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GREECE.

Reigning Sovereign and Family.

Georgios I., King of the Hellenes, born Dec. 24, 1845, the second son (Wilhelm) of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, present King of Denmark; elected King of the Hellenes by the National Assembly at Athens, March 18 (30), 1863; accepted the crown, through his father and the King of Denmark, acting as his guardians, June 4, 1863; declared of age by decree of the National Assembly, June 27, 1863; landed in Greece, Nov. 2, 1863. Married, October 27, 1867, to

Olga, Queen of the Hellenes, born Aug. 22 (Sept. 3), 1851, the eldest daughter of Grand-duke Constantin of Russia, brother of the Emperor Alexander II. Issue of the union are two sons and one daughter, Konstantinos, born Aug. 5, 1868, Georgios, born June 24, 1869, and Alexandra, born Aug. 30, 1870.

By decision of the Greek National Assembly of May 15, 1863, a civil list of 1,125,000 drachmas, or 40,178 ₤, was settled on King Georgios I, to which the Governments of Great Britain, France, and Russia added 4,000 ₤ each, making the total income of the sovereign of Greece 52,178 ₤ per annum.

Greece, a province of the Turkish empire since the commencement of the 16th century, gained its independence in the insurrection of 1821-9, and by the Protocol of London, of Feb. 3, 1830, was declared a kingdom, under the protection of Great Britain, France, and Russia. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg having declined the crown of Greece, it was offered to, and accepted by, Prince Otto of Bavaria, who ascended the throne Jan. 25, 1833, being under the age of eighteen. He was expelled the kingdom after a reign of 29 years, in October, 1862, which event was followed by the election, under the directing guidance of the three protecting powers, of the present sovereign.

The King, according to Art. 49 of the Constitution of 1864, attains his majority upon completing his eighteenth year. Before he ascends the throne, he must take the oath to the constitution in the presence of the ministers, the sacred synod, the deputies then in the metropolis, and the higher officials of the realm. Within two months at the most, the King must convoke the Legislature. If the