The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02
King George and His Family.

Buffalo Courier.
~oficial title is King of the Hellenes," is
f~fty-one years old, and has been on the
throne thirty-three years. The hrst Greek
King after the termination OF the war of
independence, in the early part of this cen
fury, was Ohio, a prince of Bavaria, VINO
reigned thirty years, and was deposed ana
expelled in consequence of a revolution IN
1862. The object of this revolution was to
get rid of an unpopular monarch, who mad
never fully identified himself with the coun-
trv of his adoption. whose loyalty to the
Constitution was doubtful and who had no
son to succeed him. 1t was not an up
rising against the monarchical form of gov
rnment and the Greeks Immediately UNI
dertook to find another prince for the va
cant throne. Their first choice was Prince
Albert of England. second son of Queen
Victoria, but he had to decline the offer,
as there was an agreement among the great
movers which were interested in the affairs
of Greece that no member of their own rul-
ing families should become Kim of Greece.
The choice finally fell upon William, Prince
of Denmark, the second son of the then heir
presumptive to the Danish throne, now
known as King Christian TX of Denmark.
Prince William. who; at the time OF his
was a youth of seventeen, agreed to change
his northern name when he became the
ruler of a southern people. OF the three
baptismal names which he had received in
addition to his principal name, for orna-
mental purposes rather than for practical
use. the name of George was the one best
fitting a ruler of Greece, and 1t was adopted
| as the official name of the new sovereign.
King George is not regarded as a man
Of more than ordinary ability and force of
character. But he has been a constitutional
ruler, and from the beginning of his reign
his ministers and advisers have been
Greeks. not foreigners. In this respect he
has differed greatly and advantageously
from his predecessor, Ohio. The former
King had no heir, and neither he nor his
wife conformed to the established church of
the country. King George. who was brought
up as a Protestant, has not changed his
own religious creed; but mis- wife, a Russian
princess, and his children are all members
of the Greek Orthodox Church. His oldest
born and educated in Greece, and the royal
family is therefore not regarded as foreign.
The wife of Crown Prime Constantine is
a sister of the German Emperor. Within
two years after her marriage she became
a member of the Greek Church. This So
called conversion of the crown princes for
a time estranged her from her naughty
brother, who regarded this change of faith
as an act derogatory to the dignity of
his royal house, 1t is said, however, that
there has been a reconciliation and that the
recent unfriendly attitude of the German
government with regard to the Cretan in
surrection and the conflict between Greece
and Turkey was caused by political consid-
erations. The Kings second son, George,
the sailor prince of the Greek royal fam
lily. seems TO enjoy "A larger measure of
popular favor than any other member of
the reigning house. The Kings decision TO
adhere firmly to the national cause, con-
trary to the advice of some OF his foreign
| relatives, was becoming a constitutional
sovereign, and may prove also most con-
duciVe TO the interests of his family, nc
| matter what the outcome OF the present
struggle may bo