted in Karamanlis' resignation and Paul's greatest critic, Papandreou, formed government with his party following the 1964 Greek legislative election.

Death

For the last ten years of his life, Paul suffered from multiple health issues. He suffered from vision-related issues, so in 1959, he had an operation for a cataract, and in 1963 an emergency operation for appendicitis. However, later in January 1964, Paul was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Signs of his cancer began showing following his weakness after a trip to the United Kingdom. Paul fainted during the inauguration speech of Papandreou, which took place in February. Surgeons soon operated on a stomach ulcer but discovered that the cancer had grown substantially and ruled out any opportunity for recovery. Paul soon became medically restricted to Tatoi, where Frederica took care of him, while Constantine urgently travelled to Tinos to bring a holy icon. On 6 March 1964, at 16:12 (4:12 pm), after another surgery, Paul died at the age of 62.

Paul's funeral was held on 12 March 1964 and was attended by his family, as well as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Umberto II of Italy, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, American First Lady Bird Johnson, Simeon II of Bulgaria, Rainier III of Monaco and former American President Harry Truman. Paul was buried in the Tatoi gardens, where other deceased members of the Greek royal family are. Paul was succeeded by his son, who became King Constantine II. Paul's wife, Frederica, died 17 years later in 1981. In March 2014, a memorial service took place in the grounds of Tatoi Palace in Athens commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Paul's death. Members of the Greek and Spanish royal families were present. In September 2020, Paul and Frederica's graves were minimally vandalised, but soon restored by the Greek government.

In popular culture

Film and documentaries

Paul appears in various films and documentaries:

In 2010, the role of Paul was portrayed by Spanish actor Roberto Álvarez in the television film Sofía, dedicated to the Paul's eldest daughter.

His life is the focus of Pavlos: No Ordinary King, directed by Níkos Polítis (2014).

Alongside his wife, he is the subject of the episode "Paul and Frederika" in the documentary series The Lovers of the Century by Frédéric Mitterrand (1993).

He can also be seen in the Danish series En kongelig Familie (in English: A Royal family, directed by Anna Lerche and Marcus Mandal (2003).

Numismatics

Various coins featuring Paul were issued by the National Bank of Greece:

A third installment of drachma coins was issued by Greece between 1954 and 1965, and featured Paul.

A 30 drachmas silver coin was released in 1963 to commemorate the centenary of the Greek monarchy, depicting the portraits of George I, Constantine I, Alexander, George II, and Paul.

Philately

Various stamps featuring Paul were issued by the Hellenic Post:

A series of three stamps printed in 1938, on the occasion of Paul's marriage to Frederica.

A series of four stamps issued in 1952, commemorating Paul's 50th birthday.

Four stamps showing the sovereign alone or accompanied by his wife and son, in the Kings of Greece A and B series printed in 1956 and 1957.

Five stamps from the Centenary of the Hellenic Monarchy series issued in 1963, depicting the five monarchs of the House of Glücksburg.

Ten stamps were released after the king's death in 1964.

Honours

Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, 1956

Knight of the Order of the Elephant of Denmark, 1927

Collar of the Order of Solomon of Ethiopia, 1959

Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour of France, 1956

Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation of the Kingdom of Italy, 1935)

Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1952

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Charles of Monaco, 1947

Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I of the Kingdom of Romania

Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain, 1961

Knight of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn of Thailand, 1963

United Kingdom:

Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 1937

Associate Bailiff Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, 29 June 1948

Honorary Admiral Royal Navy, Feb 1953

Stranger Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, 1963

Commander-in-Chief of the Legion of Merit of the United States, 1953

Marriage and issue

On 9 January 1938, Paul married Princess Frederica of Hanover, his first cousin once removed through Frederick III, German Emperor, and Victoria, Princess Royal, and second cousin through Christian IX of Denmark, in Athens. They had three children.