GREEK THRONE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22094, 27 April 1935, Page 11

GREEK THRONE

EX-KING GEORGE REPORTED RECALL ISXILE DENIES STpRY "NOT BEEN APPROACHED" CONFLICTING STATEMENTS By Tolegrnph—Press Association —Copyright (Received April 26, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 26 The News Chronicle's Paris correspondent states that ex-King George 11. of Greece denies a report that he has accepted an invitation from the Greek monarchists and representatives of the Greek Parliament to return to the throne. " I know absolutely nothing of it," said the ex-King. " I have not been approached on the subject."

The statement thus denied was contained in a message from the Paris correspondent of the British United Press, who said that after addressing a secret conclave of Greek monarchists who had arrived from Athens, ex-King George declared: " A call has been made to me to return to the throne of Greece and I am determined to accept it-."

According to this correspondent the conclave agreed to a decision to restore the monarchy and this was certain to bo approved by the Constitutional Assembly shortly to be elected in Greece.

It was expected that the ex-King would bo back on the throne in six months. When he had been restored he would support the Little Entente with leanings toward the foreign policies of Britain and France.

The ex-King George 11. of Greece was born at Tatoi on July 7, 1890. the eldest son of the then Crown Prince, later King Constantine. His mother was Princess Sophie of Prussia, a sjster of the ex-Kaiser. On June 11, 1917, King Constantino was compelled by the Entente Powers to abdicate. On leaving Greece he took with him Prince George, handing over the throne to his second son, Alexander. After the mysterious death of the latter in October, 1920, King Constantine was recalled as the result of a plebiscite, but after the disastrous campaign against the Turks in Asia Minor he had to abdicate again on September 28, 1922, and his eldest son then came to the throne as George 11. In February, 1921, ex-King George had married Princess Elizabeth oi Rumania, a daughter of King Ferdinand. Prince Nicholas, father of Princess Marina, who married the Duke of Keiit, is an uncle of ex-King George. His former reign was brief. When in Marchj 1924, the Republicans seized power in Athens and next day proclaimed a Republic and deposed him, he had, in lus_ turn, to leave Greece. He went to Bucharest, from where he issued a protest against his deposition. Since then he has divided his time between England anil Rumania. At the Rumanian frontier station of Kikinda in August, .1927, an attempt was made to shoot ex-King George, but he was not injured. The sale by exQueen Elizabeth of her estate in Rumania for £117,000 in 19tf0, led to rumours that the ex-King was about to retjiirn to the throne of Greece. A report that his marriage was to be dissolved was denied by the Queen. In December, 1934, George visited India, where he was the guest of the Viceroy and the Maharaja of Patiala. One of the causes of the abortive revolt which broke out in Greece last month was said to have been the fear that the Tsaldaris Government was about to abrogate the law exiling the Royal family with a view to the restoration of the monarchy.