Paul
GreeceBiography of Pavel
Pavel, the King of Greece from 1947 to 1964, was born in Athens. He was the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophia of Prussia. Pavel pursued a career in the navy. On January 9, 1938, he married Frederika of Hanover, and they had three children. Their daughter, Sophia, would become the Queen of Spain, their son, Constantine, would become the King of the Hellenes, and their other daughter, Irene, would become a princess of Greece and Denmark.
There were rumors that Pavel had a close relationship with Denham Fouts, a well-known gay literary figure of that era. Some even speculated that Pavel and Denham were lovers. However, doubts were cast on these stories by Denham's friend, John B. L. Goodwin, and literary critic Katherine Bucknell.
Pavel spent periods of exile with his father from 1917 to 1920, from 1923 to 1935, and from 1941 to 1946. During World War II, Pavel resided in London and Cairo with the government in exile. In 1946, Pavel returned to Greece, and in 1947, he ascended to the throne after the death of his brother. He faced a challenging moment as the country was in the midst of a civil war between communists and the ruling government.
By 1949, the civil war came to an end, and Greece began to rebuild its economy. Pavel played a role in strengthening trade and diplomatic relations with other countries, becoming the first Greek monarch to visit the ruler of Turkey. However, tensions arose with Britain over Cyprus. Although Cyprus eventually gained independence, relations with Britain remained strained.
In 1959, Prince Maximillian of Bavaria brought the regalia of King Otto of Greece back to the country, which had been absent for almost 100 years. Not all of Pavel's actions were well-received by the people, and he faced criticism for his excessive involvement in politics, frequent foreign visits, and the high cost of the royal family for the country's budget. In response to public discontent, Pavel reduced expenses and donated one of his estates to the state.
Pavel underwent cataract surgery in 1959 and emergency appendix removal in 1963. In late February 1964, he underwent another operation and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. A week after the surgery, Pavel passed away in Athens.
