Author Topic: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)  (Read 205990 times)

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Offline Clemence

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #270 on: February 06, 2011, 04:23:00 PM »
but ofcourse it was her mothers' country after all - yet she was pro-german in greek politics, or at least that's the way she is known to us here in greece!
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Maria_Pavlovna

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #271 on: February 06, 2011, 07:40:30 PM »
not true, Sophie was pro english to the bone, the only reason why she is known in Greece because of her brother the Kaiser was jerk and used Greece in Sophie's name.

Offline grandduchessella

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #272 on: February 07, 2011, 10:31:06 AM »
I think the truth was a little more complicated than she was one or the other. There was WW1 propaganda but there is also a bit of revisionist history that she was 100% pro-British during the war and immediately afterwards. Greece suffered at the hands of the Allies and that caused a lot of anger--perhaps not enough to make her 'pro-German' but enough to sour her a great deal on Britain. Of course, after the war and 2nd exile, the Greek royal family did spend a lot of time in England and, even now, it's their home of exile for the most part.
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Offline Clemence

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #273 on: February 07, 2011, 02:03:06 PM »
I believe that loosing her mother she lost her last bond to england! her husband was a great admirer of germany and her country was germany. do we really have any evidence she was pro-english during the war?
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Offline Keith

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #274 on: February 07, 2011, 06:56:07 PM »
On the other side of the coin Clemence what is the evidence that Sophie was pro-german. Surely, not just that she was a Prussian Princess and her husbands admiration of Germany?


Maria_Pavlovna

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #275 on: February 07, 2011, 07:11:52 PM »
I believe that loosing her mother she lost her last bond to England! her husband was a great admirer of germany and her country was germany. do we really have any evidence she was pro-english during the war?

I recommend you read Born to Rule by Julia P. Gelardi  which is the most updated bio of Queen Sophie

Offline grandduchessella

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #276 on: February 07, 2011, 08:55:43 PM »
Gelardi's book is excellent. It does point out the anger felt by Constantine and Sophie (and other family members) towards the Allies--at least their governments. This is why I think it more complex than pro or anti this or that. The Allies, especially the French, in the Greek royal family's eyes treated the monarchy abominably and were at the root of the propaganda against them--propaganda that nearly turned deadly for the family (and indeed deadly for some of their retainers). Their anger at their treatment by the Allies had to occasionally at least contrast with the behavior of the Austro-German axis no matter what one's personal feelings. They believe, correctly, that, once Greece refused to capitulate the monarchy needed to be overthrown. This was obvious to George V as well who believed the British govt had allowed 'France too much to dictate a policy, and that as a Republic she may be somewhat intolerant of, if not anxious to abolish, the monarchy in Greecce.' This was written to the British foreign secretary Edward Grey in Sept 1916. Soon after the British minister in Athlens remarked that Constantine 'spoke...more bitterly than ever' to the Russian minister about his treatment by Britain and France, especially France.

In December 1916, following Allied bombardment, Tino wrote to GV that while he knew the King personally didn't believe they harbored plots, he entreated them 'do not push us to despair...we have been cruelly treated owing to lying'. Sophie, meanwhile, fired off a series to telegrams to Berlin at the time--they were published by the Greek government in 1919. Some of these telegrams were to her brother and they continued  on describing bombardment, blockade, food shortages. One telegram to the Kaiser said 'How much I suffer!...May the infamous pigs receive the punishment which they deserve!'. Some quetsion of the telegrams was later called into question by Prince Nicholas in 1928 as perhaps revealing only partly the truth but it wouldn't be surprising for someone in Sophie's position to be pushed towads a country that was shelling and starving her people and trying to ensure the overthrow of her husband. These telegrams covered Dec 1916 to Feb 1917. Nicholas defended his sister-in-law's writing to her brother as the act of a desperate, mortified woman--not one coldly plotting with her brother.  While assigning most blame to France, Princess Helen (daughter of Sophie) said te family felt stabbed in the back by a dear, trusted friend' (Britain).
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Offline Clemence

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #277 on: February 09, 2011, 11:28:44 AM »
Quote
I recommend you read Born to Rule by Julia P. Gelardi  which is the most updated bio of Queen Sophie

thank you, I'll try find and read the book, I'm very interested in Sophie and the era. But I don't think you believe what I stated here (and you quoted) is an opinion I formed without reading some biographies myself. Since most of my readings are from books in greek and by greek authors I find it somehow difficoult to recommend them to people who probably aren't familiar with the language. I totally agree with
grandduchessella that:

Quote
...  I think it more complex than pro or anti this or that.

greek history is a complicated issue, and history of those years even more complex, let alone greek people and ther relation with their state and rulers. So I always try to read every opinion on what every book has to contribute but I think it's a hard work and we must all be ready to change our opinions.
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Maria_Pavlovna

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #278 on: February 19, 2011, 02:40:44 PM »
Quote
I recommend you read Born to Rule by Julia P. Gelardi  which is the most updated bio of Queen Sophie

thank you, I'll try find and read the book, I'm very interested in Sophie and the era. But I don't think you believe what I stated here (and you quoted) is an opinion I formed without reading some biographies myself. Since most of my readings are from books in greek and by greek authors I find it somehow difficoult to recommend them to people who probably aren't familiar with the language. I totally agree with
grandduchessella that:

no prob. i know some Greek, any recommended book? :)

Offline Clemence

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #279 on: February 27, 2011, 11:30:28 AM »
hope you have access to ''πριγκίπισσες της ελλάδος'' by αλκμήνη παλαιολόγου, there are many interesting things in there.
'' It used to be all girls without clothes. Now it’s all clothes with no girls. Pity.''

Maria_Pavlovna

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #280 on: February 27, 2011, 03:23:39 PM »
thanks :)  I wanted that book since 2009, but i can never find a copy :(
« Last Edit: February 27, 2011, 03:26:50 PM by Mandie, the Gothic Empress »

Offline KarlandZita

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #281 on: April 05, 2011, 01:26:51 PM »
King Constantine, Queen Sophie and their daughters Katherine, Helen and Irene :

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Offline Carolath Habsburg

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #282 on: April 06, 2011, 07:02:35 AM »
Sophie



 

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Offline KarlandZita

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #283 on: April 23, 2011, 07:45:21 AM »
Queen Sofia with friends in the 20s (after the death of Constantine) :



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Offline Svetabel

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Re: King Constantine I & Queen Sophie (nee Prussia)
« Reply #284 on: April 26, 2011, 01:44:00 PM »
Constantin and his brother George