She also fit his requirements of an Orthodox bride very well. Since he was not Orthodox but ruling over a country that was, it was a major consideration. There weren't too many eligible princesses around. George got very lucky with Olga in terms of their compatability and her disposition.
My present comment would have made more sense in Part I of this thread, but that is now a stickey and locked.
In Part I the cemetery at the Greek summer palace of Tatoi comes up several times, such as here:
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=1278.msg29899#msg29899I thought that you might be interested to read what Princess Vera Constantinovna wrote to us about her visit to Tatoi.
In her letter dated March 21 / April 5, 1986, she wrote:"...Какъ мнѢ нравится Грецiя. Была тамъ разъ, съ паломниками послѢ Пасхи въ ІерусалимѢ. Во время
полковниковъ. Устроила поѢздку въ Татой и вспомнила тетю Ольгу — сестру моего отца, королеву Еллиновъ. Мы ее любили какъ родную мать, святая была.
Помню разговоръ съ ней. Она сказала, что понимаетъ, что я люблю Россию, которую помню, но как я люблю флотъ — не понимаетъ, т. е., Русский Флотъ — ибо его не знаю... Да, все морское моё — атавизмъ отъ дѢда, Константина Николаевича..."
(English:)
"Oh how much I like Greece. I was there one time, with the pilgrims after Pascha in Jerusalem. During the time of the 'Colonels' [the Junta]. I arranged a trip to Tatoi and I remembered my Aunt Olga, my father's sister, the Queen of the Hellenes. We loved her like our very own mother; she was a saint.
I recall a conversation with her. She said that she could understand that I love Russia, which I can remember, but how I love the Navy — she does not understand, i.e., the Russian Navy, because I do not know it... Yes, everything naval is 'mine' — an atavism — from my grandfather, Constantine Nicholaevich."
