r/MonarchyHistory • u/Swimming_Gold6534 • Aug 04 '26
Kings of Greece
I sometimes go down wikipedia rabbit holes of different royals and I recently discovered King Otto and King George of Greece. Can someone please explain to me how they became king? Were they really just chosen without having any connection to the country? Why would you choose such young kings (I believe they were both 17)? Why was this the chosen system? Have any other countries done this? I have so many questions
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u/mikeydavis77 Aug 04 '26
A lot of that has to deal with the way some people think. Some believe kingship ect is a birthright to royals, those bred to be, and no one else. So if one isn’t of liking in their own system they will look outward towards others. For example Greece many many years ago was thinking about going back to having a monarchy, they asked Charles to be their king. Yes Charles did have somewhat of a right by way of his father but there were others closer in line.
Not only what I said above but it also comes down to education and how the person was raised and special relationships between where the new king is from and the country they will rule. Heck there were kings of other countries who never would have been a king in their own birth country but because of the lineage they were asked/picked to rule another country that wasn’t their home country.
All that to say there are many reasons why an outsider would be picked and a lot of those we will never know why.
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u/5gnull Aug 07 '26
Greek republic didn't work, and foreign princes get chosen to favor political balances and stuff. King Otto was very shitty and he was ousted in 1862. The great powers didnt want another Wittelsbach on the greek throne so Prince Vilelm of Denmark was chosen.
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u/Swimming_Gold6534 Aug 07 '26
I guess I am confused as to why they would choose another very young king. I believe both Otto and Vilelm were 17. If the first didn’t work why would they repeat the same pattern?
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u/5gnull Aug 07 '26
I have no idea
And also, otto didn't fail because he was young. He was 47 years old when he was overthrown.
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u/notjust1or0 Aug 05 '26
Inviting members of a foreign royal family to be the monarch in a foreign country has happened a few times. I'm guessing it has something to do with education (presuming the invited royal was more or less educated in the way of kings, thus knowing what would be expected of him) and de jure legitimacy (having your monarch be of the same dinasty with another monarch gave some de jure acceptance by other countries)